The Pathological Diagnosis of Mesothelioma: New Recommendations
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The Pathological Diagnosis of Mesothelioma: New Recommendations

ByAlex Strauss

An international team of researchers says it is time to refine the pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma. They are recommending a list of changes they say could make the process more effective. Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Under current pathology guidelines, it falls into just three categories. But the research team says those guidelines do not give doctors enough information. They recommend updates to make the pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma more specific.  Understanding Mesothelioma Pathology Pathologists study body tissue, fluids, and cells that are surgically removed. The pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma involves looking at cells under a microscope. Cells can then be put into a category.  About three quarters of mesothelioma cases are epithelioid. Epithelioid mesothelioma is…

Signs of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Radiotherapy
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Signs of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Radiotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Japanese researchers are reminding doctors to watch for signs of peritoneal mesothelioma in people who have undergone past radiotherapy.  Many cancer patients undergo radiotherapy. Radiation disrupts the DNA inside cancer cells. This can help keep these malignant cells from replicating and spreading.  But radiation treatment also has a downside. It can cause cellular changes in healthy cells, too. This can cause side effects right away, or decades later.  As more people have radiation and survive, scientists at the Shinshu University School of Medicine say more of them could develop radiation-related mesothelioma later in life. But the signs of peritoneal mesothelioma years after radiation are easy to miss. Peritoneal Mesothelioma Case Study The new report is based on the case of…

Lung Cancer Blood Test: Can it Find Early Mesothelioma?
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Lung Cancer Blood Test: Can it Find Early Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma patients and their doctors may have reason to be optimistic about a new lung cancer blood test. A random trial of more than 12,000 high-risk people in Scotland shows the EarlyCDT test combined with CT imaging can detect cancer early. Earlier diagnosis is likely to lead to longer survival of lung cancers like pleural mesothelioma. Researchers presented their findings on the new lung cancer blood test at a global conference this week in Spain. Largest Lung Cancer Trial As in the US, lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in Scotland. Pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer. Although it is rare, mesothelioma is more common in the UK than in other parts of the world. This is…

MicroRNA Signature for Mesothelioma Could Lead to Earlier Diagnosis
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MicroRNA Signature for Mesothelioma Could Lead to Earlier Diagnosis

ByAlex Strauss

Australian researchers believe they have identified what amounts to a microRNA signature for mesothelioma in pleural effusion.  Pleural effusion is the name for excess lung fluid. Up to 90 percent of pleural mesothelioma patients develop a pleural effusion. Researchers at the University of Western Australia say this fluid contains a wealth of information that could improve mesothelioma diagnosis. They have recently identified a trio of RNA molecules in fluid samples that could serve as a microRNA signature for mesothelioma. This “signature” could help doctors distinguish mesothelioma from other types of cancer. The Challenge of Mesothelioma Diagnosis Pleural mesothelioma is notoriously hard to diagnose. The early symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to the symptoms of many other lung conditions. They are…

New Cancer Blood Test Could Identify Early Mesothelioma
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New Cancer Blood Test Could Identify Early Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Israeli researchers hope that a new kind of cancer blood test could help detect mesothelioma and other malignancies earlier. Earlier diagnosis could lead to longer mesothelioma survival. The blood test is based on the idea that immune system cells undergo metabolic changes when they fight a cancer like pleural mesothelioma. Different kinds of changes are associated with different kinds of cancers. The new cancer blood test detects these changes. Immune System Cells and Metabolism The immune system is the body’s primary way of defending itself against diseases like malignant mesothelioma. Metabolism refers to the way immune system cells expend energy to fight cancer.  An Israeli company is developing the new cancer blood test. It focuses on the metabolism of immune…

Low-Dose CT Screening May Delay Mesothelioma Deaths
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Low-Dose CT Screening May Delay Mesothelioma Deaths

ByAlex Strauss

The results of a long-term national study suggest that low-dose CT screening might prevent – or at least delay – deaths from pleural mesothelioma.  The National Lung Screening Trial included more than 53,000 lung cancer patients. Researchers released the first results in 2011 after more than six years of study. The recent follow-up results reflect more than 12 years of data on low-dose CT screening. They show that, in many cases, screening lung cancer patients for at least three years delayed their deaths for more than a decade.  Pleural Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Pleural mesothelioma is not the same thing as lung cancer. Mesothelioma starts on the lining around the lungs (pleura), rather than in the lung tissue itself.  But…

Depression After Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Women Are at Highest Risk
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Depression After Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Women Are at Highest Risk

ByAlex Strauss

White women are more likely than other patients to experience depression after mesothelioma diagnosis.  That word comes from researchers at the University of Florida. The team analyzed the cases of more than 120,000 patients with late-stage cancer.  Although all patients face a risk of depression with an advanced cancer diagnosis, the problem appears to be worse among white women.  The research team says understanding how cancer news affects patients can help doctors avoid diagnosis bias.   Cancer Records from the SEER Database The Florida study provides important insights into who is likely to get depression after mesothelioma diagnosis.  The study included 123,066 advanced cancer cases from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. All study subjects received their diagnosis between…

Dog Research May Lead to Over-the-Counter Mesothelioma Test
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Dog Research May Lead to Over-the-Counter Mesothelioma Test

ByAlex Strauss

A cancer research project involving dogs could eventually pave the way for an over-the-counter mesothelioma test.  Researchers in Florida recently published a study suggesting that dogs may be able to detect lung cancer with surprising accuracy. If they can determine which cancer biomarkers the dogs detect, they may be able to develop an over-the-counter mesothelioma test.  Can Dogs Smell Lung Cancer? The new study comes from the Florida campus of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). Researchers there are working with a canine training and research firm called BioScentDX. According to LECOM, a dog’s sense of smell is at least 10,000 times stronger than a person’s. The research team chose Beagles for the tests because they are among…

Breath Testing for Mesothelioma: Not Yet Ready for Widespread Use?
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Breath Testing for Mesothelioma: Not Yet Ready for Widespread Use?

ByAlex Strauss

Breath testing for mesothelioma may be a promising new way to catch asbestos cancer early. But Italian researchers are warning that there is not yet enough research to recommend widespread use of the technique. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a virulent and hard-to-treat cancer. Researchers around the world continue to search for faster, easier ways to diagnose and treat it. Breath testing for mesothelioma is one proposed method. Special machines measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in patients’ exhaled breath. VOCs can give doctors important information about cellular metabolism and can indicate the presence of cancer. But researchers at Italy’s University of Bari analyzed all of the studies on breath testing for mesothelioma since 2000. They say none of the studies are…

Exposed to Asbestos? Lung Fluid Test May Waste Valuable Time
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Exposed to Asbestos? Lung Fluid Test May Waste Valuable Time

ByAlex Strauss

If you have been exposed to asbestos and your doctor sees a mesothelioma tumor on your CT scan, it may be a waste of time to do a lung fluid test, too. Many different types of cancer cause excess lung fluid or pleural effusions. Looking for cancer cells in pleural effusions is one of the ways doctors test for cancers like pleural mesothelioma. This is called effusion cytology. But a new study says this test may not be very reliable for people with malignant mesothelioma. If other factors point to mesothelioma, they say it makes more sense to skip effusion cytology and go straight to a biopsy. Mesothelioma Develops in People Exposed to Asbestos Pleural mesothelioma is a type of…