How Does Mesothelioma Develop? Part 1:
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare but deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a tumor of the tissue that lines your internal organs, including the lungs, stomach, heart, and abdomen. The most common form of mesothelioma affects the pleural lining of the lungs, causing shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pains. Eventually, the disease impairs the body’s ability to breathe.Doctors use chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to treat mesothelioma, often relieving symptoms and prolonging life. However, there is no cure for mesothelioma. As a result, researchers are investigating how mesothelioma develops or its pathogenesis to understand how doctors can stop the disease’s progression. A recent study in the journal Nature Communications explores the pathogenesis of mesothelioma, how and why it progresses, and how targeted treatments may help patients in the future. In our next few articles, we’ll discuss this research and what it may mean for you or your loved ones.
The Pathogenesis of Mesothelioma
In the journal Nature Communications, researchers in the U.K., including lead researchers Stefano Grasso and Alberto Marini from the University of Cambridge, and Katarina Gyuraszova from the University of Glasgow, published their study “The pathogenesis of mesothelioma is driven by a dysregulated translatome,” exploring how mesothelioma develops and investigating possible treatments.The current standard of care for mesothelioma is either radical surgery or chemotherapy using pemetrexed or cisplatin. The authors indicate that these treatments are only “modestly effective” in extending the lives of mesothelioma patients. However, some emerging therapies that target immune system checkpoints may prove promising in the future.While researchers don’t fully understand how mesothelioma develops, they know that mesothelioma tumors typically contain genetic mutations and alterations. Scientists believe that these mutations result in a “decrease in tumour suppressor gene function.” In animal studies, the deletion or inactivation of these tumor suppressors results in the “accelerated development of aggressive mesotheliomas” in animals exposed to asbestos. In part II of this series, we’ll discuss how changes in genes as cells reproduce can allow cancer to progress.
You Need Skilled Legal Guidance
If you or a loved one are facing mesothelioma after asbestos exposure, you need trusted legal guidance on your side. Call the Madeksho Law Firm at 1-888-910-MESO (6376) or contact us online. Your initial consultation is free, and you don’t pay a fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
