Breath Test Could Predict Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Response
| | | | |

Breath Test Could Predict Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Response

ByAlex Strauss

New research shows a breath test called an eNose might help doctors determine which mesothelioma patients are most likely to respond to immunotherapy.  Immunotherapy is one of the most promising new approaches to malignant mesothelioma. But not every patient responds.  A new Dutch study suggests that biomarkers in a patient’s exhaled breath may be indicators of immunotherapy response. The eNose breath test can identify those biomarkers quickly and easily. The technology might make it easier to decide on the best mesothelioma treatment.  Immunotherapy for Malignant Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is a rare but deadly cancer of the lung lining. Until last year, chemotherapy with Alimta (pemetrexed) was the only FDA-approved systemic treatment.  In 2020, the FDA approved a combination of immunotherapy…

Breath Test for Mesothelioma Might Identify Subtypes
| |

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…

Study Evaluates Breath Test to Detect Early Mesothelioma
| |

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…

Breath Testing for Mesothelioma: Not Yet Ready for Widespread Use?
| | | |

Breath Testing for Mesothelioma: Not Yet Ready for Widespread Use?

ByAlex Strauss

Breath testing for mesothelioma may be a promising new way to catch asbestos cancer early. But Italian researchers are warning that there is not yet enough research to recommend widespread use of the technique. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a virulent and hard-to-treat cancer. Researchers around the world continue to search for faster, easier ways to diagnose and treat it. Breath testing for mesothelioma is one proposed method. Special machines measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in patients’ exhaled breath. VOCs can give doctors important information about cellular metabolism and can indicate the presence of cancer. But researchers at Italy’s University of Bari analyzed all of the studies on breath testing for mesothelioma since 2000. They say none of the studies are…

New Study Could Lead to a Mesothelioma Breath Test
| | | | | |

New Study Could Lead to a Mesothelioma Breath Test

ByAlex Strauss

A large new study now underway may eventually make it possible to create a mesothelioma breath test. Cancer Research UK has launched a two-year clinical trial of the Breath Biopsy. The Breath Biopsy is a device that detects molecules exhaled by people with cancer. The Need for Early Mesothelioma Detection Malignant mesothelioma is one of the deadliest types of cancer. Most people who get mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos. By the time they receive a diagnosis, many mesothelioma patients have advanced disease. Late diagnosis is one of the main reasons people with mesothelioma often die within a year. When mesothelioma cancer is in an advanced stage, it is less likely to respond to treatment. Scientists around the world are…

Diagnosing Mesothelioma With a Breath Test
| |

Diagnosing Mesothelioma With a Breath Test

ByAlex Strauss

Diagnosing mesothelioma may one day be as simple as taking a breath test. A team of researchers in the Netherlands have been testing the effectiveness of an electronic nose in detecting mesothelioma, a fast-growing cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.  Mesothelioma is notoriously difficult to diagnose because it often mimics other lung-related diseases.  In addition, some of the most effective methods for diagnosing mesothelioma carry a high risk of complications, especially in the elderly – the group most likely to get the disease because of its long latency. Doctors in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Amsterdam Medical Center conducted an experiment to determine whether an electronic nose called the Cyranose 320 could tell the difference between healthy people,…