Pleural Mesothelioma Staging: These Overlooked Lymph Nodes Might Help
An often-ignored set of lymph nodes behind the ribs could help make pleural mesothelioma staging more accurate and valuable. Staging is the process of determining how advanced a patient’s cancer is. It involves looking at various different factors and assigning a rating between 0 and 4. A higher stage indicates more extensive cancer. A new report suggests that the posterior intercostal lymph nodes behind the ribs play a more important role in pleural mesothelioma staging than previously thought. Mesothelioma patients with cancer in these nodes lived half as long as other mesothelioma patients. Researchers in Maryland and Pennsylvania say removing and examining these nodes may lead to more accurate staging, more informed treatment decisions, and better outcomes. How Lymph Nodes … Continue reading Pleural Mesothelioma Staging: These Overlooked Lymph Nodes Might Help
The Pathological Diagnosis of Mesothelioma: New Recommendations
An international team of researchers says it is time to refine the pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma. They are recommending a list of changes they say could make the process more effective. Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Under current pathology guidelines, it falls into just three categories. But the research team says those guidelines do not give doctors enough information. They recommend updates to make the pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma more specific. Understanding Mesothelioma Pathology Pathologists study body tissue, fluids, and cells that are surgically removed. The pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma involves looking at cells under a microscope. Cells can then be put into a category. About three quarters of mesothelioma cases are epithelioid. Epithelioid mesothelioma is … Continue reading The Pathological Diagnosis of Mesothelioma: New Recommendations
Step Counts for Cancer Prognosis: Could it Work for Mesothelioma?
Cancer researchers in New York are exploring the concept of using step counts for cancer prognosis. If further studies back it up, the technique might help predict outcomes for people with mesothelioma. The new study involved people with non-small cell lung cancer. The patients wore commercial fitness trackers so doctors could see how much they walked. The researchers compared step levels with treatment outcomes. They concluded that there is value to using step counts for cancer prognosis. It may even be more effective than some more traditional methods for predicting survival. Cancer Prognosis and Chemoradiotherapy Mesothelioma survival usually depends on how well patients respond to standard treatments. Healthier, more active cancer patients tend to have better outcomes. Chemotherapy and radiation … Continue reading Step Counts for Cancer Prognosis: Could it Work for Mesothelioma?
Risk for Malnutrition Among Older Mesothelioma Patients
A new study out of Brazil suggests that many older mesothelioma patients may be at risk for malnutrition and the problems that go with it. The study included more than 4,500 Brazliian cancer patients from 45 hospitals. They were evaluated for their nutritional status, nutritional risk, and nutrition-related symptoms. Among the 25% of cancer patients over 65, more than half faced a moderate to severe risk for malnutrition. The findings suggest it is a problem hospitals should identify and address early for the best mesothelioma treatment outcomes. Mesothelioma and Nutritional Status As with other types of cancer, nutrition has an affect on the treatment of people with mesothelioma. An Australian study of pleural mesothelioma patients earlier this year found that … Continue reading Risk for Malnutrition Among Older Mesothelioma Patients
Large Study Finds Treatment Combination Leads to Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival
There is more evidence that surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy can lead to long-term mesothelioma survival. The news comes from an Australian study of more than 1,200 cancer patients. The study finds that one in five peritoneal mesothelioma patients who had this treatment combination were still alive 10 years later. Peritoneal Cancer Survival with Surgery Peritoneal cancers occur on the lining of the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma starts on this peritoneal membrane. Some other peritoneal cancers start elsewhere in the body and spread to the peritoneum. The new Australian study analyzed the cases of peritoneal cancer patients who had cytoreductive surgery between 1996 and 2018. Cytoreductive surgery aims to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Past studies have found that … Continue reading Large Study Finds Treatment Combination Leads to Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival
Spotting the BAP1 Gene Mutation in Mesothelioma Patients
New guidelines may make it easier to tell which mesothelioma patients contracted the disease because of a BAP1 gene mutation. The knowledge could have an impact on mesothelioma treatment planning. BAP1 stands for BRCA associated protein-1. People who have an inherited BAP1 gene mutation face a higher risk for several conditions, including malignant mesothelioma. Very few mesothelioma patients have the mutation and gene testing is not routine. So researchers at a top US cancer center have developed a set of screening criteria. The criteria may help predict which mesothelioma patients could benefit from genetic testing. Testing for the Altered Gene Mesothelioma is just one of the conditions associated with the inherited BAP1 gene mutation. People with this condition are also … Continue reading Spotting the BAP1 Gene Mutation in Mesothelioma Patients
Shorter Mesothelioma Survival Again Linked to Higher PD-L1 Levels
Patients with the rarest mesothelioma subtypes tend to experience shorter mesothelioma survival. Now, new mesothelioma research suggests that may have something to do with a protein called PD-L1. French researchers studied the PD-L1 levels in the tumors of 214 mesothelioma patients. They compared the levels with each patient’s subtype and their treatment outcome. The results may help explain cases of shorter mesothelioma survival, especially among patients with sarcomatoid or biphasic mesothelioma subtypes. PD-L1 Levels and Shorter Mesothelioma Survival Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is one of the proteins that helps mesothelioma cells and other cancers “hide” from the immune system. Normally, the immune system finds and destroys renegade cells. But if a patient’s mesothelioma tumor expresses higher amount of PD-L1, … Continue reading Shorter Mesothelioma Survival Again Linked to Higher PD-L1 Levels
Mesothelioma Survival Rates Have Remained Flat for Decades
Mesothelioma survival rates have stayed steady for decades, even though treatments are improving. According to more than 25 years worth of data from the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank, people with malignant mesothelioma live a median of 15 months. That number has changed little since 1990. Charting Mesothelioma Patients Over Time Researchers from several major US cancer centers compiled the new report. The goal was to chart mesothelioma survival rates over time and identify factors that impact them. The group evaluated mesothelioma survival rates from 888 cases of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma in the NMVB. The NMVB houses information on more than 1400 mesothelioma cases diagnosed between 1990 and 2017. Overall mesothelioma survival rates stayed right around 15 months. But there … Continue reading Mesothelioma Survival Rates Have Remained Flat for Decades
Adjuvant Radiotherapy Most Effective for Pleural Mesothelioma in Early Stages
New research shows adjuvant radiotherapy is most likely to help pleural mesothelioma patients in the early stages of the disease. By the time mesothelioma is at Stage III or Stage IV, adjuvant radiotherapy is unlikely to improve survival. Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas conducted the study on more than 2,500 pleural mesothelioma patients. Their results appear in the most recent issue of the Journal of Thoracic Disease. The study could help mesothelioma patients and doctors make more informed choices about their care. Defining the Stages of Pleural Mesothelioma The four stages of mesothelioma relate to the severity of the cancer and how far it has spread. In Stage I mesothelioma, the tumor is confined to the pleural … Continue reading Adjuvant Radiotherapy Most Effective for Pleural Mesothelioma in Early Stages
Minimally Invasive Mesothelioma Diagnosis from Lung Fluid
Minimally invasive mesothelioma diagnosis with lung fluid may be just as effective as a tissue biopsy. That’s according to Australian mesothelioma researchers. Australia was once one of the biggest producers of asbestos and now has some of the highest mesothelioma rates in the world. It is also home to high-level mesothelioma research. In the latest study, scientists ran a meta-analysis comparing surgical biopsy with a minimally invasive mesothelioma diagnosis tool called cytology. Their conclusion is that surgery may not always be necessary to diagnose malignant mesothelioma. Tissue Versus Lung Fluid Malignant mesothelioma is a fatal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It is challenging to diagnose because the symptoms are often vague and similar to other less serious conditions. Doctors … Continue reading Minimally Invasive Mesothelioma Diagnosis from Lung Fluid
“My Name is Paul Kraus and I Have Survived Mesothelioma for Over 20 Years.”
In 1997 I was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The doctors gave me just a few short months to live...
But here I am, 20 years later, alive and well.
I wrote a book explaining how I became the longest living mesothelioma survivor in the world.
Today, I'd like to give you a copy for free because I want more people to survive this disease.
All you have to do is click the button below now. You will receive the book within 72 hours.
I wish you good health.
Sincerely,
"It has been over four years now and I can honestly say I am doing great. I highly recommend this book because it is inspirational and educational."
Get your free copy of
“Surviving Mesothelioma” Today!