When you're dealing with a serious illness, like Mesothelioma, it’s natural to want to search for every legitimate possible treatment or therapy to fight the progression of the disease.
There is research going on all over the world to improve mesothelioma treatment. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, one recent trial recruiting participants is going on at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In this particular clinical trial, patients must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of epithelioid, sarcomatoid, or mixed-type malignant pleural mesothelioma that is not amenable to surgery.
As described on the website www.clinicaltrials.gov , a service of NIH, the purpose is to determine the rate of clinical benefit (i.e. rate of complete or partial response plus stable disease) at 16 weeks for patients with malignant mesothelioma treated with everolimus as second or third line therapy. [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
The clinical trial description also includes the following secondary measure, among others:
• To determine the response rate, time to progression and overall survival for patients with mesothelioma treated with everolimus. [ Time Frame: 2 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
If you or someone you know is dealing with the horrific effects of asbestos exposure, find out what your rights are to hold the manufacturers and users of asbestos responsible.
Contact us at 1-800-443-6353, or learn more about our mesothelioma practice at www.hendlerlaw.com .
The fight to develop better diagnostic tools for Mesothelioma lung cancer is in full swing as the numbers of cases the lung cancer related to asbestos exposure, continue to increase.
While rare, Mesothelioma is an intractable type of cancer. It can be difficult to diagnose and thus often not caught until the disease has reached a late—and very difficult to treat—stage. Mesothelioma progresses even faster and has an even lower survival rate than most other types of lung cancer. Doctors believe early detection is critical.
Doctors are beginning to realize how important it is to diagnose lesions in the lungs and surrounding areas before they become cancerous. (see Pleurisy symptoms) The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that defining and detecting such preneoplastic lesions might well help improve survival times for mesothelioma and all lung cancer patients.
To understand preneoplastic lesions, it helps to study how the body reacts in the process of developing lung cancer. Medical knowledge so far indicates that cancer begins and continues as a series of genetic mutations—unusual, and in this case, negative changes in a person’s genes. Preneoplastic lesions, because they show up before cells become tumors, may provide a good model for researchers to study the different steps as normal tissue progress to becoming malignant. This type of research for lung tissue is in early stages.
So, as researchers continue to seek and identify new molecular targets in Pleural Mesothelioma, the hope is that they will be able to develop more effective Mesothelioma treatment.
For more than 40 years the U.S. government used many different asbestos-containing products in its military vehicles and facilities. If you served in the military anytime up until about 1975, you may want to keep a close watch on your health. Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma lung cancer (pleural mesothelioma). It can also invade the lining of the abdomen (peritoneal).
According to the veterans’ website for the state of Massachusetts, the statistics are dramatic. Nearly one-third of those who develop malignant mesothelioma are veterans. And veterans who served in the Navy have an ever higher risk of asbestos-related diseases:
“…sailors and shipyard workers account for 26 percent of mesothelioma cases, 16 percent of asbestos-related lung cancer, and 13 percent of serious respiratory diseases.”
In an earlier post we wrote about the increasing incidence of lung and respiratory diseases among soldiers returning from Iraq. It’s now apparent that our soldiers are regularly put in harm’s way from their occupation in ways that go beyond bullets and bombs.
If you served in the military and received a mesothelioma diagnosis, make sure to take advantage of every veterans’ benefit the U.S. government offers. Once you've chosen your care team to treat your mesothelioma, call us to discuss the possibility of filing an asbestos lawsuit. At this point, your health is endangered, but we are experts in mesothelioma litigation and you may be able to recover compensation that can help you and your loved ones get through this extreme situation.
A Baltimore city jury recently awarded more than $20 million to a woman who contracted mesothelioma lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos during the late 1960s.
Jocelyn Farrar, a 57-year-old nursing professor at the University of Maryland, believes she developed malignant mesothelioma after experiencing secondary asbestos exposure from washing her grandfather’s work clothes as a teenager.
Farrar’s grandfather, worked with asbestos-containing insulation on a regular basis and likely carried home asbestos on his clothes. While doing laundry, Farrar inhaled asbestos fibers which later became lodged in the lining of her lungs.
Asbestos exposure, the primary cause of mesothelioma, can occur by either inhaling or ingesting microscopic asbestos fibers. If inhaled, the likely result is pleural mesothelioma. Ingested asbestos fibers are more likely to cause peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the abdomen.
(Find out more about the symptoms of mesothelioma)
The severe latency period associated with mesothelioma symptoms is what makes this cancer so dangerous. In most cases, symptoms do not arise until the tumor has reached the advanced stages of development, resulting in a late diagnosis and a very poor prognosis for patients. Farrar was diagnosed about 40 years after her initial exposure to asbestos.
Farrar’s grandfather worked with asbestos-laden insulation made by Georgia-Pacific Corporation. Since her diagnosis, Farrar has undergone surgery that removed part of her lung.
The mineral asbestos was incorporated in a wide variety of manufacturing and construction products throughout the 20th century. Those who suspect they have been exposed to asbestos should receive regular checkups with a qualified physician for signs of an asbestos-related condition.
The U.S. government is putting some serious money into mesothelioma treatment research, looking for ways to combat this rare but devastating disease. Through the Department of Defense, the government has awarded $2.5 million dollars for clinical trials, $750,000 for individual investigator-initiated research, and $2 million for developing medical technology/therapeutic applications, according to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation website.
What is Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma is the cancer, usually caused by asbestos exposure that thousands of people, including significant numbers of military personnel are developing and dying from. At a time when the number of cases is still rising, mesothelioma research and testing deserves all the funding and support it can get.
Because the disease is so deadly and moves so quickly, patients are usually told not to expect to live more than two years after diagnosis—some much less. But researchers have been making strides in trying to find ways to detect the disease earlier, when it may not be so resistant to treatment. They’re also working on finding better ways to treat it once it’s been identified, since typical mesothelioma treatments—surgery and chemotherapy, the same as for all types of lung cancers—haven’t been very successful.
If you’ve been given a mesothelioma diagnosis, you have many obstacles to overcome. And in the battle against this aggressive disease, you’ll want allies on your side—emotionally, medically and legally. Once you have found the right doctors and have begun the process of treatment, you may want to find out about your legal rights. We have helped many mesothelioma patients and their families seek compensation for their suffering. We can answer questions about the legal process and guide you even as you are living with mesothelioma. And of course, there is no charge for our assistance. We charge fees only if we win an award for you. Call us, day or night, at 800.443.6353.
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