Mesothelioma Cancer Resources Blog

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) has announced that in partnership with Spectrum Health, and Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan they will begin offering Phase I clinical trials.  One of Van Andel Institute’s founding principles is to collaborate with scientists and organizations, and this is yet another way they can contribute to advances in …

The Mirror.Co.UK reports that 18-year-old Sophie Mills has succumbed to the mesothelioma that she was diagnosed with 5 years ago.  Mills was England’s youngest known patient to be diagnosed with the disease that typically affects men over the age of sixty-five.  Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelial cells, caused by breathing in asbestos …

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, have begun recruiting patients with either pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma for a Phase II clinical trial.  The trial is to study IMC-A12 in patients with mesothelioma who have been previously treated with chemotherapy. Pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is …

By Nancy Meredith Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, is one of 6,000 diseases identified as an orphan disease in the United States.  The designation applies to diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 Americans at any given time.  Many of these illnesses are cancers, including mesothelioma, …

by Nancy Meredith The American Thoracic Society has published “2010 Breathing in America: Diseases, Progress, and Hope.” The book analyzes respiratory diseases in the United States discussing their causes, prevalence, and the research that has been dedicated to treating and curing the diseases.  In his Message from the President, ATS President Dean E. Schraufnagel, MD, …

Mesothelioma is a serious and rare cancer that occurs in individuals that have either inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers.  The fibers then travel through the body becoming lodged, resulting in cancer typically decades later.  Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is also a very painful disease.  Pain associated with mesothelioma varies from patient to patient and depends …

Frank Bender, a commercial photographer turned sculptor and forensic artist, has been providing his services to America’s Most Wanted (AMW) since 1989 to help capture some of the most violent criminals in America.   His work as a forensic sculptor is coming to an end, however, as he works on one last bust before calling it …

While most cases of mesothelioma affect individuals who were exposed to asbestos in the workplace, asbestos can also be found in the home.  Homes built prior to the 1970′s more than likely were built with some asbestos-containing materials.  Insulation, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, textured paint and patching compounds are all examples of products that were …

A diagnosis of mesothelioma, or any cancer, can leave patients and their family reeling from the news.   Not only is the disease physically challenging, but it can also take a toll on the patients and their families’ emotional well-being.  Limiting stress and focusing on the treatment during this time is critical to aiding in the …

by Nancy Meredith The health care bill designed to provide long-term medical care and monitoring for 9/11 responders lacked the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass in the House.  The proposed bill, estimated at $7.7 billion, was to provide mandatory funding for the World Trade Center Health Programs. Hundreds of tons of asbestos were used …