Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma
An enzyme that helps mop up the products of cellular oxidation might also serve as a powerful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma. People with the lowest levels of this enzyme survived longer with mesothelioma than those with higher levels. Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1) is an enzyme found in all cells. It helps keep toxins from building up inside cells. It also helps regulate certain cellular processes. But there is also evidence that GPX-1 may play a role in the development of cancer. Researchers in Egypt recently discovered that pleural mesothelioma tumors have more GPX-1 than the healthy tissue around them. The less they have, the better the prognosis. The findings suggest that GPX-1 could be a useful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma … Continue reading Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma
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?
PET/CT Scans May Be Less Accurate in Elderly Mesothelioma Patients
Researchers at Case Western Reserve are warning cancer doctors not to rely too heavily on PET/CT scans when diagnosing malignant mesothelioma – especially in older patients. PET/CT is an important tool for staging mesothelioma and can help with diagnosis. But a new case report highlights the problem of false-negative PET/CT scans. In this case involving a 77-year-old man, PET/CT showed no mesothelioma. Even the man’s lung fluid tests were negative for mesothelioma. The case is a potent reminder that biopsy is still the gold standard for diagnosing asbestos cancer. PET/CT Scans and Other Tools for Diagnosing Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is a tricky cancer to diagnose. Most patients do not even have symptoms until the disease is in a later stage. … Continue reading PET/CT Scans May Be Less Accurate in Elderly Mesothelioma Patients
Physical Function Predicts Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes
A patient’s level of physical function prior to mesothelioma surgery is a strong predictor of how well they will do after surgery. That is the conclusion of a new University of Maryland study. Researchers analyzed the cases of 54 pleural mesothelioma patients before and after lung-sparing P/D surgery. The goal was to see what factors had the biggest impact on their post-surgical outcomes. Patients underwent lung function and physical function tests both before and after their operations. It turns out that a mesothelioma patient’s ability to be physically active is even more important than their lung function in predicting their recovery. Lung-Sparing Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the multi-layer membrane (pleura) that surrounds the lungs. As … Continue reading Physical Function Predicts Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes
CT Evaluation Correlates with Actual Mesothelioma Tumor Volume, Subtype, and Survival
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 … Continue reading CT Evaluation Correlates with Actual Mesothelioma Tumor Volume, Subtype, and Survival
New Test May Help Doctors Choose the Best Mesothelioma Surgery
A new predictive model may make it easier for cancer doctors to choose the best mesothelioma surgery for each pleural mesothelioma patient. There are two major surgical approaches for pleural mesothelioma. One involves removal of a lung and the other does not. Right now, the choice about which surgery to have is based on patient demographics, symptoms, and lab values. Which surgery is most common at the institution may also play a role. Many surgeons have strong opinions about which is the best mesothelioma surgery. But Harvard researchers say the new predictive model they tested is a better way to stratify mesothelioma patients. Their study suggests that this approach may lead to better treatment outcomes and more accurate clinical trials. … Continue reading New Test May Help Doctors Choose the Best Mesothelioma Surgery
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis: Searching for New Factors
An international research study including patients from 11 countries may help reveal new and better ways to predict peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis. Right now, doctors use three primary criteria to determine peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis. Those are how much cancer was in the abdomen at the time of surgery, how complete the surgery was, and the tumor grade. But about 70 percent of people treated for peritoneal cancers like mesothelioma have recurrent disease. The goal of the new study is to find more prognostic factors. Knowing these factors could help doctors make better choices about which patients are most likely to benefit from cytoreductive surgery (CRS). The CRS/HIPEC Procedure for Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs on the lining of the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma … Continue reading Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis: Searching for New Factors
Does Pleural Fluid Exposure Affect Mesothelioma Survival?
A recent study found no link between mesothelioma survival and exposure to pleural fluid. But that does not necessarily mean the link doesn’t exist. Pleural fluid is also called pleural effusions or “water on the lungs”. It is extra fluid that builds up around the lungs. It is common in people with heart failure, kidney or liver disease, pleural mesothelioma and some other kinds of cancer. Pleural effusions are usually treated as an uncomfortable mesothelioma symptom. Draining the fluid can help patients breathe easier. But researchers at Oxford University wondered whether the pleural fluid itself could shorten mesothelioma survival. In this study, the answer appears to be no. But the researchers warn this may not be the final word on … Continue reading Does Pleural Fluid Exposure Affect Mesothelioma Survival?
Treatment Advances Fail to Improve Mesothelioma Survival Trends
A new report shows mesothelioma survival trends have remained steady for decades, despite new drugs, new surgery techniques, and the introduction of pleural catheters. The report comes from cancer researchers at Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre in Canada. Canada has one of the world’s highest rates of malignant pleural mesothelioma. This is likely related to the country’s long history of asbestos production. To compile the new report, researchers compared mesothelioma outcomes in three different decades between 1991 and 2019. There were surprisingly few differences in mesothelioma survival trends in the three decades. Mesothelioma’s Destructive History Pleural mesothelioma is a virulent cancer of the pleural membrane. This is the tissue or mesothelium that surrounds the lungs. It is thin but flexible and … Continue reading Treatment Advances Fail to Improve Mesothelioma Survival Trends
Concerning CT Findings and Mesothelioma Prognosis
One of the nation’s top mesothelioma doctors says concerning CT findings may be one of the best ways to predict peritoneal mesothelioma outcomes. Dr. Paul Sugarbaker is with MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. His newly published study compares 11 different concerning CT findings with outcomes in 100 mesothelioma patients. Sugarbaker and his team found that the prognostic value of these 11 CT features is on a par with peritoneal cancer index (PCI) and cytoreduction (CC) score. It means that CT findings could become even more important for mesothelioma treatment planning. CT Scans Reveal Information About Peritoneal Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs on the lining around the abdomen. It is an aggressive and hard-to-treat cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. … Continue reading Concerning CT Findings and Mesothelioma Prognosis
“My Name is Paul Kraus and I Have Survived Mesothelioma for Over 20 Years.”
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