For those who work in health advocacy, and particularly those who focus on asbestos-related diseases, news of loss and waste as a result of exposure to asbestos is nothing new. But a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) shocked even those who work with bad news every day. The report, which was published
For many patients suspected of having mesothelioma, confirming the diagnosis is complicated by their physical condition: Undergoing general anesthesia or conventional thoracoscopy is just too risky. Recently, Japanese researchers reported successfully diagnosing the rare form of cancer using pleural cryobiopsy under local anesthesia. This represents a valuable alternative and potentially quicker path to appropriate treatment.
Pressurized Intra-Peritoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) and Pressurized Intra-Thoracic Aerosol Chemotherapy (PITAC) are both innovative new techniques that deliver chemotherapy medications in the form of a pressurized mist that’s sprayed directly into the abdominal or chest cavity. These minimally invasive procedures have introduced new treatment options for patients diagnosed with peritoneal or pleural mesothelioma who have
A new study by physicians at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands is helping doctors better understand how scar tissue formed during mesothelioma treatment affects whether surgery is possible and how well it works. These findings could help doctors better choose the right patients for surgery and improve patient outcomes.
In what is a first in North America, Northern California’s Stanford Medicine has announced that thoracic surgeon Dr. Leah Backhus performed the first PITAC procedure for mesothelioma. The groundbreaking minimally invasive operation offers real hope for patients who are not candidates for more aggressive surgery.
Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive, most deadly forms of cancer, and researchers around the world have dedicated themselves to finding a way to improve outcomes for those impacted by this asbestos-related disease. Recently, the University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust announced that they will be conducting a
A new analysis revealing startling per capita asbestos consumption rates in Central Asia raises significant concerns about future mesothelioma diagnoses. The most impacted nations are Uzbekistan, which in 2023 was using 3.4 kilograms per person annually, and Tajikistan, where consumption was equivalent to 2.34 kilograms per capita in 2023. The dramatic increase in usage in
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy that has changed the way doctors treat mesothelioma. These drugs work by helping the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells that would otherwise go undetected. For patients with pleural mesothelioma that cannot be removed with surgery, immune checkpoint inhibitors have become a standard first-line treatment option
A just-released study from researchers at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has revealed an alarming trend of diagnoses in patients under age 50, particularly among younger women with no self-reported history of asbestos exposure. The study’s authors urge physicians to familiarize themselves with the symptoms of the rare form of cancer and consider
A family in the United Kingdom has secured a five-figure mesothelioma settlement following the death of their father, a longtime Ford production worker. The man died from the asbestos-related cancer months after being diagnosed, and his exposure was traced to asbestos-lagged pipes at Ford’s Dagenham and Basildon manufacturing facilities. He’d worked at the facility for