Understanding Cancer in Women: Why It Matters and What We Can Do
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Understanding Cancer in Women: Why It Matters and What We Can Do

ByHolly Zink

Lung cancer and mesothelioma are a big worry for women worldwide. Many things like our bodies, the environment, and how we live can make this disease more likely. It’s the main cause of cancer deaths in women in some countries. But when we talk about lung cancer and mesothelioma, we often think more about men. This makes it hard to learn about, treat, and help women who have it. A new study in Clinical Lung Cancer looks at the history and future of lung cancer in women. Decoding Women’s Unique Risks Researchers say it’s hard for women with lung cancer or mesothelioma to get the right help. Not enough women are part of studies to learn about cancer treatments. There…

Women with Mesothelioma Have Better Odds than Men
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Women with Mesothelioma Have Better Odds than Men

ByHolly Zink

Women who are diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma usually have better odds of survival than men. This was one of the findings of a study published in the Journal of Surgical Oncology. The researchers looked at data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Mesothelioma Rates Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare form of cancer the grows in the lining of the lungs. People with MPM might feel shortness of breath caused by fluid around the lung, chest pain, cough, and fatigue. This cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. This is a naturally occurring mineral found throughout the world. Even though it is toxic to humans, it is still used in manufactured materials in some parts…

Mesothelioma Confused with Ovarian Cancer in Women

Mesothelioma Confused with Ovarian Cancer in Women

ByHolly Zink

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma can easily be confused with ovarian carcinoma in women. This was the case for a 55-year-old woman who went to the hospital for help with abdominal pain, fatigue, and nausea. Hard to Diagnosis Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly type of cancer that affects the lining of organs inside the body. When it develops on the lining of the abdominal cavity, it is called malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM). MPM and other types of mesothelioma are caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms look just like other common diseases. For MPM, the symptoms could include abdominal pain and swelling, night sweats, and fever. Several diagnostic tests may be needed to reach…

Reviewing Twenty Years of Malignant Mesothelioma in American Women
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Reviewing Twenty Years of Malignant Mesothelioma in American Women

ByHolly Zink

A new study shows twenty years of national trends associated with an increase of mesothelioma deaths in American women. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rapidly progressing and lethal cancer. It occurs in the mesothelium, a thin layer of tissues surrounding internal organs. It is usually found in the chest and abdomen. Patients with malignant mesothelioma have a poor prognosis. They have an average survival of one year from diagnosis. The estimated average timespan from initial asbestos exposure to death is 32 years. Occupational asbestos exposure is most often reported in men. This is because they often work in industries such as construction and manufacturing. But American women are also at risk for asbestos fiber…

Risk of Mesothelioma in Women May be Underestimated
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Risk of Mesothelioma in Women May be Underestimated

ByAlex Strauss

An international team of occupational health experts says science has done a “profound disservice” by underestimating the risk of mesothelioma in women.  Scientists from Germany, Canada, Italy, and the US compiled the report for the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.  They say the risk of mesothelioma in women has long been misunderstood. Asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma in men. But the new report says studies often fail to link female mesothelioma cases to asbestos exposure.  That omission made some believe that the risk of mesothelioma in women is different than it is in men. But the new report says that is not true. It urges scientists to be more thorough in their mesothelioma studies of women. Asbestos and…

Estrogen Signaling Genes May be Secret to Survival for Women with Mesothelioma
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Estrogen Signaling Genes May be Secret to Survival for Women with Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Scientists think they now have a better understanding of why most women with mesothelioma live longer than men.  Malignant mesothelioma is four times more common in men than in women. But many studies show that women with mesothelioma do better than men after treatment.  Researchers with The International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston say the difference is in the genes. Their new study focused on the potentially protective role of estrogen signaling genes in female patients. The RERG Gene and Mesothelioma Survival In the latest study, researchers analyzed genetic data and survival in groups of mesothelioma patients. The groups included both men and women with mesothelioma. The goal was to determine what aspect of the women’s…

Study Highlights Treatment Disparities in Female Mesothelioma Patients
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Study Highlights Treatment Disparities in Female Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

Female mesothelioma patients are less likely to have surgery and other aggressive treatments than male patients are, but they still tend to live longer. That’s according to a nine-year study of nearly 19,000 pleural mesothelioma patients.  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine led the study. The team used the National Cancer Database to identify pleural mesothelioma cases diagnosed between 2004 and 2013. The study included more than four thousand female mesothelioma patients.  The conclusion is that there are serious disparities in the way doctors treat men and women with malignant mesothelioma. Gender Differences in Mesothelioma Incidence Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma. Although it can affect either gender, most mesothelioma patients are…

Familial and Environmental Asbestos Exposure Raise Mesothelioma Risk in Women
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Familial and Environmental Asbestos Exposure Raise Mesothelioma Risk in Women

ByAlex Strauss

Italian researchers say women who live around an asbestos plant or with one of its workers may be at special risk for mesothelioma from the combination of familial and environmental asbestos exposure.  The research appears in a new issue of the Annals of Work Exposures and Health.  Scientists have long known about the link between asbestos on worker’s clothes and mesothelioma among the women who wash those clothes.  But the new report shows that some of these women face an even greater cumulative risk because of environmental asbestos exposure. Bringing the Mesothelioma Risk Home Traditionally, most jobs with the potential for asbestos exposure have been in male-dominated industries. These include industries like construction, shipbuilding, plumbing, electrical work, and asbestos mining…

Mesothelioma in Women: Study Reveals Diagnostic Trends
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Mesothelioma in Women: Study Reveals Diagnostic Trends

ByAlex Strauss

A major study of mesothelioma in women finds that women tend to contract the disease earlier in life than men do. The analysis included 354 cases of malignant mesothelioma from a database of more than 2,800.  While the average age for pleural mesothelioma diagnosis is 72, the average age for women to be diagnosed with any type of mesothelioma was just 60. It could mean that the latency period for mesothelioma is shorter for women than it is in men. It could also mean that women are more attuned to mesothelioma symptoms and recognize the disease sooner.  Mesothelioma’s Long Latency  The latency period is the time between exposure to a cancer-causing agent and the occurrence of cancer. Mesothelioma has one…

Who Survives Mesothelioma and Why?
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Who Survives Mesothelioma and Why?

ByAlex Strauss

A new study of National Cancer Institute data aims to better understand who survives mesothelioma and why. Malignant mesothelioma is a highly aggressive cancer of internal membranes. Very few people diagnosed with mesothelioma live longer than 18 months. But researchers around the world are working to change those odds. One important step is to look at the characteristics of those who live longest with the asbestos cancer. NCI Data Shows Who Survives Mesothelioma Scientists at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York turned to the National Cancer Institute database to get a better picture of who survives mesothelioma. The database contains information reported by mesothelioma doctors from around the country. It includes information about the ages, gender, lifestyle, mesothelioma type,…