Overall Survival
Complementary medicine and alternative medicine may sound one in the same, but are vastly different in how each is used, and varying results often make people wary of its true effectiveness. Alternative medicine is atypical, and not used with any sort of mainstream treatment. Complementary medicine, sometimes referred to as integrative medicine, is unconventional medicine…
Immunotherapy treatments have once again made headlines, revolutionizing modern medicine and the way we have come to understand cancer treatment. The latest study results published in the American Journal of Case Reports, focuses on Opdivo (nivolumab), a type of check point inhibitor designed to stop immune cells from attacking the healthy cells that are needed…
Mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to treat for a multitude of reasons. A mesothelioma diagnosis is rare – only about 3,000 people per year in the United States are diagnosed – and this can make it difficult to study, given that there is generally a very small sample of patients that are able to be…
The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) was established nearly two decades ago by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and the National Cancer Institute of the United States. The purpose of these published rules was to universally define when cancerous tumors stabilize, progress, or just respond to any given treatment.…
As the success of immunotherapy treatments in improving survival and symptom management for cancer patients have started to become known, those suffering from cancer such as mesothelioma and lung cancer may now be given options in terms of the best course of treatment. Immunotherapy works with the body’s own natural defense system by strengthening and…
Peritoneal mesothelioma is an incredibly rare form of cancer that affects the peritoneum, or abdominal lining. It is not entirely understood how exposure to asbestos causes this type of cancer, but scientists and researchers theorize that ingested asbestos fibers work themselves into the peritoneal cavity, or if inhaled, are transported through the lymph node system.…
Pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that has been notoriously difficult to treat. Caused by asbestos exposure, the latency period between the time of initial exposure and disease spans decades and generally by the time the cancer is detected, it is highly advanced. Surgical treatments for those with pleural mesothelioma are generally more…
Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the health care industry by adding extra years of life to people with lung cancer. A few years ago it was rare for patients with an advanced stage of this disease to live past two years but today it has become more common to do so. Immunotherapy treatment works by boosting immune…
While there is no cure for mesothelioma, those who are able to withstand surgery in general may have a better chance of survival, as the cancer is being physically removed. However, mesothelioma is a difficult cancer and often surgery is not an option, and the cancer is unresectable. The success of immunotherapy treatments for cancer…
Survival rates for diffuse mesothelioma are notoriously low with the median survival ranging between 12 to 22 months. A contributing factor to treatment being ineffective is that the disease if often in the advanced stages by the time it is noticed and diagnosed. Early detection may be a key factor in fighting this illness effectively,…
