Signs of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Radiotherapy
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Signs of Peritoneal Mesothelioma After Radiotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Japanese researchers are reminding doctors to watch for signs of peritoneal mesothelioma in people who have undergone past radiotherapy.  Many cancer patients undergo radiotherapy. Radiation disrupts the DNA inside cancer cells. This can help keep these malignant cells from replicating and spreading.  But radiation treatment also has a downside. It can cause cellular changes in healthy cells, too. This can cause side effects right away, or decades later.  As more people have radiation and survive, scientists at the Shinshu University School of Medicine say more of them could develop radiation-related mesothelioma later in life. But the signs of peritoneal mesothelioma years after radiation are easy to miss. Peritoneal Mesothelioma Case Study The new report is based on the case of…

New Study Suggests Music May Offer Relief from Mesothelioma Pain
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New Study Suggests Music May Offer Relief from Mesothelioma Pain

ByAlex Strauss

There is new evidence that listening to music might offer some relief from mesothelioma pain and fatigue. A new study in the European Journal of Cancer Care details a 6-month experiment on the effects of music on cancer pain, anxiety, and fatigue.  Cancer patients listened to music at home five times a week. The results show that many of them started to feel better after just six weeks. Finding Relief from Mesothelioma Pain Pain is a common symptom of malignant mesothelioma, especially as the disease progresses. Patients with pleural mesothelioma have cancer on the lining around their lungs. These patients may experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain. Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma have cancer on the…

Evaluating Mesothelioma Symptoms: New Tool Makes it Easier
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Evaluating Mesothelioma Symptoms: New Tool Makes it Easier

ByAlex Strauss

Evaluating mesothelioma symptoms is an important step in planning treatment for asbestos cancer. But researchers at a top US cancer center say it is hard to do a thorough job using current tools. That’s why doctors at MD Anderson have developed their own method for evaluating mesothelioma symptoms. They made some mesothelioma-specific additions to an existing cancer symptom evaluation system. Tests on more than 200 mesothelioma patients show the method works well and is easy to use. The developers hope doctors can use it to design better mesothelioma treatment plans. The Importance of Evaluating Mesothelioma Symptoms When a patient receives a mesothelioma diagnosis, the next step is evaluating mesothelioma symptoms. This process can help give the doctor valuable information about…

Case Shows Swallowing Difficulty May Be Among Early Signs of Mesothelioma
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Case Shows Swallowing Difficulty May Be Among Early Signs of Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

The case of a Spanish mesothelioma patient suggests that difficulty swallowing can be one of the rarest early signs of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer that starts on the membrane lining the chest or abdomen. A swallowing problem – also called dysphagia – is not typically associated with mesothelioma. But a recent article in a Spanish medical journal signals that it might be time to consider this symptom as one of the early signs of mesothelioma.   Knowing the Symptoms of Mesothelioma The two major types of malignant mesothelioma are pleural and peritoneal. Pleural mesothelioma grows on the lining around the lungs. Peritoneal mesothelioma grows on the lining around the abdomen. In people with pleural mesothelioma, chest pain and breathing…

Palliative Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma Produces “Substantial Treatment Response”
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Palliative Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma Produces “Substantial Treatment Response”

ByAlex Strauss

Doctors in Pennsylvania may have found a way to boost the effectiveness of palliative radiotherapy for pleural mesothelioma. Palliative radiotherapy is used to help with mesothelioma symptoms. It uses lower doses of radiation. Doctors do not expect to treat mesothelioma with palliative radiotherapy. But researchers at the University of Pennsylvania think it could also be a treatment. They combined palliative radiotherapy with a special kind of gene therapy. The gene therapy affects the immune system. They say the combination produced a “substantial treatment response” in a man with mesothelioma. Immuno-gene Therapy and Palliative Radiotherapy Immuno-gene therapy uses genes to stimulate the immune system against cancer. In the new Pennsylvania case study, a 67-year-old man with mesothelioma received immuno-gene therapy. Doctors…

Mesothelioma Doctors Urged to Sharpen Their Communication Skills
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Mesothelioma Doctors Urged to Sharpen Their Communication Skills

ByAlex Strauss

A Japanese study suggests that some mesothelioma doctors are falling short when it comes to communicating with their patients. The study was based on quality-of-life surveys of seventy-three pleural mesothelioma patients. Patients answered two open-ended questions about their care experience. The researchers say most concerns had to do with communication. Many patients said they wanted clearer explanations and more empathy from their mesothelioma doctors. Unique Challenges of Malignant Mesothelioma Coping with any type of cancer can be stressful and confusing. But mesothelioma presents some special challenges to both patients and mesothelioma doctors.   Pleural mesothelioma is a rare and complex malignancy with a poor prognosis. No single treatment is likely to help. On top of this, mesothelioma symptoms such as…

Cancer Centers May Not Manage Mesothelioma Symptoms Adequately, Study Finds
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Cancer Centers May Not Manage Mesothelioma Symptoms Adequately, Study Finds

ByAlex Strauss

UK researchers say the number of patients receiving palliative care to manage mesothelioma symptoms may be lagging behind the need. Nottingham University conducted a needs assessment of more than 700 patients over two years. Seventy percent of patients with pleural mesothelioma or another thoracic cancer completed a questionnaire shortly after diagnosis. Their results revealed a high unmet need for palliation to manage mesothelioma symptoms and those of other thoracic malignancies. How Does Palliative Care Help Manage Mesothelioma Symptoms? Palliative care is any kind of care that helps patients manage mesothelioma symptoms. These can be physical symptoms like breathing difficulty or fatigue. Or they can be psychological symptoms like fear and worry. Palliative care to manage mesothelioma symptoms can include things…