New Tool Measures Stress Levels Among Mesothelioma Caregivers
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New Tool Measures Stress Levels Among Mesothelioma Caregivers

ByAlex Strauss

Preliminary tests of a new tool designed to measure stress levels among mesothelioma caregivers shows that the tool is both reliable and helpful.  The tool was developed by occupational medicine researchers in Rome. Their goal was to create a “short, flexible, and comprehensive tool” to detect psychological distress in carers.  The team recently tested the tool in a group of mesothelioma caregivers. Their results have just been published in the journal Psycho-Oncology.  The Strain of Caring for a Loved One with Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is a highly lethal type of membrane cancer. Most mesothelioma patients lived or worked around asbestos.  Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma. It affects about 2,000 people in the US every year. Another…

Academic Medical Centers Extend Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival
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Academic Medical Centers Extend Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

A new published study suggests that peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated at academic medical centers survive much longer than those who get their care at community hospitals. The study was conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer of abdominal membranes. There is no known cure. The new study compared outcomes and survival among more than 2,600 mesothelioma patients. Patients were treated at high-volume academic hospitals or community cancer centers.  The results suggest that academic medical centers consistently provide more advanced and potentially life-extending care for this complex cancer.  Experience is Critical for Mesothelioma Care Malignant mesothelioma is the name for cancers that occur on internal membranes. It…

New Study: PD Surgery and HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma
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New Study: PD Surgery and HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

German doctors say a combination of extended PD surgery and HITHOC has produced some ‘remarkable’ results for patients with pleural mesothelioma.  Extended PD (pleurectomy with decortication) is a lung-sparing surgical procedure for people with cancer on the pleural membrane around the lungs. HITHOC is a method for infusing the area with heated chemotherapy drugs without sending those drugs through the whole body.  Together, extended PD surgery and HITHOC produced median progression-free survival of more than a year and a half for mesothelioma patients in a new German study. Their experience is the focus of a new article in the journal Respiration.  Removing and Killing Cancer Cells: The One-Two Punch Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that starts on the…

Asbestos Bans Not a Quick Fix for Rising Mesothelioma Incidence
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Asbestos Bans Not a Quick Fix for Rising Mesothelioma Incidence

ByAlex Strauss

A new study is further evidence that asbestos bans are not a quick fix for the global problem of malignant mesothelioma incidence.  Researchers in China and the US just released a worldwide research study on the asbestos cancer. The study included 21 regions in 195 countries and territories and spanned 27 years.  The authors say mesothelioma incidence does decrease after asbestos bans. But the decrease can take decades. In the meantime, they say many countries need to do a better job of tracking and managing mesothelioma cases.  Asbestos and Mesothelioma Incidence Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Exposure to asbestos is its only known cause. People with mesothelioma often die of this cancer in less than…

An Unusual Case of Occupational Asbestos Exposure
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An Unusual Case of Occupational Asbestos Exposure

ByAlex Strauss

Public health researchers in Italy say they have uncovered an unusual case of occupational asbestos exposure in a circus worker with malignant mesothelioma.  The 86-year-old former smoker worked as a truck driver and lion tamer. He was a part of the circus for 53 years. Circuses are not usually considered a high risk environment for asbestos exposure. But records from the local mesothelioma registry show two separate situations in which the circus worker experienced occupational asbestos exposure.  The new case report highlights the problem of hidden mesothelioma risks on the job. Occupational Asbestos Exposure and Malignant Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is one of the world’s deadliest cancers. It is almost always caused by breathing in or swallowing asbestos dust. This usually happens…

New “Real World” Study of Immunotherapy for Peritoneal Mesothelioma
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New “Real World” Study of Immunotherapy for Peritoneal Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A new study from one of the nation’s top cancer centers supports the role of immunotherapy in peritoneal mesothelioma treatment. Immunotherapy is a treatment approach that aims to harness the body’s natural defense system to fight cancer.  Several immunotherapy drugs have been tested for pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lungs. Last year, the FDA approved a new combination of immunotherapy drugs for the pleural form of asbestos cancer.  But there is less data on immunotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma. Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center just released their findings on a class of immunotherapy drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). They say it is the first “real-world evidence” of clinical outcomes with ICIs in peritoneal mesothelioma patients. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors…

CT Evaluation Correlates with Actual Mesothelioma Tumor Volume, Subtype, and Survival
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CT Evaluation Correlates with Actual Mesothelioma Tumor Volume, Subtype, and Survival

ByAlex Strauss

Two new studies highlight the value of CT evaluation for patients with either peritoneal or pleural mesothelioma.  CT stands for computed tomography. The technology uses X-rays to create three dimensional images of internal structures.  The studies show CT evaluation can give doctors an accurate idea of the size and extent of mesothelioma tumors. These scans can also help predict which patients have the best odds of survival. This helps doctors plan better, more effective treatment strategies.  What is Malignant Mesothelioma? Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that grows on the membranes around internal organs. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. This kind of tumor starts on the pleural membrane around the lungs.  Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for…

Mesothelioma Patient Warning: Beware of Dangerous Cancer Information Online
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Mesothelioma Patient Warning: Beware of Dangerous Cancer Information Online

ByAlex Strauss

New research suggests that mesothelioma patients looking for cancer information online could do more harm than good if they are looking in the wrong places.  Researchers identified 200 cancer-related articles posted on social media between 2018 and 2019. Experts from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) reviewed the articles for inaccuracies and harmful information. Almost a third of the articles contained misinformation. Just over 30 percent contained cancer information that could be harmful to mesothelioma patients and others with cancer.  Mesothelioma and the Search for Cancer Information It can be devastating to receive a cancer diagnosis. For many families, a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is especially frightening. Mesothelioma is very rare and highly aggressive. The prognosis for mesothelioma is usually…

Comparing Second-Line Therapies for Recurrent Mesothelioma
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Comparing Second-Line Therapies for Recurrent Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

University of Pennsylvania researchers have some hopeful news for people with recurrent mesothelioma after chemotherapy: Second-line immunotherapy might increase their odds of survival. Previous studies show that recurrent mesothelioma patients who had immunotherapy lived longer than those on placebo. But doctors were not sure how second-line immunotherapy compared to second-line chemotherapy in these patients. The new study showed a clear survival advantage for those who had immunotherapy.  Coping with Recurrent Mesothelioma Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer with a grim prognosis. Most people who receive a mesothelioma diagnosis start treatment with chemotherapy. A combination of Alimta (pemetrexed) and a platinum drug is the most common first-line treatment.  But even the standard-of-care rarely keeps this virulent cancer at bay for…

Occupational Asbestos Exposure: The Need for Standardized Assessment
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Occupational Asbestos Exposure: The Need for Standardized Assessment

ByAlex Strauss

A new report shows how important it is to have a standardized way to assess occupational asbestos exposure in people with mesothelioma.  Malignant mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Usually, that happens in the workplace. But sometimes, even the worker has no idea how or where he or she was exposed. This is especially true in industries not normally associated with occupational asbestos exposure.  The new Italian case study of a trucking worker who developed pleural mesothelioma illustrates the point.  Some Occupations Pose a Higher Mesothelioma Risk Than Others Before scientists discovered how dangerous it was, asbestos was a common additive to many products. Industries prized the fibrous mineral for its strength, heat and corrosion resistance, durability,…