Search Results for: epithelioid

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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

    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…

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    Understanding Treatment Options for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

    ByHolly Zink

    Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer and standard therapies are limited. Therefore, most patients consider one or more of three treatment options. These paths use different types of therapies and they are usually not exclusive. Mesothelioma patients can move from one type to another and, if their doctors agree, can sometimes use them in combination. A new publication gives an overview of the best treatment options currently available for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Standard therapies include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. If more than one of these therapies is used it is may be called multi-modality therapy. Oncologists are the doctors who provide chemo and radiation. Of course, surgeons provide surgeries. Understanding the Mesothelioma Diagnosis Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a…

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    Combining Cytology and Immunology for a Less Invasive Mesothelioma Diagnosis

    ByHolly Zink

    An invasive surgical or tissue biopsy is often required to get a definitive mesothelioma diagnosis. But a new hybrid exam might offer an alternative for mesothelioma patients. It involves the combination of cytology and immunology. Cytology tests look at the cells in body fluids. It is the analysis of a patient’s cells under a microscope. And immunology is the study of the immune system. Together, these two areas of science provide new hope for mesothelioma patients. The Tokyo Medical University in Japan has been looking into advanced diagnostic options. They believe that a combination of cytology and immunology methods can lead to a definitive diagnosis. This is good news for mesothelioma patients. It will mean a quicker mesothelioma diagnosis without…

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    New Mesothelioma Subtype Called Mesothelioma in Situ

    ByHolly Zink

    The 2015 WHO classification of pleural mesothelioma included three histological subtypes. The new fourth mesothelioma subtype is called mesothelioma in situ. It is a very early form of mesothelioma. Previous studies suggest that it may be a precursor to invasive mesothelioma. If patients know they have it, they may have years to try to keep mesothelioma from developing. Pathologists can tell the difference between the subtypes by looking at the cells under a microscope. Each subtype has a slightly different cell shape, growth pattern, and nuclear characteristics. Four Subtypes of Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is a very rare type of cancer. Only about 2,500 people in the US receive a mesothelioma diagnosis every year. Asbestos inhalation is the primary cause of pleural mesothelioma. Most people with pleural…