Ultrasound for Diagnosing Mesothelioma
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Ultrasound for Diagnosing Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A team of researchers in China analyzed the accuracy of a specific kind of ultrasound for diagnosing mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Even though it is a rare cancer, the global incidence of mesothelioma has been rising over the past decade worldwide. One of the biggest challenges with mesothelioma is getting a definitive diagnosis. Mesothelioma diagnosis usually involves several tests. Patients may have imaging scans, blood tests, and a biopsy. By the time mesothelioma is finally diagnosed, it may already be too late for treatment to help. Getting an Accurate Diagnosis A biopsy involves examining a sample of tissue from a patient’s body to find out if they have a…

New Tool Estimates Survival in Mesothelioma Patients
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New Tool Estimates Survival in Mesothelioma Patients

ByHolly Zink

Researchers in China have developed a new tool to estimate survival in patients with mesothelioma. This will help doctors to create effective treatment plans for mesothelioma patients.   A Rare Form of Cancer   Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects almost 2,000 Americans every year. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. The WHO predicts that cases of mesothelioma will be more common in the future. The five-year survival rate for mesothelioma patients is less than 10%.   Mesothelioma is hard to diagnose because it takes a long time to develop symptoms. By the time a doctor diagnoses a patient with mesothelioma, it can be difficult to treat.   Limited treatment options are available for mesothelioma. Treatment plans usually…

New Tips for Diagnosing Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma
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New Tips for Diagnosing Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that often mimics other conditions. This can make it difficult to get a definitive diagnosis. But a new report in Pathology Case Reviews provides tips for identifying peritoneal mesothelioma. Diagnosing Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed after a person experiencing symptoms goes to a doctor. Patients often complain of vague abdominal symptoms, such as pain, nausea, bloating, weight loss. Distinguishing peritoneal mesothelioma from other cancers is important to ensure appropriate treatment. One thing a doctor may do is perform a tissue biopsy. The doctor will remove a part of the tissue (suspected mesothelioma) for examination. A biopsy is the “gold standard” and the single most important procedure for an accurate diagnosis. Doctors…

COVID-19 Pandemic Had Little Or No Impact On New Malignant Mesothelioma Diagnoses
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COVID-19 Pandemic Had Little Or No Impact On New Malignant Mesothelioma Diagnoses

ByHolly Zink

A new study published in Thoracic Cancer discussed the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on new mesothelioma diagnoses in Italy. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare disease of great interest to the scientific community and to public health. This is due to its high lethality and its association with asbestos exposure. The timely diagnosis of mesothelioma is important. Although it may not change the prognosis of the disease, it can help in treatment strategies. It can also help in documenting previous exposure to asbestos. This can contribute to any request for compensation. New Study Shows Promising Results During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a delay in the diagnosis of oncological diseases. This was because many departments were converted into COVID wards. And…

Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma
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Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

An enzyme that helps mop up the products of cellular oxidation might also serve as a powerful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma. People with the lowest levels of this enzyme  survived longer with mesothelioma than those with higher levels. Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1) is an enzyme found in all cells. It helps keep toxins from building up inside cells. It also helps regulate certain cellular processes.   But there is also evidence that GPX-1 may play a role in the development of cancer. Researchers in Egypt recently discovered that pleural mesothelioma tumors have more GPX-1 than the healthy tissue around them. The less they have, the better the prognosis.  The findings suggest that GPX-1 could be a useful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma…

Mesothelioma Blood Test Could Help Delay Time Between CT Scans
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Mesothelioma Blood Test Could Help Delay Time Between CT Scans

ByAlex Strauss

A mesothelioma blood test could make it possible to stretch the time between CT scans to monitor treatment progress. That is the conclusion from a team of cancer experts in Italy. The researchers compared the results of the SMRP mesothelioma blood test to CT scans and other prognostic indicators in pleural mesothelioma patients.  Doctors typically use a set of criteria called mRECIST to assess how well a particular therapy is working. mRECIST includes measurements from CT scans. But CT scans are expensive, time-consuming, and expose patients to ionizing radiation.  The goal of the new study was to see how closely SMRP levels correlated with mRECIST results. The team says the blood test appears to be accurate enough that it could…

Diagnostic Accuracy of Lung Fluid Tests for Mesothelioma
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Diagnostic Accuracy of Lung Fluid Tests for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in Germany say the diagnostic accuracy of lung fluid tests for mesothelioma is high enough that they can be routinely used for diagnosis.  Right now, if mesothelioma is suspected, doctors may order a fluid test first. If the fluid test (cytology) is positive, the doctor usually orders a tissue biopsy (histology) to confirm.  But the German team says their study shows that the diagnostic accuracy of cytology is almost as good as histology for mesothelioma – especially when doctors consider the patient’s hyaluronic acid level, too. Scientists from several German institutions analyzed cytology tests from more than 4,500 suspected cases of pleural mesothelioma. They conclude that cytology is accurate enough to be used routinely for diagnosis.  The Importance of…

Misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma More Common with Cytology Alone
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Misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma More Common with Cytology Alone

ByAlex Strauss

A new set of case reports illustrates how easily misdiagnosis of mesothelioma can happen when the diagnosis is based on cytology alone.  Cytology tests look at the cells in body fluids. For peritoneal mesothelioma patients, this is often the fluid that collects in their abdomen called ascites.  But doctors from India’s Dayanand Medical College and Hospital say using ascites samples alone to diagnose mesothelioma is a risky practice. Misdiagnosis of mesothelioma may delay proper treatment and negatively impact survival. The Difficulty of Diagnosing Peritoneal Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma only impacts about 2,500 people in the US every year. It is most common among people who have lived or worked around asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma is even rarer. About a fifth of patients…

PET/CT Scans May Be Less Accurate in Elderly Mesothelioma Patients
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PET/CT Scans May Be Less Accurate in Elderly Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers at Case Western Reserve are warning cancer doctors not to rely too heavily on PET/CT scans when diagnosing malignant mesothelioma – especially in older patients. PET/CT is an important tool for staging mesothelioma and can help with diagnosis. But a new case report highlights the problem of false-negative PET/CT scans.  In this case involving a 77-year-old man, PET/CT showed no mesothelioma. Even the man’s lung fluid tests were negative for mesothelioma. The case is a potent reminder that biopsy is still the gold standard for diagnosing asbestos cancer.  PET/CT Scans and Other Tools for Diagnosing Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is a tricky cancer to diagnose. Most patients do not even have symptoms until the disease is in a later stage….

New Cancer Blood Test May Bolster Mesothelioma Diagnostic Tools
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New Cancer Blood Test May Bolster Mesothelioma Diagnostic Tools

ByAlex Strauss

A new cancer blood test may make boost the accuracy of current screening tools and allow doctors to detect malignant mesothelioma and other hard-to-find cancers earlier.  The test is called a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test. The US company Grail developed it and researchers at the Cleveland Clinic tested it on more than 3,500 patients. They found that it correctly identified cancer in more than half of cases. The test was even more accurate in rare cancer types for which no screening test is available.  Malignant mesothelioma was not specifically mentioned in the report. But it is an extremely rare cancer. The method used by the new cancer blood test suggests that it could be useful for finding mesothelioma, too. …