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New Medical Study Concerning Success of Chemotherapy in Mesothelioma Patients

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Researchers at Columbia University report that changes in the size of tumors in patients with mesothelioma who have undergone chemotherapy may be useful in predicting their response to treatment and survival.  Mesothelioma  is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos.

In a new article in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, researchers at Columbia’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center describe the outcomes of clinical trials involving 30 mesothelioma patients who were treated with chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation.

The researchers took CT scans of the 30 patients’ lungs and calculated the size of their tumors before and after two rounds of chemotherapy. Patients diagnosed with stage III and stage IV cancer generally had larger tumors than those with less advanced cancer. The percentage change in the size of the tumor from the initial measurement to their evaluation after two cycles of chemotherapy was strongly associated with patients’ overall survival, the researchers said. They found a significant difference in the length of survival among patients whose tumors increased after chemotherapy and those whose tumors decreased.

The researchers said computer-aided measurements of tumors may offer doctors a more reliable way to assess patients’ response to treatment and could provide additional information about patients’ prognosis

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New Research On Asbestos Cancer Development

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Reports of asbestos disease began appearing on a regular basis in the medical literature as early as the 1930s. Thousands of Americans continue to be diagnosed each year with asbestos cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.  Yet, researchers still don’t know the exact steps the body takes to initiate the development of asbestos-related cancers.

Findings related to this issue appear in a study published in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.  Abstract of the study available here.

This study found that when asbestos kills human cells, it does so by inducing a process called “programmed cell necrosis” that leads to the release of a molecule called high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1). HMGB1 starts an inflammatory reaction that causes the release of mutagens and factors the promote tumor growth.

The researchers propose that it may be possible to decrease cancer incidence or decrease tumor growth rate by interfering with the inflammatory reaction process caused by HMGB1. Additional research and experimental testing will be required to test the study’s hypothesis.

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New Asbestos Research to Study Molecular Changes

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Prof. Pfau in her laboratory

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has awarded a $191,962 grant to an Idaho State University professor to explore the health effects of asbestos at the cellular level. “We’re trying to understand the way asbestos affects the immune system leading to systemic autoimmune disorders, such as lupus,” says Jean Pfau, assistant professor of biological sciences at Idaho State.

The grant, titled “The Role of System xc in Asbestos Induced Autoimmune Responses” funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will last two years.

Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause cancer in humans including lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung. Professor Pfau is of the opinion that tremolite asbestos found in Libby, Montana may, in addition to causing cancer, also be linked to increased autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body actually attacks its own cells. The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it.

With respect to asbestos, the cells that first encounter asbestos after exposure are white blood cells called macrophages. Pfau believes that macrophages may use glutamate to signal the immune system to react. Pfau theorizes that after asbestos contaminant exposure, the macrophages engage in mistaken signaling, causing the immune system to become overactive and produce excessive antibodies, creating diseases such as lupus. She will look at how different forms of asbestos affect the immune system. All forms of asbestos cause cancer in humans. However, the exact correlation between asbestos fiber types and autoimmune disorders remains largely unknown.

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MicroRNA May Assist in Mesothelioma Treatment

Monday, May 24th, 2010

RNA image

A new study announced today suggests the potential of a microRNA, miR-31, as a basis for a potential future treatment option for malignant mesothelioma due to its tumor suppressor qualities.

The joint study between Rosetta Genomics, Ltd and NYU Langone Medical Center can be found on-line at: miR-31 study  . In the study, cell lines derived from mesothelioma patients were found not to express miR-31, a microRNA that has recently been categorized as a suppressor of breast cancer metastes. According to this study, reintroduction of miR-31 may help to inhibit mesothelioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule which is similar to DNA but has its own distinct structure and purpose. RNAs are central to protein synthesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered, small RNAs that act as master regulators of protein synthesis and have been shown to be highly effective biomarkers. Recent evidence has shown that miRNA mutations or mis-expression correlate with various human cancers and indicates that miRNAs can function as tumor suppressors. miRNAs have been shown to repress the expression of important cancer-related genes and might work as “regulators” which could in the future could be turned “on” or “off” in order to assist in the treatment of certain cancers. For a detailed overview of miRNAs see Nature Reviews Cancer, Vol 6, April 2006  Oncomirs-micro RNAs with a Role in Cancer

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Health Care Act Provides Coverage for Asbestos Victims

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

The landmark Affordable Health Care for America Act signed into law on Tuesday by President Obama includes expansion of Medicare coverage for asbestos victims in Libby, Montana – site of the W.R Grace Zonolite mine. From the 1920s to the 1990s W.R. Grace mined asbestos contaminated vermiculite just outside of Libby. As a result, the residents of Libby, Montana have suffered extremely high incidence rates for asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Asbestos contamination in the Libby area has been blamed for the deaths of more than 200 people and the illnesses of more than 1,000 more to date. Many have died from mesothelioma in this small town.

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the cancer every year. There is no known cure for the disease.

In June 2009, the EPA declared a public health emergency for the town of Libby because of the astronomically high incidence rate of asbestos disease in this small Montana town. Senator Max Baucus included a measure in the Health Care Act that would extend Medicare benefits to the victims of the declared public health emergency.

“For 30 years, the law has been clear that when a public health emergency is declared, screening and medical care services are to be provided to the people who were exposed,” Baucus said this week. “And for 30 years, no public health emergencies were declared, so the federal government was not obligated to determine the best way to provide care.”

A $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began providing screening and health care for former and current Libby-area residents last November, but the money was only intended to last for two years until more permanent assistance could be found.

Once the $6 million grant runs out, the expanded Medicare coverage – which may not go into effect for a few years – will provide additional assistance to Libby, Montana asbestos victims.

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Experimental Vaccine for Mesothelioma

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

As reported by Science Dailey, a new study published online march 4 in advance of an upcoming print issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine discusses an investigational experimental vaccine for the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.  Science Dailey reports the study indicates that the vaccine may be safe and may help slow tumor growth.  Researchers in the Netherlands tested the vaccine – which infuses a patient’s own dendritic cells with antigen from the patient’s tumor – on 10 patients and found that it induced an immune T-cell response against mesothelioma tumors.

This is the first time DC-based immunotherapy has been tested in patients with mesothelioma, which typically occurs in the lungs but can arise at other body sites.  The full title of the study is Consolidative Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy Elicits Cytotoxicity Against Malignant Mesothelioma.  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2010; DOI; 10.1164/rccm.200909-1465OC

Asbestos has been regulated in developed countries for decades, but the incidence of mesothelioma is expected to continue to increase until 2020. Incidence rates of mesothelioma may continue throughout the 21st century in developing nations if they do not regulate the use of asbestos. Median survival after mesothelioma diagnosis is about 12 months.  The standard chemotherapy treatment improves survival by about three months.

“The possibility to harness the potency and specificity of the immune system underlies the growing interest in cancer immunotherapy,” study author Dr. Joachim Aerts, a pulmonary physician at Erasmus Medical Center, said in a news release.  “One such approach uses the patient’s own [dendritic cells] to present tumor-associated antigens and thereby generate tumor-specific immunity.” Dendritic cells are a form of immune system cell.

The major problem in mesothelioma is that the immunosuppressive environment caused by the tumor will negatively influence our therapy so we are not working on a method to lower this immunosuppressive environment,” Aerts said.  “We hope that by further development of our method it will be possible to increase survival in patients with mesothelioma and eventually vaccinate persons who have been in contact with asbestos to prevent them from getting asbestos related diseases.”

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Asbestos Disease Awareness Conference Set for April

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

The sixth Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference is scheduled for the weekend of April 9-11, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.
Sponsored by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, the conference is will focus on the state of asbestos mining and exportation around the world; the medical advances in treatment for mesothelioma and asbestosis; and the continued need for stricter regulations regarding asbestos use.
Doctors, scientists and victims will be in attendance and a reception will be held for family members and others who work to raise awareness of asbestos disease and asbestos issues. Inhaling asbestos dust that is created when asbestos materials are manipulated can lead to numerous cancers.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the lining of the lung caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers. Treatment options for mesothelioma are limited and there currently is no known cure for the disease.

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Senate Health Care Bill Provides Medicare Coverage for Libby Asbestos Victims

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

The current health care legislation recently passed  by the U.S. Senate contains provisions that may provide help for victims of asbestos contamination in Libby, Montana.   As reported by The New York Times, the language of the bill proposes extending Medicare coverage for victims of  environmental health hazards that were “declared a public health emergency by the government in June.”

That public health emergency refers to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s action this past summer in declaring a publich health emergency for the town of Libby, Montana.  Libby is home to the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine that is blamed for widespread asbestos exposure contamination in Libby and the surrounding region.  Libby has an extremely high incidence rate of asbestos-related disease, including malignant mesothelioma.  Asbestos contamination in the Libby area has been blamed for the deaths of more than 200 people and the illnesses of more than 1,000 more to date. Many have died 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.

Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, lobbied to include the Libby passage within the Health Care Reform Bill to expand Medicare to cover  asbestos victims in the Libby area.  Baucus has fought  for years to bring some relief to the Libby residents by pushing for the declaration of the health emergency requiring the federal government to offer screenings and health care for Libby residents as well as authorizing cleanup work in homes and other structures.

As quoted in a New York Times article, Mr. Baucus said “the people of Libby were poisoned and have been dying for more than a decade. We need this type of mechanism to help people when they need it most.”

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Mesothelioma Day Observed in U.K.

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Organizations in the United Kingdom will celebrate Action Mesothelioma Day tomorrow, February 27, 2009.

The campaign is not only designed to increase awareness, but to give support and improve treatment options for those who have been affected by malignant mesothelioma. To date, a mesothelioma cure is still not available and treatment options are strictly palliative.

Following a ceremonial dove release at St. Philips Cathedral in Birmingham at 3:30 pm tomorrow, Lord Mayor will invite those participating at the event into the Council House.

In addition, several other events of the campaign will take place in specialized locations throughout the United Kingdom.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that most commonly develops within the lining of the lungs, known as pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma develops several decades after the small fibers that make up asbestos have been inhaled. Such industries that have had a history of exposing workers to asbestos include the shipyards, refineries, power plants, oilfield workers, construction, automotive and manufacturing industry.

Action Mesothelioma Day also provides an opportunity to raise money for organizations conducting research on mesothelioma. Funding this type of research can be very expensive and clinical trials can last for many months.

The Action Mesothelioma Day campaign is currently asking the British government to match the amount of funds raised so that charities are not the only groups contributing to the cause.

The Dallas law firm, DuBose Law Firm, PLLC, specializes in the representation of mesothelioma victims across the United States. 

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ADAO Annual Conference to Raise Mesothelioma Awareness

Monday, February 16th, 2009

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) will host its fifth Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference on March 28, 2009 in Manhattan Beach, California.

Co-founded by Linda Reinstein and Doug Larkin, the ADAO has educated asbestos victims, mesothelioma victims and concerned citizens since 2004.  The goal of the organization is to inform the public about the hazards of asbestos, ban its use, and encourage medical professionals to improve research efforts and treatment options for asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis, and malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. The conference’s special guest will be Jordan Zevon, whose father, rock musician Warren Zevon, passed away from mesothelioma that was entirely attributed to asbestos exposure.

Others attendees include expert physicians and scientists in the area of asbestos from the United States and several other countries. Topics of discussion will revolve around the impacts of asbestos in the United States as well as the impacts on a global scale.

Information on asbestos exposure, how to prevent mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, and where asbestos victims can seek assistance will also be presented throughout the duration of the conference.

In addition, five individuals will be recognized for their constant dedication to bringing awareness to asbestos exposure. Those that will be recognized are U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, Margaret Seminario, Stephen Levin, Pralhad Malvadkar and Raghunath Manwar.

The registration fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and the Sunday Brunch and Remembrance Service. The cost is $250 for professionals and $125 for students, patients and caregivers. To reserve your registration, go to www.adao.us.

 

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