Understanding Mesothelioma: Clues from Calretinin for Patients

Understanding Mesothelioma: Clues from Calretinin for Patients

ByHolly Zink

Malignant mesothelioma is a tough cancer caused by asbestos. It’s hard to treat because it grows quickly and is tough to beat. A recent study took a close look at a protein called calretinin. Scientists wanted to see if it could help predict how long someone might live with this cancer and how well they might respond to treatment. A Possible Game-Changer in Mesothelioma Care The study looked at 265 patients with this mesothelioma. They checked how much calretinin was in their blood and looked at the genes linked to how calretinin works. Scientists used tests to measure calretinin and found differences in genes among patients. Then they checked if these things were connected to how long patients lived or…

Safety First: Managing Cisplatin Exposure After Mesothelioma Treatment
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Safety First: Managing Cisplatin Exposure After Mesothelioma Treatment

ByHolly Zink

Mesothelioma is an aggressive type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. It is caused by exposure to a mineral called asbestos. Mesothelioma can be difficult to treat, and doctors use a combination of treatments to help patients. One of these treatments is called Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemotherapy (HITOC), which delivers a drug called cisplatin directly to the area where the cancer is found. Decoding Mesothelioma Treatment A recent study aimed to learn more about the safety measures needed after HITOC. The researchers focused on understanding how cisplatin is removed from the body through fluids like blood, urine, and secretions from the lungs. They collected samples from five patients who underwent HITOC, both before and after…

Understanding Mesothelioma: The Role of Calretinin Explored
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Unveiling a New Challenge: How Zinc Can Compromise Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

ByHolly Zink

Researchers have discovered that zinc can make chemotherapy treatment less effective in patients with mesothelioma. Navigating Mesothelioma Treatment Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos. It grows and spreads through the lining of organs like the lungs. Mesothelioma is rare and can be hard to treat. Because of this, the outlook for people with mesothelioma is usually poor. Doctors will typically combine therapies to treat mesothelioma. One of these treatments is chemotherapy. When a patient gets chemotherapy treatment, they are given drugs that kill cells by damaging their DNA. Currently, the only FDA-approved chemotherapy for mesothelioma is a combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin. Cisplatin is a platinum-based drug. It damages the DNA of dividing cells and slows down the…

mesothelioma cells
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Goat Virus Proves Lethal to Mesothelioma Cells in Italian Study

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in Italy say a virus normally found in goats could offer a new, safer way to kill malignant mesothelioma cells and improve patient outcomes.  The virus is caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1). It has been blamed for bouts of spontaneous abortions in goat herds. But it does not appear to cause any disease in humans. In fact, previous studies show CpHV-1 can kill several types of human cancer cells.  The newest study of CpHV-1 was conducted at the National Cancer Institute IRCCS G. Pascale Foundation in Naples. Scientists there made two important discoveries. They found that not only can CpHV-1 kill mesothelioma cells without harming normal cells, but it might also have the potential to make chemotherapy work better.  Mesothelioma…

quinacrine for mesothelioma
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Quinacrine for Mesothelioma? Anti-Malaria Drug May Help Patients with This Gene Mutation

ByAlex Strauss

Another study on quinacrine for mesothelioma suggests that the once-popular anti-malaria drug might help a subset of patients with a particular gene mutation. Quinacrine is sold under the brand name Atabrine. It used to be the main anti-malaria drug but most doctors now prefer chloroquine.  Last fall, Penn State research on quinacrine for mesothelioma showed the drug has a “high degree of cytotoxicity” on its own. The newest study initially focused on the potential for synergistic effects of quinacrine and chemotherapy. It turns out that the drug can make cisplatin more lethal to mesothelioma cells. Further tests showed that cells with inactivated NF2 mutations were even more sensitive to quinacrine. As many as 60 percent of mesothelioma patients may have…

real-world mesothelioma patients
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Real-World Mesothelioma Patients Need New Systemic Treatments

ByAlex Strauss

The newest study on real-world mesothelioma patients illustrates the need for more ways to treat this devastating cancer.  Many studies focus on a carefully-chosen subset of patients. Patients have to meet specific guidelines to qualify for a mesothelioma clinical trial.  But the authors of a new report in Future Oncology focused on real-world mesothelioma patients in community clinics. The goal was to see what kinds of treatments these patients got and how well they worked.  The results show most people do not have other treatments after first-line therapy. They also suggest that mesothelioma doctors and patients need new first-line alternatives.  First- and Second-Line Mesothelioma Therapies Malignant mesothelioma is the name for cancer on the membranes around internal organs. Pleural mesothelioma…

kidney damage from chemotherapy
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Predicting Kidney Damage from Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

It may be possible to predict which mesothelioma patients are at risk for kidney damage from chemotherapy and take steps to prevent it.  Japanese cancer researchers have linked a protein called megalin to cisplatin-related nephrotoxicity.  Cisplatin is one of the main drugs used to treat mesothelioma. The researchers say people with more megalin in their urine are more likely to have kidney damage from chemotherapy with cisplatin.  Kidney Damage is a Risk of Chemotherapy Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer with no cure. Although scientists are working on other options, chemotherapy is the main treatment for mesothelioma. Most patients have a combination of Alimta (pemetrexed) and the platinum-based drug cisplatin. One of the biggest risks with cisplatin is kidney damage…

chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma
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First-Line Chemotherapy for Peritoneal Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

The same drugs doctors use to treat pleural mesothelioma can provide effective chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma, too. Japanese researchers reviewed the cases of 29 peritoneal mesothelioma patients. These patients had first-line treatment with cisplatin and pemetrexed between 2001 and 2016. The results suggest these drugs are safe and potent chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma. The finding may help doctors and patients make better treatment decisions. Treating Malignant Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is a membrane cancer. It usually occurs in one of two places. About 80 percent of mesothelioma tumors arise on the membrane that surrounds the lungs (the pleura). This is called pleural mesothelioma.  About 20 percent of the 2,500 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the US each year are peritoneal. Peritoneal…

gel-based mesothelioma treatment
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Gel-Based Mesothelioma Treatment: A Novel Approach to Pleural Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Swiss scientists are developing a novel gel-based mesothelioma treatment for people with pleural disease. Early studies suggest it may be a safer way to deliver cancer-fighting drugs with fewer side effects. The gel-based mesothelioma treatment combines the chemotherapy drug cisplatin with a natural “glue” called fibrin. When the gel is applied during surgery, it can keep fighting tumors for months. Why Develop a Gel-Based Treatment? Cisplatin is a platinum-based drug. Together with pemetrexed (Alimta), it is one of the most common chemotherapy drugs for mesothelioma. In the past decade, doctors came up with a way to increase the effectiveness of cisplatin in people with peritoneal mesothelioma. These patients get chemotherapy the usual way. But they also get a rinse of…

faster mesothelioma chemotherapy
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Faster Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Deemed “Safe and Feasible”

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in The Netherlands say it may be possible to deliver faster mesothelioma chemotherapy without doing any additional damage to the kidneys. If they are right, it could make mesothelioma treatment more accessible and convenient for patients. Most malignant mesothelioma patients will have chemotherapy. The most common type of chemotherapy is by infusion. Each session takes several hours. Every mesothelioma patient undergoing chemotherapy faces the possibility of kidney damage. That possibility can even limit how much medicine doctors can use. But a new Dutch study finds that faster mesothelioma chemotherapy may be as safe for the kidneys as standard chemotherapy. Analyzing Faster Mesothelioma Chemotherapy The study included 230 lung cancer patients who had chemotherapy. Some of the study subjects had…