Genomic Experts Report Most Complete Picture of Mesothelioma to Date
| | |

Genomic Experts Report Most Complete Picture of Mesothelioma to Date

ByHolly Zink

Australian and American genomic experts have completed a key step in improving the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. A new study gives results from a large study of malignant pleural mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops on the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and chest wall. Asbestos causes mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos was used in thousands of industrial, commercial, construction, automotive, and consumer products. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in about 2,000 people in the United States every year. Scientists at the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Disease have taken a dramatic leap forward in the understanding of pleural mesothelioma. DNA Genes Impact Personalized Treatment Plans Previous genomic studies of malignant pleural mesothelioma were limited….

BLM Gene Mutation Increases Mesothelioma Risk, Study Finds
|

BLM Gene Mutation Increases Mesothelioma Risk, Study Finds

ByAlex Strauss

New research suggests an inherited mutation on the BLM gene increases susceptibility to deadly malignant mesothelioma. The research comes from the University of Hawaii, one of the world’s top locations for mesothelioma research.  Researcher Michele Carbone and his team sequenced the DNA of 155 mesothelioma patients. They found that people who are missing one BLM gene are much more likely to contract mesothelioma – especially if they are exposed to asbestos.  If people know they have the BLM gene mutation, they could potentially cut their risk for mesothelioma by being especially mindful of asbestos exposure.  Genetic Susceptibility to Mesothelioma Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma. Some people who live or work around asbestos develop mesothelioma years later….

Genetic Mutation Improves Mesothelioma Survival Odds
| | | | | | |

Genetic Mutation Improves Mesothelioma Survival Odds

ByAlex Strauss

Another new study has been released that supports the idea that mesothelioma patients who are missing the tumor suppressor called BAP1 are more likely to survive longer than those who have intact BAP1 genes. The BRCA-1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) gene is located on the chromosome 3p21. Because the job of BAP1 is to help suppress cancer, a mutation that causes this gene to be inactive raises the risk that a person could get mesothelioma or another cancer. BAP1 loss has also been associated with increased risk of skin cancer, renal cell cancer and some lung and breast cancers. But there appears to be an upside to BAP1 loss. Data published in the journal Pathology suggests that mesothelioma patients with BAP1…

BAP1 Mutation May Bode Well for Mesothelioma Survival
| | | | |

BAP1 Mutation May Bode Well for Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

A new study has some good news and some bad news for people who carry the BAP1 genetic mutation. The bad news is that they have a significantly higher risk of contracting malignant mesothelioma and several other types of cancer than people without this genetic mutation. The good news is that, people with the BAP1 mutation who do get mesothelioma, have a seven-fold increase in long-term survival over mesothelioma patients without this genetic anomaly.   Now, a multicenter study involving the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute-Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, the Hofstra-North Shore LIJ School of Medicine in New York, and the New York University Langone Medical Center finds that BAP1 mesothelioma may actually be more survivable….

Genetic Mutation Linked to Mesothelioma
| |

Genetic Mutation Linked to Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Medical science may finally be a step closer to understanding why some people exposed to asbestos contract malignant mesothelioma and others do not. A new study funded by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center has found that people who have a genetic mutation on their BAP1 gene are more susceptible to mesothelioma and several other types of cancer. The study, published in a recent issue of Nature Genetics, followed two families that have an unusually high incidence of mesothelioma, which is typically very rare. In the U.S., mesothelioma affects fewer than 3,000 people each year. This, despite the fact that tens of thousands of…