Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors to Treat Mesothelioma
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Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors to Treat Mesothelioma

A new study supports the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma. The study authors caution that immune checkpoint inhibitors should be used carefully because they can be an expensive treatment. Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. It develops from cells of the mesothelium, the lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. There are approximately 2,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States every year. Since mesothelioma is so rare, standard treatment options are limited. Standard therapies include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. If more than one of these therapies is used, it may be called multimodal therapy. Immunotherapy has emerged in…

Countries Ban Asbestos to Reduce Mesothelioma Deaths

Countries Ban Asbestos to Reduce Mesothelioma Deaths

A new study published in BMJ Global Health has found that most countries ban asbestos to reduce mesothelioma cases. This study was an international collaboration. Authors were based in research centers located in Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. The authors found a strong relationship between asbestos bans and pre-ban mesothelioma burden in the country. Countries with a high number of mesothelioma cases were more likely to ban the use of asbestos. Asbestos Causes Cancer in Humans Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The Global Burden of Diseases Study estimates that 29,300 people around the world die each year from mesothelioma. Asbestos is a naturally occurring material found throughout the world. It is almost impossible to set on…

Rare Case of Pleural Mesothelioma and Breast Cancer
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Rare Case of Pleural Mesothelioma and Breast Cancer

In rare instances, people can have two different types of cancer at the same time. It is especially rare to have pleural mesothelioma and breast cancer. One woman in Portugal was found to have this exact diagnosis. According to the authors who shared her case, she is the first published case of mesothelioma and breast cancer at the same time. A Mesothelioma Diagnosis Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. This type of cancer forms on the lining of internal organs like the lungs. There are three categories of mesothelioma: epithelial, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. When mesothelioma forms on the lining of the lungs, it is called malignant pleural mesothelioma. It is the…

Stronger Mesothelioma Clinical Trials for Better Results
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Stronger Mesothelioma Clinical Trials for Better Results

A commentary by an international team of researchers raises some concerns about how clinical cancer trials are conducted. The authors of the commentary hail from Israel, Italy, Ireland, and the United States. They claim that there is a need for better balance between the cost of new cancer drugs and their actual benefit to patients. The authors came to this conclusion after analyzing clinical trials for treatments for pleural mesothelioma. Gold Standard for Mesothelioma Treatments Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. It most often appears in older adults and is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a toxic material that can be found in industrial and consumer products. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a specific type of mesothelioma. It…

Asbestos Type Influences Mesothelioma Development

Asbestos Type Influences Mesothelioma Development

A new report from South Korea shows that the type of asbestos exposure can influence the development of mesothelioma. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been found throughout the world. It was once called the “magic mineral” because of its seemingly magical properties. All these properties pale in comparison to the fact that asbestos is toxic and causes cancer in humans. Asbestos causes mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos is classified as a Class I Carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Sixty countries have bans on asbestos, but many developing countries still use this toxic material. South Korea, where this study took place, was a major consumer of asbestos in the late 1900s. It…

New Combination Chemotherapy Drug for Mesothelioma
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New Combination Chemotherapy Drug for Mesothelioma

A recent study has found that a new drug for mesothelioma chemotherapy could improve treatment outcomes. The new drug is called abemaciclib. It works by blocking cancer cells from multiplying within the body. This helps to stop tumors from growing and spreading. The researchers in this study used cell samples from mesothelioma patients to test the drug. Their study found that adding abemaciclib to the standard chemotherapy treatment helped to stop the growth of mesothelioma cancer cells. Common Treatment Options Mesothelioma is an extremely rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It affects the membranes around organs like the lungs and abdominal cavity. It takes a long time for symptoms to appear. By then, the cancer has usually become difficult…

New Tool to Measure Mesothelioma Stress

New Tool to Measure Mesothelioma Stress

Researchers from Italy have created a tool to measure psychological distress in patients with malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It is unique among cancers because of the combination of medical, psychological, social, and legal factors. The clinical characteristics of mesothelioma can make this disease especially difficult for patients and families. It can take decades for symptoms to appear, and they are often difficult to treat. Because of this, the prognosis usually is not very good for patients. The fact that asbestos exposure typically occurs at work is also difficult for patients to deal with. Unlike other cancers, mesothelioma patients can blame governments or companies for their disease. This can lead to feelings of…

New Set of Biomarkers for Mesothelioma
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New Set of Biomarkers for Mesothelioma

A new set of biomarkers to diagnose mesothelioma has been identified by researchers in Italy. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. It takes decades for symptoms to appear after being around asbestos. It is also a deadly cancer with an average survival time of 13 months. Diagnosing mesothelioma as early as possible is critical to successful treatment. Doctors diagnose mesothelioma with a few different procedures. They might perform a scan on a patient first. This is usually an x-ray or a CT scan. Once they find a potential cancer site, the doctor needs to remove part of the tissue to take a closer look. The doctor will perform a biopsy to get…

Diagnosing Mesothelioma with DNA in Cancerous Cells
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Diagnosing Mesothelioma with DNA in Cancerous Cells

DNA methylation could be used to diagnose mesothelioma earlier for better treatment outcomes. This is the finding of a study from a team of researchers from Belgium. The researchers analyzed 63 studies that looked at DNA methylation in mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. The cancer develops on the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and chest wall. Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed after a person goes to a doctor because they are experiencing symptoms. These symptoms depend on the type of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma in the lungs may cause shortness of breath, pain in chest, and fluid retention. Peritoneal mesothelioma in the abdomen can cause abdominal pain, fatigue, and ascites….

Understanding Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
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Understanding Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the most aggressive type of mesothelioma. It also looks different from other types of mesothelioma, making it even harder to diagnose and treat. The cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. It takes decades for symptoms of this cancer to appear, and the symptoms often look like other diseases, like pneumonia. A proper diagnosis can take a long time, which means the cancer has more time to spread. Mesothelioma can be categorized into three groups: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. The type of mesothelioma a patient has depends on the shape of the cancer cells. Epithelioid mesothelioma has cube-shaped or column-shaped cells. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma has cells with…