Search Results for: epithelioid

  • | | |

    Some Long-Term Mesothelioma Survivors May Have Few Symptoms

    ByAlex Strauss

    New research shows that some long-term mesothelioma survivors may have few or no symptoms of the disease for years.  The research appears in a recent issue of the journal Clinical Lung Cancer. A team of Finnish doctors wanted to identify the unique characteristics of long-term mesothelioma survivors. They discovered that some of these survivors seem to have an indolent form of asbestos cancer. This suggests that it is possible for a person to live for many years with pleural  mesothelioma and not even know they have it. Typical Mesothelioma Symptoms It is not unusual for mesothelioma patients to have no symptoms in the early stages, but long-term mesothelioma survivors are rare. Once the cancer takes hold, it usually grows quickly. …

  • | | | |

    BAP1 Expression Not an Independent Factor in Mesothelioma Prognosis

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new report says the prognostic role of BAP1 expression in mesothelioma is not as cut-and-dried as some studies suggest. Italian researchers analyzed the cases of 698 patients with pleural mesothelioma. The group included 60 of their own patients and another 638 from other studies. Their analysis suggests that mesothelioma prognosis has more to do with subtype than with genetic BAP1 expression. They caution doctors not to put too much stock in a patient’s BAP1 status without also considering other factors. Genetic Alterations and Mesothelioma Survival Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma. But not everyone who is exposed to asbestos gets cancer. This may have to do with their genetic makeup. Certain genetic alterations may make a person…

  • | | | |

    Study Highlights Treatment Disparities in Female Mesothelioma Patients

    ByAlex Strauss

    Female mesothelioma patients are less likely to have surgery and other aggressive treatments than male patients are, but they still tend to live longer. That’s according to a nine-year study of nearly 19,000 pleural mesothelioma patients.  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine led the study. The team used the National Cancer Database to identify pleural mesothelioma cases diagnosed between 2004 and 2013. The study included more than four thousand female mesothelioma patients.  The conclusion is that there are serious disparities in the way doctors treat men and women with malignant mesothelioma. Gender Differences in Mesothelioma Incidence Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma. Although it can affect either gender, most mesothelioma patients are…

  • | | | | | |

    Second-Line Mesothelioma Treatment with Ramucirumab

    ByAlex Strauss

    A combination of ramucirumab (CYRAMZA) and gemcitabine creates a promising second-line mesothelioma treatment. New research shows the combination nearly doubled survival in a group of patients whose tumors kept growing with standard therapy.  Italian researchers shared their findings at the virtual annual meeting of ASCO. ASCO is one of the largest gatherings of cancer doctors in the US. First-Line Mesothelioma Treatment Failure For most mesothelioma patients, chemotherapy with Alimta is the first-line treatment. This does keep the cancer in check for some patients. But after a while, mesothelioma tumors almost always come back. Chemotherapy only extends survival by about four months.  Doctors have tested many different approaches to second-line mesothelioma treatment.  Some of the therapies tested are: Additional rounds of…

  • | | |

    Promising Data on New Mesothelioma Pill Presented at National Conference

    ByAlex Strauss

    Doctors researching a new mesothelioma pill presented research on the drug at a national virtual conference in May.  The ASCO conference is one of the most important gatherings of cancer doctors in the country. This year’s online meeting gave them a chance to safely learn about new cancer research. Only the most notable research is presented at the conference. The new mesothelioma pill made the cut because research suggests it can help patients with asbestos cancer live longer.  How the New Medication Works Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Epizyme makes the new mesothelioma pill, called tazemetostat (Tazverik). The oral drug blocks the protein EZH2. This protein inhibits the genes that are supposed to suppress tumor growth. Over-expression of EZH2 has been linked to…

  • | | |

    Breast Cancer and Mesothelioma: Case Study Illustrates Diagnostic Challenge

    ByAlex Strauss

    A newly published Croatian case illustrates how challenging it can sometimes be to distinguish between breast cancer and mesothelioma. The case involves a 61-year-old woman with what appeared to be breast cancer. Further study revealed that what the woman actually had was pleural mesothelioma. The mesothelioma had spread to her breast.  Breast cancer and mesothelioma cells look similar under the microscope. But they are very different. The authors of the new report caution doctors against the “pitfall” of mistaking one for the other.  Breast Metastasis is Rare Pleural mesothelioma occurs on the membrane that surrounds the lungs. It is rare for mesothelioma to spread to the breast. The most common place for mesothelioma cells to spread is the lungs.  Women…

  • | | |

    PD-L1 Expression and Mesothelioma Prognosis

    ByAlex Strauss

    The largest study yet on PD-L1 expression and mesothelioma prognosis shows that patients with more of this protein in their cells have poorer odds of survival. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) helps cancer cells evade immune system attack.  Other studies have suggested a link between PD-L1 expression and mesothelioma prognosis. But the new meta-analysis performed by two Chinese researchers appears to confirm it with an even bigger data set.  Understanding Mesothelioma Prognosis Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon cancer that typically carries a poor prognosis. Many people diagnosed with mesothelioma lose their lives to the illness within a year.  But there are also many exceptions. Some mesothelioma survivors live for decades after a mesothelioma diagnosis. Australian Paul Kraus is an example….

  • | |

    Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer: These Biomarkers Can Tell the Difference

    ByAlex Strauss

    Researchers in Canada say when it comes to distinguishing between mesothelioma and lung cancer, some proteins are more valuable than others.  The team has identified an especially important protein biomarker for mesothelioma. A biomarker is a compound in body fluid or tissue that can act as a signpost for disease.  Understanding the value of this particular protein as compared to other biomarkers may improve the testing process for mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma and lung cancer share many of the same characteristics. Both affect the lungs and both cause similar symptoms. But they are treated differently.  It is not always easy to tell these two cancers apart, even with high-level diagnostic tools. But the biomarker testing completed in Canada may make it…

  • | | |

    Possible New Drug for Mesothelioma Gets First FDA Approval

    ByAlex Strauss

    A possible new drug for mesothelioma has received FDA approval for the treatment of advanced epithelioid sarcoma.  Tazemetostat (Tazverik) is an oral medication made by a company called Epizyme. It is a brand new kind of drug that blocks a protein called EZH2. Tazemetostat is in testing for several different types of cancer, including malignant mesothelioma.  The recent FDA approval is an encouraging sign that it could one day be a new drug for mesothelioma.  In Search of a New Drug for Mesothelioma  Malignant mesothelioma is one of the most serious consequences of exposure to asbestos. Once asbestos fibers get into the lungs and other tissues, they never leave. Their presence sets up a cascade of cellular reactions that can…

  • | | |

    Immunotherapy Prompts “Remarkable Response” in Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    Japanese doctors are reporting a remarkable response from the immunotherapy drug nivolumab in a patient with sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma.  Sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma is a very rare form of a rare cancer. It accounts for about 10 percent of cases of malignant mesothelioma.  This subtype is typically less responsive to standard treatments than the more common epithelioid variety. But researches at Kyushu Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan say nivolumab turned things around for their patient when the case looked hopeless.  How is Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma DIfferent? Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer of the linings around organs. Pleural mesothelioma grows on the pleural membrane that surrounds the lungs.  There are three cell subtypes of mesothelioma. The three subtypes respond differently to mesothelioma treatments….