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Precision Medicine Treatment: Gene-Targeting Mesothelioma
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Precision Medicine Treatment: Gene-Targeting Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A new precision medicine treatment for mesothelioma comes from scientists in Italy. This form of mesothelioma occurs after asbestos exposure in people with a genetic mutation. The mutation is represented by patients with an inherited cancer syndrome. These patients typically have an even worse prognosis than other mesothelioma patients. But the Italian team came up with a way to target the mutated gene. This form of treatment is called precision medicine. Precision medicine treatment looks at the genetics of a patient to select a treatment that will work best for them. Discovery of a DNA Gene Mutation Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Malignant mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive kinds…

Asbestos Exposure in Construction Workers Leads to Mesothelioma
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Asbestos Exposure in Construction Workers Leads to Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Asbestos exposure in construction workers remains a particular concern. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer with a global incidence. Italy is among the countries with the highest values of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is associated with exposures to asbestos fibers and other asbestiform fibers. Asbestos exposure in construction workers remains a particular concern. A new study describes the characteristics of Italian malignant mesothelioma cases among construction workers. Scientists analyzed 31,572 cases with definite asbestos exposure in the period from 1993 to 2018. Connecting Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma in Construction Workers The relation between asbestos use and the historical trend of mesothelioma is clear. Italian scientists assessed asbestos exposure in 78.2% of the mesothelioma cases. This accounts for 24,864 of the patients studied….

Historic Timeline of Asbestos Exposure in Denmark: Predicting the Next Decade
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Historic Timeline of Asbestos Exposure in Denmark: Predicting the Next Decade

ByHolly Zink

A historic timeline of asbestos exposure in Denmark has been created. This is the first known attempt to compile asbestos measurements in Danish workplaces. The Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment released a new report. It indicates that historical asbestos exposure measurements are valuable for current risk assessment. Asbestos Measurements and Concentrations This work shows the airborne fiber concentration ranges in specific work tasks. And it is divided into different industries over time. The historical asbestos exposure database contained 9,236 records. Of these, 5,869 data entries contained high-quality measurements of asbestos concentrations. The database includes data from 1971 to 1997. These historic reports can identify specific work scenarios with high asbestos exposures. There had not been any previous…

Mesothelioma Mimics Ovarian Cancer: Lessons from a Case Report
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Mesothelioma Mimics Ovarian Cancer: Lessons from a Case Report

ByHolly Zink

Mesothelioma mimics ovarian cancer in a new report by Radiology Case Reports. Mesothelioma is a rare and very aggressive tumor of the peritoneum. Similar clinical and imaging presentations mean mesothelioma mimics ovarian cancer at times. Yet, a history of asbestosis exposure is key as the main risk factor for mesothelioma. Imaging plays a key role in getting the diagnosis correct. It narrows down the diagnosis possibilities. Ultrasound-guided biopsy with histological study can confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis. Case Report Misdiagnosis The Bangladesh National Institute of Oncology recently published a case report. A 42-year-old woman reported pelvic pain and progressive abdominal distension. An abdominal ultrasound revealed a high volume anechoic peritoneal effusion. Further investigation showed extensive peritoneal disease and bilateral ovarian tissue…

Research Advancements Audit by Asbestos Diseases Research Institute
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Research Advancements Audit by Asbestos Diseases Research Institute

ByHolly Zink

Research advancements provide a brighter future for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the lung lining. Mesothelioma is associated with asbestos exposure. Australian researchers from the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute and the University of Sydney have reviewed the basic research advancements. Their new publication covers mesothelioma biomarkers and treatment strategies. There is a long latency period from asbestos exposure to cancer development. A lack of genetic biomarkers makes early diagnosis difficult. The prognosis of pleural mesothelioma is poor. There is an average survival of eight to fourteen months following diagnosis. Diagnostic Biomarkers Biomarkers are limited in the clinic to diagnose pleural mesothelioma. A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood or other body fluids…

Cells Talking in the Tumor Microenvironment: Cracking the Code
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Cells Talking in the Tumor Microenvironment: Cracking the Code

ByHolly Zink

The tumor microenvironment and stroma cells affect the progression and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. A new study shows how cells support the malignancy of mesothelioma and potential therapies. Malignant pleural mesothelioma has a unique and complex tumor microenvironment. A new study recently showed that the tumor microenvironment plays a key role in cancer initiation and progression. Scientists are seeking to understand how cancer and non-cancer cells communicate. Cancer and Non-Cancer Cells Talk to Each Other When white blood cells do not filter out asbestos fibers, other cells in the body are able to begin growing cancerous mesothelial cells. Scientists are seeking to understand how cancer and non-cancer cells communicate in the body. Non-cancer cells include immune cells and stromal…

Could Phlebotomy Delay Development of Mesothelioma?
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Could Phlebotomy Delay Development of Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

New research from Japan suggests that removing some blood from the body might offer a way to delay the development of mesothelioma in people exposed to asbestos.  Nearly all cases of malignant mesothelioma occur in people with a history of asbestos exposure. Scientists know that asbestos causes mesothelioma. But they still do not know exactly how.  What is clear is that both iron and byproducts of metabolism called reactive oxygen species (ROS) appear to play a role. Blood removal or phlebotomy can temporarily reduce iron and ROS levels.  The new report from Yasumasa Okazaki, a pathologist with Japan’s Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, details how phlebotomy in asbestos-exposed mice delayed the development of mesothelioma. It offers hope that this…

Asbestos Cement Roofing Poses an Ongoing Risk for Mesothelioma
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Asbestos Cement Roofing Poses an Ongoing Risk for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Australian researchers have a warning for people in homes with asbestos cement roofing: Replace your roof or risk mesothelioma in the future.  Michael Kottek and Man Lee Yuen are with the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute in Sydney. They recently published a new report on the risk of mesothelioma from roof tiles made of asbestos.  Like all asbestos-containing products, asbestos cement roofing breaks down over time. Disintegrating or “friable” asbestos is the number one cause of deadly malignant mesothelioma worldwide.  Writing in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Kottek and Yuen say buildings with roofs made from asbestos pose an ongoing threat to occupants, even if the tiles are not disturbed.  Asbestos-Containing Products and Asbestos Cancer There was a time when…

Genetic Mesothelioma Risk May Lead to Shorter Latency
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Genetic Mesothelioma Risk May Lead to Shorter Latency

ByAlex Strauss

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…

Mesothelioma Patient Registry May Finally Be a Reality
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Mesothelioma Patient Registry May Finally Be a Reality

ByAlex Strauss

The United States may finally get a mesothelioma patient registry to help collect and track vital information about this deadly disease.  New York Congressman John Katko has reintroduced a bill he first brought before Congress six years ago. The Mary Jo Lawyer Spano Mesothelioma Patient Registry Act would establish the first national registry for asbestos cancer.  Registries like this exist for many other kinds of cancer. But malignant mesothelioma is very rare. This makes it even harder for doctors and scientists to access the information they need to understand and treat this cancer.  Experts from the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and several top US cancer centers have been calling for a mesothelioma patient registry…