Mesothelioma Cancer Resources Blog

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has announced that they will co-sponsor the 1st Annual Rare Diseases/Orphan Products Summit to be held Oct. 11-13 in Washington, DC at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.  NORD estimates that of the close to 7,000 rare or orphan diseases, including mesothelioma, thyroid cancer and cerebral palsy, just 200 of …

Mesothelioma is a unique and painful form of cancer, typically affecting the lining of the lungs, caused by exposure to asbestos fibers.  Also called “asbestos cancer,” mesothelioma is diagnosed in just 3,000 Americans each year.  Due to the small number of cases, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated the disease as an “orphan …

Researchers from Creighton University School of Medicine and the Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine in Philadelphia retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 928 American veterans diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma between 1995 and 2009.  The veterans are listed in the Veterans Affairs Cancer Registry.  The goal of the study was to better understand the causes …

The U.S. Human Genome Project completed in 2006 mapped the entire spectrum of genetic materials that can be found in humans.  The implications for medicine and health, according to Ari Patrinos, director of the project,  includes more accurate risk assessment, more precise disease diagnosis, more rapid characterization of genetic damage and repair processes, and the …

At the 2011 Annual ASCO Meeting this weekend Pfizer presented data from the preliminary results of their clinical trial for their oral anti-cancer drug crizotinib.  Used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the pill appears to double survival over standard drugs against tumors with the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genetic marker.  While …

By Nancy Meredith Physicians are known for keeping long hours and for being on call and available to their hospital, their patients, and even their families.  In the past, that meant dropping whatever they were doing to immediately head to the hospital for a consultation.  However, in this day of Wi-Fi, smartphones and iPhones, doctors …

In a report released in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, researchers found that the number of New York firefighters who have taken disability retirement has increased sharply since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. They also found that the increase in post-9/11 accidental disability retirements was primarily due to respiratory-related illnesses.  About 400 …

During the first scientific seminar dedicated to discussing cancer treatments focused on preserving malignant pleural mesothelioma victims’ lungs, the attendees came to unanimous agreement that the lung-sparing pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) is the preferred surgical procedure.  P/D strips away the diseased membrane lining the lung and visible mesothelioma tumors, but spares the lung. The other surgical option …

Mesothelioma is an incurable, asbestos-caused cancer of the membranes that surround many of the body’s vital organs.  The most common form, as many as eighty percent of all diagnoses, is pleural mesothelioma, where the cancer attacks the pleural tissue surrounding the lung.   With an early diagnosis and appropriate care, patients may get some relief from …

Patient-centric treatment optimizes the potential for success of a patient’s care by offering the right treatment at the right time. This is especially vital for mesothelioma patients as the disease rapidly progresses to cause life-threatening complications, and can differ dramatically across patients.   But before determining the optimal treatment for an individual, researchers need to gauge …