Diagnostic CT Scan for Mesothelioma: More is Better
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Diagnostic CT Scan for Mesothelioma: More is Better

ByAlex Strauss

A new report out of the UK suggests that a thorough diagnostic CT scan for pleural mesothelioma should include images of the abdomen and pelvis, as well as the chest.  When a person goes to the doctor with early signs of malignant pleural mesothelioma, a CT scan of the chest is often the next step in making a diagnosis. CT scans create a 3-dimensional image of internal organs, making it easier to spot mesothelioma tumors.  But a research team led by the University of Bristol says a diagnostic CT scan that shows only the chest might miss mesothelioma tumors in other areas. How a Diagnostic CT Scan Works CT stands for computerized tomography. CT scanning is an advanced type of…

Exhaled Breath Analysis: Is it the Future of Mesothelioma Diagnosis?
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Exhaled Breath Analysis: Is it the Future of Mesothelioma Diagnosis?

ByAlex Strauss

A new report says there is much for the mesothelioma community to be excited about in the technology known as exhaled breath analysis.  Several studies suggest the method is as accurate at identifying mesothelioma as some more invasive tests.  Researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium led the new study. They analyzed six other studies on exhaled breath analysis The goal was to see how accurate the method is for diagnosing mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. The researchers conclude that things look good for exhaled breath analysis, but there is more to learn.  Searching for Signs of Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive lung-related cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It can take decades to develop, but once it…

Mesothelioma in Women: Study Reveals Diagnostic Trends
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Mesothelioma in Women: Study Reveals Diagnostic Trends

ByAlex Strauss

A major study of mesothelioma in women finds that women tend to contract the disease earlier in life than men do. The analysis included 354 cases of malignant mesothelioma from a database of more than 2,800.  While the average age for pleural mesothelioma diagnosis is 72, the average age for women to be diagnosed with any type of mesothelioma was just 60. It could mean that the latency period for mesothelioma is shorter for women than it is in men. It could also mean that women are more attuned to mesothelioma symptoms and recognize the disease sooner.  Mesothelioma’s Long Latency  The latency period is the time between exposure to a cancer-causing agent and the occurrence of cancer. Mesothelioma has one…

PET/CT for Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Age and Stage May Impact Accuracy
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PET/CT for Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Age and Stage May Impact Accuracy

ByAlex Strauss

A new study of PET/CT for mesothelioma diagnosis shows that certain conditions can impact its accuracy. Test results may be less reliable in older patients and in those with very early stage mesothelioma.  The study comes from cancer researchers in Italy. They compared the accuracy of PET/CT for mesothelioma diagnosis in 141 patients over a 9-year period.  A third of the oldest patients with Stage 1 pleural mesothelioma received false negative results. The figure jumped to 40 percent when age was not considered.  What is PET/CT for Mesothelioma Diagnosis? Positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) are non-invasive methods of looking at internal tissues.  A CT scan takes X-rays from different angles. A computer compiles the images into a…

Video-Assisted Pleural Biopsy for Mesothelioma is Not Always Accurate
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Video-Assisted Pleural Biopsy for Mesothelioma is Not Always Accurate

ByAlex Strauss

New research shows some patients are more likely to get an accurate mesothelioma diagnosis from video-assisted pleural biopsy than others.  Cancer doctors at Japan’s Hyogo College of Medicine conducted the new research. It included four hundred patients with suspected pleural mesothelioma.   The researchers found that certain conditions can affect the accuracy of video-assisted pleural biopsy. Patients with early stage mesothelioma, a lot of inflammation, or fibrous connective tissue around their tumors were more likely to be misdiagnosed. Biopsy for Mesothelioma Diagnosis VATS is the acronym for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. It is a minimally-invasive surgical technique to diagnose problems in the chest. Mesothelioma tumors grow on the membrane around the lungs (pleura). Doctors may use the video-assisted pleural biopsy technique…

Uncertainly, Worry, and Hope Characterize the Experience of Mesothelioma
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Uncertainly, Worry, and Hope Characterize the Experience of Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

The experience of mesothelioma is characterized by uncertainty and worry for some patients. But the same patients say they are also optimistic and hopeful.  These findings come from in-depth interviews with seven people with pleural mesothelioma. They were all patients at Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia.  This is not the first study on the lived experience of mesothelioma. But the authors say American mesothelioma patients are underrepresented in the medical literature. The US has a higher number of mesothelioma deaths each year than any other country.  The new study shows the experience of these patients is much like that of mesothelioma patients elsewhere in the world.  Fostering Understanding, Identifying Needs Mesothelioma is an extremely rare cancer with a poor prognosis….

Study Evaluates Breath Test to Detect Early Mesothelioma
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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…

Screening for Mesothelioma: New French Tool May Help

Screening for Mesothelioma: New French Tool May Help

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in France say they have come up with a highly accurate way of screening for mesothelioma and lung cancer.  A new study shows their method, which includes a job history, a questionnaire, and an in-person interview, is 100 percent accurate at identifying people with asbestos cancer. If it can be confirmed in a larger group of patients, the tool may allow for easier and earlier diagnostic screening for mesothelioma. The Challenge of Screening for Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer with a dismal prognosis. Earlier diagnosis might help, but the disease produces few symptoms until it is very advanced. By the time mesothelioma symptoms like chest pain and coughing appear, it is often too late for treatment to…

Accurate Diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma with History and Imaging Only
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Accurate Diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma with History and Imaging Only

ByAlex Strauss

Medical history and CT imaging may be enough to make an accurate diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma, even without a biopsy. That finding comes from a team of French and Canadian researchers led by Universite Laval in Quebec.  Biopsy is usually considered critical for accurate diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma. But the French and Canadian team says imaging studies may provide enough information to make a diagnosis.  This could be especially good news for people who are not healthy enough to undergo thoracoscopy. Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnostic Procedure: First Steps Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that grows on the membranes around internal organs.  This cancer is rare and notoriously difficult to diagnose, especially in…

Machine Learning Tool May Predict Mesothelioma Survival Better Than Pathologists
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Machine Learning Tool May Predict Mesothelioma Survival Better Than Pathologists

ByAlex Strauss

The developers of a machine learning tool called MesoNet say the program can predict mesothelioma survival better than a pathologist. MesoNet is a deep convolutional neural network. It analyzes digitized images of mesothelioma cells to predict overall survival. In a new article in Nature Medicine, its creators compared the machine learning tool with pathologist-read slides. Then they validated MesoNet with two different sets of mesothelioma patients.  The result may offer a new, more accurate approach to mesothelioma treatment planning.  What is a Machine Learning Tool? A machine learning tool is a computer program that gets “smarter” the more it runs. A deep convolutional neural network is a type of machine learning tool that analyzes images. The more images it analyzes,…