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Treatment Advances Fail to Improve Mesothelioma Survival Trends
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Treatment Advances Fail to Improve Mesothelioma Survival Trends

ByAlex Strauss

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…

Concerning CT Findings and Mesothelioma Prognosis
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Concerning CT Findings and Mesothelioma Prognosis

ByAlex Strauss

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….

Canadian Study Highlights Occupational Mesothelioma Risk
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Canadian Study Highlights Occupational Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

A new study of more than 2 million Canadian workers is shining a spotlight on the occupational mesothelioma risk from asbestos exposure in several industries. The study included data on 2.18 million workers in the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS). These workers were employed from 1983 to 2014. The researchers followed the workers for years to see how many of them developed mesothelioma or a chronic lung disease called asbestosis.  They compiled the data on which industries had the most diagnoses. The results paint a sobering picture of the occupational mesothelioma risk to thousands of industrial workers. Asbestos and the Link to Mesothelioma Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that occurs naturally in the soil in many parts of the world….

Genetic Links to Mesothelioma Illustrated in New Interactive Model
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Genetic Links to Mesothelioma Illustrated in New Interactive Model

ByAlex Strauss

An interactive model of protein interactions could reveal new genetic links to mesothelioma and even lead to new treatments.  The model is the brainchild of researchers in the US and India. It is a map of the thousands of protein-to-protein interactions that govern how mesothelioma cells develop, thrive, and spread.  Understanding the genetic links to mesothelioma is key to understanding who gets the disease and who does not. It is also crucial for developing new therapies aimed at manipulating the way mesothelioma cells use certain proteins.  Proteins Govern Cellular Functions Mesothelioma is a cancer of the membranes around organs. Asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma worldwide. But only a small percentage of people who are exposed to asbestos go…

Could an Inhaled Vaccine Help Prevent Mesothelioma?
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Could an Inhaled Vaccine Help Prevent Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

Research at MIT suggests that an inhaled vaccine may trigger a strong immune response against infections and even cancer in the lungs. The findings could be good news for people at risk for the rare lung-related cancer, pleural mesothelioma.  Lung infections often start on mucosal membranes. So researchers developed a vaccine that binds to a protein in mucus. When they immunized mice in a way that mimics an inhaled vaccine, their lungs produced many T-cells. T-cells are immune system cells that can help fight infections and cancer.  Pleural mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Right now, there is no way to vaccinate against it and no cure. If an inhaled vaccine could bring more T-cells to the lungs of…

Waiting for Medicare Coverage Could Impact Mesothelioma Survival
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Waiting for Medicare Coverage Could Impact Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

People who suspect they may have cancer but wait to get a diagnosis until they are eligible for Medicare coverage could negatively impact their ability to survive mesothelioma.  That is the message from a new Stanford study. The study suggests that many people wait until they are 65 to seek cancer care.  For people with a fast-growing cancer like mesothelioma, delaying diagnosis by waiting for Medicare coverage could have devastating consequences.  Early Mesothelioma Diagnosis Key to Survival Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It is one of the most deadly types of cancer. Like most cancers, the chances of surviving mesothelioma are higher the earlier it is diagnosed.  But mesothelioma is not…

Prognostic Value of PET/CT in Pleural Mesothelioma Patients
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Prognostic Value of PET/CT in Pleural Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

New data highlights the prognostic value of PET/CT scans for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. But some patients tend to do better than others. Scientists are always looking for better ways to predict which patients will respond best to which treatment. A new Turkish study focused on the prognostic value of scans that measure tumor volume and metabolic activity. They conclude that PET/CT is a valuable way to predict mesothelioma outcomes. Doctors can use the information to help plan for chemotherapy or surgical treatment.  How PET/CT Scans Work Doctors have been aware of malignant mesothelioma since the 1930s. That is when it first started appearing among asbestos workers. But there…

Which Mesothelioma Patients will Benefit from Second-Line Chemotherapy
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Which Mesothelioma Patients will Benefit from Second-Line Chemotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Japanese oncologists say they have found a way to help predict which peritoneal mesothelioma patients are most likely to get results from second-line chemotherapy. First-line therapy is the mesothelioma treatment that doctors try first. Usually, that is chemotherapy. If that does not work or stops working, they may move on to another option. Second-line chemotherapy is one of those options.  Doctors at National Cancer Center Hospital in Tokyo evaluated mesothelioma cases. These were patients at their institution between 2007 and 2019. They found that patients who have more rounds of first-line chemotherapy are most likely to respond to second-line chemotherapy.  Drug Treatment for Malignant Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer on the lining that surrounds the abdominal organs. It usually…

Mesothelioma Subtypes Often Misclassified by Biopsy
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Mesothelioma Subtypes Often Misclassified by Biopsy

ByAlex Strauss

Pleural biopsy is not perfect when it comes to telling the difference between the three mesothelioma subtypes. But misclassification could lead to shorter survival.  That is the conclusion reached by top mesothelioma researchers in Brescia, Italy.  They compared autopsy records from 134 Italian mesothelioma patients. The patients were either shipyard workers or their spouses. The researchers found that the mesothelioma subtypes identified from biopsy tissue were incorrect a large percent of the time. Misclassification matters because it impacts which mesothelioma treatments doctors choose.  The Three Mesothelioma Subtypes Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive malignancy on the lung lining. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma cells fall into three mesothelioma subtypes based on certain cellular characteristics. Pleural mesothelioma is notoriously…

New Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines Could Catch Some Mesotheliomas Earlier
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New Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines Could Catch Some Mesotheliomas Earlier

ByAlex Strauss

New lung cancer screening guidelines for smokers might have an unexpected benefit for people who have also been exposed to asbestos: They may catch mesothelioma earlier.  Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a lung-related cancer caused by asbestos. It develops over many years. Many mesothelioma patients do not show any symptoms until the disease is very advanced. There is currently no routine screening for mesothelioma. The new lung cancer screening guidelines apply to people ages 50 to 80. They suggest that those who have smoked the equivalent of a pack a day for 20 years should have annual low-dose CT scans.  If screening shows a tumor, doctors can dig further to determine its type. Both lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma are more…