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BAP1 Not the Only Genetic Risk Factor for Mesothelioma
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BAP1 Not the Only Genetic Risk Factor for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A new study suggests that the BAP1 gene, which has been linked to several kinds of cancer including malignant mesothelioma, may not be the only genetic risk factor for the asbestos cancer. Mesothelioma, a fast-growing membrane cancer, typically only occurs in people who have a history of asbestos exposure. But scientists have long wondered why some asbestos-exposed people go on to develop pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma while others don’t. Extensive mesothelioma research, much of it focused on a mesothelioma “epidemic” among extended families in a particular region in Turkey, discovered that many family members who contracted mesothelioma shared a mutation on the BAP1 gene. This genetic anomaly has also been associated with an increased risk for uveal melanoma, renal cell carcinoma…

New Study Examines Early Recurrence of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Surgery
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New Study Examines Early Recurrence of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

There is some good news and some bad news this week for patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer that occurs on the lining of the abdomen. Both come from a new article on peritoneal cancer published in the International Journal of Clinical Oncology. The good news is that most patients with peritoneal mesothelioma and other forms of cancer on the peritoneal membrane respond well to the multi-modal treatment regimen that has become the standard-of-care for this form of the asbestos cancer. A combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) allows most peritoneal cancer patients to “achieve long-term disease-free survival”, according to the study from the National Cancer Centre Singapore. But the more disturbing…

New Mesothelioma Study Compares Different Types of Asbestos Exposure
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New Mesothelioma Study Compares Different Types of Asbestos Exposure

ByAlex Strauss

A new Turkish study is shining a spotlight on the role of environmental asbestos exposure in the development of malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive malignancy with no known cure. Malignant mesothelioma, which occurs on the membranes around the lungs, the abdominal organs or, more rarely, the heart, is most often associated with occupational asbestos exposure. But a new study in the Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health cautions that “Environmental asbestos exposure is as important as occupational exposure to develop malignant mesothelioma.” In addition, after studying 21 groups of Turkish mesothelioma patients with either environmental or occupational exposure, the researchers concluded that environmental exposure is different from occupational exposure in some notable ways. Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma Diagnosis Doctors have known…

Mesothelioma Talcum Powder Case Raises Safety Concerns
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Mesothelioma Talcum Powder Case Raises Safety Concerns

ByAlex Strauss

The final numbers are in and the New Jersey mesothelioma patient who was awarded $30 million dollars last week will get another $80 million in punitive damages from Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier. Banker Stephen Lanzo and his wife filed suit against the two companies claiming that Mr. Lanzo’s use of Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products caused his pleural mesothelioma, a fast-growing cancer on the membrane around the lungs. The case represents the first time that a man has won a lawsuit alleging a connection between talcum powder and malignant mesothelioma, and raises serious safety concerns for consumers. Johnson & Johnson and other talcum powder producers have already been brought to court by women who claim their…

Uninformed Asbestos Workers Face Higher Mesothelioma Risk
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Uninformed Asbestos Workers Face Higher Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

A new survey conducted among asbestos workers in the UK finds that too many do not fully understand the laws about asbestos exposure and how to reduce their risk of deadly malignant mesothelioma. The survey was commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British equivalent of the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The goal was to determine how much construction workers know about the risks and regulations regarding asbestos, the primary cause of pleural mesothelioma in the UK and around the world. Too Many Don’t Know How to Manage Mesothelioma Risk Most people have heard that asbestos—once a common component of many building products—is associated with the risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestos…

What Type of Mesothelioma Do I Have? CT May Be Able to Tell
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What Type of Mesothelioma Do I Have? CT May Be Able to Tell

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers from one of the country’s top cancer centers say it may be possible to tell what subtype of pleural mesothelioma a person has by using computed tomography (CT). Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive lung-related cancer for which patients and their doctors must develop a treatment plan quickly to get ahead of the disease. The challenge is that, not only is mesothelioma highly resistant to standard cancer treatment, but different subtypes of mesothelioma are often managed with different drugs and therapies. The new study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York suggests that CT may offer an accurate and non-invasive way to classify mesothelioma patients which could speed the treatment planning process and lead to longer mesothelioma survival….

Mesothelioma Persists in Australia Despite Asbestos Ban
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Mesothelioma Persists in Australia Despite Asbestos Ban

ByAlex Strauss

Australia’s legacy of asbestos mining and use continues to haunt it almost fifteen years after the country banned all forms of asbestos almost fifteen years ago. A new report published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health suggests that, although asbestos consumption peaked in Australia in the 1970s, malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases continue to be a significant public health issue. Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that was prized as a building product additive because of its high tensile strength and resistance to heat and corrosion. Australia is rich in the mineral and once operated several of the world’s largest mines. In the 1960s and 1970s, the country also had the highest per capita use of…

Asbestos-Contaminated Insulation May Raise Mesothelioma Risk for Homeowners
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Asbestos-Contaminated Insulation May Raise Mesothelioma Risk for Homeowners

ByAlex Strauss

People who live in houses with loose-fill asbestos insulation may be up to five times more likely to eventually develop deadly malignant mesothelioma. That is the finding of a 30-year Australian study of more than a million people in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), where asbestos-containing insulation had been used in some houses. The study found that, not only do residents of asbestos-insulated homes have a higher mesothelioma risk, but their chances of getting several others types of cancer were also elevated. Mesothelioma Risk Among People Who Live with Asbestos Insulation Researchers with the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at Australian National University and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare at the University of Canberra used the…

Immune System Changes Could Signal Mesothelioma Risk
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Immune System Changes Could Signal Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

The state of an asbestos-exposed person’s immune system might give doctors clues about how likely they are to develop malignant mesothelioma. It’s a fear for any person who has worked around asbestos – that one day they may develop the asbestos-linked cancer, mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma can take decades to develop, causes few symptoms at first, and is extremely hard to treat. Right now, there is no definitive way to screen for it. Even making a mesothelioma diagnosis is a challenge. Now, a team of occupational medicine experts in Japan and China have released an article in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine detailing a list of biomarkers they believe may indicate asbestos-induced immune changes that could result in mesothelioma. How Asbestos…

Better Nutrition Could Mean Longer Survival for Elderly Mesothelioma Patients
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Better Nutrition Could Mean Longer Survival for Elderly Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

Could eating better improve elderly patient’s chances of surviving malignant pleural mesothelioma? Another new study suggests that it may. An article in the journal Surgical Oncology found that lung cancer patients who score low on a nutritional status assessment tool called the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) have worse outcomes after surgery. The GNRI is a simple tool based on weight and levels of the protein albumin in blood serum. Albumin nourishes the tissues and transports substances like vitamins, hormones, and minerals throughout the body. A number of previous studies have linked GNRI status to poor outcomes in other conditions including esophageal cancer, chronic limb ischemia, and people on dialysis. The new study is the first to find a link…