New Tool Estimates Survival in Mesothelioma Patients
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New Tool Estimates Survival in Mesothelioma Patients

Researchers in China have developed a new tool to estimate survival in patients with mesothelioma. This will help doctors to create effective treatment plans for mesothelioma patients.   A Rare Form of Cancer   Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects almost 2,000 Americans every year. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. The WHO predicts that cases of mesothelioma will be more common in the future. The five-year survival rate for mesothelioma patients is less than 10%.   Mesothelioma is hard to diagnose because it takes a long time to develop symptoms. By the time a doctor diagnoses a patient with mesothelioma, it can be difficult to treat.   Limited treatment options are available for mesothelioma. Treatment plans usually…

Second Treatment Course May Increase Mesothelioma Patient Survival
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Second Treatment Course May Increase Mesothelioma Patient Survival

Oncologists report that a second treatment course may be a good option for some mesothelioma patients. Almost all mesothelioma patients experience progression after the first treatment. Recommendations for a second treatment are still unclear. There is very limited information available on second and repeat treatments. Pemetrexed combined with platinum-based chemotherapy is a standard first treatment for mesothelioma. A report in BMC Cancer says that a repeat treatment may be good for eligible patients. In this study, patients who received a second treatment of chemotherapy survived longer. Understanding Second Treatments or Retreatments Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer linked to asbestos exposure. There have been several recent treatment advances. But the mesothelioma prognosis is still poor with an average…

Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma
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Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma

An enzyme that helps mop up the products of cellular oxidation might also serve as a powerful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma. People with the lowest levels of this enzyme  survived longer with mesothelioma than those with higher levels. Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1) is an enzyme found in all cells. It helps keep toxins from building up inside cells. It also helps regulate certain cellular processes.   But there is also evidence that GPX-1 may play a role in the development of cancer. Researchers in Egypt recently discovered that pleural mesothelioma tumors have more GPX-1 than the healthy tissue around them. The less they have, the better the prognosis.  The findings suggest that GPX-1 could be a useful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma…

New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?
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New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?

A team of Australian researchers have developed a new mesothelioma grading system they believe is a more accurate method for predicting outcomes. The system assigns weighted scores based on things like mesothelioma subtype, the shape of the nuclei, BAP1 loss and other parameters. A higher score suggests the patient’s mesothelioma case may be more challenging to treat. Tests of the system in more than 350 patients show that it is highly accurate.  The team lays out their new mesothelioma grading system in a recent issue of the American Journal of Surgical Pathology. In the article, they make the case for why this new prognostic tool could be a helpful supplement to the current, more widely-used WHO system.  The Importance of…

Artificial Intelligence Tool Measures Mesothelioma Treatment Response
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Artificial Intelligence Tool Measures Mesothelioma Treatment Response

Scientists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have developed an artificial intelligence tool that could revolutionize the way doctors plan and monitor mesothelioma treatment.  The University team collaborated with Scottish firm Canon Medical Research Europe to develop an AI prototype for detecting pleural mesothelioma. Canon Medical specializes in medical imaging software.  Pleural mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The new artificial intelligence tool is designed to find and measure mesothelioma tumors on CT scans.  It can be challenging even for cancer experts to detect tiny changes in mesothelioma tumors. But the AI tool can quickly reveal how well or poorly a patient is doing on a treatment like chemotherapy. The sooner doctors know if…

Could Lipids Hold the Key to Improving the Mesothelioma Diagnostic Process?
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Could Lipids Hold the Key to Improving the Mesothelioma Diagnostic Process?

A new Chinese report suggests that molecules called lipids could hold the key to improving the mesothelioma diagnostic process. Mesothelioma is rare and hard to treat. It is critical to diagnose it accurately and as early as possible for the best outcomes. But the mesothelioma diagnostic process can be complex and difficult.  The Chinese researchers compared the amounts and types of lipids in the blood of mesothelioma patients to those in the blood of healthy people. They discovered five lipids that were higher in the mesothelioma patients and 29 that were lower.  The information could help doctors refine the mesothelioma diagnostic process. It could also help them determine how a patient is doing on a particular treatment.  Lipids and the…

MRI Imaging May Be Superior to CT for Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Staging
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MRI Imaging May Be Superior to CT for Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Staging

When it comes to diagnosing and monitoring treatment response in people with pleural mesothelioma, MRI imaging may be better than CT.  That is the message from a new Italian study published in the online medical journal Cancers.  RIght now, CT (computed tomography) is the most popular form of imaging for pleural mesothelioma. Cancer doctors use CT images to help diagnose mesothelioma. They also use it to see how widespread the cancer is and to find out if treatment is making a difference.  But radiology researchers at Pisa University Hospital say MRI imaging has advantages over CT for people with the rare asbestos cancer.  Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Prognosis  Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most serious of several health conditions linked to…

Physical Function Predicts Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes
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Physical Function Predicts Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes

A patient’s level of physical function prior to mesothelioma surgery is a strong predictor of how well they will do after surgery. That is the conclusion of a new University of Maryland study. Researchers analyzed the cases of 54 pleural mesothelioma patients before and after lung-sparing P/D surgery.  The goal was to see what factors had the biggest impact on their post-surgical outcomes. Patients underwent lung function and physical function tests both before and after their operations.  It turns out that a mesothelioma patient’s ability to be physically active is even more important than their lung function in predicting their recovery. Lung-Sparing Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the multi-layer membrane (pleura) that surrounds the lungs. As…

CT Evaluation Correlates with Actual Mesothelioma Tumor Volume, Subtype, and Survival
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CT Evaluation Correlates with Actual Mesothelioma Tumor Volume, Subtype, and Survival

Two new studies highlight the value of CT evaluation for patients with either peritoneal or pleural mesothelioma.  CT stands for computed tomography. The technology uses X-rays to create three dimensional images of internal structures.  The studies show CT evaluation can give doctors an accurate idea of the size and extent of mesothelioma tumors. These scans can also help predict which patients have the best odds of survival. This helps doctors plan better, more effective treatment strategies.  What is Malignant Mesothelioma? Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that grows on the membranes around internal organs. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. This kind of tumor starts on the pleural membrane around the lungs.  Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for…

New Test May Help Doctors Choose the Best Mesothelioma Surgery
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New Test May Help Doctors Choose the Best Mesothelioma Surgery

A new predictive model may make it easier for cancer doctors to choose the best mesothelioma surgery for each pleural mesothelioma patient.  There are two major surgical approaches for pleural mesothelioma. One involves removal of a lung and the other does not.  Right now, the choice about which surgery to have is based on patient demographics, symptoms, and lab values. Which surgery is most common at the institution may also play a role. Many surgeons have strong opinions about which is the best mesothelioma surgery.   But Harvard researchers say the new predictive model they tested is a better way to stratify mesothelioma patients. Their study suggests that this approach may lead to better treatment outcomes and more accurate clinical trials. …