A New Test for Mesothelioma?
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A New Test for Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

Malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the pleural membrane that encases the lungs, can be difficult to diagnose.  Early symptoms of the disease can be vague and mimic other lung conditions.  But the longer a patient goes without a firm diagnosis, the poorer the prognosis is likely to be since mesothelioma is resistant to many traditional therapies. In addition to considering the patient’s symptoms and history of asbestos exposure, doctors often rely on biomarkers – compounds found in the blood or lung fluid – to pinpoint mesothelioma. Now, a group of Danish scientists are investigating a new biomarker that may eventually allow for an earlier, more accurate, mesothelioma diagnosis. Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is a key enzyme used to help cells…

Actor’s Death Highlights Mesothelioma Risk in Australia
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Actor’s Death Highlights Mesothelioma Risk in Australia

ByAlex Strauss

An Australian film actor best known in the U.S. for playing opposite Mel Gibson in Gallipoli has died ofmesothelioma.  Harold Hopkins died in a Sydney hospital where he was receiving hospice care.  He was 67 years old. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the thin tissue around internal organs.  It is often considered an occupational disease, since many people come into contact with the asbestos that causes it while working in various industrial settings.  Although actors are not typically thought to be at high risk for mesothelioma, Hopkins reportedly encountered asbestos long before his acting career began.  According to Australia’s Daily Telegraph, he was exposed to asbestos as early as the 1960’s while working his first job after high school…

A ‘Breath of Hope’ for Mesothelioma Diagnosis
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A ‘Breath of Hope’ for Mesothelioma Diagnosis

ByAlex Strauss

A new report that analyzes the available data on breath testing for mesothelioma says the technique has great promise for detecting the disease earlier. The study, entitled “Breath analysis in asbestos-related disorders: a review of the literature and potential future applications”, says many of the current invasive methods for diagnosing mesothelioma carry a high risk of complications, especially in the elderly, who are most likely to contract the disease.  Mesothelioma is the most deadly of a group of asbestos-related disorders which also include asbestosis, pleural plaques, and lung cancer.  Because the disease can take from 20 to 50 years to develop, most mesothelioma patients are over 65. Mesothelioma surgery carries many risks, a fact that has prompted researchers around the world to…