Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure, is usually a terminal diagnosis. Knowing how to survive mesothelioma means using best practices to extend life as much as possible: getting an early diagnosis and undergoing aggressive treatments. Not everyone will survive mesothelioma, but victims of asbestos exposure can find hope and inspiration in
One of the most valuable things in a mesothelioma patient’s life is time. Time to spend with family. Time to address their legacy. Time to do the things that they have long dreamed of doing. In the face of a terminal diagnosis, most find themselves frustrated by how much time they spend in the hospital
Mesothelioma patients who opt to seek alternative therapies for the treatment of their condition may end up losing their battle against the fatal disease even faster than they would have had they limited their treatment to the use of traditional therapies. According to a study published in the journal JAMA Oncology, the fault lies less with
Mesothelioma rates in Vietnam veterans are high because of decades of asbestos use by the U.S. military. Veterans exposed to asbestos during service, who later become ill, may file for VA benefits like disability compensation and health care. Asbestos Use in the Military The heaviest use of asbestos by the U.S. military was between the
hough it’s not exactly breaking news, a recently concluded Belgian study about mesothelioma survival goes a long way towards providing confidence for patients as they begin their treatment journey. The study, which was published this month in the scientific journal Lung Cancer by lead researcher Michael Rosskamp, confirms that the treatment protocol that provides the greatest
When it comes to being a mesothelioma survivor, Heather Von St. James is one of the most remarkable cases of all. The Atlanta native was recently profiled by one of her local news stations to mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and she told the story of having been diagnosed 13 years earlier with the rare
Immunotherapy represents one of the most promising new innovations in cancer treatment, with many people expressing optimism about the use of Keytruda and similar drugs, but for those researching treatments of malignant mesothelioma, initial reports have been less encouraging. Though headlines are being made about immunotherapy’s effectiveness in cancers like non-small cell lung cancer, lymphoma
Australia has the second highest rate of malignant mesothelioma in the world. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the most obvious is that between the 1950s and 1970s, it had the highest per capita rate of asbestos use in the world. Roughly 700 Australians die of the asbestos-related disease each year, yet
In an effort to understand why some malignant mesothelioma victims succumb so much faster than others, researchers from Curtin University in Australia have discovered that certain immune cells known as macrophages actually work against the body’s ability to fight off cancerous tumors in elderly laboratory animals. The group believes that the same dynamic is likely
The National Cancer Institute has just announced that it will be providing a $10.7 million grant to support research into an innovative treatment for malignant mesothelioma. The funding will go to the Translational Center of Excellence for Lung Cancer Immunology at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania so that researchers there can