How Can We Enhance Existing Mesothelioma Treatments?
Key takeaways: Although new mesothelioma treatments are being developed, there’s a notablelag time between trial approval and widespread implementation. The existing treatments, likechemotherapy and surgery, pose serious risks for patients that might outweigh benefits; thisnecessitates a reimagining of these treatments. Recent studies have tackled this “reimagining”: asupplement of p53-infused powder can successfully augment chemotherapy, and […]
Clinical Trials: Immunotoxins and Mesothelioma
Key takeaways: Immunotoxins are immune cells that have been chemically bound to toxicchemicals. These immune cells are able to target specific cells—in this case, mesothelioma cellsby way of mesothelin—and kill them. LMB-100 is a mesothelin-targeting immunotoxictreatment that successfully completed clinical trials. Immunotoxins like LMB-100 aren’t yet awidespread means of treatment, but their success is promising. […]
Is Mesothelioma Hereditary?
If you’re reading you might be asking yourself, is mesothelioma hereditary? The short answer to this is perhaps, but it is extremely rare. Cancer.Net reports this occurrence in 1% of all mesothelioma cases. However, there’s a much deeper explanation to this question. While mesothelioma cannot occur strictly due to genetics and requires some form of […]
Asbestos and Fiberglass
In the world of construction and insulation materials, asbestos and fiberglass are often found at the forefront. Containing properties that make them resistant to heat are not only good for vessels ships or cars, but they can be found in homes such as in roofing or pipes. However, although having similar properties, the two possess […]
Multimodal Imaging: Diagnosing Mesothelioma
Key takeaways: As of now, diagnosing mesothelioma can be done through a biopsy, or a sampleof living tissue. Multimodal imaging—which is the utilization of several imaging techniques fordiagnosis—might become a more commonplace practice, considering the invasive nature ofbiopsies and the urgency of diagnosis. Some forms of multimodal imaging techniques includechest x-rays, CT scans, PET scans, […]
Friable and Non-Friable Asbestos
The valuable and infamous mineral, asbestos, was discovered in the 1900s to negatively affect human health. Doctors and asbestos workers alike began to notice a disturbing trend. Individuals who were regularly exposed to asbestos, or in this case occupational exposure, were developing horrible respiratory issues. The symptoms ultimately led to the discovery of asbestos-related diseases […]
Facts About Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare disease that can really take a toll on a person, both physically and mentally. In this article I will explain some facts about mesothelioma in order to inform you of some things that you might not already know. Although it is a rare form of cancer, its prognosis is poor, so […]
Mental Health and mesothelioma
Key takeaways: Mesothelioma patients and their caregivers often deal with poor mental healthduring the diagnosis and treatment processes, including depression, anxiety, and stress. Whilethese symptoms don’t affect the progression of mesothelioma, they do affect patient well-beingand willingness to seek out care. Traditional therapies, like talk-therapy, medication, and supportgroups have proven successful for mesothelioma patients. Some […]
What is Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma?
Key takeaways: Immunotherapy is a new treatment option for mesothelioma patients, in whichdrugs administered intravenously work to supplement and reinvigorate the natural immuneresponse. Because mesothelioma cells can only thrive if the immune response is damaged,restoring its function is an effective treatment option. Despite a lack of consensus about“standard practices” for treating mesothelioma, chemotherapy has typically […]
Mesothelioma Cell Types
Investigating not only the location of the mesothelioma but the type of cell initiated can reveal how to best approach treatment. There are three main cell types concerning mesothelioma: epithelioid, biphasic, and sarcomatoid (“Types and Grades of Mesothelioma”). Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that lines the mesothelial tissue. This type of cancer most […]
BAP1 Gene: Regulating Mesothelioma
Key takeaways: The BAP1 gene encodes for a variety of regulatory proteins and processes, andis considered an antitumor gene. Mesothelioma onset is associated with a BAP1 mutation, eitherinherited (called a germline mutation) or caused by ingested asbestos. A BAP1 mutation allowsmesothelioma cells to proliferate and spread, virtually unchecked. Although there isn’t a way toreverse a […]
Mesothelioma and Asbestosis
The similarities between mesothelioma and asbestosis are almost identical. The difference lies in the place of origin within the body as well as the diagnosis. Asbestos exposure is recognized to be the sole proprietor of each and unfortunately causes a great deal of side effects. Symptoms, latency period, prognosis, and treatment will be further described […]
Mesothelioma Clinical Trial: MESODEC
Key takeaways: MESODEC is an ongoing mesothelioma clinical clinical trial (currently in Phase II) that is vaccine and chemotherapy-based. By introducing dendritic cells–immune cells that display antigens tobe attacked–to coordinate an immune response against a protein expressed by mesotheliomacells, researchers are hoping to incite an immune response against mesothelioma. Additionally,the chemotherapeutic aspect of the trial […]
Asbestos Cement
Key takeaways: Asbestos cement (AC), constructed with Portland cement and asbestos, wasused for about 50 years in American infrastructure. Most notably, AC was used to outfit about600,000 miles of water pipes in the United States and Canada. Today, these pipes remain in use,despite their degradation and posed risk of asbestos exposure. Researchers and planningstrategists have […]
Calretinin and Mesothelin: Biomarkers for Diagnosing Mesothelioma
Key takeaways: Calretinin and mesothelin are cellular products that can be measured asbiomarkers for developing mesothelioma. On their own, they cannot qualify the presence ofmesothelioma; oftentimes, doctors order extensive imaging or biopsies to confirm the diagnosis.A study published in 2018–conducted over the course of ten years–reified the utility ofmesothelin and calretinin in conjunction. If measured […]
Asbestos in Modern-Day America
While the history of asbestos dates back to the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1700s, asbestos is still present and active in many locations across America. It is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency that up to “107,000 buildings in the United States contain asbestos, including older homes and schools”. In addition to this, the Department […]
Asbestos Regulations
Key takeaways: In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency instituted a partial ban onasbestos and asbestos-containing products. In 2019, the EPA issued a final rule banningdiscontinued asbestos products from re-entering the market. After spearheading a review ofchrysotile asbestos in 2020, the EPA is proposing a ban of chrysotile asbestos as a form of riskmanagement and asbestos […]
Asbestos Exposure and Iron Deficiency
Key takeaways: Asbestos fibers lodged within one’s lungs create an iron deficiency in the localtissues. The body tries to compensate by increasing the movement of cellular channels and byactivating the immune response, but to no avail. Because iron is critical for transporting oxygenaround the body, the fact that asbestos disrupts iron levels is significant for […]
Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
Key takeaways: Chemotherapy has been the standard for treating mesothelioma, givenmesothelioma’s relative rarity, heterogenous presentation, and tendency to spread throughout thebody. Because chemotherapy is a systemic treatment–meaning it interrupts the life cycles of allbodily cells–it’s largely effective in treating metastasized tumors and mesothelioma, moregenerally. Despite its extensive list of side effects, chemotherapy is still the […]
Demographics and Mesothelioma
In the United States alone, there is an average of 3,000 cases of mesothelioma per year. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that attacks the tissue lining of vital organs. Although mesothelioma impacts individuals of all demographics, there can be trends found in specific areas. It is important to mention that there are other […]
