Category: For Your Family

The results of a recent survey of doctors found that an alarming number of them believe it is okay to tell a patient an “untruth” or to put a positive spin on a patient’s prognosis.  This is counter to the trust that patients place in their physicians to act in their best interest.  When facing …

While most cases of mesothelioma affect individuals who were directly exposed to asbestos in the workplace, men who worked around asbestos, and brought the fibers home on their clothing, shoes and in their hair, may have inadvertently exposed their children and spouses to the hazards of the deadly toxin.  One family in England is now …

When someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer, more than likely there are hundreds of questions running through their mind, such as: What does this mean? What will happen next? What kind of treatment will I need? Where do I go for treatment?  Now, through a partnership formed last year between Livestrong and NavigateCancer …

Treatment for mesothelioma can be overwhelming, requiring surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to manage the symptoms.  Managing the associated health care costs for mesothelioma can also be overwhelming for mesothelioma patients and their families.  Now, Bristol-Myers Squibb is hoping to ease the financial burden for many cancer patients.   The company announced last week that they have …

Treatment for mesothelioma can be exhausting and depressing.  While often, a caregiver or loved one will offer support and comfort to the patient, many patients and researchers are finding that the comfort of a dog may be more beneficial.  Anyone that has a dog and has been consoled by a lick or snuggles from their …

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation announced this week that congress passed the Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations bill and kept mesothelioma-eligible funding for 2012.  The Foundation is one of the largest organizations to advocate for mesothelioma patients, and it attributes its advocacy efforts to the available DoD funding.  The funding is available as part of …

The Friends of Cancer Research has announced the dates for the Symptoms and Toxicities of Cancer Therapy Symposium.  The symposium will be held April 26-27, 2012, in Houston, Texas at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.  This two-day event may prove beneficial for mesothelioma researchers who have struggled to find a new, effective treatment that does …

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) announced the details for the 8th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference, Asbestos: An International Public Health Crisis, to be held March 30-April 1, at the Manhattan Beach Marriott in Manhattan Beach, California.  Asbestos is a known carcinogen and is proven to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. The affects …

Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (PHLBI), a non-profit institution focused on the treatment and prevention of malignant pleural mesothelioma, announces the opening of a “new state-of-the-art mesothelioma research laboratory dedicated solely to the discovery of new treatments for malignant pleural mesothelioma.”   PHLBI touts the center as a first-of-its-kind research lab established to lead a …

For the fourth year, Richard Mosca, who received a diagnosis of mesothelioma at the age of 54 in 2006, will advocate for mesothelioma patients by supporting the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) acting as a project reviewer.  Mosca, along with Julie Gundlach and David Lerman, who are also mesothelioma patients, were nominated by the …