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Radiation Company Grant Recipient to Focus on Mesothelioma Treatment

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
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Belluck Attorney Announced as Co-Chair for 2010 National Asbestos Conference, Topics Include Mesothelioma Issues

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
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Researchers Report Start of Decrease in Mesothelioma Cases in French Men

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
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On World Cancer Day Take the Time to Learn About Mesothelioma

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
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Chemotherapy Option for Mesothelioma Patients

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
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British Mesothelioma Patients Find Chemoembolization Effective, But Expensive

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
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Noted Mesothelioma Researcher and Cancer Center Director Hopes to Maintain NCI Designation

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
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Mayo Clinic's 5-Year Fundraising Campaign Raises Research Funds for Mesothelioma

Friday, January 29, 2010

Mayo Clinic, the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world, announced it raised $1.35 billion in its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, and achieved this milestone in only 5 years. One area that will benefit from the funds is the research into the use of the measles virus to treat 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. Currently there is no known cure for the disease.

The Mayo Clinic Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, a virtual three-site center that "is translating laboratory findings into vanguard methods to treat cancer," was established in 2007 with a gift from The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. Richard M. Schulze is the founder and chairman of Best Buy, and his wife Sandra Schulze died in 2001 of mesothelioma.

Schulze hopes that at the center "some cancers will be cured and that Mayo’s talented scientists and physicians will find a way. "


Source:
Mayo Clinic Campaign


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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News

posted by Nancy Meredith at 7:57 AM
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Get to Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos Exposure With Life History, Says Belluck & Fox

Thursday, January 28, 2010

by Nancy Meredith
Exposure to asbestos, a known human carcinogen, is the direct cause of many diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Tens of thousands of individuals, especially working men and women, have died from mesothelioma in the last couple of decades and there are approximately 3 ,000 new diagnoses every year.

The dangers of asbestos were known to many companies that made asbestos-related products as early as the 1920s. However, asbestos continued to be used up until the 1980s — when most asbestos products were banned in the United States and other countries. Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years. People exposed to asbestos in the 1950's and 1960's are just now showing signs of mesothelioma.

In a recent interview, Joseph W. Belluck, a partner in Belluck & Fox LLP , a New York law firm that focuses on representing victims of asbestos-related disease, says, "getting to the cause of asbestos-related disease involves taking a thorough life history." There are those who know automatically how they were exposed to asbestos, then there are other people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma who have no idea how or when they could have been exposed to asbestos.

Life History
For those patients diagnosed with mesothelioma who cannot pinpoint their asbestos exposure, Belluck will delve into their life to find a point where the toxic substance could have been inhaled into their system.

1. Occupation. Knowing all the occupations the patient held is critical. While mesothelioma is most closely associated to industrial workers including construction workers, insulators, plumbers, pipefitters, electricians and sheet metal workers, other jobs may have involved handling asbestos. Dentists that make casts for fillings, jewelers using crucibles, and laboratory technicians who have used Bunsen burners could all have been exposed to asbestos fibers.


2. Occupation of Household Members. Asbestos is so toxic that mesothelioma has been diagnosed in family members whose only exposure came from contact with stray fibers and particles that have built-up on the worker’s clothing, shoes, skin and hair. This type of “second-hand” exposure to asbestos is known as para-occupational exposure.


3. Home Renovations or Mechanic Work. The risk of developing mesothelioma can occur due to renovation or repair work in the home, as well as through mechanical work on car brakes or clutches. Many older homes contain insulation made from asbestos fibers, which once disturbed, can be inhaled creating a risk for mesothelioma. During brake and clutch maintenance, the pads and linings are often filed down, releasing asbestos dust.


4. Military Background. Military personnel may have been exposed to asbestos between the 1940s and 1970s. Some jobs required military workers to cut asbestos-laden materials, or work in enclosed spaces, such as ship interiors, where loose asbestos fibers circulated freely. Even occupants of base housing constructed prior to 1970 could be at risk.

Mesothelioma Prevention Tips
While doctors are not sure why some people exposed to asbestos contract mesothelioma and others do not, the best way to prevent mesothelioma is to limit or eliminate interaction with asbestos fibers. If you know you have been exposed to asbestos in your past, contact your doctor even if you are not experiencing symptoms. Early detection can significantly increase your survival rate.

If you are aware of a potential asbestos-exposure risk, bring it to the attention of the proper authorities, and do not attempt to dispose of the asbestos yourself. Improper handling of asbestos can put you and others at risk.

Stay informed on asbestos-related news, mesothelioma treatments, and risks and hazards pertaining to asbestos in your area. The more you know, the better prepared you will be to avoid potential risks.



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Labels: Featured Story

posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
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Royal Doctor's Family Requests Donations to Mesothelioma Research

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Dr. Ian Keith Campbell, who while working as a general practicioner at the Heacham Group Practice in Norfolk, England treated the Queen and other members of the Royal Family for over 15 years, died in December after battling a lung disease. A humanist celebration of Dr. Campbell's life was held on January 23rd. The family has requested donations be sent to Bart's Mesothelioma Research Fund.

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.

Bart’s Mesothelioma Research Fund is comprised of a group of medical professionals with a goal to "improve the treatment and increase our understanding of mesothelioma and lung cancer." Bart's is located at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London and is one of the largest outpatient clinics in the UK for patients with mesothelioma.

Doctors at Bart's see two or three new patients weekly as well as patients who have completed treatment and are being followed up. Bart's staff conducts clinical trials for mesothelioma treatment as well as laboratory research.

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Labels: For Your Family

posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
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