Non-Epithelioid Mesothelioma: Immunotherapy Combo Could be the New Standard of Care
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Non-Epithelioid Mesothelioma: Immunotherapy Combo Could be the New Standard of Care

ByAlex Strauss

Two immunotherapy drugs could become the new standard of care for people with non-epithelioid mesothelioma.  All forms of malignant mesothelioma are deadly. But people with a non-epithelioid mesothelioma subtype are less likely to respond to standard treatments. Their variety of mesothelioma is especially resistant to chemotherapy with cisplatin and Alimta. This has been the mainstay of pleural mesothelioma treatment since 2004. But a new trial shows two immunotherapy drugs extended mesothelioma survival better than chemotherapy. This could be especially good news for patients with non-epithelioid mesothelioma.  Checkpoint Inhibitors for Mesothelioma Most people with pleural mesothelioma start with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can often extend life by a few months. It is most beneficial for patients with epithelioid mesothelioma. But this approach does…

Breath Test for Mesothelioma Might Identify Subtypes
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Breath Test for Mesothelioma Might Identify Subtypes

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in the UK say a breath test for mesothelioma might be able to distinguish between mesothelioma subtypes. There are three major subtypes of mesothelioma. It is important to know which kind of person has. A patient’s subtype can impact their prognosis and even their mesothelioma treatment choice.  Right now, the only way to tell the mesothelioma subtypes apart is to look at the cells under the microscope. But scientists at Sheffield Hallam University have identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the rarest and the most common mesothelioma subtypes.  These VOCs could be used to develop a mesothelioma breath test that could tell the subtypes apart.  The Advantages of Breath Testing Breath testing is a way of measuring VOCs in…

Biphasic Mesothelioma Survival Possible in Select Patients
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Biphasic Mesothelioma Survival Possible in Select Patients

ByAlex Strauss

A new report contains some hopeful news about biphasic mesothelioma survival.  Biphasic mesothelioma is the rarest subtype of a rare cancer. It is also the subtype that is hardest to treat.  Biphasic mesothelioma survival is typically shorter than other subtypes. But Italian researchers say, with the right combination of mesothelioma treatments, patients with this subtype can achieve long-term survival. Subtypes and their Impact on Biphasic Mesothelioma Survival All pleural mesothelioma tumors grow on the membrane that surrounds the lungs. When this membrane is healthy, it is flexible and expands naturally with each breath.  When a mesothelioma tumor grows on this membrane, it can restrict the lungs and make it hard to breathe. As tumors grow, mesothelioma can spread to other…