In a recent case where a woman was diagnosed with sarcomatoid malignant peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma, she first underwent extensive surgery to remove tumor tissue. Unfortunately, the tumors began to regrow immediately. Doctors then tried a new combination of chemotherapy drugs: cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin and dacarbazine (CYVADIC). The study said, “recurrent tumors showed remarkable reduction after the two courses of CYVADIC chemotherapy.”

Although this patient died soon after from other complications of this asbestos-caused disease, this new combination of drugs offers hope. Because its use resulted in significant reduction of meso tumors, doctors may be able to use aggressive chemotherapy to slow the growth of mesothelioma tumors in other patients. Because each day of life is precious to patients and their families, it is important to focus on every hope of improvement in treatments for this deadly disease.

Visit our website, www.mesothelioma-advice.org, for more information about causes, symptoms and treatments for malginant mesothelioma. And if you or a loved one have been diagnosed, don’t hesitate to explore your options for potentially recovering compensation by filing an asbestos lawsuit. You’ll find information about your legal rights on our website, too.

Mesothelioma in all its forms is a highly aggressive form of lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Pleural mesothelioma—of the lungs, the most common type—is only slightly less invasive than peritoneal mesothelioma (in the abdomen). So far doctors have found few effective treatments, but they are constantly experimenting as the number of cases of mesothelioma continues to rise.

One drug, pemetrexed (Alimta), when combined with certain others, has been found effective to help slow down the speed with which the disease overwhelms patients. And now researchers are finding that, when combined with tumor removal surgery, pemetrexed may prolong life slightly longer for patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma than it does with pleural mesothelioma. Further studies will be conducted.

Another study recently reported in Germany shows that treatment with a combination of platinum/pemetrexed has significantly increased patient survival times for pleural mesothelioma. Both these studies offer hope that more effective ways to combat this dread disease may soon be found.

If you or someone you love have received a mesothelioma diagnosis, be sure to find the right medical team. And then, call us at 800.44.36353 with questions about your mesothelioma legal rights. We will help you learn if you are eligible to receive compensation.

Doctors have found a way to possibly improve patient quality of life when they use high heat to deliver chemotherapy directly into the tumor areas of patients with abdominal peritoneal mesothelioma.

The idea is that heat may enhance the ability of chemotherapy to kill cancer cells. They have not had much success treating cases of primary peritoneal mesothelioma with traditional chemotherapy.

In a very small study, patients first had their tumors partially removed, then they received chemotherapy through an infusion catheter for 4 months. Then doctors removed what was left of the tumor and gave high-doses of heated chemotherapy. The procedure did not cause any related complications and offers hope for finding additional ways to treat this aggressive and lung cancer caused mainly by occupational asbestos exposure.

Back in the 1930s, a huge deposit of crocidolite was discovered in Wittenoom Gorge in Australia. A large mining operation was set up in the 1940s, and hundreds of workers were employed to dig up and bring out this deadly substance, also known as blue asbestos.

Of course the workers had no idea they were working with a material that would damage their lungs sooner or later, and would kill many of them years afterwards. A recent study shows nearly 250 Wittenoom miners have died of pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, the fatal disease caused only by exposure to asbestos. And crocidolite is the most lethal  form of asbestos known.

Some of the victims were not even miners themselves. One man was a child living in the town at the time the mine was most active. He died of mesothelioma in 2001.

The Australian government took action some time ago to limit/decrease the amount of compensation that would have to be paid to families of mesothelioma victims, but there’s a move now to return awards to previous levels. The Asbestos Diseases Society (ADS) of Australia supports the amendment to change the law and is pushing to make sure the amendment gets backdated. That way, the 30 families who finished their cases already “will be able to claim up to an extra $160,000.”

In the search for justice for mesothelioma victims and their families, legal setbacks can occur. But when you’re in the hands of an experienced mesothelioma lawyer, you increase your chances of successfully receiving fair compensation. If you or someone you love has pleural malignant mesothelioma or any other type, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 800.443.6353. We are happy to help you understand your legal rights.

A new study finds that 40 years is the expected maximum period of time after exposure that people who’d been exposed to asbestos might still be in danger of contracting mesothelioma and growing tumors in the peritoneal caviety (the spaces and linings of the pelvic and abdominal areas). It also found that women who’d been exposed had higher incidences of malignant tumors in their uterus and ovaries. The surprising result was that risk for ordinary lung cancer began to decrease as soon as exposure was stopped, but mesothelioma could remain latent for up to 40 years.

An organization dedicated to finding new treatments for mesothelioma sent out a request for proposal last March for any creative investigational ideas that might help advance the treatment of pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas. The current round of awards was to be given out in December, 2007, but they have not yet been posted. Watch the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation site for news.

Sample awards given a few years ago illustrate the types of projects the Foundation funds: An investigation into the feasibility and practicality of harnessing a patient’s own immune system to help fight tumors by triggering its response. Gene therapy to correct gene mutations caused by cancer cells, and molecular chemotherapy to direct therapeutic cells against tumor cells and leave healthier cells alone.