Vinorelbine combined with active supportive care conferred superior [ progression-free survival (PFS) ] compared with active supportive care alone among patients with relapsed malignant pleural mesothelioma, according to phase 2 study results. “All patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma eventually relapse following standard chemotherapy … [Read more...]
Environmental exposure to asbestos and the risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Asbestos is a carcinogen associated with lung cancer, but few studies have examined the increased risk of lung cancer due to environmental asbestos exposure. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between environmental asbestos exposure and lung cancer. We searched for articles on non-occupational or … [Read more...]
Health groups sue to make EPA evaluate ‘legacy’ asbestos risk
Health and environmental groups have sued the Environmental Protection Agency, seeking a court order compelling it to evaluate the risks posed by so-called "legacy" asbestos used in old products and buildings. In a complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco, groups including the nonprofit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization … [Read more...]
Why Asbestos Still Threatens Construction Workers’ Health
Asbestos continues to represent a considerable threat to the health of construction workers and the population at large. Though some applications for asbestos have been banned in the United States, the naturally occurring silicate mineral itself is not. The first use of asbestos is believed to date back to the Stone Age, approximately 750,000 … [Read more...]
Malignant pleural mesothelioma: Comparison of surgery-based trimodality therapy to medical therapy at two tertiary academic institutions
Objectives: Medical management based on palliative chemotherapy is currently the standard of care in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Median survival of 12–16 months has been reported with modern chemotherapy regimens with or without anti-angiogenic agents. Multimodality therapy incorporating cytoreductive surgery, systemic chemotherapy and … [Read more...]
Nivolumab prolongs PFS, OS in relapsed malignant mesothelioma
Nivolumab significantly prolonged PFS and OS compared with placebo for patients with [ relapsed mesothelioma ], according to findings presented at International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer. “Mesothelioma is predominately a disease that is not suitable for surgery and is one for which chemotherapy has … [Read more...]
Alterations in BAP1 Are Associated with Cisplatin Resistance through Inhibition of Apoptosis in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Purpose: The clinical standard treatment for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) includes a cisplatin-based chemotherapy, leading to reduction of tumor size in only a minority of patients. Predicting response to chemotherapy in patients with MPM by using a genetic marker would, therefore, enable patient … [Read more...]
Incidence of mesothelioma and asbestosis by occupation in a diverse workforce
Objective: We sought to characterize detailed patterns of mesothelioma and asbestosis incidence in the workforce as part of an occupational disease surveillance program in Ontario, Canada. Methods: The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) cohort was established using workers' compensation claims data and includes 2.18 million workers … [Read more...]
Efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced mesothelioma in the open-label, single-arm, phase 2 KEYNOTE-158 study
Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has few treatment options. [ Keytruda (pembrolizumab) ] showed preliminary clinical benefit in programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive MPM. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of [ Keytruda (pembrolizumab) ] monotherapy in patients with previously treated MPM irrespective of PD-L1 status in the … [Read more...]
Anti-Mesothelin CAR T cell therapy for malignant mesothelioma
Abstract Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a treatment-resistant tumor originating in the mesothelial lining of the pleura or the abdominal cavity with very limited treatment options. More effective therapeutic approaches are urgently needed to improve the poor prognosis of MM patients. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has emerged as a … [Read more...]