Immunotherapy represents one of the most promising new innovations in cancer treatment, with many people expressing optimism about the use of Keytruda and similar drugs, but for those researching treatments of malignant mesothelioma, initial reports have been less encouraging. Though headlines are being made about immunotherapy’s effectiveness in cancers like non-small cell lung cancer, lymphoma
Australia has the second highest rate of malignant mesothelioma in the world. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the most obvious is that between the 1950s and 1970s, it had the highest per capita rate of asbestos use in the world. Roughly 700 Australians die of the asbestos-related disease each year, yet
In an effort to understand why some malignant mesothelioma victims succumb so much faster than others, researchers from Curtin University in Australia have discovered that certain immune cells known as macrophages actually work against the body’s ability to fight off cancerous tumors in elderly laboratory animals. The group believes that the same dynamic is likely
The National Cancer Institute has just announced that it will be providing a $10.7 million grant to support research into an innovative treatment for malignant mesothelioma. The funding will go to the Translational Center of Excellence for Lung Cancer Immunology at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania so that researchers there can
Artificial intelligence sounds more like something out of a science fiction movie than a tool for doctors to diagnose malignant mesothelioma. But researchers who are working to perfect the transformative technology are predicting that it will become an integral tool in quickly and accurately identifying the rare and fatal form of cancer, that will allow
A new study of mesothelioma patient outcomes is raising important questions about recommended treatment protocols for patients with all types of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The study, a collaborative effort between the Maryland Proton Treatment Center, Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh and Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, was the largest of its kind: it compared survival times
“Plague” is the word that Montana Standard writer David McCumber uses to describe the mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases that have stricken the town of Libby. The writer recently published a remarkable elegy to the town of Libby, which has struggled with the aftermath of asbestos contamination for over 60 years, and where long-time residents
Mesothelioma research tends to focus in on the hard science of the disease: biomarkers, cells, the impact of specific medications or doses of radiation. By contrast, far fewer studies are done on the real-life impact that the disease has on the lives of its victims – how facing a rare and fatal form of cancer
Matthew Steliga, M.D. is a thoracic surgeon specializing in thoracic oncology and minimally invasive treatments. He currently works with patients at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Previously, Dr. Steliga worked at the MD Anderson Cancer Institute in Houston. Early Education and Career Dr. Steliga earned his
Mesothelioma researchers have long hoped to find a conclusive way of identifying whether a patient’s cancer was caused by exposure to asbestos, and now a group of Italian scientists say that they have accomplished that goal. Researchers from the Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona, Italy recently identified a microRNA “signature” that is consistently found in