Mesothelioma Treatment Roadmap: Connecting Chemotherapy Response and Surgical Outcomes
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Mesothelioma Treatment Roadmap: Connecting Chemotherapy Response and Surgical Outcomes

ByHolly Zink

Mesothelioma patients who do not respond well to chemotherapy before surgery are likely to have poor outcomes after the procedure. This is the finding of a group of researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. How Chemotherapy Response Shapes Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is hard to diagnose and treat. It develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the body’s internal organs. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to a toxic mineral called asbestos. In most cases, doctors will use more than one type of treatment to remove as many cancer cells as possible from a patient’s body. The standard therapies include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Of all…

Blood Biomarkers Could Revolutionize Mesothelioma Treatment Monitoring
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Blood Biomarkers Could Revolutionize Mesothelioma Treatment Monitoring

ByHolly Zink

Researchers from Turkey think that biomarkers in the blood can help doctors find out if their mesothelioma patients are responding well to chemotherapy. This new study was published in the journal Cancer Biomarkers. Precision Medicine in Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that is caused by asbestos. It develops in the think layer of tissue that covers many of the body’s internal organs. Most cases of mesothelioma occur in the lungs or the abdomen. The standard treatment for mesothelioma includes a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The exact treatment plan is unique to each patient. Their doctor will consider the type of mesothelioma, how far it has spread, and the health of the patient. Chemotherapy is the…

How Immunotherapy Transformed a Mesothelioma Patient’s Life
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How Immunotherapy Transformed a Mesothelioma Patient’s Life

ByHolly Zink

An elderly man went to the hospital for treatment for two different types of cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and mesothelioma. His treatment with immunotherapy was successful and improved his outlook. Unraveling the Complexity of Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that grows in the lining of organs in the body. In this case, the patient had mesothelioma in his abdomen. This cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. When a person has mesothelioma in their abdomen, the tumors can grow and spread to cover a large area. It can be difficult to diagnose because of its vague symptoms, like abdominal pain, bloating, and weight loss. And it is even harder to treat because it is often diagnosed at a…

Exploring Cutting-Edge Treatments for Pleural Mesothelioma
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Exploring Cutting-Edge Treatments for Pleural Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A new study looks at the current treatments available for people with mesothelioma. The authors of this overview are based in Italy at the University of Bologna. Advancements in Mesothelioma Treatment Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers internal organs. When mesothelioma grows in the lungs, it is called pleural mesothelioma. This aggressive cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a toxic mineral found in nature. It can be used in manufacturing and construction materials and is illegal in many countries. Mesothelioma is a very rare cancer, and the symptoms can be like many other diseases. This makes it hard for doctors to make a diagnosis. For mesothelioma…

Treating Relapsed Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
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Treating Relapsed Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Researchers from China explored whether immunotherapy or chemotherapy was a better option as a second-line treatment for relapsed malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). There is currently no standard of care for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) that comes back after initial treatment. Because of this, it can be hard for doctors to make good care decisions for MPM patients who relapse. Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma MPM is a rare but serious cancer that grows on the lining of the lungs. It is caused by exposure to a toxic substance called asbestos. A healthy pleura is thin and flexible and expands to accommodate the lungs during respiration. In a person with mesothelioma, this membrane becomes thick and stiff, constricting the lungs and causing shortness…

Allergic Reaction to Chemotherapy
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Allergic Reaction to Chemotherapy

ByHolly Zink

Chemotherapy is one of the treatment options for mesothelioma. The only FDA approved chemotherapy for mesothelioma is a combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin. When patients receive the same chemotherapy treatment multiple times, their body can become allergic to it. This can cause dangerous allergic reactions when they receive the treatment again. However, doctors have developed a method called rapid drug desensitization which slowly introduces the treatment to the patient to avoid an allergic reaction. This method works well, but sometimes patients can still have an allergic reaction during the treatment. Researchers from Turkey looked at patients with lung cancer and mesothelioma who received chemotherapy. They wanted to identify what factors increase the risk of an allergic reaction during the treatment….

Largest Study Shows HIPEC Treatment Effective for Mesothelioma
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Largest Study Shows HIPEC Treatment Effective for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) could be an effective treatment for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM). This is the finding of one of the largest and longest studies on the use of CRS-HIPEC to treat MPM. Researchers from the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center looked at data from 111 patients over 28 years. Diagnosed with MPM MPM is an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos. Symptoms of MPM are usually noticed first in the abdomen or the gastrointestinal system. People might feel abdominal pain or swelling, fever, and night sweats. MPM occurs in less than 1,000 people in the United States every year and accounts for about 20-25% of all mesothelioma cases. Patients diagnosed with MPM have longer life expectancy…

Predicting Mesothelioma Treatment Response
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Predicting Mesothelioma Treatment Response

ByHolly Zink

Certain types of biomarkers can help doctors predict the best chemotherapy treatment for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Researchers from Cairo University in Egypt looked at 91 mesothelioma patients. They tested two different chemotherapy drug combinations: pemetrexed plus cisplatin and gemcitabine plus cisplatin. FDA Approved Treatment Options Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos and standard therapies are limited. Most mesothelioma patients have chemotherapy as their first-line treatment. If they are healthy enough, they may also have surgery or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is a group of toxic drugs that kill cells by damaging their DNA. As of this writing, the only FDA approved chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma is a combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin. Gemcitabine is not an…

New Drug in the Pipeline for Mesothelioma
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New Drug in the Pipeline for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Researchers in Iran tested the safety of a new version of the drug pemetrexed in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma. This drug is used to treat these patients when they are not able to get surgery for their cancer. The researchers were able to determine that pemetrexed is safe in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Treatment Choices Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a lung-related cancer like non-small cell lung cancer. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Treatment for mesothelioma usually involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Patients may receive more than one type of treatment. This is called multimodal therapy. Pemetrexed is a chemotherapy drug that interrupts the cell replication process that helps…

New Combination Chemotherapy Drug for Mesothelioma
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New Combination Chemotherapy Drug for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A recent study has found that a new drug for mesothelioma chemotherapy could improve treatment outcomes. The new drug is called abemaciclib. It works by blocking cancer cells from multiplying within the body. This helps to stop tumors from growing and spreading. The researchers in this study used cell samples from mesothelioma patients to test the drug. Their study found that adding abemaciclib to the standard chemotherapy treatment helped to stop the growth of mesothelioma cancer cells. Common Treatment Options Mesothelioma is an extremely rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It affects the membranes around organs like the lungs and abdominal cavity. It takes a long time for symptoms to appear. By then, the cancer has usually become difficult…