Rare Mesothelioma Disease Combination
Doctors in Italy treated a patient who was diagnosed with both primary gastric Burkitt lymphoma (PGBL) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). This is a rare disease combination. The doctors in this case had a hard time reaching the correct diagnosis because the symptoms of these two cancers are very similar. The patient also did not have the usual risk factors for these cancers. For instance, the patient did not have any exposure to asbestos that might cause MPM. Two Rare Diseases MPM is a rare type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and chest wall. Signs and symptoms may include shortness of breath due to fluid around the lung, chest pain, cough, … Continue reading Rare Mesothelioma Disease Combination
Improving Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Surgery to remove cancer tissue can lead to improved survival for epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Patients with sarcomatoid or biphasic malignant pleural mesothelioma did not have the same results. This is the finding of a study that looked at patient data from the National Cancer Database. Worst Prognosis with Standard Therapies MPM is an aggressive cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs. It is caused by exposure to asbestos and is difficult to treat. There are three cell types for this type of cancer: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. About half of malignant mesotheliomas are epithelioid. This type tends to have better treatment outcomes. About 10% of mesotheliomas are sarcomatoid. This type generally has the worst prognosis with … Continue reading Improving Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Breakthrough Can Spare the Diaphragm
A new study shows that surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma can spare the diaphragm without reducing overall survival. This study was conducted by medical researchers from St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in the United Kingdom. Surgery for Malignant Pleural Mesothlioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It can take decades after asbestos exposure for the cancer to develop. It is an aggressive cancer and can be hard to treat. When the cancer grows in your lungs, it is called malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Conventional treatment for MPM may include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Surgery is the most invasive treatment option and not every patient is eligible for surgery. If the patient is too ill or if … Continue reading Mesothelioma Breakthrough Can Spare the Diaphragm
Is Right-Sided Pleural Mesothelioma Worse than Left-Sided?
Pleural mesothelioma develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and chest wall. Pleural mesothelioma may develop in the lining of the chest wall on just one side of the chest. Previous research has suggested that right-sided pleural mesothelioma is associated with a poorer prognosis. Yet, these were very small studies and estimates were not precise. Dr. Adjepong’s team decided to see if the side mattered. Does it matter if pleural mesothelioma is more on the left or right side? Using National SEER Database to Study Pleural Mesothelioma Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a highly aggressive and rare form of cancer. There are approximately 2,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the U.S. every year. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to … Continue reading Is Right-Sided Pleural Mesothelioma Worse than Left-Sided?
Cells Talking in the Tumor Microenvironment: Cracking the Code
The tumor microenvironment and stroma cells affect the progression and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. A new study shows how cells support the malignancy of mesothelioma and potential therapies. Malignant pleural mesothelioma has a unique and complex tumor microenvironment. A new study recently showed that the tumor microenvironment plays a key role in cancer initiation and progression. Scientists are seeking to understand how cancer and non-cancer cells communicate. Cancer and Non-Cancer Cells Talk to Each Other When white blood cells do not filter out asbestos fibers, other cells in the body are able to begin growing cancerous mesothelial cells. Scientists are seeking to understand how cancer and non-cancer cells communicate in the body. Non-cancer cells include immune cells and stromal … Continue reading Cells Talking in the Tumor Microenvironment: Cracking the Code
Updated Guidelines Aim to Advance Mesothelioma Research
The criteria for measuring treatment response in malignant pleural mesothelioma is being revised—again. Researchers are hopeful that the new criteria will improve the quality and value of mesothelioma clinical trials and move researchers closer to a cure. Researchers at the University of Chicago and the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases in Australia are proposing new modifications to the “modified RECIST” criteria by which researchers currently assess the response of mesothelioma tumors. In order for mesothelioma clinical trials to be truly valuable—and have any chance of leading to a cure—researchers must be “on the same page” in how they assess the size of mesothelioma tumors and their response to treatment. Because malignant mesothelioma is so rare, there are fewer studies … Continue reading Updated Guidelines Aim to Advance Mesothelioma Research
Shoulder Pain: An Early Symptom of Mesothelioma?
There is new evidence that mesothelioma can affect more than just the part of the body where a tumor occurs. Along with lung-related symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath, a new study suggests that shoulder pain can also be an early sign of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Polish researchers reached that conclusion after studying the cases of 49 mesothelioma patients treated at the Central Clinical Hospital in Warsaw between 2006 and 2012. In looking over the patients’ medical records, they found that seven of the patients (14.3%) listed shoulder pain as the very first symptom of mesothelioma. In most cases, the shoulder pain among mesothelioma patients was relatively mild, with an average severity of 4 on a scale of … Continue reading Shoulder Pain: An Early Symptom of Mesothelioma?
European Group Issues Updated Treatment Guidelines for Mesothelioma
A group of medical researchers has just released an updated set of clinical practice guidelines for treating patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, one of the rarest and most treatment-resistant forms of cancer. The guidelines, released by the European Society for Medical Oncology and published in the newest issue of the Annals of Oncology, contain six sets of recommendations designed to support clinicians in the management of mesothelioma from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up. Recommendation for Mesothelioma Diagnosis The updated ESMO mesothelioma guidelines recommend that all patients undergo a thorough occupational history with emphasis on asbestos exposure and a CT scan of their chest. They also recommend that all patients with pleural thickening have a biopsy but do not recommend routine … Continue reading European Group Issues Updated Treatment Guidelines for Mesothelioma
Treating Mesothelioma with Curcumin: Success May Be Predictable
Clinicians may be a step closer to being able to use curcumin to combat aggressive malignant pleural mesothelioma. Curcumin is the plant polyphenol that gives turmeric its yellow hue and spicy flavor. It has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to inhibit the growth of mesothelioma cells from animal models in the laboratory. Now, for the first time, researchers in Australia say they have successfully done the same thing with human cells taken from their own mesothelioma patients. Researcher Sonja Klebe, an Associate Professor at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia where the new research was conducted, says the breakthrough will allow doctors to predict whether or not a certain mesothelioma patient will benefit from treatment with curcumin. The research … Continue reading Treating Mesothelioma with Curcumin: Success May Be Predictable
Predicting Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival After Surgery
Most mesothelioma patients and their families have heard the poor survival statistics associated with this aggressive cancer. But two new studies on two different types of mesothelioma suggest that long term survival is possible with surgery and can even be predictable. The first study was a multi-center analysis conducted in Italy between 2000 and 2010. Researchers retrospectively reviewed the cases of 468 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients who underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy – a radical surgery that involves removing the diseased pleural lining as well as the closest lung. Since most pleural mesothelioma patients die within a year of diagnosis, the research team classified those who lived three years or longer as “long term survivors.” A total of 107 mesothelioma patients (22.9%) fell into … Continue reading Predicting Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival After Surgery
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