Author: Holly Zink

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    Collapsed Lung: A Potential Early Indicator of Mesothelioma

    ByHolly Zink

    Experiencing a collapsed lung may be an early sign of mesothelioma. This is the finding of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology. Early Diagnosis is Important Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos that is hard for doctors to diagnose. Many of the symptoms for mesothelioma could also be caused by other, more common, diseases. It usually requires many tests to diagnose mesothelioma. Doctors usually start with a physical exam, then to an imaging scan like an X-ray or CT scan. If they see signs of mesothelioma, they will perform a biopsy to test a sample of tissue for cancer. The delay is diagnosis also delays treatment, which has a negative impact on survival. Investigating…

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    Osteopontin and Mesothelioma: Unraveling the Connection

    ByHolly Zink

    Scientists in Italy found that a protein called osteopontin is important to the growth of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. It most often develops in the lungs or abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma is rare, with only 2,000 cases in the United States each year. The disease occurs more often in men than women. It can take decades after asbestos exposure for symptoms of the cancer to start affecting a patient. Mesothelioma is often difficult for doctors to treat. They usually create treatment plants that involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But there is still much that we do not know about mesothelioma, including the best ways to shrink tumors and improve survival. Key Protein in…

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    The Power of Immunotherapy: T Cells and Mesothelioma Treatment

    ByHolly Zink

    Mesothelioma patients with more immune cells called CD8+ T cells might respond better to immunotherapy. This is the finding of a team of scientists from Japan. Their study was published in the scientific journal Thoracic Cancer. Typical Treatment Plan Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is both rare and aggressive. It grows in the cells lining the surface of organs like the lungs. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to a toxic mineral called asbestos. Because it is rare and grows quickly, mesothelioma can be hard for doctors to diagnose and treat. A patient usually needs to have many tests before a doctor can diagnose them with mesothelioma. This can include imaging scans, blood tests, and biopsies. Once mesothelioma has…

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    Promising Results of CRS/HIPEC Treatment

    ByHolly Zink

    A new treatment can lead to good short- and long-term outcomes for patients with mesothelioma. It’s called cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC). Research results came from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria. They looked at the first 100 mesothelioma patients who had this treatment in their hospital. Advancing Mesothelioma Care Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that grows in the lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. There are approximately 2,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States every year. The standard treatment for mesothelioma usually includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The typical prognosis with standard treatment is survival between one and five years….

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    Discovering the Link to Mesothelioma Growth

    ByHolly Zink

    Italian researchers have found that a molecule called cycle adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is involved in the growth of mesothelioma. cAMP acts as a messenger in our cells and affects different processes in the body. When the cAMP pathway is too active, it can contribute to the growth and spread of tumors. In this study, researchers looked at the levels of cAMP in mesothelioma tumors caused by toxic fibers like asbestos. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that grows on the lining of internal organs like the lungs and abdomen. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is toxic to humans. Mesothelioma is a rare disease, so we do not know very much about how…

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    Revolutionizing Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Breakthrough Blood Test Method

    ByHolly Zink

    A study conducted by researchers from China is the first to use a new method to analyze blood samples of people with mesothelioma. The method is called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The researchers were hoping that this method would help them find mesothelioma biomarkers in blood samples. A Promising Step Forward Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the body’s internal organs. Pleural mesothelioma grows in the lungs. Peritoneal mesothelioma grows in the abdomen. This cancer is caused by exposure to a toxic material called asbestos. Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed after a person goes to a doctor because they are experiencing symptoms. These symptoms depend on the type of…

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    Hope and Resilience: A Case of Mesothelioma Long-Term Survival

    ByHolly Zink

    A new study highlights how important early diagnosis and effective treatment are to long-term survival. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by asbestos. It develops in the abdominal cavity. This cancer occurs in less than 1,000 people in the United States every year. The Importance of Early Detection Symptoms of mesothelioma may take decades after asbestos exposure to appear in the affected person. Most of the common symptoms occur around the abdomen, like pain and swelling. Other symptoms could be night sweats and fever. To diagnose mesothelioma, doctors will usually use a combination of scans and biopsies. Treatment for mesothelioma can include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. A Japanese Case Study on Long-Term Survival In this case, a…

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    The Power of Drug Combinations: High Throughput BH3 Profiling in Mesothelioma

    ByHolly Zink

    A new technique called dynamic BH3 profiling tests drug combinations to treat mesothelioma. This testing can help doctors create effective treatment plans for individual patients. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It is hard to diagnose and even harder to treat, especially when it is in advanced stages. Even in the early stages, the chances of survival after five years are only 18%. A Treatment Plan for Mesothelioma A treatment plan for malignant pleural mesothelioma depends on a few different factors. These include the type of mesothelioma and how far it has developed in the patient. It may also include the health of the patient and the patient’s wishes for treatment. Conventional treatment usually involves…

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    Genetic Counseling for Mesothelioma: What You Need to Know

    ByHolly Zink

    People with a family history of thoracic cancers like mesothelioma should think about getting genetic counseling. This is the recommendation of researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom. They explored what we know about how changes in a person’s genes passed down through their family can increase their chances of developing cancer. The Power of Genetic Knowledge Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. It most often occurs in the lungs or in the abdominal cavity. With the best conventional treatments, people with this cancer typically have a median survival of a little over a year for mesothelioma in the lungs and about five years for mesothelioma in the abdomen. There is…

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    Identifying Mesothelioma: How Extracellular Vesicles Could Be the Key

    ByHolly Zink

    Scientists believe that particles called extracellular vesicles could be used as biomarkers to identify malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It is caused by exposure to asbestos, usually at work. It has a low survival rate, so it is important to find ways to diagnose it early. It is also important for doctors to be able to predict how it will develop in patients. How Mesothelioma is Diagnosed Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed after a person goes to a doctor because they are experiencing symptoms. For MPM, a person might feel shortness of breath due to fluid around the lung, chest pain, cough, and…