Breath Test Could Predict Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Response
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Breath Test Could Predict Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Response

ByAlex Strauss

New research shows a breath test called an eNose might help doctors determine which mesothelioma patients are most likely to respond to immunotherapy.  Immunotherapy is one of the most promising new approaches to malignant mesothelioma. But not every patient responds.  A new Dutch study suggests that biomarkers in a patient’s exhaled breath may be indicators of immunotherapy response. The eNose breath test can identify those biomarkers quickly and easily. The technology might make it easier to decide on the best mesothelioma treatment.  Immunotherapy for Malignant Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is a rare but deadly cancer of the lung lining. Until last year, chemotherapy with Alimta (pemetrexed) was the only FDA-approved systemic treatment.  In 2020, the FDA approved a combination of immunotherapy…

Breath Test for Mesothelioma Might Identify Subtypes
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Breath Test for Mesothelioma Might Identify Subtypes

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in the UK say a breath test for mesothelioma might be able to distinguish between mesothelioma subtypes. There are three major subtypes of mesothelioma. It is important to know which kind of person has. A patient’s subtype can impact their prognosis and even their mesothelioma treatment choice.  Right now, the only way to tell the mesothelioma subtypes apart is to look at the cells under the microscope. But scientists at Sheffield Hallam University have identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the rarest and the most common mesothelioma subtypes.  These VOCs could be used to develop a mesothelioma breath test that could tell the subtypes apart.  The Advantages of Breath Testing Breath testing is a way of measuring VOCs in…