Mesothelioma Cancer Resources Blog

German researcher has found that terminal cancer patients that receive palliative radiotherapy treatment are not benefiting as their oncologists thought they would. This led to the conclusion that while physicians expected to improve the patient’s quality of life they did not take the time to appropriately customize the radiation therapy to the patient. For mesothelioma …

Researchers in London have estimated that when a malignant mesothelioma patient undergoes surgery to remove a portion of the cancerous lining of the lung or abdomen the survival rate increases by approximately nine months. The researchers further found that mesothelioma patients who had multi-modal treatment of surgery and chemotherapy or radiotherapy showed the best results. …

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has released the NCCN Guidelines for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Led by Lee M. Krug, MD of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the guidelines were presented at the 15th annual NCCN conference. Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma has an …

When Paul Poth, a Boston attorney, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of 38 he was dismayed by the lack of resources his physicians had available to them for his treatment. He soon realized that this is the case for many rare cancers, including mesothelioma, and hoping to make a …

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has announced the agenda for The International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma. The symposium, to be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC on June 10-12, is a conference for the entire mesothelioma community, including patients, their families, caregivers and advocates. Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer …

The American College of Chest Physicians’ website current Case Puzzler presents the case of a 70-year old woman with no history of occupational exposure to vapors, gases, dusts, fibers, or fumes, who is diagnosed with malignant epitheloid mesothelioma. Her physicians determined that she was a victim of “bystander asbestos exposure” from asbestos dust brought home …

Researchers from the PARTNER network (Particle Training Network for European Radiotherapy) offered a workshop this year to show others in the field how the use of hadron therapy, using protons or light ions, can be more effective in the treatment of certain cancers than the traditional form of radiotherapy. A Swedish group of oncologists are …

The American Thoracic Society’s 2010 conference “Where Today’s Science Meets Tomorrow’s Care” will be held May 14-19, 2010, in New Orleans. Included among the many topics offered are various sessions on pleural diseases such as mesothelioma. Pleural Mesothelioma is a cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and is most commonly found in …

Southwest Oncology Group and the National Cancer Institute are finalizing the Phase I/Randomized Phase II clinical trial “Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin With or Without Cediranib Maleate in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.” The trial studied the side effects and best dose of cediranib maleate when given together with pemetrexed disodium and cisplatin. Cediranib is …

Physicians now have instant access to the full set of questions in the Pulmonary and Critical Care programs from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). ACCP has just launched Version 2.0 of the ACCP-SEEK App for iPhone/iPod Touch. ACCP-SEEK is designed to reinforce training and experience and disseminate important new knowledge in the field. …