High Mesothelin Rates May Be Good for Mesothelioma Patients
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High Mesothelin Rates May Be Good for Mesothelioma Patients

ByHolly Zink

Mesothelioma patients who have higher levels of mesothelin have better survival rates. This is the finding of a new study out of Australia. Mesothelin Proteins Mesothelin is a type of protein found in mesothelioma cancer cells. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that develops from cells of the mesothelium, the lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. It is caused by exposure to a toxic mineral called asbestos. Typically, mesothelioma requires aggressive treatments to stop the cancer from growing and spreading. Such treatments may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or some combination. Scientists aren’t sure what mesothelin does in cancer cells. But since mesothelin is only found in cancer cells, it could be a target…

Mesothelioma Histology Impacts Response to Chemotherapy
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Mesothelioma Histology Impacts Response to Chemotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Response to chemotherapy for people with malignant mesothelioma may depend – at least in part – on the histology or subtype of their tumor. That is the finding of a new study from a team of Spanish doctors. The doctors analyzed the cases of 189 pleural mesothelioma patients treated at their hospital between 2002 and 2020.  Their study confirms what other studies have suggested: People with epithelioid tumors have better response to chemotherapy than those with non-epithelioid subtypes. These patients experienced both longer progression-free survival and longer overall survival.  Systemic Treatment for Pleural Mesothelioma The first chemotherapy drug for malignant pleural mesothelioma received FDA approval in 2004. Alimta was the only approved systemic (whole body) treatment for pleural mesothelioma until 2020. …

Epithelioid Subtype Leads to Longer Survival Regardless of Treatment
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Epithelioid Subtype Leads to Longer Survival Regardless of Treatment

ByAlex Strauss

Danish researchers say people with the epithelioid subtype of pleural mesothelioma tend to live longer than those with other subtypes, even if they don’t receive treatment.  The study is the latest to confirm what prior research suggests: that epithelial mesothelioma is more survivable than other subtypes.  In the newest report, mesothelioma patients with the epithelioid subtype lived longer, even when they were not good candidates for curative treatment. Mesothelioma Subtypes and Symptoms Pleural mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer on the membrane around the lungs. Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma.  There are three main mesothelioma subtypes. They are the epithelioid subtype, the sarcomatoid subtype, and the biphasic subtype. Epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common subtype. Sarcomatoid is…