Improve Mesothelioma Outcomes with a Fast-Mimicking Diet: Is it Possible?
| | |

Improve Mesothelioma Outcomes with a Fast-Mimicking Diet: Is it Possible?

ByAlex Strauss

New science from Italy suggests that it might eventually be possible to improve mesothelioma outcomes by severely restricting calories during cancer treatment.  The study appears in a recent version of the journal Cancer Discovery. Researchers with Italy’s FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM) in Milan tested a fast-mimicking diet in 101 cancer patients.  They concluded that restricting calories is a safe and feasible method for “reshaping metabolism” to impact tumor growth. If further studies confirm their findings, it could improve mesothelioma outcomes for thousands of patients. The Need for Better Mesothelioma Treatments Mesothelioma is a fast-growing and deadly type of cancer. Most people who receive a mesothelioma diagnosis do not live out the year. Malignant mesothelioma grows on the membranes…

Exercise and Nutrition Advice Could Help Some Mesothelioma Patients
| | |

Exercise and Nutrition Advice Could Help Some Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

Most mesothelioma patients would welcome exercise and nutrition advice that might help them cope with their cancer and its symptoms better.  That news comes from a study in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology. Researchers wondered if seniors with lung cancer or mesothelioma would even be open to recommendations about their exercise and nutrition.  The study found that they would and that it would probably help them feel better. But there are barriers to getting this kind of information into the hands of people who need it.  Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Pleural mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer that affects the lungs. Mesothelioma patients have many of the same symptoms as lung cancer patients. Among other things, they tend…

Five New Year’s Resolutions All Mesothelioma Patients Should Make
| |

Five New Year’s Resolutions All Mesothelioma Patients Should Make

ByAlex Strauss

For people who received a mesothelioma diagnosis in recent years, making new year’s resolutions can seem like a futile thing to do.  But mental health experts say healthy resolutions can help us focus on the future and stay positive. Positive mesothelioma patients may experience less pain and enjoy a higher quality of life. In light of that, here are five new year’s resolutions for mesothelioma patients to consider. New Year’s Resolution #1 – Look for clinical trials There is no cure for malignant mesothelioma. Even the best standard treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are often only minimally effective.  One of the best ways for mesothelioma patients to connect with new and emerging treatments is to participate in a mesothelioma clinical…

Risk for Malnutrition Among Older Mesothelioma Patients
| | |

Risk for Malnutrition Among Older Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

A new study out of Brazil suggests that many older mesothelioma patients may be at risk for malnutrition and the problems that go with it.  The study included more than 4,500 Brazliian cancer patients from 45 hospitals. They were evaluated for their nutritional status, nutritional risk, and nutrition-related symptoms. Among the 25% of cancer patients over 65, more than half faced a moderate to severe risk for malnutrition. The findings suggest it is a problem hospitals should identify and address early for the best mesothelioma treatment outcomes.  Mesothelioma and Nutritional Status As with other types of cancer, nutrition has an affect on the treatment of people with mesothelioma.  An Australian study of pleural mesothelioma patients earlier this year found that…

Curcumin Supplement Delays Mesothelioma Tumor Growth in Mice
| | | | |

Curcumin Supplement Delays Mesothelioma Tumor Growth in Mice

ByAlex Strauss

Italian researchers say a curcumin supplement containing a compound found in black pepper slowed the growth of mesothelioma tumors in mice. The commercially available supplement is called Curcumin-C3complex/Bioperine. This is the first time this formulation has been studied for malignant mesothelioma.  Lab-grown human mesothelioma cells stopped growing when scientists treated them with the curcumin supplement. The treatment did the same in live mice.  The researchers suggest that the curcumin supplement may work synergistically with standard treatments.  What is in Curcumin-C3complex/Bioperine? Curcumin is the most bioactive compound in turmeric. Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its bright yellow color.  Several scientific studies suggest that curcumin and other curcuminoid compounds in turmeric have powerful health benefits. These compounds are anti-inflammatory and…

Keto Diet for Mesothelioma Not Advised Despite New Research
| | |

Keto Diet for Mesothelioma Not Advised Despite New Research

ByAlex Strauss

New research suggests a diet low in carbs and sugar may slow the growth of certain kinds of cancer cells. The news may have mesothelioma patients wondering about the value of the keto diet for mesothelioma, too.  The new study appears in the most recent issue of the journal Cell Reports. Researchers fed a restrictive ketogenic diet to mice with a certain kind of lung cancer. They also gave them a drug to keep the kidneys from absorbing extra glucose. The trial was not focused specifically on the keto diet for mesothelioma. But the findings do show that sugar and certain cancers do not mix.  What is the Ketogenic Diet? The ketogenic – or “keto” – diet is very low…

Antioxidant Supplements for Mesothelioma Patients Might be Dangerous
| | | |

Antioxidant Supplements for Mesothelioma Patients Might be Dangerous

ByAlex Strauss

Two separate lung cancer studies suggest that antioxidant supplements for mesothelioma patients may not be advisable.  The studies appear in the most recent issue of the medical journal Cell.  Both focus on the role of antioxidants in the growth and spread of lung cancer. Although mesothelioma is not the same as lung cancer, it affects the same area of the body and shares many of the same characteristics.  The new research suggests that, instead of fighting cancer, antioxidant supplements for mesothelioma patients, might actually help it grow.  Supplements for Cancer Patients Antioxidant vitamins like A, C, and E are plentiful in fruits and vegetables. Many people take antioxidant supplements to make up for a poor diet. These vitamins can help…

Eating to Beat Mesothelioma: New Study Sheds Light on Diet/Cancer Link
| | | |

Eating to Beat Mesothelioma: New Study Sheds Light on Diet/Cancer Link

ByAlex Strauss

A new study on the link between diet and cancer contains important information for patients trying to beat mesothelioma. The study was conducted by researchers at Tufts University and published this week in JNCI Cancer Spectrum. It compares American diets and rates of several kinds of cancer in 2015. The goal was to determine how many cancer cases might be blamed on poor diet. Although the study did not focus on mesothelioma cancer, patients determined to beat mesothelioma would be wise to take note of the findings. Poor Nutrition Can Lead to Cancer The Tufts researchers estimated that more than 80,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in 2015 happened because of suboptimal diet. That is more than 5 percent of all…

Quality of Life for Mesothelioma Patients Hinges on Activity and Nutrition
| | | | | |

Quality of Life for Mesothelioma Patients Hinges on Activity and Nutrition

ByAlex Strauss

Muscle mass and nutrition can have a direct impact on quality of life for mesothelioma patients. That’s the finding of an Australian study of sixty-one men and women with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Researchers say the quality of life for mesothelioma patients was compromised by lower muscle mass or malnutrition. It is a wake-up call for mesothelioma patients to stay active and eat well for the best outcomes. Impacts on Quality of Life for Mesothelioma Patients Pleural mesothelioma is an incurable cancer. Even with the best mesothelioma treatments, most patients still face a grim prognosis. But there is evidence that good self-care may help. Previous studies have shown that patients with the best nutritional status often have longer mesothelioma survival. Nutritional…

Nutritional Status of Mesothelioma Patients and Prognosis
| | |

Nutritional Status of Mesothelioma Patients and Prognosis

ByAlex Strauss

The nutritional status of mesothelioma patients could impact their treatment outcomes. That is the conclusion of a new Chinese study. The study focused on patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that grows on the abdominal lining. About a fifth of mesothelioma patients have this type. Researchers at Cangzhou Central Hospital measured the nutritional status of mesothelioma patients with a tool called the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score. When they compared the scores with patients’ survival rates, they found that those with worse scores did not live as long. Measuring Nutritional Status of Mesothelioma Patients with CONUT CONUT is a computer-based tool. It calculates the nutritional status of mesothelioma patients based on laboratory information. Lab values considered by…