The Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) has served the Libby, Montana community for more than 20 years, providing advocacy and care for patients diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. But the clinic will close its doors at the end of August after its federal grant funding was not renewed. This closes a chapter
Dr. Leah Backhus is a nationally recognized thoracic surgical oncologist at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California, and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Her particular focus is on thoracic oncology, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. She holds the distinction of having
A redevelopment firm that knowingly exposed workers to the risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis has been ordered to pay a $500,000 criminal fine and to serve two years of probation. Applied Partners LLC, admitted to starting demolition work at a former automotive plant in Saginaw, Michigan, without first completing asbestos remediation. The federal
According to a study published in The Lancet Oncology, physicians and researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute have developed an Artificial Intelligence model that outperforms human doctors in evaluating treatment response in pleural mesothelioma. This breakthrough means that disease progression can be detected five weeks earlier than the currently used criteria. It will offer patients
All too often, traditional mesothelioma treatments fail to provide the hoped-for benefit, leaving patients with limited options. But according to results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago, a new triple-action cancer injection under development may offer new hope. The drug, called amivantamab, has produced what researchers described as “unprecedentedly
A new study published in JAMA Network Open gives hope that a specific class of cholesterol-lowering drugs may boost the effectiveness of immunotherapy in ways that could benefit mesothelioma patients. Researchers found that patients with certain cancers treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors—the same class of drugs FDA-approved for mesothelioma—who also took PCSK9 inhibitors had a
Mesothelioma surgery is one of the most demanding procedures in thoracic oncology, and that’s why the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol is so important for those diagnosed with this rare, asbestos-related disease. ERAS is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based framework for patient care designed to minimize the physical stress of major surgery, to reduce complications, and
Despite opposition from mesothelioma and asbestos injury claimants, a U.S. bankruptcy judge has granted recognition of Canadian company Asbestos Corp. Ltd.’s bankruptcy filing. The victims of exposure to the Quebec asbestos mining company’s products argued that allowing the foreign case to move forward would deprive them of due process and a fair hearing. The company
A major international study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology reveals that specific genetic mutations in mesothelioma tumors significantly influence patient survival and, when combined with traditional staging, can improve the accuracy of survival predictions. This new information may impact how doctors predict outcomes and create treatment plans for the rare, asbestos-related cancer.
The University of Chicago is conducting a clinical trial testing whether partial pleurectomy and decortication can help relieve symptoms for mesothelioma patients whose cancer can’t be completely removed. If the results are positive, it will offer significantly improved quality of life, even when the rare, asbestos-related cancer is too advanced or inaccessible for curative surgery.