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Accurate Diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma with History and Imaging Only
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Accurate Diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma with History and Imaging Only

ByAlex Strauss

Medical history and CT imaging may be enough to make an accurate diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma, even without a biopsy. That finding comes from a team of French and Canadian researchers led by Universite Laval in Quebec.  Biopsy is usually considered critical for accurate diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma. But the French and Canadian team says imaging studies may provide enough information to make a diagnosis.  This could be especially good news for people who are not healthy enough to undergo thoracoscopy. Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnostic Procedure: First Steps Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that grows on the membranes around internal organs.  This cancer is rare and notoriously difficult to diagnose, especially in…

Can Yogurt and Fiber Reduce Mesothelioma Risk?
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Can Yogurt and Fiber Reduce Mesothelioma Risk?

ByAlex Strauss

The findings of a new lung cancer study suggest that eating yogurt and fiber might help reduce mesothelioma risk.  The study in JAMA Oncology involved more than 1.4 lung cancer patients from around the world.  Researchers assessed the results of 10 dietary studies between 2017 and 2019. They found a “synergistic association” between eating fiber and yogurt and a lower risk of lung cancer.  Pleural mesothelioma is a lung-related cancer with many of the same characteristics as lung cancer. It is possible that the same dietary habits might reduce mesothelioma risk, too.  The Yin and Yang of an Anti-Cancer Diet The lung cancer researchers did not choose to study yogurt and fiber randomly. Dietary fiber is the main source of…

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Study Highlights Challenges for Patients
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Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Study Highlights Challenges for Patients

ByAlex Strauss

A new UK study points to some of the potential challenges and benefits for patients involved in mesothelioma clinical trials.  Researchers at three teaching hospitals in England interviewed mesothelioma patients who took part in the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery (MARS 2) trial.  The trial compared outcomes in people who had a combination of surgery and chemotherapy with those who only had chemotherapy. The findings show that not all aspects of mesothelioma clinical trials are positive for patients.  A Study Within a Study Pleural mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer that starts on the lining around the lungs. Asbestos exposure is usually the cause. With standard cancer treatments, most mesothelioma patients face a poor prognosis. Mesothelioma often leads to death within a…

Talcum Powder Can Cause Mesothelioma New Study Shows
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Talcum Powder Can Cause Mesothelioma New Study Shows

ByAlex Strauss

A prestigious medical journal has published the strongest evidence yet that asbestos-tainted talcum powder can cause mesothelioma.  The new article appears in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. It involved 33 mesothelioma patients. In every case, each patient’s only known exposure to asbestos was through talcum powder.  In six cases, researchers went a step further to find asbestos fibers in the tissue samples.  “Asbestos of the type found in talcum powder was found in all six cases evaluated,” reports lead researcher Jacqueline Moline, MD. Dr. Moline is a professor and researcher at Hofstra University School of Medicine in New York.  Since there was no other way for these patients to have come in contact with asbestos, Moline and her…

The Pathological Diagnosis of Mesothelioma: New Recommendations
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The Pathological Diagnosis of Mesothelioma: New Recommendations

ByAlex Strauss

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…

Mesothelioma Among Construction Workers in Southern Italy
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Mesothelioma Among Construction Workers in Southern Italy

ByAlex Strauss

New research in Southern Italy highlights the global problem of mesothelioma among construction workers.  The research comes from occupational medicine experts at the University of Bari.  Scientists studied 178 cases of mesothelioma among construction workers in the Apulia region of Italy. The data shows that heavy asbestos exposure raised the odds of contracting mesothelioma by more than two-and-a-half times.  Asbestos and the Risk for Mesothelioma Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma, in Italy and around the world. But for decades, almost no one knew that.  Tens of thousands of people worked with asbestos before scientists recognized the risk for mesothelioma among construction workers.  Asbestos was in dozens of construction products including cement, wall board, insulation, floor and ceiling tiles…

TTFields Treatment for Mesothelioma: Physician Acceptance is Critical
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TTFields Treatment for Mesothelioma: Physician Acceptance is Critical

ByAlex Strauss

A new article suggests that non-invasive TTFields treatment for mesothelioma has the potential to save lives – as long as enough physicians accept it.  TTFields stands for Tumor Treating Fields. It is an electricity-based treatment approved by the FDA for use along with standard mesothelioma chemotherapy.  Cancer researchers from West Cancer Center and Research Institute wrote the new article for The Oncologist. They say the success of TTFields treatment for mesothelioma depends on doctors learning the logistics of using it.  How Does TTFields Treatment for Mesothelioma Work? TTFields use low-intensity alternating electric fields. When these electric fields hit a mesothelioma tumor, they disrupt normal cell division. If cancer cells cannot divide properly, they are less likely to spread out of…

Signs of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Radiotherapy
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Signs of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Radiotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Japanese researchers are reminding doctors to watch for signs of peritoneal mesothelioma in people who have undergone past radiotherapy.  Many cancer patients undergo radiotherapy. Radiation disrupts the DNA inside cancer cells. This can help keep these malignant cells from replicating and spreading.  But radiation treatment also has a downside. It can cause cellular changes in healthy cells, too. This can cause side effects right away, or decades later.  As more people have radiation and survive, scientists at the Shinshu University School of Medicine say more of them could develop radiation-related mesothelioma later in life. But the signs of peritoneal mesothelioma years after radiation are easy to miss. Peritoneal Mesothelioma Case Study The new report is based on the case of…

Lung Cancer Blood Test: Can it Find Early Mesothelioma?
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Lung Cancer Blood Test: Can it Find Early Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma patients and their doctors may have reason to be optimistic about a new lung cancer blood test. A random trial of more than 12,000 high-risk people in Scotland shows the EarlyCDT test combined with CT imaging can detect cancer early. Earlier diagnosis is likely to lead to longer survival of lung cancers like pleural mesothelioma. Researchers presented their findings on the new lung cancer blood test at a global conference this week in Spain. Largest Lung Cancer Trial As in the US, lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in Scotland. Pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer. Although it is rare, mesothelioma is more common in the UK than in other parts of the world. This is…

Pleural Mesothelioma Rates Remain Stagnant As Survival Improves
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Pleural Mesothelioma Rates Remain Stagnant As Survival Improves

ByAlex Strauss

A new report shows pleural mesothelioma rates in the US have failed to decline as they were predicted to do, but survival is improving slightly.  The US government began to implement tighter restrictions on asbestos in the 1970s. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic say original projections had the incidence of pleural mesothelioma peaking in the early 2000s as a result. Pleural mesothelioma rates were supposed to decline after that. But numbers from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) tell a different story. They suggest that, while mesothelioma survival is improving, incidence of asbestos cancer are not. Asbestos and Malignant Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of a range of illnesses caused by asbestos. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type…