Mesothelioma Can Strike Younger Patients Without Known Risks
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Mesothelioma Can Strike Younger Patients Without Known Risks

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma is a cancer that typically affects middle-aged or older men who were exposed to asbestos on the job. But even younger patients with no known history of asbestos exposure may develop mesothelioma, and should be evaluated if they have signs of the disease, according to a recent review in the West Virginia Medical Journal. Even when mesothelioma is properly diagnosed, treatment options remain limited and the prognosis is usually grim, the authors say. The review presented the case of a 38-year-old, otherwise healthy woman who developed shortness of breath and chest pain, which worsened over time. Pathology tests revealed cancerous cells that are typical of mesothelioma, even though the woman had no apparent risks for the disease. “The family denied…

Mesothelioma Survivor Defies Odds
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Mesothelioma Survivor Defies Odds

ByAlex Strauss

Recently there have been a number of articles written about Jon Matthews, the British man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma a little over two years ago. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Apparently, Mr. Matthews had placed a bet with a bookie that he would live beyond 25 months. The bookie took the bet at 50 to 1 odds. When Mr. Matthews survived past this point, the bet paid off £5,000 on a £100 bet. First, we want to commend Mr. Matthews for proving his doctors wrong. But, why was 25 months chosen? Is this a magic number? According to Andy Nicholson of William Hill Bookmakers the bookie had consulted with “various medical…

Promising New Target for Mesothelioma Therapy
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Promising New Target for Mesothelioma Therapy

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelin, a protein found on the surface of cells, may be a promising new target for treating mesothelioma, as well as several other types of cancers, according to a recent study in the journal, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. This protein might also help doctors diagnose certain cancers. The reason why mesothelin has captured researchers’ attention as a potential therapeutic target has to do with the way it is distributed in the body. In healthy people, mesothelin is only found in small amounts in cells lining the lungs, abdominal cavity, and heart. However, this protein is produced in higher amounts by mesothelioma, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer cells. To attack these cancers, researchers are looking at using specialized antibodies (a type of immune…

Diagnosing Mesothelioma
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Diagnosing Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A panel of just three antibodies is highly sensitive at distinguishing mesothelioma from other cancers, according to a study in the February 2009 issue of Pathology. The authors of the study say that using this type of small antibody panel could help reduce the time and cost associated with diagnosing mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is among the deadliest of cancers; the average patient survives just one year after diagnosis. Making a timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial to help doctors determine a patient’s prognosis, identify the best treatment approach, and get patients compensated in legal claims related to asbestos-related mesothelioma, says Sonja Klebe, MD, PhD, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomical Pathology at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, Australia. Mesothelioma is often…

Mesothelioma and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
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Mesothelioma and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Combining aggressive surgery with chemotherapy delivered directly into the abdominal cavity may significantly extend survival in patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, according to a consensus statement of peritoneal mesothelioma specialists published in the September 15 issue of the Journal of Surgical Oncology. Reaching a consensus on the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma—a cancer that affects the abdominal lining—has been difficult for doctors, because the disease progresses so quickly and conventional treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy have done little in the past to stall its progress and improve survival. However, new therapies are showing great promise, and are vastly improving the outlook for patients with this cancer. Among the most promising of these therapies is combining aggressive surgery to remove as much…

Mesothelioma Support Groups
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Mesothelioma Support Groups

ByAlex Strauss

Taking part in a support group can help relieve the stress of the illness for both mesothelioma patients and their families, according to a study in the September 12 issue of the European Journal of Cancer Care. Yet the support needs of this population are not being met, say the authors. “There is little research in mesothelioma generally, but particularly regarding the patient experience of living with the disease,” says Sally Moore, MSC, BSC, RN, lung cancer nurse specialist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, England. “Our care pathways are largely those in place for lung cancer – we haven’t teased out needs that are specific to mesothelioma.” Support is particularly important to mesothelioma patients, who often…

Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Staging

Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Staging

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma is one of the most difficult cancers to treat, but improved diagnostic methods and the right combination of treatments can help extend patients’ lives, according to a report published online August 29 in Current Treatment Options in Oncology. Diagnosing mesothelioma has historically been challenging, because the symptoms can mimic those of other conditions, particularly adenocarcinoma of the lung. Today, immunohistochemical staining and other newer tests are helping doctors more accurately diagnose patients they suspect of having mesothelioma. According to the report, the optimal diagnostic procedure is thoracoscopy, which uses a long, thin tube with a camera attached to view the lungs and take a sample of tissue (biopsy). Computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans can also be…

Mesothelioma and Chemo Results
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Mesothelioma and Chemo Results

ByAlex Strauss

Patients who have already undergone chemotherapy for mesothelioma without success may benefit from a second round of treatment with the chemotherapy drug, vinorelbine, according to a study in the May 15 issue of the journal, Lung Cancer. Mesothelioma has historically been a very difficult cancer to treat. The “gold standard” therapy has been the antifolate chemotherapy drug, pemetrexed, typically combined with the platinum-based drug, cisplatin. Though some patients undergo another round of chemotherapy if their disease continues to progress, there isn’t much research to guide doctors in treating patients who don’t respond to first-line therapy. “Mesothelioma is often rapidly progressive, so patients often sadly don’t reach the second-line setting,” says Justin Stebbing MA, MRCP, MRCPath, PhD, consultant medical oncologist and…