An immunotherapy treatment that utilizes T cells to fight cancer may soon be covered by Medicare for mesothelioma patients. Immunotherapy is still an emerging set of cancer treatments that utilizes the patient’s own immune system to fight and kill cancer cells. The specific treatment that uses T cells is called[…]
Asbestos & Mesothelioma Studies
MicroRNA Could be used to Quickly Diagnose Mesothelioma
Biomarkers are measureable substances that indicate if someone has a disease. Doctors and researchers are able to find different substances within a person’s body and deduce that the person has a specific type of cancer. Researchers have found a relatively new biomarker called microRNA, which could possibly be used to[…]
Mesothelioma Diagnosis Rates Have Remained Stable even though Mesothelioma Survival has Improved
It was found that the number of pleural mesothelioma diagnoses has stayed the same, while the survival rate for people with the disease has slightly improved. Once asbestos was not used as much because of multiple regulations, the number of diagnoses of mesothelioma was predicted to go down. Instead, the[…]
Dendritic Cell Therapy Could be used to Treat Mesothelioma
Immunotherapy is a blossoming field that is becoming more advanced. Instead of other treatments that kill healthy cells in addition to killing cancerous cells, immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells, leaving healthy non-cancerous cells intact. It is a better treatment because it is very effective, more[…]
Phase I Clinical Trial Yields Positive Results In Latest Immunotherapy Treatment
The immune system is the body’s first line of defense when fighting off any illness, attacking foreign organisms or other substances that may harm or threaten the over health of the body. When the immune system is compromised, the body is unable to fight infections and becomes weak as the[…]
Peripheral Neuropathy Pain Reduced in Mesothelioma Patients
Avastin (bevacizumab) is a type of chemotherapy treatment that slows tumor growth by blocking the protein that is responsible for forming new blood vessels, which is what tumors need to thrive. By blocking these blood vessels, tumor growth is slowed. For those suffering from mesothelioma, hindering tumor growth can greatly[…]
Potential New Treatment Acts as a Sealant for Pleural Mesothelioma Tumors
Pleural mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos is a rare cancer – only 3,000 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year – but it is highly aggressive. There is no cure for plural mesothelioma but findings published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery reveal that a new[…]
First FDA Approved Treatment for Mesothelioma in 15 Years
In the Fall of 2018 scientists and researchers from Novocure, an oncology company that specializes in treating solid tumors, were hopeful their latest success with Tumor Treating Fields therapy would lead to FDA approval and ultimately, more options for those suffering from mesothelioma. After a successful clinical trial, these hopes[…]
Survival Factors for Mesothelioma Highlighted by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
According to GLOBOCAN 2018 statistics, each year there are 30,443 mesothelioma cases worldwide, and of those 30,443, 25,576 pass away. With close to 85 percent of those diagnosed succumbing to the disease, mesothelioma remains one of the most deadly cancers as there is no cure. However, surviving a mesothelioma diagnosis[…]
Less Invasive Surgery Produces Longer Median Survival in Mesothelioma Patients
Surgical techniques for those suffering from mesothelioma depend on how far the cancer has spread and if the patient is healthy enough to withstand such an invasive procedure. In many cases, the cancer has already spread too far and quickly, so surgery is not an option. For those able to[…]