Radiotherapy Outcomes in Mesothelioma Linked to Pembrolizumab
Canadian researchers say radiotherapy may hold the key to improving outcomes in mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a fast-growing membrane cancer caused by asbestos. Doctors have not found a single therapy that can beat it. For most patients, a combination of treatments offer the best survival odds. Pembrolizumab plus Radiotherapy Pleural mesothelioma is a rare lung-related cancer caused by asbestos exposure. There is no cure for mesothelioma. Most mesothelioma patients have a combination of therapies. Radiation is one of the methods doctors use to help slow its spread. Outcomes in mesothelioma vary widely with the use of radiotherapy. Pembrolizumab is used in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for mesothelioma. Radiotherapy uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. One … Continue reading Radiotherapy Outcomes in Mesothelioma Linked to Pembrolizumab
Bevacizumab: An Immune Therapy in Mesothelioma Treatment
Bevacizumab, an immune therapy, enhances the immune system to target cancer cells. Historically, chemotherapy drugs were considered the standard treatment. But, a new study highlights bevacizumab, an immune therapy. It can now be considered in combination with mesothelioma treatments where accessible. Chemotherapy has been a popular treatment therapy. Cytotoxic chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. It results in a modest improvement in patient survival. But toxicity limits the eligible patient population. Targeted Chemotherapy Agents Immunotherapies are now playing a greater role in the treatment of many cancers. The last decade has presented a paradigm shift. There has been a change in the way we understand the relationship between the immune system and cancer progression. Several targeted agents … Continue reading Bevacizumab: An Immune Therapy in Mesothelioma Treatment
Mesothelioma Surveillance Protocols, Quality of Life, and Patient Hope
Mesothelioma surveillance protocols are a series of medical tests. Surveillance is designed to detect and track cancer progression. Surveillance protocols also check treatment effectiveness. And they provide patients with reassurance and hope. A new study identified the effectiveness of mesothelioma surveillance protocols. This study focused on patients who have noncurative treatment intent. Importance of Reassurance and Hope Findings from nine different studies identified the need for reassurance and hope as part of surveillance. They also highlighted the importance of trust and relationships. Follow-up and surveillance models provide patients with continuity, reassurance, and updates on condition. Continuity ensured patients knew who to contact if they had a new symptom or concern. Patient hopes for follow-up were for management of pain and … Continue reading Mesothelioma Surveillance Protocols, Quality of Life, and Patient Hope
Genetic Mesothelioma Risk May Lead to Shorter Latency
A particular genetic risk for mesothelioma may be behind the few cases where cancer develops just a few years after asbestos exposure. That is the word from researchers at Australia’s Flinders University and the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute. Latency is the time it takes after exposure to a cancer-causing agent for signs of cancer to show up. Malignant mesothelioma has one of the longest latency periods of any cancer. In most cases, it takes about 40 years for mesothelioma to develop. As a result, mesothelioma is rare in people under 65. But, in rare cases, mesothelioma develops earlier in life. These cases have sometimes been dismissed as being unrelated to asbestos. But in a new journal article, mesothelioma experts from … Continue reading Genetic Mesothelioma Risk May Lead to Shorter Latency
New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?
A team of Australian researchers have developed a new mesothelioma grading system they believe is a more accurate method for predicting outcomes. The system assigns weighted scores based on things like mesothelioma subtype, the shape of the nuclei, BAP1 loss and other parameters. A higher score suggests the patient’s mesothelioma case may be more challenging to treat. Tests of the system in more than 350 patients show that it is highly accurate. The team lays out their new mesothelioma grading system in a recent issue of the American Journal of Surgical Pathology. In the article, they make the case for why this new prognostic tool could be a helpful supplement to the current, more widely-used WHO system. The Importance of … Continue reading New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Eligibility May Be Too Strict, Study Finds
A new Australian study suggests that too many people are being left out of mesothelioma clinical trials under current trial rules. The researchers say that eligibility requirements around pleural mesothelioma studies are too strict. The result is that many people never have the opportunity to take advantage of investigational treatments only available through studies. In addition, the trial data gathered may not really apply to average mesothelioma patients. The Australian researchers are calling for changes that will let more people qualify for mesothelioma clinical trials. What Are Mesothelioma Clinical Trials? Pleural mesothelioma is an intractable cancer of the lining around the lungs. People who get it usually worked in an industry that exposed them to asbestos. Once asbestos gets in … Continue reading Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Eligibility May Be Too Strict, Study Finds
Exercise Unlikely to Prevent Mesothelioma Development
A new Australian study suggests that exercise is unlikely to prevent mesothelioma development in people who have been exposed to asbestos. The study focused on asbestos-exposed mice. Asbestos cancer can take decades to develop. Researchers thought the long latency period might offer an opportunity to prevent mesothelioma development with physical activity. But even mice that had no mesothelioma symptoms were less likely than mice their same age to be physically active. How Mesothelioma Develops Over Time Malignant mesothelioma has one of the longest latency periods of any cancer. The latency period is the time between exposure to a carcinogen and development of the disease. Scientists know that asbestos can cause mesothelioma. But they have not found a way to prevent … Continue reading Exercise Unlikely to Prevent Mesothelioma Development
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor May Change the Standard Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
The immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab could become a standard part of first-line mesothelioma treatment if the results of a new study hold true in a Phase 3 trial. Australian researchers have become the latest to show the benefit of adding durvalumab to first-line chemotherapy for pleural mesothelioma. Chemotherapy is usually the first thing doctors use to treat pleural mesothelioma. But as many as half of mesothelioma patients do not respond to it. Researchers around the world are hopeful that adding an immune checkpoint inhibitor like durvalumab will lead to better response rates. What is an Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor? Mesothelioma cells survive and thrive in part because they have ways of protecting themselves. Chemotherapy drugs are less likely to hurt them … Continue reading Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor May Change the Standard Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Low Dose Aspirin Could Increase Mesothelioma Risk
If you are at risk for malignant mesothelioma, you may want to think twice about taking low dose aspirin on a regular basis. A new study suggests that low dose aspirin could speed up the growth and spread of cancer cells in older people. The study appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. It involved more than 19,000 people in Australia and the US. Low Dose Aspirin and Mesothelioma Many older people take small daily doses of aspirin to reduce their risk for heart attack. Aspirin reduces inflammation and the blood’s ability to clot. This makes it less likely to form the blockages that cause heart attacks and strokes. But mounting evidence suggests that taking low dose aspirin … Continue reading Low Dose Aspirin Could Increase Mesothelioma Risk
Quality of Life with Mesothelioma: Too Many Symptoms, Not Enough Support
A new study suggests that even the healthiest patients have a lower quality of life with mesothelioma than they should. That is because they tend to have many symptoms and needs that are not being met. Researchers at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Western Australia ran the study. They used data from the RESPECT-Meso trial. RESPECT-Meso was a multicenter, randomized study to measure the impact of early palliative care on quality of life with mesothelioma. Australia has one of the highest per capita rates of malignant mesothelioma in the world. Researchers found that the high symptom burden of this cancer is a big problem for patients. Many also said they were not getting the information they need from their doctors. … Continue reading Quality of Life with Mesothelioma: Too Many Symptoms, Not Enough Support
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