It’s long been known that asbestos is a carcinogenic material, and that it has caused countless deaths from malignant mesothelioma, as well as other serious illnesses including asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer. While efforts have been made internationally to reduce the use of the mineral, a recent study conducted in Thailand revealed just how difficult
In a notable development for patients diagnosed with unresectable malignant mesothelioma, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given its approval for a new version of the chemotherapy drug pemetrexed to be used in the treatment of the rare and fatal form of cancer. Pemetrexed, which is sold under the brand name Alimta and manufactured
Patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma have access to numerous therapies that can both extend their survival and improve their quality of life. One of the most effective of these is talc pleurodesis, a procedure that involves draining lung fluid — called pleural effusions — that has accumulated in the layers of the pleura and
A study published in a recent issue of the medical journal Lung Cancer reports that Italian cancer researchers have reported that use of immune checkpoint inhibitors yielded successful antitumor activity in a patient diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
An Israeli company has developed a new type of liquid biopsy that could confirm a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma in a matter of hours. Much of the challenge of treating mesothelioma lies in the fact that it is most often diagnosed when it is very far advanced, and the promise of a fast and simple blood
Construction workers, factory and shipyard workers, veterans and untold numbers of others are at risk for malignant mesothelioma as a result of having been exposed to asbestos. Because the rare and deadly form of cancer has such a long latency period, these men and women are forced to live with a cloud of anxiety, worrying
The United Kingdom has the highest incidence of malignant mesothelioma in the world, with roughly 2,700 people diagnosed with the rare and fatal form of the disease every year. In response to the overwhelming rate of illnesses arising from exposure to asbestos, the nation has established a treatment program that relies heavily on a network
Brown Shipbuilding, founded at the start of World War II, constructed hundreds of ships for the war effort. Many of the components of those ships contained asbestos, which caused exposure in civilian and naval workers and many cases of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. The facility continued operating for decades, causing a lot of harm
In the face of a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, or of any other type of cancer, it is only natural for patients to try to improve their health in any and every way they can. In addition to the medical treatments ordered by their physician, many people turn to improving their diets, either through the
Manipulating secretions found in pleural fluid may be the key to stopping malignant mesothelioma in its tracks. That’s the conclusion reached by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine following a study comparing the pleural effusions of patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, non-small cell lung cancer and other malignant and benign illnesses.