Predicting Unresectable Mesothelioma Prior to Surgery
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Predicting Unresectable Mesothelioma Prior to Surgery

Cancer researchers at Baylor have found an effective way to identify certain cases of unresectable mesothelioma without making an incision. They focused on a common reason a surgeon might decide not to operate, even after the patient is on the table. The condition, called DCWI, is hard to identify without opening the patient up.  But the Baylor team says there is a non-invasive way to identify DCWI and predict cases of unresectable mesothelioma. If it works, it could save patients the pain of surgery. It could also save lives by allowing doctors to start other mesothelioma treatments sooner.  Diffuse Chest Wall Invasion in Mesothelioma Diffuse chest wall invasion (DCWI) is a condition that can make it impossible to perform effective…

Survival After Mesothelioma Surgery Could Rise with Immunotherapy Spray
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Survival After Mesothelioma Surgery Could Rise with Immunotherapy Spray

A spray-on immune booster may one day improve survival after mesothelioma surgery. UCLA scientists tested the biodegradable spray gel in mice with advanced melanoma. They found that it stopped cancer recurrence after surgery in about half of the lab animals tested. “Around 90 percent of people with cancerous tumors end up dying because of tumor recurrence or metastasis,” says lead investigator Zhen Gu. “Being able to develop something that helps lower this risk for this to occur and has low toxicity is especially gratifying.” Gu is a professor of bioengineering and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center where the spray was developed. Survival After Mesothelioma Surgery Survival after mesothelioma surgery or any other kind of cancer operation…

Surgery Provides Better Mesothelioma Diagnosis for Some Patients
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Surgery Provides Better Mesothelioma Diagnosis for Some Patients

For patients who can tolerate it, a Japanese research team says an operation to remove part of the chest lining may be the best way to diagnose early malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive cancer of the membrane encasing the lungs (pleura), is often difficult to diagnose. A buildup of fluid between the layers of the pleura, known as pleural effusion, is one of the first clinical signs of mesothelioma. For this reason, pleural effusion cytology is often one of the first diagnostic tests performed in suspected cases. Doctors draw off some of the pleural fluid and test it for evidence of cancer cells. But researchers from the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Hyogo College of Medicine…