Mesothelioma Cancer Resources Blog

On the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) has added a page to their website entitled “The Respiratory Aftermath of 9/11.”  Their online library contains information focused on the health risks rescue workers are now facing, such as mesothelioma, as well as other …

Mesothelioma advocates and physicians have worked hard to raise the awareness of the dangers of asbestos exposure.  Primarily, the education centers on the occupational health hazards posed to trade workers such as insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, auto mechanics, refinery and factory workers and shipyard workers.  Now, researchers in Australia say they …

According to the National Cancer Institute only 5% of cancers are caused by genetics.  Now, in a study led by Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, genetics may play a role in which people develop mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, but only a small number …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supports pharmaceutical companies in the development of drugs for the treatment of a rare disease when their proposed drug has “promise” for treating the rare disease or condition.  Mesothelioma is one of the rare diseases for which patients and doctors closely follow new drug developments in hopes of …

The Lancet, a leading medical journal, focused their September 1, 2011, issue on the events of 9/11 and the “short-term and long-term physical, mental, and public health consequences of the terrorist attacks.”  The issue includes articles and research findings discussing the increased incidence of respiratory illnesses and post-traumatic stress disorder among the New York firefighters …

Radiation is one of the primary treatments for mesothelioma, lung cancer and many other cancers.  It is used to control the growth or spread of the cancer, attempt to cure the cancer and for palliative care to reduce pain or other symptoms.  Although there have been significant advances in the technologies used for radiation therapy …

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer found in the lining of the lungs, abdomen and heart, caused by exposure to asbestos.  The cancer is resistant to many cancer treatment options and leaves patients with a very limited life expectancy, with the average survival time varying from 4 – 18 months after diagnosis.   Researchers …

While the United States will use September 26 to raise the public’s awareness of mesothelioma through National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, England is using the month of September to drum up support from the training industry for their “Asbestos: Hidden Killer” campaign.  With 4,000 people dying each year from asbestos-related diseases in England, the campaign calls …

Mesothelioma is one of many cancers that is still considered to be incurable, and the tragedy is that mesothelioma is an entirely preventable disease.  Associated with exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs, chest or abdomen that is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments.  Even small …

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced yesterday that Ronald DePinho, M.D., began his tenure as the president of the Cancer Center on September 1.  DePinho, internationally recognized for basic and translational research in cancer, aging and age-associated degenerative disorders, is the fourth full-time president of Anderson.  MD Anderson Cancer Center is one …