One of the most important things that happen after a patient is diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma — or any form of cancer — is a process known as staging. Doctors need to know how far the cancer has spread in order to determine the best treatment protocol, and do so through diagnostic testing. In most
Days before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, an Australian research team reported a significant increase in leukemia diagnoses, as well as an increase in asbestos-related lung conditions like malignant mesothelioma, in general responders and firefighters enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. The study confirmed fears about asbestos contamination at the site and
A malignant pleural mesothelioma diagnosis is generally accompanied by a prediction of just 18 months to two years to live, but there are occasional reports of patients who survive for longer periods. A recent case study published by physicians from the Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France details the 14-year survival of a man with epithelioid
Researchers and physicians are joined in the quest to slow or stop the aggressive growth of mesothelioma tumors. While physicians apply methodologies that have been tried and tested, researchers continue to look for other approaches, constantly viewing the puzzle of the disease from different perspectives in the hopes that one will hold the key. One
One of the most devastating aspects of malignant pleural mesothelioma is the speed with which the disease overtakes its victims. Scientists searching for a way to slow the process and extend survival have been optimistic about a treatment known as SMART, or surgery for malignant mesothelioma after radiotherapy. A report just published in the journal Lancet
It has been decades since the Environmental Protection Agency publicly linked asbestos to malignant mesothelioma, and even longer that scientists have been exploring the role between the mineral and the illness. Though the actual mechanism that leads to the development of cancerous cells remains a mystery, Japanese researchers believe they may be one step closer
A recent study from out of the United Kingdom has called attention to a rare manifestation of mesothelioma tumors in a patient’s mouth. The researchers report on a patient whose mesothelioma metastasized to the tongue. There have only been 23 total cases of metastatic spread of mesothelioma to the oral cavity, with nine of those
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and fatal form of cancer that is diagnosed in approximately 3,500 people per year. The majority of patients are diagnosed with the pleural type of the disease, which affects the lungs. To provide patients with the most effective treatment, doctors need to identify their mesothelioma subtype, and that analysis has
When it comes to surgery for malignant mesothelioma, patients have few options. The procedure is generally done for either curative purposes – to remove as much cancerous tissue as possible in order to prolong life – or palliative purposes, to remove enough of the disease’s tumors to provide relief from pressure on organs and improve
With the help of advanced imaging techniques and computer modeling, Swiss physicians believe that they’ve found a more effective way of predicting the progression of pleural mesothelioma tumors. Their innovation combines the power of FDG-PET scans and advanced computer programming.