Best 10 Mesothelioma News From "Medical News Today"

1. Rare genetic cause of peritoneal mesothelioma points to targeted therapy - Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive tumor that, in many cases, results from exposure to asbestos. Learn more
2. Active agent from the Caribbean sea cucumber could improve treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma - Researchers at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital have discovered a new option for treating malignant pleural mesothelioma. Learn more
   
3. Mesothelioma shows promising response to existing immunotherapy drug - Malignant pleural mesothelioma shows a promising response to treatment with the antibody drug pembrolizumab, which is used to treat other cancers. Learn more
   
4. Mesothelioma surgery improves quality of life, study finds - Although surgery can prolong the lives of patients with an aggressive type of cancer called malignant pleural mesothelioma, many patients avoid the operation for fear it will degrade their quality. Lean more
5. Immunotherapy with live bacterium improves response rate in malignant pleural mesothelioma - Immunotherapy with a live bacterium combined with chemotherapy demonstrated more than 90% disease control and 59% response rate in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), according to the results of a phase Ib trial presented today at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. Learn more
6. Mesothelioma gene-targeting drug looks hopeful - A new study shows that HOX genes are significantly disrupted in malignant mesothelioma, and targeting them with a drug called HXR9 stopped tumors of the cancer growing in mice. Learn more
   
7. Gene study uncovers 'spectrum of mutations' in mesothelioma - A genomic analysis of over 200 mesothelioma tumors uncovers previously unknown mutations - some of which arise in other cancers and may be treatable with existing drugs. Learn more
8. Cancer-causing asbestos found in children's crayons - The news that traces of asbestos have been found in children's crayons in Australia and Canada should be treated seriously says the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA). Learn more
9. Trabectedin shows activity in ATREUS trial in patients with sarcomatoid malignant mesothelioma - PharmaMar has announced data from a Phase 2 study in patients with sarcomatoid/biphasic malignant pleural mesothelioma showing that 41.2% (95% CI: 18.4-67.1) of patients treated with the anticancer drug trabectedin in second line were alive and free of progression at 12 weeks. The median progression-free survival (PFS) in these 17 evaluated patients was 8.3 weeks. There were 5 patients who continue receiving trabectedin beyond 12 weeks. Learn more
10. Penn Medicine: Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab shows promise for mesothelioma patients - The PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab, a cancer immunotherapy drug, shrank or halted growth of tumors in 76 percent of patients with pleural mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer that arises in the outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Patients diagnosed with the disease, which is tied to exposure to asbestos, have a median survival rate of about one year. Learn more