Follow-Up Care for Mesothelioma: What Happens After Treatment?

follow-up care for mesothelioma

A new UK study on follow-up care for mesothelioma finds that patients need more continuity, timely information, and more input from their caregivers.  The study focused on three National Health Service facilities in the South of England. Two were secondary care hospitals and the third was a tertiary care center. A tertiary care center has special, high-level expertise in mesothelioma care.  Researchers talked to patients, nurses, caregivers, and members of practice groups called clinical commissioning groups. They used the feedback to develop the UK’s first set of best practices for follow-up care for mesothelioma. They now plan to share these best practices with clinicians across the country to improve after-care for all mesothelioma patients.  The Importance of Follow-Up Care for … Continue reading Follow-Up Care for Mesothelioma: What Happens After Treatment? »

New Mesothelioma Trial to Test Tri-Modal Approach

new mesothelioma trial

Enrollment is open for a new mesothelioma trial run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to test a three-prong approach to treatment.  Pleural mesothelioma is a lung-related cancer caused by asbestos. It is notoriously difficult to treat and highly aggressive.  The new mesothelioma trial aims to recruit 150 pleural mesothelioma patients. Patients will receive lung-sparing surgery and chemotherapy. Some will also receive intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).  Researchers will test which group does better – those who only have surgery and chemotherapy or those who also have targeted radiation therapy. They plan to measure not only survival but also complications, quality of life, and how long it takes for the cancer to come back.  Tri-Modal Treatment to Fight Mesothelioma The … Continue reading New Mesothelioma Trial to Test Tri-Modal Approach »

Mesothelioma Risk to War Survivors Highlighted by Journalist’s Case

mesothelioma risk to war survivors

A new Italian case study highlights the mesothelioma risk to war survivors, including journalists and bystanders.  In an article in BMJ Case Reports, researchers from Rome detail the case of a war journalist who contracted mesothelioma after more than ten years in the field.  The male journalist worked in war zones in the Far and Near East. He inhaled a range of toxic substances including asbestos in the dust and smoke from destroyed buildings.  The new case report is a sobering reminder that bombs and bullets are not the only deadly threats in war-torn regions. Asbestos dust poses an often-overlooked mesothelioma risk to war survivors. Asbestos and its Link to Mesothelioma Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral. It is inexpensive, plentiful, … Continue reading Mesothelioma Risk to War Survivors Highlighted by Journalist’s Case »

Targeting Nerve Cells Might Offer New Way to Fight Mesothelioma, Other Cancers

targeting nerve cells

Israeli scientists may have found a new way to fight mesothelioma and other cancers from the inside out by targeting nerve cells.  Researchers at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology conducted the new study. It appears in the journal Science Advances.  Nerve cells called neurons help promote tumor growth. The team reasoned that targeting these tumor nerve cells with a damaging drug might slow cancer progression.  They tested the theory on triple-negative breast cancer tumors in mice. The tumors still grew but they grew much slower than the untreated tumors. The findings could have implications for other hard-to-treat cancers like malignant mesothelioma.  New Options Needed for Malignant Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is one of the rarest and most treatment-resistant cancers. Many … Continue reading Targeting Nerve Cells Might Offer New Way to Fight Mesothelioma, Other Cancers »

CBD Oil for Mesothelioma? New Case Study Suggests It’s Possible

CBD Oil

The case study of a UK lung cancer patient whose tumor shrunk while she was taking CBD oil could be a hopeful sign for mesothelioma patients, too.  pleural mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer are different disease but they share many commonalities. Both affect the lungs and cause similar symptoms. Sometimes, a treatment that works for NSCLC can help mesothelioma patients and vice versa. The subject of the new case study was a lung cancer patient in her 80s. She went to the doctor for a cough that would not go away. A CT scan showed the woman had a tumor in her right lung.  Later, she developed more lung tumors.  The patient decided not to have surgery because of … Continue reading CBD Oil for Mesothelioma? New Case Study Suggests It’s Possible »

Quinacrine for Mesothelioma? Anti-Malaria Drug May Help Patients with This Gene Mutation

quinacrine for mesothelioma

Another study on quinacrine for mesothelioma suggests that the once-popular anti-malaria drug might help a subset of patients with a particular gene mutation. Quinacrine is sold under the brand name Atabrine. It used to be the main anti-malaria drug but most doctors now prefer chloroquine.  Last fall, Penn State research on quinacrine for mesothelioma showed the drug has a “high degree of cytotoxicity” on its own. The newest study initially focused on the potential for synergistic effects of quinacrine and chemotherapy. It turns out that the drug can make cisplatin more lethal to mesothelioma cells. Further tests showed that cells with inactivated NF2 mutations were even more sensitive to quinacrine. As many as 60 percent of mesothelioma patients may have … Continue reading Quinacrine for Mesothelioma? Anti-Malaria Drug May Help Patients with This Gene Mutation »

Access to Multi-Modality Mesothelioma Treatment Limited for Uninsured & Rural Residents

access to multi-modality mesothelioma treatment

A new study shows a person’s insurance status and where they live often impact their access to multi-modality mesothelioma treatment. This can have an impact on their survival.  Researchers at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center conducted the new study. They shared their findings at the recent virtual world conference of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.  The study found that access to multi-modality mesothelioma treatment was more common in patients with private insurance or Medicare. It was also more common among those who lived closer to larger medical centers.  People who lived further out or who did not have insurance often did not receive the treatments that offer the best odds of mesothelioma survival. … Continue reading Access to Multi-Modality Mesothelioma Treatment Limited for Uninsured & Rural Residents »

Cancer-Fighting Gel Could “Change the Treatment Paradigm” for Mesothelioma

cancer-fighting gel

New National Cancer Institute research shows a cancer-fighting gel applied directly to the surface of a mesothelioma tumor could “change the treatment paradigm” for this troublesome cancer.  NCI researchers in Maryland developed the treatment and tested it in animals with mesothelioma tumors.  Their tests show mesothelioma tumors respond after just one application of the medication.  The authors of a new report on the treatment say surgeons could use it to enhance mesothelioma surgery. They could even use the cancer-fighting gel on its own as a stand-alone therapy.  The Challenge of Mesothelioma Tumor Shape Malignant mesothelioma is a surface malignancy. Surface malignancies are tumors that grow on the surface of other organs or tissues. In the case of mesothelioma, tumors occur … Continue reading Cancer-Fighting Gel Could “Change the Treatment Paradigm” for Mesothelioma »

Second-Line Treatment with Ramucirumab Improves Mesothelioma Survival

second-line treatment with ramucirumab

New evidence suggests that second-line treatment with ramucirumab after first-line chemotherapy may lead to longer survival in people with pleural mesothelioma.  Researchers in Italy recently published results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the drug. Ramucirumab inhibits a protein mesothelioma tumors need to form new blood vessels.  The study included 161 pleural mesothelioma patients from across Italy. Researchers gave half of them second-line treatment with ramucirumab and another drug called gemcitabine. The other half had second-line treatment with gemcitabine alone.  Results showed the ramucirumab group lived more than six months longer than those who got only gemcitabine.  Few Options for Recurrent Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with few good treatment options. Most patients start with chemotherapy with Alimta. … Continue reading Second-Line Treatment with Ramucirumab Improves Mesothelioma Survival »

Study Reveals How TTFields and Chemotherapy Fight Mesothelioma

New and More Objective Way to Diagnose Mesothelioma

TTFields and chemotherapy offer one of the most potent combinations against malignant mesothelioma tumors. Now a new study reveals why they work so well together.  Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are low intensity, intermediate frequency, alternating electric fields. They are delivered into the chest of mesothelioma patients with a vest-like device marketed under the brand name Optune Lua.  In 2019, a combination of TTFields and chemotherapy became the first new FDA-approved treatment for mesothelioma in 15 years.  Now, a new report in the journal Lung Cancer sheds light on the synergy between the two modes of mesothelioma treatment.  Combating Cancer with Electrical Currents The Tumor Treating Fields approach was created by Jersey-based Novocure. The technology uses electrical fields to destabilize critical … Continue reading Study Reveals How TTFields and Chemotherapy Fight Mesothelioma »

Get your free copy of
“Surviving Mesothelioma” Today!