Mesothelioma may be growing differently than experts previously believed.
A recent discovery by researchers at Australia’s Flinders University suggests mesothelioma tumors promote growth through creating blood vessels, defying available medical treatments for the cancer.
Existing treatments target blood vessels that grow into a mesothelioma tumor, not those that develop from within a tumor.
“Instead of waiting for the outside of the tissue to grow blood vessels in, the tumour cells themselves branch out, growing blood vessels that reach out into surrounding tissues, tapping into the native vasculature,” Flinders Associate Professor Sonja Klebe said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC). “So I think a future approach would involve treating both of these types of vessels to more or less starve the tumour of blood supply.”
The cure for mesothelioma, Klebe said, is likely not on the immediate horizon because the cancer is not detected early enough.
As research continues to evolve in the country, Australia still has one of the highest rates for the disease in the world.
Though asbestos – the only known cause of mesothelioma — has been banned in Australia since 2003, about 12 Australians die each week from asbestos-related cancer, in part due to asbestos-containing products being illegally imported into the county.
Earlier in 2016, Australian officials investigated claims of several companies importing products, including cement board used in construction, from China that contained the deadly toxin.
The Australian Border Force, charged with protecting the country from the importation of the illegal substance, has been scrutinized for materials containing asbestos being imported into the country.
Sources:
ABC-Treatments to prolong life for mesothelioma patients closer
ABC-Asbestos illegally imported from China provokes anger
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