Asbestos & Mesothelioma Studies
Researchers believe that early genetic testing for genetic mutations can help reduce the cases of mesothelioma and can help increase the survival of those suffering from the disease. Researchers found that new mutations in the BLM gene were making people more susceptible to developing mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos. The researchers believe that testing…
A study in the United Kingdom involving 332 patients who cannot receive surgery (unresectable) found that patients whose mesothelioma has relapsed can be treated with nivolumab safely. Nivolumab is an immunotherapy drug known as Opdivo, which is popular for treating non-small cell lung cancer. Opdivo is promising because it is the first drug tested to…
Hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy alongside aggressive therapy (HITHOC) could help extend pleural mesothelioma patient survival. Doctors perform this by circulating a heated high concentration chemotherapy solution in the chest cavity for one hour right after aggressive surgery is performed on a patient. They do this to kill microscopic tumor cells that doctors may have missed during…
Canadian researchers have discovered a cause of chemotherapy resistance in mesothelioma and other cancers. This is great news because this can lead to new treatments being created to combat the incurable cancer. There are other types of treatments approved for mesothelioma, but they might not work and chemotherapy could be the best option. The Canadian…
New research from the University of Hawaii is showing that the inherited mutation on the BLM gene can increase the chance of getting mesothelioma. The researchers sequenced the DNA of 155 mesothelioma patients. People without the BLM gene were more likely to develop mesothelioma, especially when exposed to carcinogenic asbestos fibers. If people find out…
Mesothelioma surgery that removes more of an organ has been found to extend the survival of patients. It also did not increase the chance of severe complications nor did it change the survival benefits of aggressive surgery on patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. The complex surgery also did not negatively affect long term survival outcomes. This…
A study looking at a system that connects doctors and patients with a smartphone is showing that it could make the management of mesothelioma symptoms easier. Mesothelioma is a fast growing and aggressive cancer that has many different physical symptoms. Researchers in the United Kingdom are looking at a mesothelioma specific symptom management system. The…
An altered herpes virus is being tested in mesothelioma patients, and the results show that it can stabilize the growth of mesothelioma tumors. Half of the patients given the virus responded to the treatment, which is very promising. Thirteen patients were injected with a version of HSV (herpes causing virus) that seeks out cancer cells.…
The protein UHRF1 could help people survive pleural mesothelioma. Research from the National Cancer Institute found this protein. The protein is encoded by the gene with the same name. Researchers in the study believe that it could cause the growth and spread of mesothelioma. The information needs to be confirmed with a larger study but…
A new clinical trial at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is recruiting patients for a pleural mesothelioma study. The treatment involves T-cell therapy and is a very promising treatment for mesothelioma sufferers. The reason the study is being done is ATA2271, which is known as CAR T-cell therapy, was recently approved by the Food…
