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Slovenian Researchers Say Usefulness of Diagnostic Biomarker for Mesothelioma Varies
When mesothelioma takes hold in a patient’s body, one of the first things that occurs is a breakdown of proteins in the mesothelial membranes. When that happens, a peptide known as SMRP, which stands for soluble mesothelin-related peptides, is produced. Patients with mesothelioma and other illnesses have higher levels of SMRP in their bloodstream, and
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Covid Lockdowns and Masks May Benefit Mesothelioma Patients
COVID-19 presents a real danger for people who are immunocompromised and otherwise vulnerable, two categories that describe mesothelioma patients. People diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases are at significant risk because of the damage that has already been done to their lungs, and chemotherapy treatments may have diminished their bodies’ ability to protect itself against infections of
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New York Asbestos Litigation Judge Permits Mesothelioma Lawsuit to Move Forward
A mesothelioma lawsuit that saw a longtime employee of an air conditioner contractor sue the manufacturer of commercial cooling towers he worked on will be heard by a jury, despite the efforts of the defendant to stop the case in its tracks. When the case was originally filed by Charles Vincent against Baltimore Aircoil Company
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Pandemic Fears Deepen Mesothelioma Patients’ Struggles
The stress of a mesothelioma diagnosis is all consuming. Patients are suddenly confronted with a very real, very close mortality. They must make difficult, often heartbreaking decisions about their own course of treatment and about their family’s future. The realities of the disease have always been hard, but now – in the midst of a
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Mesothelioma Victims and Asbestos Companies Watching EPA on Asbestos Decision
Exposure to asbestos continues to wreak havoc on the lives of people around the world, causing malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other serious and fatal diseases. In the face of pressure from victims and asbestos companies alike, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering more than 75 comments regarding their Risk Evaluation for Asbestos.
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Renowned Mesothelioma Researcher Discusses Promise of Immuno-Oncology
Malignant pleural mesothelioma, the rare and fatal form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, continues to challenge scientists. Despite the dedication and persistence of researchers from around the world, the median survival time following chemotherapy treatment stubbornly remains at fifteen or sixteen months. But according to renowned cancer researcher Paul Baas, MD, PhD of
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COVID-19 Cases Having Significant Impact on Mesothelioma Litigation
When you think of all of the activities that have been halted or delayed by the global pandemic, it is unlikely that mesothelioma lawsuits are the first to jump into your mind. But like every other aspect of life, the scheduling of litigation was initially shut down and has now begun to reopen, and that
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New Blood Test May Detect Mesothelioma Years Before Symptoms Arise
It was developed in China and still a long way from being perfected, but a team of researchers say that they’ve developed a simple and quick blood test that can identify cancers like malignant mesothelioma years before patients begin to show symptoms. Early tests have confirmed that the tool – called PanSeer – correctly diagnosed 95%
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The Impact of COVID-19 on Mesothelioma Research
The global pandemic has had a profound impact on all of our lives, not least of these being the ability for malignant mesothelioma researchers to continue their work. With patients fearful of leaving their homes to come in for treatments or examinations and scientists seeing a shortage of funds (and feeling an obligation to participate
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Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to Fund Additional Studies
Though the nation and world are intensely focused on the COVID-19 crisis and finding effective treatments and vaccines, that in no way diminishes the need for continued attention to other challenging illnesses, including malignant mesothelioma. In recognition of the need for innovative new treatments, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation recently announced a continuation of its
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BASF and Law Firm Agree to $72.5 Million Settlement With Mesothelioma Victims and Others
After decades of fending off mesothelioma lawsuits by denying the presence of asbestos in its talc, BASF and its long-time law firm have agreed to a $72.5 million settlement to resolve claims that they’d hidden evidence that their talc products contained the carcinogenic material. The settlement will provide compensation to thousands of people harmed by
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Mesothelioma Symptoms Amid Coronavirus (Covid-19)
If you have symptoms you suspect may be malignant mesothelioma but are delaying diagnosis out of fear of COVID-19, you are not alone. Doctors around the world have seen patients cancelling appointments, delaying much-needed surgeries and even skipping life-extending chemotherapy sessions because they don’t want to risk exposure to the virus. Though doing so makes
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New Study Details the Challenge of Moving Mesothelioma Treatment from the Lab to the Clinic
When a mesothelioma patient is first given their diagnosis and the challenges of treating the disease are explained, physicians will point to its long latency, the advanced stage at which it is diagnosed, and its resistance to traditional cancer treatments. A recent study published in the journal Cancers goes into far greater detail reporting the frustration of
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Immigrant Barber’s Mesothelioma Lawsuit Against Talc Company Permitted to Proceed
Before he died of malignant mesothelioma, Vincent Luca recounted a history of exposure to asbestos that tracked his lifelong career as a barber. He and his family filed a lawsuit against Whittaker Clark and Daniels, the company that supplied talc for the Clubman talcum products that he used from 1961 until he retired in 2016,
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Spanish Lung Cancer Group Publishes Updated Summary of Mesothelioma Patient Outcomes
When it comes to cancer treatment and outcomes, every day seems to bring new innovations and improvements. But according to a recently published study from a respected research cooperative of Spanish oncologists, patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma continue to face steep challenges and grim overall survival times.
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New Zealand Scientists Warn of Mesothelioma Risk from Construction Projects
The city of Auckland in New Zealand is experiencing unprecedented economic expansion, but the new construction going on to accommodate that growth may be putting the population at risk for malignant mesothelioma. A recent article in the New Zealand Medical Journal has reported that the volcanic bedrock under the city contains erionite, an asbestos-like mineral that –
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Study Reveals That MRI Is Superior to CT at Assessing Peritoneal Mesothelioma’s Invasiveness
Patients diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma generally experience longer survival times than do those with malignant pleural mesothelioma, and much of the difference is attributable to the success of a surgical procedure called cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC, or Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. The procedure’s success is partially determined by how invasive the patient’s cancer is, and
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GPS for Cancer Could Aid Mesothelioma Research
The more researchers understand about how malignant mesothelioma gains a foothold and then spreads throughout the body, the better they will be able to treat it. That’s why specialists who treat the rare and fatal form of asbestos-related cancer are encouraged by news of a new technology they hope will allow them to track the
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More Than 100 Physicians Now Certified to Prescribe Tumor Treating Fields for Mesothelioma
In May of 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the NovoTTF-100L System for the treatment of unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. Just over one year later, Novocure, the device’s manufacturer, has announced that over 100 physicians from more than 50 different cancer centers across the United States are now certified to prescribe use of
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Physician with Mesothelioma Wins Legal Case Against UK’s National Health Service
A 44-year-old United Kingdom physician who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma two years ago has won her legal case against the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS). She charged the government agency with negligence in failing to protect her and other staff from asbestos.
