Though mesothelioma afflicts both men and women, it is far more prevalent in men, who have traditionally worked in fields with greater likelihood of exposure to asbestos. Still, women represent one in four cases of the rare asbestos-related disease, and in most cases experience longer survival times and better prognoses. Scientists investigating this phenomenon have recently linked women’s better outcomes to estrogen signaling genes.
International Mesothelioma Program Explores Difference in Male and Female Survival
The renowned International Mesothelioma Program is based in Boston, Massachusetts at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Established over twenty years ago, it provides clinical care, support, and research. Researchers from the program pursued this study with the goal of determining whether the significant difference in survival between men and women is linked to differences in their genetic makeup.
The Boston mesothelioma researchers’ specific focus was the RAS-like estrogen regulated growth inhibitor gene, or RERG, which expresses a protein known to keep tumor cells from growing and spreading.
Researchers Find Gene’s Expression Predictive of Mesothelioma Prognosis
According to lead author Assunta De Rienzo, the team’s analysis found that the most distinct and impactful difference in mesothelioma survival was the expression of this estrogen-related gene, and that the greater its expression, the better patients’ prognosis.
To confirm that the difference in survival was specifically linked to the RERG gene, survival data from female mesothelioma patients who had minimal expression of the gene were also included in the study and found to have far more aggressive disease progression and shorter survival times than did women with higher expression of the gene. The researchers also confirmed that men who carry the gene derived no survival benefit.
Being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma is a frightening and confusing experience. The Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help you get the treatment and support that you need. To learn more, contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
