|

Understanding Pleural Mesothelioma: A Rare and Aggressive Cancer

ByHolly Zink
Understanding Pleural Mesothelioma: A Rare and Aggressive Cancer

Pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, caused by exposure to asbestos. Despite being rare, pleural mesothelioma is aggressive and challenging to treat. A new article provides an overview of pleural mesothelioma, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos fibers, when inhaled, can become lodged in the lungs, leading to inflammation and scarring of the pleura. Other risk factors for pleural mesothelioma include genetic predisposition and certain infections. Asbestos exposure remains the most significant risk factor.

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma can be nonspecific and may include chest pain, shortness of breath, and coughing. But, these symptoms can mimic other respiratory conditions, making diagnosis challenging. Diagnostic tests for pleural mesothelioma may include imaging scans, such as X-rays and CT scans. Doctors also use biopsies to confirm the presence of cancer cells.

Treatment for pleural mesothelioma depends on the stage of the cancer and the overall health of the patient. Options may include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Surgery aims to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy help to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. In some cases, a combination of these treatments may be used.

Research and Future Directions

Advances in research have led to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying pleural mesothelioma. Researchers are exploring new treatment options. These include immunotherapy and targeted therapy, to improve outcomes for pleural mesothelioma patients. Efforts are underway to develop better diagnostic tools and biomarkers for early detection of pleural mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that primarily affects the lining of the lungs. Although asbestos exposure is the primary cause, other factors may contribute to the development of this disease. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving outcomes for pleural mesothelioma patients. Continued research and advancements in treatment are needed to better understand and manage this challenging disease.

Source:

Rigon, Manuel, Luciano Mutti, and Michelangelo Campanella. “Pleural Mesothelioma (PMe): The Evolving Molecular Knowledge of a Rare and Aggressive Cancer.” Molecular Oncology n/a, no. n/a. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/1878-0261.13591.

Similar Posts

  • | |

    Doctors Describe "Concrete Therapeutic Approach" for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    A team of medical researchers in Italy have achieved what they are calling “excellent” tumor control and survival results in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Caused by exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma typically spreads quickly across the lung-encasing membrane called the pleura. There is no known cure but treatments are improving. In the current prospective study, 20 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients underwent radical pleurectomy/decortication followed by high doses of radiation. After surgeons removed as much of the visible mesothelioma tumor and surrounding tissue as possible, patients received 50Gy of radiation to the effected side of their chest, delivered in 25 fractions. Regions of particular concern for mesothelioma regrowth got an extra radiation “boost” to…

  • | |

    Does Radiotherapy Reduce Mesothelioma Pain?

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new study says there is not enough evidence to support the use of radiotherapy for the treatment of pain associated with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland reviewed a range of past studies on mesothelioma pain and radiotherapy by searching databases that date back as far as 1974. To be eligible to be included in their review, the study had to focus on malignant pleural mesothelioma and radiotherapy given “with the intent of improving pain”. The study also had to report doses and fractionation of the radiotherapy and how the pain responded. In all, the researchers found eight studies on mesothelioma pain and radiotherapy that met the criteria. Two of the studies were prospective…

  • | |

    Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma: Better But Still Limited

    ByAlex Strauss

    A form of highly-targeted radiation therapy for mesothelioma is better than it used to be, but is still risky. That is the message of a recent article on intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Author Kenneth E. Rosenzweig, MD, a Radiation Oncologist with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, reviewed recent studies on IMRT and mesothelioma. He concludes that, while the “troubling toxicity” associated with IMRT when it was first introduced has not been entirely eliminated, the fact that clinicians now have more experience with it is making a positive difference for mesothelioma patients. Before targeted therapies like IMRT were available, high-dose radiation was not usually a feasible option for mesothelioma since the irregular shape…

  • | |

    A Second-Line Option for Mesothelioma?

    ByAlex Strauss

    Although survival was not significantly extended, the chemotherapy drug vinorelbine might be a treatment option for mesothelioma patients whose cancer has returned after first-line chemotherapy with pemetrexed. A new study on vinorelbine as a second-line treatment finds that the drug is “moderately active” in mesothelioma patients who were initially treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Pemetrexed (Alimta), along with a platinum-based drug like cisplatin, is the primary first-line drug therapy for mesothelioma. But vinorelbine is gaining attention as a possible option for mesothelioma, in part because it is available in a less expensive generic form. In “Vinorelbine in pemetrexed-pretreated patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma”, the Italian authors detail the results of their study on 59 patients with unresectable pleural mesothelioma.  These patients…

  • |

    Mesothelioma Blood Test May Be Possible

    ByAlex Strauss

    An international team of researchers is studying the proteins found on the surface of cancer cells in an effort to improve mesothelioma diagnosis. The team, made up of scientists from the US, Switzerland, Italy and Chile, has just published their findings on a new kind of test to identify protein-derived mesothelioma biomarkers in blood serum. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the membranes around organs. Because the most common mesothelioma biomarker, mesothelin, is also overproduced by other kinds of cancer cells, it has only limited diagnostic value. A test to identify a set of proteins produced specifically by mesothelioma cells could greatly improve diagnostic accuracy. Led by Ferdinando Cerciello and Bernd Wollscheid of the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology in…

  • | |

    Repeat HIPEC Improves Mesothelioma Survival

    ByAlex Strauss

    If one cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC procedure for mesothelioma is good, subsequent treatments may be even better. That is the central message of research conducted at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida. The study’s aim was to assess overall survival among peritoneal mesothelioma patients who had not just one, but two or more rounds of heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after cytoreductive surgery. The cytoreduction/HIPEC approach has become popular for peritoneal mesothelioma, a treatment-resistant cancer of abdominal membranes caused by asbestos. Cytoreductive surgery involves removing as much of the mesothelioma tumor as possible from the abdomen. Because the shape and spreading pattern of mesothelioma tumors make complete cytoreduction difficult, the surgery is often followed by a rinse with a heated solution…