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Malignant Mesothelioma Claims 60-Year-Old Nebraska Woman’s Life
Malignant mesothelioma is a disease that is typically associated with older men who either worked in high-heat settings or who served in the military during World War II and the years afterward. This is because the rare and deadly form of cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos, the carcinogenic mineral once used to insulate
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International Radiology Experts Explore Potential for Proton Therapy in Mesothelioma Treatment
Most patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma are treated with a multi-modality protocol that combines surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Each modality’s use is adjusted based upon the specifics of the patient’s condition, and particular care is used with radiation because of its potential for damaging healthy tissue. But a collaborative group of radiology experts
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Appeals Court Upholds Mesothelioma Verdict Against Imerys Talc
It’s been nearly three years since a California jury awarded Richard Booker’s family $22 million in damages following his death from malignant mesothelioma. in the years since, one of the two companies named as defendants has worked to have that decision reversed. Despite Imerys Talc America’s multi-part appeal, the Court of Appeals of California confirmed the
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Judges Permit Expert Witness Testimony in Mesothelioma Lawsuit
When asbestos companies are found guilty of negligence in mesothelioma lawsuits, it costs them enormous amounts of money, so defendants go to great lengths to disprove what victims have to say. Since most cases rely on testimony from expert witnesses, asbestos companies frequently argue against allowing them to tell what they know. Fortunately, judges have
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Higher PD-L1 Expression Indicative of Worse Overall Survival in Mesothelioma
For patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, the over-arching question is always how much time they have left to them. Though physicians can never provide an exact number of days or months, researchers are identifying specific indicators that provide insight into which patients are likely to have better rates of survival and which will likely
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European Task Force Updates Mesothelioma Best Practices
The fight against malignant mesothelioma is being waged in hospitals all around the world, and steps forward taken by European physicians are watched closely in the United States. Recently, a task force of the most notable experts in the field published revised best practices for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. It is the first update
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Chemical Engineer’s $3 Million Mesothelioma Verdict Upheld by District Court
In 2018, chemical engineer Dr. James L. Gaddy was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, and shortly thereafter he filed suit against Ethyl Corporation and other defendants, accusing them of negligence in having exposed him to asbestos. A trial court agreed, assigning the companies $7.5 million in damages and attributing one-third of the financial responsibility to Ethyl.
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Study Confirms Benefits of Extended Pleurectomy Decortication for Patients with Mesothelioma
Though malignant pleural mesothelioma remains one of the most challenging types of cancer to treat, physicians continue to refine surgical approaches and improve patient outcomes. A recently conducted retrospective study has confirmed the benefits of extended pleurectomy decortication as a surgical approach in the treatment of the rare, asbestos-related disease, indicating that patients who opt
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Researcher Delivers Promising News on Immunotherapy Role in Mesothelioma
Immunotherapy represents real hope in the fight against malignant mesothelioma, as well as in other types of cancer. A presentation delivered at the 5th Annual International Congress on Immunotherapies in Cancer reinforced the sense of optimism, as a top researcher indicated improvements in the results being seen.
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Program Provides Financial Support for Mesothelioma Patients
A diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma changes everything. While its most immediate and important impact is the threat to health, it also affects the way that victims prioritize, how they move through their lives, and how they relate to those around them. All too often the important choices they make – including where to get treated
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Turkish Study Explores Chinese Herb’s Use in Treating Mesothelioma
In the face of a terminal illness, many patients seek alternative treatments, and this is as true for malignant mesothelioma as for any other type of intractable cancer. Some of the solutions being offered are little better than snake oil – witness the fruitless search for a miracle that actor Steve McQueen pursued when he
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Asbestos on Father’s Uniform Blamed for Mesothelioma Victim’s Illness
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, and in the vast majority of cases the people diagnosed with the disease had no idea they were at risk. This is especially the case for those exposed to asbestos carried into their homes by spouses or parents. An example of this tragic scenario was the subject of
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Asbestos Hidden in Cosmetics Continues to Pose Mesothelioma Risk
Malignant mesothelioma is traditionally associated with occupational exposures to asbestos in jobs involving high-heat environments. As asbestos use has diminished in those settings, there had been hope that the incidence of the rare asbestos-related disease would also fall. But recent findings point to concerning new trends regarding the use of talc, a mineral frequently found
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Concerning Side Effect Seen in Mesothelioma Patient Treated with Opdivo
The use of state-of-the-art medications holds tremendous hope for patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, but there are no sure things and no silver bullets. These new drugs have not been fully tested and can lead to deadly side effects. A recent report published by Australian researchers revealed that a patient treated with one of the
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Mesothelioma Research Team Identifies Features That Point to Greater Mortality Risk
Though malignant mesothelioma has a well-deserved reputation as a fatal form of cancer, some patients survive far longer than others, with some living decades beyond the time that their disease is diagnosed. Identifying the distinguishing factors that make patients more or less vulnerable to dying of the disease has long been a priority for researchers.
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18-Month Analysis Confirms Extended Survival for Mesothelioma Patients Treated with ONCOS-102
ONCOS-102 is a virus-based cancer therapy being developed by Targovax for the treatment of patients with solid tumors like malignant mesothelioma. The company has just released an 18-month status update on patients provided a combination of ONCOS-102 with chemotherapy, revealing that median Overall Survival will be at least 18.2 months for first-line patients compared to
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Appeals Court Upholds $14.6 Million Award in Repair Shop Owner’s Mesothelioma Claim
A California jury recently awarded $14.6 million to a woman who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma after years of asbestos exposure from brakes sold in the auto parts and repair shop she’d owned with her former husband. The verdict included $6 million in punitive damages meant to punish Parker-Hannifin Corporation and its successor Standard Motor
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Trait Found in Mesothelioma May Present Significant Target for New Cancer Treatment
Though malignant mesothelioma is a uniquely challenging form of cancer, it shares many traits with other cancers that scientists are investigating as therapeutic targets. Among these is a mutation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR, a pathway that controls metabolism. When this mutation is present it protects cancerous cells, but researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New
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Australian Man Awarded $250,000 For Mesothelioma Treatment
After extensive discussions, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government has decided to grant a 53-year-old man diagnosed with mesothelioma $250,000 to cover his medical expenses. His illness is being blamed on the asbestos-contaminated insulation used in many houses in Canberra before the territory was established as a self-governing entity. The payment is being called an
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Study Shows Benefits of Focal Radiation Therapy in Mesothelioma Treatment
Malignant mesothelioma is known for many things, including the fact that it is notably resistant to traditional cancer treatments. Researchers are constantly working to find effective means of slowing the asbestos-related cancer’s spread and delaying the need for aggressive surgeries or toxic systemic therapies. A new study published in the journal Lung Cancer indicates that the use
