Struggles of Diagnosing Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
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Struggles of Diagnosing Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma and sarcomatoid carcinoma can be hard to tell apart during diagnosis. A study published in Diagnostics reveals that a new panel test could help to distinguish between these two diseases. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. There are three different types of mesothelioma: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. Patients who are diagnosed with sarcomatoid mesothelioma face a much poorer outlook than those with the more common epithelioid form of the disease. Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is also the least common form of this already rare cancer. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma includes only about 10 percent of the 2,000 to 3,000 mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States each year. Out of the three different types of mesothelioma, the sarcomatoid type is the…

Understanding Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
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Understanding Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Mesothelioma is a cancer that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the most aggressive type of mesothelioma. It also looks different from other types of mesothelioma, making it even harder to diagnose and treat. The cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. It takes decades for symptoms of this cancer to appear, and the symptoms often look like other diseases, like pneumonia. A proper diagnosis can take a long time, which means the cancer has more time to spread. Mesothelioma can be categorized into three groups: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic. The type of mesothelioma a patient has depends on the shape of the cancer cells. Epithelioid mesothelioma has cube-shaped or column-shaped cells. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma has cells with…

Immunohistochemical Staining and Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma: Beyond the Lab
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Immunohistochemical Staining and Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma: Beyond the Lab

ByAlex Strauss

When it comes to understanding individual cases of sarcomatoid mesothelioma, doctors should not rely too heavily on immunohistochemical staining.  That conclusion comes from mesothelioma researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.  The researchers just released a new study focused on this rare mesothelioma subtype. A patient’s subtype has an impact on what kind of treatment could work best for them. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is usually less responsive to chemotherapy. Immunohistochemical staining is a pathology technique. It is the main way that doctors tell the difference between mesothelioma subtypes.  But the MD Anderson report suggests that not all cases of sarcomatoid mesothelioma are created equal. The researchers say it is important to look beyond the lab findings to understand individual cases….

Different Mesothelioma Subtypes: Gene Study Could Lead to Targeted Treatments
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Different Mesothelioma Subtypes: Gene Study Could Lead to Targeted Treatments

ByAlex Strauss

A group of European pathologists say the different mesothelioma subtypes have significant differences in their pattern of gene expression. Exploiting these differences could help scientists craft more effective mesothelioma treatments.  Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma. But doctors know that genetics play a role, too. Newly-approved immunotherapy drugs target proteins expressed by specific genes. But these drugs work much better in some mesothelioma patients than they do in others.  The new study suggests that differences in the genetic profiles of different mesothelioma subtypes could help explain why.  Immunotherapy Drugs for Mesothelioma Immunotherapy is an up-and-coming treatment approach for mesothelioma and other cancers. It harnesses the power of the person’s immune system to fight cancer.  In people with mesothelioma,…

Non-Epithelioid Mesothelioma: Immunotherapy Combo Could be the New Standard of Care
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Non-Epithelioid Mesothelioma: Immunotherapy Combo Could be the New Standard of Care

ByAlex Strauss

Two immunotherapy drugs could become the new standard of care for people with non-epithelioid mesothelioma.  All forms of malignant mesothelioma are deadly. But people with a non-epithelioid mesothelioma subtype are less likely to respond to standard treatments. Their variety of mesothelioma is especially resistant to chemotherapy with cisplatin and Alimta. This has been the mainstay of pleural mesothelioma treatment since 2004. But a new trial shows two immunotherapy drugs extended mesothelioma survival better than chemotherapy. This could be especially good news for patients with non-epithelioid mesothelioma.  Checkpoint Inhibitors for Mesothelioma Most people with pleural mesothelioma start with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can often extend life by a few months. It is most beneficial for patients with epithelioid mesothelioma. But this approach does…

Immunotherapy Prompts “Remarkable Response” in Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma
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Immunotherapy Prompts “Remarkable Response” in Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Japanese doctors are reporting a remarkable response from the immunotherapy drug nivolumab in a patient with sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma.  Sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma is a very rare form of a rare cancer. It accounts for about 10 percent of cases of malignant mesothelioma.  This subtype is typically less responsive to standard treatments than the more common epithelioid variety. But researches at Kyushu Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan say nivolumab turned things around for their patient when the case looked hopeless.  How is Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma DIfferent? Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer of the linings around organs. Pleural mesothelioma grows on the pleural membrane that surrounds the lungs.  There are three cell subtypes of mesothelioma. The three subtypes respond differently to mesothelioma treatments….