Immunohistochemical Staining and Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma: Beyond the Lab
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Immunohistochemical Staining and Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma: Beyond the Lab

ByAlex Strauss

When it comes to understanding individual cases of sarcomatoid mesothelioma, doctors should not rely too heavily on immunohistochemical staining.  That conclusion comes from mesothelioma researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.  The researchers just released a new study focused on this rare mesothelioma subtype. A patient’s subtype has an impact on what kind of treatment could work best for them. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is usually less responsive to chemotherapy. Immunohistochemical staining is a pathology technique. It is the main way that doctors tell the difference between mesothelioma subtypes.  But the MD Anderson report suggests that not all cases of sarcomatoid mesothelioma are created equal. The researchers say it is important to look beyond the lab findings to understand individual cases….

Breath Test for Mesothelioma Might Identify Subtypes
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Breath Test for Mesothelioma Might Identify Subtypes

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in the UK say a breath test for mesothelioma might be able to distinguish between mesothelioma subtypes. There are three major subtypes of mesothelioma. It is important to know which kind of person has. A patient’s subtype can impact their prognosis and even their mesothelioma treatment choice.  Right now, the only way to tell the mesothelioma subtypes apart is to look at the cells under the microscope. But scientists at Sheffield Hallam University have identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the rarest and the most common mesothelioma subtypes.  These VOCs could be used to develop a mesothelioma breath test that could tell the subtypes apart.  The Advantages of Breath Testing Breath testing is a way of measuring VOCs in…