Predicting Mesothelioma Survival with Routine Clinical Tests
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Predicting Mesothelioma Survival with Routine Clinical Tests

ByAlex Strauss

UK researchers say predicting mesothelioma survival does not have to be complicated. Their new study shows routine doctor’s office tests may be just as accurate as more complex metrics. The study appears in the new issue of the BMJ Open Respiratory Research journal. It involved 100 patients with malignant mesothelioma over a four-year period.  The team compared treatment outcomes among these patients with their results on basic health tests. More often than not, these tests correctly predicted their prognosis. The researchers say simplifying the process of predicting mesothelioma survival could help doctors and patients make better treatment decisions.  Prognostic Indicators in Asbestos Cancer Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an uncommon but lethal form of membrane cancer. Patients who get it usually…

Breakthroughs in Mesothelioma in 2020
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Breakthroughs in Mesothelioma in 2020

ByAlex Strauss

In spite of a global pandemic, there were some major breakthroughs in mesothelioma in 2020 that made the year a hopeful one for people fighting asbestos cancer. Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious illness caused by exposure to asbestos fibers.  Mesothelioma is still not curable. But researchers have made major breakthroughs in mesothelioma diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment this year.  Mesothelioma Treatment Advances Mesothelioma treatment saw the biggest breakthroughs in mesothelioma in 2020. The FDA approved the first systemic treatment for mesothelioma since 2004. That was the year that Alimta (pemetrexed) received approval.  They approved a combination of the immunotherapy drugs Opdivo and Yervoy. Yervoy helps activate and proliferate T-cells. Opdivo helps existing T-cells discover the mesothelioma  tumor. The patients who…

New Cancer Blood Test: Could it Find Early Mesothelioma?
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New Cancer Blood Test: Could it Find Early Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in England are testing a new cancer blood test that promises to reveal the presence of hard-to-find cancers like mesothelioma earlier. The country’s National Health Service will offer the test to 165,000 UK residents next year as part of a clinical trial.  “Early detection, particularly for hard to treat conditions like ovarian and pancreatic cancer, has the potential to save many lives,” NHS England’s’ chief executive Simon Stevens told The Guardian newspaper. “This promising blood test could therefore be a gamechanger in cancer care, helping thousands more people to get successful treatment.” If the trial of the new cancer blood test is successful, it could be available to help detect mesothelioma within a few years.  The Challenge of Identifying…

Mesothelioma and Metastatic Cancer: New Test Can Reliably Tell the Difference
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Mesothelioma and Metastatic Cancer: New Test Can Reliably Tell the Difference

ByAlex Strauss

Italian scientists have come up with what they believe is a nearly foolproof way to tell the difference between mesothelioma and metastatic cancer.  Malignant mesothelioma is a membrane cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Metastatic cancer can start anywhere in the body. It can cause tumors on the pleural membrane that may be mistaken for mesothelioma.  It is important for doctors to distinguish between these two types of malignancies. Mesothelioma and metastatic cancer are often treated differently. The Italian researchers say two biomarkers may make it easier to know which is which.  The Difference Between Mesothelioma and Metastatic Cancer Metastatic cancer or metastatic carcinoma is cancer that has spread to another part of the body from where it started. This usually…

The Best Biomarkers for Mesothelioma Diagnosis, Prognosis, & Monitoring
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The Best Biomarkers for Mesothelioma Diagnosis, Prognosis, & Monitoring

ByAlex Strauss

What are the best biomarkers for mesothelioma? The answer is still Soluble Mesothelin-Related Proteins (SMRPs). That is the conclusion of a major review of medical literature by some of the world’s top mesothelioma experts. Dr. Harvey Pass of New York University’s Langone Medical Center and Dr. Michele Carbone of the University of Hawaii are among the authors on the new report.  They analyzed 20 years of research on the best biomarkers for mesothelioma. Several were valuable for mesothelioma prognosis. But SMRPs once again came out the winner for mesothelioma prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring.  How Do Biomarkers Work? A biomarker is any substance produced by the body that can act as a biological signpost. Proteins usually make the best biomarkers…

Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer: These Biomarkers Can Tell the Difference
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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…

Immunotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma: Biomarkers Urgently Needed
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Immunotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma: Biomarkers Urgently Needed

ByAlex Strauss

A new report says biomarkers are urgently needed to determine which patients would benefit from immunotherapy for pleural mesothelioma.  Researchers made the statement in a review of immunotherapy drugs in testing for malignant mesothelioma.  They say some of these drugs have proven to be more effective than others for asbestos cancer. But a set of biomarkers would go a long way to funneling patients into the right immunotherapy for pleural mesothelioma.  The Status of Immunotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma Immunotherapy is believed to be the most promising up-and-coming cancer treatment. Immunotherapy treatments harness the strength of the body’s own immune response to attack cancer or help other drugs do so.  Like other types of cancer, mesothelioma cells have ways of avoiding…

Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma: Transforming Growth Factor-Beta
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Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma: Transforming Growth Factor-Beta

ByAlex Strauss

A protein called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) might be an effective biomarker for pleural mesothelioma. New research shows it could help diagnose the asbestos cancer and distinguish it from other lung conditions.  The findings come from researchers at the West German Cancer Center in Essen, Germany.  They studied patients with malignant mesothelioma, non-malignant pleural diseases or lung cancer. TGF-β levels were different in mesothelioma patients than they were in people with other diseases.  They correlated with mesothelioma survival. This suggests that TGF-β could make a good biomarker for pleural mesothelioma. How Do Doctors Use a Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma? A biomarker for pleural mesothelioma is a substance whose presence indicates that a person has the disease. Some biomarkers occur in…

Study Evaluates Breath Test to Detect Early Mesothelioma
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Study Evaluates Breath Test to Detect Early Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Doctors in Michigan have launched a study to determine if volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath can detect early mesothelioma. They are also looking for a correlation between participants’ VOCs and biomarkers in the blood. VOCs can give doctors vital information about cellular metabolism. Previous studies of VOCs show that they can sometimes indicate the presence of mesothelioma.  But no one knows yet if VOCs can really detect early mesothelioma. None of the previous studies have been big enough for the technique to be universally recommended.  How VOCs Can Detect Early Mesothelioma Cancer causes biochemical changes in the body. These biochemical changes produce VOCs that a person exhales. Different types of cancer produce different combinations of VOCs. Breath testing…

Dog Research May Lead to Over-the-Counter Mesothelioma Test
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Dog Research May Lead to Over-the-Counter Mesothelioma Test

ByAlex Strauss

A cancer research project involving dogs could eventually pave the way for an over-the-counter mesothelioma test.  Researchers in Florida recently published a study suggesting that dogs may be able to detect lung cancer with surprising accuracy. If they can determine which cancer biomarkers the dogs detect, they may be able to develop an over-the-counter mesothelioma test.  Can Dogs Smell Lung Cancer? The new study comes from the Florida campus of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). Researchers there are working with a canine training and research firm called BioScentDX. According to LECOM, a dog’s sense of smell is at least 10,000 times stronger than a person’s. The research team chose Beagles for the tests because they are among…