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Amosite vs. Chrysotile Asbestos in Peritoneal Mesothelioma

September 28, 2017
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Mesothelioma is rare and aggressive asbestos-caused cancer in which there is no cure. The cancer affects the lining that surrounds various organs and cavities in the body; most tumors are commonly found in the lining of lungs and the chest (the pleura), making up two thirds of all diagnosed cases.  Peritoneal mesothelioma, sometimes referred to…

Opdivo, Yervoy, and Keytruda: Immunotherapy Options for Mesothelioma

September 21, 2017
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Immunotherapy treatments are becoming known alternatives to chemotherapy in cancer patients who have had little success with traditional cancer treatments. With mesothelioma, often times first line treatments have little effect because the cancer is typically in the advanced stages by the time it is detected.  While there currently is no cure for mesothelioma, scientists and…

Determining and Prolonging Survival Rates In Mesothelioma

September 14, 2017
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The average survival rate for mesothelioma after diagnosis is less than one year; however, certain individuals will survive longer than others, but the reason as to why this is, is largely unknown.  The latest study to be published in Histopathology investigates what it is in the body that determines a higher survival rate in some,…

Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2017

September 7, 2017
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Mesothelioma Awareness Day, which takes place on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, aims to educate and inform society about the deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure, and how funding is a critical component in mesothelioma research. Mesothelioma Awareness Day was established in 2004 by the Meso Foundation and eventually became National Mesothelioma Awareness Day as proclaimed…

Study: More Mesothelioma Diagnoses Are Discovered At Autopsy Than Clinically

September 1, 2017
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A mesothelioma diagnosis often a grim one; fatality rates are high as there is no known cure. Treatment can help alleviate pain and symptoms, but more often than not, patients will succumb to this deadly asbestos-caused disease. While treatment has proven to be difficult, diagnosing mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused illnesses is often just as challenging.…

Trimodality Therapy Increases Survival; Immunotherapy Treatment Approved by FDA

August 22, 2017
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Since mesothelioma is often difficult to treat, scientists and researchers look to combination treatments and therapies to improve chances of patients’ survival. There is no “one” treatment that is used across the board in treating mesothelioma, because patients react differently, whether it is to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, or surgery.  A research team from MD…

Mesothelioma Treatments Used Alongside Surgery – A Clinical Trial

August 14, 2017
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Rare and aggressive in nature, mesothelioma is often a fatal cancer mainly due to its lack of response to most treatments. Surgical options have a higher chance of success for those in the early stages of the disease, but since there is a long latency period between asbestos exposure and symptoms of mesothelioma, often times…

Asbestos Fibers Just As Deadly Regardless of Size

August 3, 2017
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Recognized as one of the six types of asbestos, tremolite is considered to be one of the more deadly forms of asbestos due to its long, sharp, needle-like fibers that are easily inhaled and embedded in the soft tissue of the lungs and surrounding organs. Tremolite is generally found in other minerals such as vermiculite,…

Two Potential Mesothelioma Treatments Have No Positive Effect

July 27, 2017
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Tremelimumab Earlier in the spring of 2017, scientists and researchers from the University of Salford in the UK published a special report questioning the effectiveness of the new immunotherapy treatment known as tremelimumab. Trials of the check point inhibitor did not show promising results and there was concern about the drug’s effectiveness, safety, and tolerability.…

Improvements in Radiation Therapies Give More Treatment Options

July 18, 2017
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When it comes to different treatments for mesothelioma patients, there is no shortage of diversity, as options include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, immune-based therapies, gene-based therapies, and more. Chemotherapy treatments cisplatin and pemetrexed are first line treatments, especially among those who do not quality for surgery. Radiation treatment is available, but is typically the path less…