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Pathology 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

University Hospital of Saint Etienne, North Hospital, Department of Pathology, Saint Etienne, France; Corneal Graft Biology, Engineering, and Imaging Laboratory, BiiGC, EA2521, Federative Institute of Research in Sciences and Health Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, France.

The prognostic impact of tumour grading, cytological and architectural patterns and stromal features in diffuse pleural malignant epithelioid mesothelioma (MEM) has been partly studied but not correlated to molecular features. We performed a retrospective study on 92 MEM in our department in order to assess the prognostic role of architectural and stromal patterns, especially tumour to stroma ratio. Secondly, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we analysed the differentially expressed genes in prognostic groups of interest. Read More

Int J Surg Case Rep 2021 Apr 30;82:105918. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain.

Introduction: Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a rare, benign abdominal tumor. It can present with vague signs and symptoms and is often found on imaging or incidentally during surgery.

Presentation Of Case: We report the case of a 30-year-old man presenting with acute abdominal pain that radiated to the right iliac fossa. Read More

Radiol Artif Intell 2020 Sep 30;2(5):e200075. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 606E Goddard Bldg, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Pan Afr Med J 2021 27;38:92. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Service d´Oncologie Médicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Hassan II, Fès, Maroc.

Primary malignant mesothelioma of the ovary (PMMO) is an extremely rare tumor which can develop from mesothelial cells. This neoplasia is caused predominantly by exposure to asbestos or other cancer-causing agents. Preoperative assessment, based on computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, is essential for cancer staging. Read More

Eur Radiol 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Internal Medicine, Interventional Respirology Service, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.

Objectives: Long-term indwelling pleural catheters (IPC), used for the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), may lead to catheter tract metastasis (CTM). While computed tomography (CT) is valuable for diagnosis, no studies have assessed CT manifestations of CTM. Our goal is to describe the incidence, CT appearances, and temporal evolution of CTM in MPM. Read More

Lancet Respir Med 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has few treatment options. Pembrolizumab showed preliminary clinical benefit in programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive MPM. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with previously treated MPM irrespective of PD-L1 status in the KEYNOTE-158 study. Read More

Radiol Cardiothorac Imaging 2020 Apr 30;2(2):e190066. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215-5491 (R.R.G.); Department of Radiology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland (D.J.M.); Magnetic Resonance Research & Development, Siemens Healthineers, Boston, Mass (R.T.S.); Division of Biostatistics, Department of Data Sciences, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass (E.M.); and Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (R.B., W.G.R.).

Purpose: To evaluate the interobserver variability associated with quantitative and qualitative MRI assessments of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

Materials And Methods: Patients with MPM who underwent uniform-protocol preoperative MRI between 2009 and 2014 were included. The MRI-derived tumor volume was estimated. Read More

J Vis Exp 2021 02 9(168). Epub 2021 Feb 9.

Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine; Nagoya University Institute for Advanced Research; B3-Unit, Advanced Analytical and Diagnostic Imaging Center (AADIC)/Medical Engineering Unit (MEU), Nagoya University Institute for Advanced Research;

The efficacy of photoimmunotherapy can be evaluated more accurately with an orthotopic mouse model than with a subcutaneous one. A pleural dissemination model can be used for the evaluation of treatment methods for intrathoracic diseases such as lung cancer or malignant pleural mesothelioma. Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a recently developed cancer treatment strategy that combines the specificity of tumor-targeting antibodies with toxicity caused by a photoabsorber (IR700Dye) after exposure to NIR light. Read More

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2021 Feb 25. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Department of Paediatrics I Institute of Cell Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck INNPATH, Tirol-Kliniken University Hospital Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is an extremely rare entity with a poor prognosis. We report on a 16-year-old boy with ascites and abdominal distension. A computed tomography scan showed peritoneal thickening and a mass adjacent to the transverse colon. Read More

J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep 2021 Jan-Dec;9:2324709621997245

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst, NY, USA.

A 41-year-old female with a past medical history significant only for right retinal vein occlusion presented with chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath. After being found to have a large right-sided pleural effusion and undergoing a nondiagnostic thoracentesis, a noncontrast chest computed tomography scan revealed multiple diffuse nodules in the right lung with irregular paraspinal pleural thickening. An extensive workup followed, with computed tomography-guided biopsy ultimately revealing the diagnosis. Read More

Lung Cancer 2021 04 14;154:5-12. Epub 2021 Jan 14.

Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Objectives: Soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP) and fibulin-3 serum levels may serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Here, we evaluate these markers for correlation to tumor volume, prognosis and response assessment in a clinical trial of immunogene therapy in combination with chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Serial serum levels of SMRP and fibulin-3 were measured in adult patients with biopsy-proven MPM enrolled in two prospective clinical trials. Read More

Br J Radiol 2021 Apr 5;94(1120):20200947. Epub 2021 Feb 5.

Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of different CT reconstruction kernels on the stability of radiomic features and the transferability between different diseases and tissue types. Three lung diseases were evaluated, . non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and interstitial lung disease related to systemic sclerosis (SSc-ILD) as well as four different tissue types, . Read More

Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2021 Mar 1;27:85-88. Epub 2021 Jan 1.

Service of radiation oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Rue du Bugnon, 46, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.

The abscopal effect describes the ability of locally administered radiotherapy to induce systemic antitumor effects. Although mentioned for the first time in the 1950s, records of abscopal effects, considered to be immune-mediated, are scarce with radiotherapy alone. However, with the continued development and use of immunotherapy, reports on the abscopal effect have become increasingly frequent during the last decade. Read More

Cureus 2020 Dec 16;12(12):e12107. Epub 2020 Dec 16.

Cardiology/Echocardiography, King Fahad University Hospital, Al Khobar, SAU.

Malignant pericardial sarcomatoid mesothelioma is a massively rare tumor accounting for 0.8% of all cases of mesothelioma. Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) occurs due to a partial obstruction or compression to the superior vena cava, which hinders the blood outflow to the upper body. Read More

Lung Cancer 2021 03 31;153:35-41. Epub 2020 Dec 31.

Department of Medical Oncology, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia; Olivia-Newton John Cancer Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Aim: Conformational forms of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are pro-tumorigenic. The prevalence and impact of conformational forms of EGFR in malignant mesothelioma (MM) is unknown. We investigated expression of EGFR and conformational forms of EGFR by immunohistochemistry using EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Read More

Case Rep Oncol 2020 Sep-Dec;13(3):1483-1489. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

Cancer Center of Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, USA.

The lead author with clinical stage I malignant pleural mesothelioma, epithelioid type, highly programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) positive, and BAP1 negative, experienced a prompt and exceptionally favorable response to pembrolizumab monotherapy. After cessation of treatment due to immune-related endocrinopathies, complete metabolic response on interim PET/CT scan was achieved. Two years after initial diagnosis, unifocal tumor reactivation was addressed with successful pembrolizumab monotherapy rechallenge. Read More

Intern Med J 2020 12;50(12):1592-1594

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

BMC Cancer 2020 Dec 9;20(1):1210. Epub 2020 Dec 9.

Drug Development Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital/ Institute of Cancer Research, Down Rd, Sutton, SM2 5PT, UK.

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is traditionally characterized by local destructive spread of the pleura and surrounding tissues. Patient outcomes in MPM with distant metastatic dissemination are lacking.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed a cohort of 164 MPM patients referred to a Phase I trials unit, aiming to describe identified metastatic sites, and correlate with clinical outcomes. Read More

Diagnostics (Basel) 2020 Dec 4;10(12). Epub 2020 Dec 4.

Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK.

Pleural disease diagnostics represent a sprawling topic that has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years from humble beginnings. Whilst pleural patients are heterogeneous as a population and in the aetiology of the disease with which they present, we provide an overview of the typical diagnostic approach. Pleural fluid analysis is the cornerstone of the diagnostic pathway; however, it has many shortcomings. Read More

Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi 2020 Dec;49(12):1288-1293

Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China.

To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of primary pleural epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE). Five cases of pleural EHE diagnosed from 2012 to 2019 in the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital of Tongji University, China, were collected. They were subjected to review of clinical and image data, reevaluation of histological sections, immunohistochemistry study, clinical follow up and literature review. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2020 Dec 1. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Background: With a multimodal treatment strategy, cytoreductive surgery extends survival in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Improving the accuracy of staging can refine patient selection. Our objective was to determine whether diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) improves staging for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma with routine use of positron emission tomography. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2020 Nov 30;13(11). Epub 2020 Nov 30.

Medical Oncology, Okayama Rosai Hospital, Okayama, Japan

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) is a highly malignant neoplasm of the peritoneum, which carries a poor prognosis. A 70-year-old man, who was employed in the shipbuilding industry and exposed to asbestos for 50 years, was found to have a low-density lesion in the peritoneum around the liver and spleen, associated with multiple mediastinal and parasternal lymphadenopathy. Laparoscopic exploration was performed, and biopsy specimen analysis led to a diagnosis of MPeM. Read More

Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2020 Nov;59(6):968-971

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hualien Tzu-Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Objective: We present a rare case of well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma (WDPM) found incidentally in a 59-year-old woman with endometrial cancer.

Case Report: A 59-year-old nulliparous obese woman with a past history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus presented with postmenopausal bleeding for 11 months. Two months prior to this admission, an episode of massive vaginal bleeding lasting for a day was noticed by the patient. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 11 18;10(1):20114. Epub 2020 Nov 18.

Department of Biological Physics, Eotvos University, Budapest, Hungary.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has an overall poor prognosis and unsatisfactory treatment options. MPM nodules, protruding into the pleural cavity may have growth and spreading dynamics distinct that of other solid tumors. We demonstrate that multicellular aggregates can develop spontaneously in the majority of tested MPM cell lines when cultured at high cell density. Read More

J Comput Assist Tomogr 2020 Nov/Dec;44(6):821-832

From the Department of Radiology.

The most common sarcomas in the thorax are metastasis from an extrathoracic primary malignancy. Primary intrathoracic sarcomas are rare albeit aggressive malignancies that are diagnosed on histopathology. Although a few imaging characteristics have been described that are common to sarcomas, it is still a diagnosis of exclusion as other tumors are much more common. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2020 Dec 2;32:55-59. Epub 2020 Oct 2.

Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, 205 Duck Pond Dr, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.

This report describes the transthoracic echocardiographic findings and computed tomography features of a 12-year-old West Highland white terrier with constrictive pericarditis (CP) secondary to pericardial mesothelioma. Although pericardial mesothelioma is well described in dogs, its association with CP in the canine population is not as widely reported. In this clinical case, a multidisciplinary imaging approach was helpful to identify anatomical and hemodynamic abnormalities that allowed for a diagnosis of CP. Read More

Cell Death Dis 2020 Oct 16;11(10):867. Epub 2020 Oct 16.

Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.

Author Francesca Pentimalli was incorrectly associated with Histopathological Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Orazio Flacco 65, 70124 Bari, Italy. The author's actual affiliation is Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, I-80131 Napoli, Italy. Read More

Lung Cancer 2020 12 1;150:12-20. Epub 2020 Oct 1.

Glasgow Pleural Disease Unit, Queen ElIzabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Introduction: Primary tumour staging in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) using Computed Tomography (CT) imaging is confounded by perception errors reflecting low spatial resolution between tumour and adjacent structures. Augmentation using perfusion CT is constrained by radiation dosage. In this study, we evaluated an alternative tumour staging method using perfusion-tuned Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Read More

Lung Cancer 2020 12 1;150:1-8. Epub 2020 Oct 1.

Department of Medical Oncology, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia; Olivia-Newton John Cancer Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Background: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive malignancy of the pleura and other mesothelial membranes. Agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) such as bevacizumab; and multi-kinase inhibitors such as nintedanib [angiokinase inhibitor of VEGF, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)] have recently demonstrated efficacy in MM.

Methods: Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were created from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples obtained from 326 patients with MM who were treated surgically. Read More

Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020 Oct 2;13(10). Epub 2020 Oct 2.

Tumour Targeting Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3084, Australia.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is highly overexpressed in malignant mesothelioma (MM). MAb806 is a novel anti-EGFR antibody that selectively targets a tumor-selective epitope. MAb806-derived antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), ABT-414, ABBV-221 and ABBV-322, may represent a novel therapeutic strategy in MM. Read More