Search Results for: epithelioid

Struggles of Diagnosing Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
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Struggles of Diagnosing Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma and sarcomatoid carcinoma can be hard to tell apart during diagnosis. A study published in Diagnostics reveals that a new panel test could help to distinguish between these two diseases. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. There are three different types of mesothelioma: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. Patients who are diagnosed with sarcomatoid mesothelioma face a much poorer outlook than those with the more common epithelioid form of the disease. Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is also the least common form of this already rare cancer. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma includes only about 10 percent of the 2,000 to 3,000 mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States each year. Out of the three different types of mesothelioma, the sarcomatoid type is the…

Finding Patterns in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma
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Finding Patterns in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Researchers from the United States looked at malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) data over eighteen years for patterns in incidence and survival. They found that the incidence of MPM cases was steady while survival rates have increased. More cancer-directed surgeries and better identification of cell types in MPM patients may be behind the improved survival rates. Second Most Common Site MPM is an aggressive disease caused by asbestos. The peritoneum is the space in your abdomen that contains the intestines, the stomach, and the liver. The abdomen (peritoneum) is the second most common site of mesothelioma after the pleural area (lungs and chest). Most doctors believe MPM is caused by the ingestion of asbestos fibers. Microscopic asbestos fibers become embedded in…

Improving Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
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Improving Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Surgery to remove cancer tissue can lead to improved survival for epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Patients with sarcomatoid or biphasic malignant pleural mesothelioma did not have the same results. This is the finding of a study that looked at patient data from the National Cancer Database. Worst Prognosis with Standard Therapies MPM is an aggressive cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs. It is caused by exposure to asbestos and is difficult to treat. There are three cell types for this type of cancer: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. About half of malignant mesotheliomas are epithelioid. This type tends to have better treatment outcomes. About 10% of mesotheliomas are sarcomatoid. This type generally has the worst prognosis with…

Rare Case of Pleural Mesothelioma and Breast Cancer
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Rare Case of Pleural Mesothelioma and Breast Cancer

ByHolly Zink

In rare instances, people can have two different types of cancer at the same time. It is especially rare to have pleural mesothelioma and breast cancer. One woman in Portugal was found to have this exact diagnosis. According to the authors who shared her case, she is the first published case of mesothelioma and breast cancer at the same time. A Mesothelioma Diagnosis Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. This type of cancer forms on the lining of internal organs like the lungs. There are three categories of mesothelioma: epithelial, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. When mesothelioma forms on the lining of the lungs, it is called malignant pleural mesothelioma. It is the…

Understanding Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
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Understanding Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Mesothelioma is a cancer that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the most aggressive type of mesothelioma. It also looks different from other types of mesothelioma, making it even harder to diagnose and treat. The cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. It takes decades for symptoms of this cancer to appear, and the symptoms often look like other diseases, like pneumonia. A proper diagnosis can take a long time, which means the cancer has more time to spread. Mesothelioma can be categorized into three groups: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. The type of mesothelioma a patient has depends on the shape of the cancer cells. Epithelioid mesothelioma has cube-shaped or column-shaped cells. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma has cells with…

Less Invasive Multimodal Treatment for Mesothelioma
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Less Invasive Multimodal Treatment for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A less invasive multimodal treatment for mesothelioma can lead to better survival. A team of German researchers discovered this after looking at 20 years of patient data. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. It most often appears in older adults and is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a toxic material that can be found in industrial and consumer products. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a specific type of mesothelioma. It develops in the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and chest wall. Malignant pleural mesothelioma has three main subtypes: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and mixed. Mesothelioma is also an aggressive cancer. It can be hard to treat because symptoms may not show up until decades after the asbestos…

Prognostic Factors Forecast the Future for Women with Mesothelioma
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Prognostic Factors Forecast the Future for Women with Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A new study in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology examines mesothelioma prognostic factors. Prognostic factors are measurable traits that can be used to estimate the chance of recovery. They can also measure the chance of mesothelioma recurring or coming back. In other words, prognostic factors can help predict the course of the disease and the future outcome. Prognostic factors are available at the time of diagnosis. They can include patient characteristics such as age, ethnicity, sex, or smoking status. And they also include disease characteristics such as disease stage or type. For mesothelioma, they may even involve the amount of asbestos exposure. The key to prognostic factors is that they must be measurable. Clinicians need a number, or a…

10 New Clinical Practice Guidelines on Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma
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10 New Clinical Practice Guidelines on Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) organized a multidisciplinary panel of experts to develop new clinical practice guidelines on the use of immunotherapy in mesothelioma treatment. Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment. It uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy has changed lung cancer care in recent years. It can help some patients survive longer. There is a new type of immune treatment called Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ICI’s are used to treat patients with mesothelioma. The use of ICIs to treat mesothelioma tumors has quickly become part of clinical practice. Immune checkpoint inhibitors block mesothelioma’s natural resistance to immune system Challenges remain on how to identify patients who might benefit from ICIs. A panel of…

National Institutes of Health Reports on Advances in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma
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National Institutes of Health Reports on Advances in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A new article from the National Institutes of Health gives the latest advances in mesothelioma. CRS-HIPEC has offered improved survival for surgical candidates. But outcomes for inoperable malignant peritoneal mesothelioma remain poor. Advancements in technology have provided new treatment approaches. The NIH reports new clinical trials are arising and are imperative. The Numbers Behind Peritoneal Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. It is caused by the ingestion of asbestos fibers. Those microscopic asbestos fibers become embedded in the abdomen (peritoneum). After 20 to 50 years, these fibers can cause inflammation and mutations in the healthy mesothelial cells. These mutations can cause these cells to become cancerous thus, forming tumors in the peritoneum. Patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma…

New Techniques for Diagnosing Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

New Techniques for Diagnosing Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. It is among the most difficult forms of the disease to diagnose with any accuracy. A study published in AJSP: Reviews & Reports reveals that a GATA3 protein may be useful in distinguishing this rare disease. Patients who are diagnosed with sarcomatoid mesothelioma face a much poorer outlook than those with the more common epithelioid form of the disease. This is the least common form of this already rare cancer. It includes only about 10 percent of the 2,000 to 3,000 mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year. It is also the most aggressive type of this disease. Studies find that patients with sarcomatoid mesothelioma survive for an average of five to six…