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- Mesothelin Finding Could Lead to Early Detection of Mesothelioma
- New York Attorney Calls for International Ban on Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos
- Protein Can be Reliable for Diagnosing Malignant Mesothelioma
- Biomarker Successes Remain Elusive For Mesothelioma and Cancer Researchers
- Avastin May Not be Effective for Breast Cancer, But is Still an Option for Mesothelioma
- Options for Funding Mesothelioma Research
- Golf Outing to Raise Funds for Mesothelioma Research
- 3 Year Mesothelioma Survivor Stays Busy Raising Awareness of the Disease
- MesotheliomaHelp Website Offers Mesothelioma-Related FAQs
- CDMRP System Offers Funding Opportunity to Help Military Mesothelioma Sufferers
Friday, February 26, 2010
Breathe, an artistic display of images designed to capture the essence of their husbands through anecdotes told by widows, continues its Australian tour. Developed by photographer Christopher Ireland, 14 women whose husbands died from mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer, posed for the project created to show the “pain of the scourge of asbestos.”
Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, can take up to 50 years to develop after exposure to asbestos has occurred. There is no known cure for the disease.
The fourth leg of the tour which opens February 26th at the Moonah Arts Center in Tasmania, is sponsored by the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), WorkCover Tasmania and the Tasmanian State Government. The AWU is currently campaigning for the removal of asbestos-containing materials in Australia.
“The scourge of asbestos has taken a heavy enough toll on this country already,” said Paul Howes, AWU’s National Secretary, in a September 2009 speech, and called for “the creation of a federal National Asbestos Taskforce to manage the prioritised recall of all asbestos containing materials in all forms from Australia by 2030.”
The current AWU Secretary, Ian Wakefield, is eager to sponsor such a moving and touching exhibit. The exhibit has been featured throughout New South Wales and Victoria since July 2009.
Sources:
Photographer Gets Word Out
AWU Sponsors Exhibit
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Labels: For Your Family, mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 7:30 AM
Thursday, February 25, 2010
$800,000 was awarded to researchers, at top national and international medical science centers, devoted to finding a cure for mesothelioma. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) who presented these awards, has now given close to $7 million in funds to develop better treatment options for mesothelioma patients.
The Meso Foundation annually funds the top research projects from around the world, and this year they received 56 grant applications. Included among the top eight projects selected is a study for improved mesothelioma treatments, a study focusing on the role of hormones in malignant mesothelioma, as well as various studies looking at improving the specificity and effectiveness in mesothelioma of drugs already available to cancer patients, while reducing their side effects.
Mesothelioma, an unusual form of cancer which can take up to five decades to be properly diagnosed, is responsible for approximately 3,000 new cases each year in the United States. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the suffering caused by mesothelioma by funding mesothelioma research, by educating patients, and by advocating for federal mesothelioma funding.
See the full story at Curemeso.org
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Labels: mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Belluck & Fox joins New York City and Long Island mesothelioma victims in their fight against mesothelioma in the Fifth Annual 5k Walk for Hope to be held Sunday, April 18 at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York.
Janice Malkotsis, who lost her father to mesothelioma, organized the event as “a charitable walk in the memory of our fathers and all others who have succumbed to mesothelioma.”
Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the cancer yearly. Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure, with the latency period sometimes as long as 50 years. There is no known cure for the disease.
Janice promised her father that she would educate people about the dangers of asbestos and mesothelioma. She has partnered with Erica Iacono, whose father also died from mesothelioma, to raise awareness for the deadly disease. Over the last four years they have raised over $50,000 with a goal of $25,000 for this year’s event. Belluck & Fox , a nationally recognized law firm with attorneys who represent individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims, supports the event.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports awarenesss and research of mesothelioma. Donations are welcome from those who will not be able to participate but still want to support the cause. Donations can be given online.
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Labels: For Your Family
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Novartis Pharmaceuticals is conducting a Phase I clinical trial on one of its newly developed cancer drugs currently referred to as LDE 225. Developed to inhibit hedgehog- and smoothened-dependent proliferation in vivo (in live isolated cells), it targets patients with advanced solid tumors. One of the expected 58 trial participants, being treated at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, has inoperable mesothelioma.
With this drug the reasearchers are trying to cut off the protein, the hedgehog pathway in this case, resulting in increased apoptosis (death of the cancer cells) and decreased proliferation in the cancer cells, thus prohibiting the cells from growing and dividing.
The mesothelioma patient is a 61 year-old male from Derbyshire, England, who had been exposed to asbestos as a joiner. He could not tolerate the chemotherapy treatments, and after only 4 months he had to stop the treatments. His doctors then told him there was nothing else they could do for him.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer typically affecting the lining of the lungs. Primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure. While there is no known cure for mesothelioma, it can sometimes be treated through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
The participant criteria for this trial is for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of advanced solid tumor (including medulloblastoma and basal cell carcinoma), who are relatively healthy otherwise. The trials are being conducted internationally including sites in the United States, Spain, and England.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in New Jersey, has a mission to discover and develop innovative medicines to fight cancer.
Sources:
Novartis LDE 225
LDE 225 Clinical Trial
Meso Patient in Trial
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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, February 22, 2010
Richard Herr of Racine, Wisonsin, was a sculptor and artist for years. In order to make the cast aluminum molds for his sculptures, he added “a couple handfuls of asbestos” to the mixture he used for each piece of art. Unaware of the hazards, Herr breathed in deadly amounts of asbestos over the years resulting in his recent death from mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the cancer yearly. There is no known cure for the disease.
According to an I-Team investigative report on TMJ4 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thousands of people in the Milwaukee area are at risk of mesothelioma, and the number of cases continues to rise. The Center for Disease Control reports that the yearly death rate in Wisconsin is considered the top tier in the nation with a 25% higher rate than the average.
While asbestos is no longer used in the United States, past employees of companies that used asbestos-containing products are still at risk of developing mesothelioma. With the long latency period, many people do not develop symptoms for 60 years, and with the general life expectancy increasing, more people are susceptible to mesothelioma.
The CDC expects the number of mesothelioma cases in the United States to peak within the next few years.
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Labels: mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Social Security Administration is making it easier for ill and disabled patients to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. The compassionate allowances initiative was announced in October 2008 as a way to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe that their conditions obviously meet Social Security’s standards. Both pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma are included on the list of 88 qualifying rare diseases and cancers.
Pleural Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and is most commonly found in the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium. Peritoneal mesothelioma, also caused by asbestos exposure, affects the lining of the abdomen. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
Mesothelioma has an extended latency period with symptoms sometimes taking between 20-40 years to appear. By the time the symptoms appear the disease has progressed to an advanced stage, and most patients are unable to work at this point necessitating a need for the early receipt of Social Security benefits.
Daniel E. Smith, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network says “the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowances program will help streamline the disability benefits application process so that benefits are quickly provided to those who need them most.”
The SSA held public hearings to gather information from experts on rare diseases and cancers, enlisted the assistance of the National Institutes of Health, and also held public outreach hearings, and received public comments to develop the initial list of 50 conditions comprised of 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers.
This month the SSA added 38 conditions by holding additional public outreach hearings, working closely with the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, and other groups. They also reviewed information gathered from previous hearings and consulted with their internal expert medical staff.
Compassionate allowances will allow the SSA to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. When combined with the agency’s Quick Disability Determination process, close to ten percent of disability claims, or a quarter million cases, could be decided in an average of six to eight days.
Commissioner Astrue said, “I am committed to a process that is as fair and speedy as possible. The launch of Compassionate Allowances is another step to ensuring Americans with disabilities, especially those with certain cancers and rare diseases, get the benefits they need quickly.”
See Compassionate Allowances for a full list of conditions.
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Labels: Featured Story
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Thursday, February 18, 2010
New York attorney Joseph Belluck, of Belluck & Fox, praised the Department of Defense for increasing their spending for research into the treatment of mesothelioma. “This boost in dollars finally recognizes a condition that has been overlooked and under-researched for far too long,” said Joseph W. Belluck.
Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the cancer yearly, with veterans accounting for nearly 30 percent of all cases of mesothelioma. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
Asbestos was widely used in the military between the 1940s and 1970s putting workers at a greater risk of asbestos exposure. Some soldiers worked in close quarters, such as ship engine rooms, where loose asbestos fibers circulated in the air. Asbestos was used in equipment in boiler rooms and engine rooms of ships as well as in numerous products, including gaskets, pumps, valves, boilers and turbines.
The Department of Defense effort includes awards totaling several million dollars for three important mesothelioma projects. The funds will support research into early detection of the disease and the development of new treatments, including clinical trials for a promising new vaccine that will directly impact patients.
Reported cases of mesothelioma have increased in recent years because of the long latency period of mesothelioma symptoms with the asbestos-caused cancer. It can take anywhere from 10 to 50 years after exposure before the onset of the disease.
“With more funds and more focus, there’s a chance of hope for victims and their families who’ve too often had none,” Belluck said.
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Labels: mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A trial court has denied Crane Co.’s request for summary judgment over the potential of asbestos exposure from the use of its products. The company argued it did not make or supply any component parts containing asbestos and therefore should not be held liable for dangers associated with any asbestos components that may have been affixed to its products.
Exposure to asbestos fibers is conclusively linked to causing mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare, serious and aggressive cancer that normally occurs in the lungs and typically results from the workplace environment. Families of asbestos workers may also be at increased risk of developing mesothelioma through asbestos fibers brought home on the worker’s hair or clothing.
Asbestos exposure was common in industries such as shipbuilding, construction, automobile repair, mining, textile mills, sheet metal, plumbing and paper mills. For decades, asbestos materials were commonly used in those industries and trades.
Unlike other state courts that ruled that a manufacturer cannot be held liable for products it did not manufacture or supply, the New York trial court ruled, “it is well established in New York law that ‘[a] manufacturer has a duty to warn against latent dangers resulting from foreseeable uses of its products of which it knew or should have known.’”
Crane Co. is being sued over their negligence of warning Elmer Eugene Coon that installing and removing external insulation from Crane Co.’s pumps and valves could result in asbestos-exposure related illness.
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Labels: mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Young singers, dancers, and actors are participating in the 2nd annual Your Talent 2 show to raise money for the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund. The South Tyneside, England show being held on February 21st will also support Cancer Connections and the Ed Wilson Bursary Funds.
The money made through the show will go to the Quids In Appeal that will disburse the funds. The ‘Quids In’ campaign was established in England in 2005 to create greater awareness of the financial services needs of rural people and ensure that policies reflect the real needs of people living and working in rural England.
The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund was established in memory of Mick Knighton who died in 2001 of mesothelioma. The goal of the fund is to improve diagnosis, treatment and care for mesothelioma sufferers plus provide help for accessing information and support.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.
Mick served in the Royal Navy as a young man where asbestos products were widely used.
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Labels: For Your Family
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, February 15, 2010
For going above and beyond the scope of usual duties in serving as the liaison between the cancer program at South Nassau and the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC), Shahriyour Andaz, MD, FACS, was named a recipient of an Outstanding Performance Award. Doctor Andaz is the director of thoracic oncology at South Nassau Communities Hospital in New York.
Dr. Andaz is board certified in both thoracic and general surgery and he specializes in complex chest cancer procedures and minimally invasive thorascopic surgery. The minimally invasive approach that Andaz provides offers patients faster healing and shortened recovery time. Chest wall sarcoma resection and reconstruction, and mesothelioma are several of the areas of Andaz’s expertise.
Mesothelioma, an unusual form of cancer which can take up to five decades to be properly diagnosed, affects approximately 3,000 patients each year in the United States. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation. The goal of the surgery is to remove as much of the malignancy as possible. However, the disease’s complex growth pattern makes complete removal a very difficult task.
The award was given to Dr. Andaz for his accomplishments in spearheading CoC initiatives within the hospital’s cancer program; collaborating with local agencies, such as the American Cancer Society; and facilitating quality improvement initiatives utilizing data submitted to the CoC’s National Cancer Database (NCDB).
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Labels: mesothelioma, Treatment News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Friday, February 12, 2010
by Nancy Meredith
Successful treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma remains elusive for doctors, scientists, and researchers alike, leaving the prognosis for mesothelioma patients poor with a median survival of less than two years. Mesothelioma has proven to be chemoresistant, rendering many of the current chemotherapy treatments inadequate. According to an article published in the journal Current Drug Targets, however, now is the time to introduce new biologic drugs that target tumor growth factors.
The growth factors or proteins which promote malignant cell growth ultimately supplying blood and oxygen to the growing tumor, include vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF). The authors of the report found that in many cases the growth factors appeared higher in malignant mesothelioma patients than in control subjects or in healthy individuals. This indicates that using the biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy is promising.
Biologic drugs are made from a living organism, as opposed to chemicals, and have added major therapeutic options for the treatment of many diseases. The resistance of mesothelioma is due to its apoptotic defect, which prevents the medicines from killing the cancer cells, and new biologic drugs such as vorinostat, bortezomib, everolimus and temsirolimus, have proven effective in some early clinical trials targeting the growth factors.
Vorinostat, currently used to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a blood cancer, is being studied as a new treatment for many solid malignancies. Now in a phase III trial with advanced, previously treated pleural mesothelioma patients this drug has shown to increase aptopsis induced by the combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed. These results make this a valid option for improving the response to standard chemotherapy treatments.
Similar results were found with bortezomib. Approved by the FDA for multiple myeloma treatment, bortezomib has proven effective fighting activation of nuclear factor kB, which regulates proteins that evade apoptosis. Results were positive in mesothelioma patients for bortezomib as both a single agent as well as when administered prior to the combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed. Trials are ongoing for this and other protein inhibitor agents.
Many other biologic agent clinical trials are underway for drugs targeting malignant pleural mesothelioma. Other drugs being tested include: bevacizumab,barboplatin, dasatinib, sunitinib, sorafenib. The researchers hope that the studies result in valid therapeutic options for chemorefractory patients.
“Targeted treatments represent a hot field” as mesothelioma resesarchers now focus on therapies targeting tumor growth factors. The targeted interventions against mesothelioma may offer new therapeutic options for patients in the future.
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Labels: Featured Story
posted by Nancy Meredith at 4:12 PM
Larry Davis did not let a diagnosis of mesothelioma slow him down. After his doctors told him in 2007 that his prognosis was grim, with a median survival of less than two years for mesothelioma patients, Davis stopped all medical treatment and began running.
Now almost three years later, Davis is logging 20-25 miles per week and is organizing a 5K run to benefit mesothelioma research. Scheduled for Valentine’s Day in Boca Raton, Florida, the Miles for Meso run is planned to raise awareness and funding for research into more effective treatments for mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments.
Noting that mesothelioma is the cancer that killed singer Warren Zevon and actor Steve McQueen, Davis said “we are going to have a tribute, but we’re not going to be there to mourn, we’re here to get on with life and come up with solutions.”
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Labels: mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Thursday, February 11, 2010
After lung surgery for mesothelioma in June 2006, doctors told Jon Matthews of England that he had only a few months left to live. Instead of giving up, in early 2007 he took his odds to his bookie and asked to place a bet that he would outlive his doctors’ predictions. Bookmaker William Hill accepted his request, and Matthews stands to collect for a third year on his bet.
Even though Matthews smokes 20 cigarettes a day, and drinks vodka with his orange juice, he has managed to stay active despite his diagnosis of mesothelioma. He attributes his survival to homeopathic medicine, although he still sees his medical doctor on a regular basis.
Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, can take up to 50 years to develop after exposure to asbestos has occurred. Matthews believes he contracted his mesothelioma through science experiments at school. There is no known cure for the disease.
In June 2008, and June 2009 Matthews collected 5,000 pounds or approximately $7,500 from his bet. This year he stands to collect 10,000 pounds or the equivalent of $15,600 US Dollars. Matthews says after he collects his winnings he will head to the Mediterranean with his son.
Sources:
London Man Bets on Mesothelioma
Third time lucky
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Labels: For Your Family
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Kentucky Senate Bill 62, designating Sept. 26 of each year as Mesothelioma Awareness Day, was approved by a committee in the Kentucky State Senate on Wednesday. If the bill is approved by the full Senate, the measure will go next to the Kentucky House of Representatives.
The efforts by Kentucky lawmakers to establish a Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the state is a sign of progress in the growing national concern about asbestos-related diseases, New York personal injury lawyer Joseph Belluck says. Belluck is a partner in Belluck & Fox, a nationally-known law firm based in New York that represents victims of asbestos-related disease.
Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the cancer yearly. There is no known cure for the disease.
Numerous other states have designated Sept. 26 as Mesothelioma Awareness Day. The date was chosen because it is the wedding anniversary of a Pennsylvania widow who spent many hours making others aware of the disease that claimed her husband’s life.
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Labels: mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
TomoTherapy, a company that provides radiation treatment equipment, has named their recipients for the 2009-10 Clinical Investigation Grants. The grant program supports research on the clinical benefits of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for improving cancer care.
Klaus Herfarth, M.D., of University of Heidelberg, Germany will use the grant to examine whether treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma with helical TomoTherapy can reduce the radiation dose to the non-diseased lung. Many patients with mesothelioma had no therapy options before due to the unusual shape of the tumor and the inability to reach cancer cells when they are wrapped around sensitive normal tissues.
Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, can take up to 50 years to develop after exposure to asbestos has occurred. There is no known cure for the disease, although it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
Herfarth hopes TomoTherapy will decrease overall toxicity, enabling delivery of higher doses of radiation to further reduce recurrence rates. He says he is grateful for “the chance to offer patients with pleural mesothelioma a safe and sufficient radiation therapy in a multidisciplinary approach.”
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Labels: mesothelioma, Treatment News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, February 8, 2010
Joseph Belluck of New York law firm Belluck & Fox, and Michael Pietrykowski of San Francisco will co-chair the thirteenth annual National Asbestos Litigation Conference in September 2010. The conference, first held in 1998, is the companion conference to HB’s Emerging Trends in Asbestos Litigation Conference, being held in March.
Belluck and Pietrykowski also co-chaired the conference in 2009. While the agenda has not been finalized for the 2010 conference, topics last year included information on mesothelioma cases, asbestos exposure risks, and settling mesothelioma lawsuits.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for the disease.
Belluck, a nationally recognized attorney whose practice focuses on asbestos, consumer, environmental, and product injury litigation, says the conference is “the most significant gathering of attorneys representing plaintiffs and defendants in asbestos cases throughout the United States.”
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Labels: mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Friday, February 5, 2010
In contrast to previous findings, French researchers are reporting that the incidence of pleural mesothelioma among French men has begun a slight downward trend. For women, however, the incidence of mesothelioma has shown a significant increase. The findings covered data from 1980 to 2005, and were reported in the International Journal of Cancer.
Pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and is most commonly found in the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
The last predictions of the incidence of mesothelioma and pleural cancers in France were conducted in 2000. At that time estimates were given that the mortality rate would peak in 2020 with 900 annual deaths. The number of cases of mesothelioma and other pleural cancers continued to increase 3.1% year over year until 2000.
The new study reviewed data through 2005 gathered from two sources: the French network of cancer registries (FRANCIM) comprised of medical data from local cancer registries from the 100 districts in France, and the French National Mesothelioma Surveillance Program (PNSM), established in 1998. Prior to the inclusion of data in the FRANCIM database, experts confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis.
The total number of pleural cancers represented in the data totaled 1,457 diagnoses from 1980-2003. 1,147 of the cases were in the male population, while 310 or 21% of the cases affected women. When looking closer at the female population the incidence of total mesothelioma cases increased from 80 cases in 1980, to 170 in 1995, and to 264 in 2005.
Researchers concluded that the likely explanation for the increase in mesothelioma reported among French women is due to their under diagnosis in the 1980-1997 period. The rise in the proportion of mesothelioma incidence rate of pleural cancers went from 48% in 1980-1985 to 86% in 1998-2003. The latest period shows a proportion identical with that in men during the same time period suggesting that pleural mesotheliomas in women were under diagnosed before 1997, probably as the result of a secondary pleural cancer diagnosis.
The researchers attribute the asbestos regulations imposed across the country beginning in 1977 to the decrease shown in mesothelioma among men. The primary cause of mesothelioma among French men is associated with occupational asbestos exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years, however, researchers used a 30-year average latency period for their study.
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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Thursday, February 4, 2010
by Nancy Meredith
The International Union Against Cancer (UICC) initiated the World Cancer Campaign in 2005 to raise awareness of cancer prevention, and has declared today, February 4, 2010, as a global World Cancer Day. Used to raise people’s awareness of cancer and how to prevent, detect or treat it, World Cancer Day is the perfect opportunity to take the time to learn about mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer typically affecting the lining of the lungs. Primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years. There is no known cure for the disease which kills almost 20,000 people across the globe each year.
Mesothelioma Causes and Statistics
A 2009 analysis by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) found that the annual number of deaths of malignant mesothelioma is still increasing. The report found the number of U.S. deaths increased from 2,482 in 1999 to 2,705 in 2005, the most recent year of complete data.
It is in the handling of asbestos and the breathing of its dust and fibers that constitutes the primary risk-factor for developing an asbestos related disease, primarily affecting individuals in the workplace. NIOSH lists the following occupations as being associated with significantly elevated mesothelioma mortality rates: construction, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, mechanical engineers, electricians, and elementary school teachers.
Symptoms
Following are the most common symptoms associated with mesothelioma:
- Shortness of breath and/or chest pain
- Weight loss
- Cough
- Weakness
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- Hoarseness and difficulty swallowing
Types of Mesothelioma and Treatment
Mesothelioma can affect the lining of the lungs known as pleural mesothelioma, or the lining of the abdomen resulting in peritoneal mesothelioma. In rare instances, the lining of the heart can be affected resulting in pericardial mesothelioma.
Regardless of the type of mesothelioma, the treatment is often similar.The traditional therapies are: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The treatments are often used in concert creating a multimodal therapy. A mesothelioma patient may have either palliative surgery to treat symptoms or one that is considered radical surgery and performed with curative intent.
Chemotherapy and radiation are used to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors. Both of these treatments can be palliative as well.
Be a Mesothelioma Advocate
Learning about the causes, medical diagnosis and prognosis, treatment options, and available research efforts can help support the fight against mesothelioma. Get educated and join the cause to develop a cure for mesothelioma.
Sources:
Occupational Respiratory Disease Surveillance
Mesothelioma Deaths Increasing
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Labels: Featured Story
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The most common chemotherapy treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma is a combination therapy of cisplatin and pemetrexed. This combination is used as a first-line treatment in patients for which resection (surgery) is not an option, as well as in adjuvant chemotherapy treatment after surgery. This combination is effective, yet it can be toxic with a range of side effects including decreased kidney function.
Malignant Peural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a form of lung cancer that is caused by inhaling airborne asbestos fibers and affects the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium. While pleural mesothelioma is not classified as a lung cancer according to the medical defintion, the treatments between lung cancer and mesothelioma are often similar. There is no cure for malignant mesothelioma and the treatments that are used to fight the disease are considered aggressive and can be difficult on the patient.
According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology the combination of
carboplatin, as opposed to cisplatin, and pemetrexed is well tolerated in patients with malignant pleural mesotheliom. “Disease control rate, time to disease progression, and overall survival” were similar to those of patients treated with the standard regimen of pemetrexed and cisplatin.
The choice between treatment with cisplatin or carboplatin for mesothelioma
should be discussed with your oncologist. While carboplatin is often better tolerated, the efficacy of cisplatin is slightly better. If kidney function declines while on cisplatin, a switch to carboplatin is reasonable.
Source:
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Labels: mesothelioma, treatments
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A treatment known as chemoembolization, where anticancer drugs are injected directly into a cancer tumor, has shown effective in the treatment of mesothelioma according to its supporters being treated in Germany. However, the National Health Service (NHS), the publicly-funded healthcare system in England, is not convinced.
England’s Department of Health says they do not have enough information about the risks and benefits of the treatment to support it in patients with mesothelioma. Chemoembolization has proven effective in the treatment of liver cancer.
Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, can take up to 50 years to develop after exposure to asbestos has occurred. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
One patient who says the treatment has prolonged his life by years, as well improved his quality of life, had to use his life savings to pay for the treatment. He and others in a Devon, England mesothelioma support group are pressing NHS to reconsider its policy on funding the treatment.
Devon Primary Care Trust has indicated that any future applications for chemoembolization treatment would be reviewed based on the latest clinical information.
Source:
Mesothelioma Treatment Funding
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Labels: mesothelioma, Treatment News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, February 1, 2010
The University of Hawaii’s Cancer Reseach Center which receives about $1.5 million annually as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Cancer Center will be re-evaluated by NCI next week to determine whether it will maintain its status. Dr. Michele Carbone, Cancer Research Center director, is an authority on malignant mesothelioma and has studied the impact of genetics, environmental carcinogens and viral infections on mesothelioma development.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for the disease.
Carbone indicates that the designation was in jeopardy when he took over as director in September 2009, but since then the staff has addressed some of the NCI concerns. The Hawaii Cancer Center has started to design a new research center, established a consortium with other Hawaiian cancer research centers, and filled vacant positions. All of these steps should be looked upon favorably by the representatives from NCI.
Dr. Carbone has received more than half of all federal funding for mesothelioma and approximately 90 percent of the National Cancer Institute’s funding allocated for mesothelioma research.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers are recognized for their scientific excellence. They are a major source of discovery and development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. All NCI-designated Cancer Centers receive substantial financial support from NCI grants and are re-evaluated each time their support grant comes up for renewal.
Sources:
NCI Visit
Mesothelioma Researcher at Hawaii
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM