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[…]
From the blog
Study: More Mesothelioma Diagnoses Are Discovered At Autopsy Than Clinically
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[…]
Trimodality Therapy Increases Survival; Immunotherapy Treatment Approved by FDA
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.[…]
Mesothelioma Treatments Used Alongside Surgery – A Clinical Trial
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[…]
Asbestos Fibers Just As Deadly Regardless of Size
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[…]
Two Potential Mesothelioma Treatments Have No Positive Effect
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[…]
Improvements in Radiation Therapies Give More Treatment Options
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[…]
Multiple Genetic Variants Increase Mesothelioma Risk
The term “high-risk predisposition,” is a well-known term in the cancer world that means a person could have certain genetic factors or other factors that places him or her at a higher risk for certain cancers. For mesothelioma, a high risk factor is the mutated BAP1 gene: a tumor suppressor[…]
Mesothelioma Patients Receive Zoledronic Acid as Treatment
Known as a bisphosphonate, zoledronic acid is typically used for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, and to treat high calcium levels in the blood that can lead to other health complications. Nitrogen containing bisphosphonates like zoledronic acid are known to have cancer suppressing qualities, and scientists and researchers were eager[…]
Time Increases Risk for Mesothelioma, Study Finds
Asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis have been known to develop over a period of decades, affecting people years and years since their last exposure. Many studies over the years have suggested that the length of the amount of time that has passed since initial exposure and subsequent symptoms[…]