Mesothelioma risk buried by Ottawa government, scientist alleges

Mesothelioma risk buried by Ottawa government, scientist alleges
Trevor Ogden is the British scientist who headed the Health Canada panel that studied the risk of mesothelioma and other cancers from Canadian chrysotile asbestos. Dr. Ogden says that the Ottawa government tried to suppress the panel’s report because it was a threat to the Canadian province’s asbestos industry. Canadian asbestos is exported to countries in the developing world, and the Ottawa government has spent almost $20 million in the last 25 years promoting its asbestos exports.

The expert panel was convened in late 2007, and the report was completed in March 2008. But it took more than a year for the report to become available—and even then, only through public information requests made by the media.

Health Canada has still not published the report on its website, as it generally does for scientific studies that are funded by the organization. It says that the delay has been necessary to fully review the report and discuss the findings with “other federal and provincial partners.”

The report confirms that chrysotile asbestos causes cancer—as has been generally accepted by health organizations around the globe. The report also discussed the frequently contamination of chrysotile asbestos with tremolite fibers, the same type of asbestos that contaminated the vermiculite ore in Libby, Montana and caused hundred of deaths there.

A British expert who oversaw a report on the dangers of the chrysotile variety of asbestos says he believes Ottawa tried to suppress his work to protect the Quebec industry that mines the cancer-causing mineral.

"I can only speculate, and my speculation is that there were interests in continuing Canadian production of chrysotile and they saw the report as a threat," Trevor Ogden, editor-in-chief of the Annals of Occupational Hygiene and a former top adviser to the British government on asbestos hazards, said in an interview.
Dr. Ogden headed an expert panel that Health Canada assembled in late 2007 to study the cancer risk of chrysotile. The report has been ready since March, 2008, but has been available only since last week after Access to Information Act requests from the media, including The Globe and Mail.

Health Canada isn't publishing the report on its website, the usual practice for scientific studies that it funds, but says anyone who asks for a copy will be given one.

Although the link between asbestos and cancer is accepted internationally, the saga of the report indicates just how sensitive the issue is within the federal government.

Canada and other developed countries use little asbestos, and many nations ban it because of the health and liability risk. Most of Quebec's production is exported to the developing world for use as an inexpensive additive to strengthen cement building products.

Ottawa has spent nearly $20-million since 1984 promoting the mineral abroad.

Health Canada said it delayed releasing the report because of the need to study it. "Health Canada took the time necessary to carefully review the findings of the report, and to consult with other federal and provincial partners," it said in a statement to The Globe.

The introduction to the report, written by Dr. Ogden, concludes that chrysotile shows "a strong relationship of exposure with lung cancer, but a much less certain relationship with mesothelioma," a cancer in the lining of the chest wall.

The report also concludes that chrysotile generally contains trace amounts of a more harmful variety of asbestos known as tremolite.

As well, the panel noted but couldn't explain why the results of two studies suggest that it is far more of a health hazard for people to work with asbestos than to mine it.

The studies showed that lung cancer risk in South Carolina textile workers who use asbestos was about 70 times greater than that of Quebec's miners, according to the report. Asbestos causes cancer when its fibres are inhaled.

In an interview, Leslie Stayner, an epidemiology professor at the University of Illinois who was on Health Canada's asbestos panel, said researchers do not know why the textile workers were at greater risk. He said one theory is that the longer asbestos fibres used to make textiles are more deadly.

Dr. Stayner says he would be reluctant to work with Health Canada again because he feels the government "violated" an understanding that the work would be published in a timely fashion on a government website.

Health Canada said in its statement that it "sought the advice of leading international scientists on the risks posed by chrysotile asbestos so that it could better understand the scientific debate. No other country has encouraged such a debate amongst scientists with widely varying opinions."

Health Canada isn't alone in having trouble handling the issue of asbestos.

Late last month, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff responded to a questioner at a town hall in Victoria about Canada's asbestos exports by saying the sales "of this dangerous product overseas has got to stop."

The remarks were recorded by the Tyee, the British Columbia-based online magazine.

"I'm probably walking right off the cliff into some unexpected public policy bog of which I'm unaware, but if asbestos is bad for parliamentarians in the Parliament of Canada, it just has to be bad for everybody else," he said.

But when he was later asked about the remark by reporters, he dropped the call for an end to exports.

Reference links

What Is Mesothelioma? | Health In Life

Mesothelioma Patient Sees Tumor Disappear with Integrative Medicine - Asbes..

Mesothelioma Lawyer News: Mesothelioma Cancer - University Seeks Asbestos..

mesothelioma » Blog Archive » What is Asbestos Cancer Mesoth..

Mesothelioma - A Brief Look At Mesothelioma Cancer | Health Journal Online

Staging Mesothelioma: Steps after a Diagnosis - Asbestos.com

citi credit » Blog Archive » Mesothelioma Law

You Are Protected Under The Mesothelioma Law | Cancer News Today

» Rare win for defense in mesothelioma case  

Mesothelioma Awareness: 2010 Designated as “The Year of the Lung” | Peo..

The Dilemma of Mesothelioma Victims – Tackling the Dreadful Asbestos ..

Mesothelioma News: Asbestos trial begins in Italy | Press Release

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Information

does cancer only occur in a heavily toxic body or can it occur in a health ..

Mesothelioma Treatment Options, San Diego Asbestos Attorneys | How Do Stock..

Asbestos & Mesothelioma: Association Calls for US to Ban Asbestos

Press Release: EIN News Launches New Mesothelioma, H1N1, Book Publishing..

Patients of Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Survival and Help | Official Class A..

Mesothelioma News: Leader in palliative cancer care for mesothelioma patien..

Mesothelioma Specialists around US

Find out if you’ve been exposed to asbestos at work

Find out if you’ve been exposed to asbestos at work

The mesothelioma attorneys of Weitz & Luxenberg would like to share the experience of a man who inquired about his legal options after having spent many years working in jobs that exposed him to asbestos. At the time he contacted the mesothelioma lawyers of Weitz & Luxenberg, he only had 68% lung capacity left.

In the 1970s, he worked as an auto repairman. Asbestos is frequently used in automobile parts such as brakes. This is because asbestos does not burn and is therefore suitable for use in friction products such as brakes. Mechanics who work with car brakes employ two procedures that can expose them to airborne asbestos fibers: Air-blowing brake wear debris, which frequently contains dusty chrysotile asbestos; and grinding and beveling new asbestos brake linings or pads, which can release asbestos fibers into the air.

Asbestos fibers are often not visible to the human eye. Thus, a mechanic working with asbestos containing brakes is at risk for inhaling asbestos fibers without even being aware of it. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers remain within the body and can cause serious diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer decades later.

Although asbestos is banned in new U.S. vehicles, globalization and outsourcing allow automobile components (formerly assembled inside the United States) to come from outside the United States, where asbestos regulations are lax or even non-existent. Thus, auto workers continue to be at high risk for asbestos exposure.

Good News for mesothelioma effected people

Good News for mesothelioma effected people
I have come through a beautiful site about mesothelioma.A place where you will get more details about the disease,treatment and more.
I accidentally went through this site and it kept me there for long searching most of its pages.They have the full information,yes they have.They will tell you the treatment and have other options for this disease like surgery and more.This is the best site i have ever seen online.

This site has got full information on mesothelioma lawyer which is bit difficult to get in other sites.They have a form to fill up so that you get a book in very short time to cure this disase.A best place to see.You wont regret it.This site has got a big list of mesothelioma lawyers for your service at any place in u.s.

This site will get you to mesothelioma attorney for the process.They have the best people to work with and its a great place.You will come to know that when you check this site.Iam really happy to see a site with all these informatio.

An easy to use site with out any complication makes this site more popular.Anyone can use this site with ease.If you want to know the latest news on mesothelioma then they have news place where you get the latest news on this disease.

A must to see site with all you need for a mesothelioma disease.

Treatments for Mesothelioma Under Investigation

Treatments for Mesothelioma Under Investigation

Researchers continually find ways to treat diseases that seem counter-intuitive to the rest of us. There are hundreds of clinical trials underway at any given time. Clinical trials are research programs that are approved for trial on humans. These trials are restricted to people who meet inclusion and exclusion criteria for that specific study. Clinical trials conducted through four trial phases, each involving a larger number of participants. The fourth phase is a post marketing study.

Several clinical trials are using gene therapy to stimulate immune responses in humans. One treatment in Phase I involves injecting a dose of a gene therapy involving a virus thymidine kinase into the intrapleural space (between the two pleural mesothelial membranes that line the lungs and ribcage) twice daily for 3 days. This treatment showed sufficient promise in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma to recommend it for Phase II testing. Several other gene therapy trials by different groups of researchers use variations of gene therapy with promising results. These trials involved patients with localized pleural mesothelioma.

A double-blind study in Phase II Trial will compare the results of administering the combination of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin with, and without Bevacizumab, a drug that inhibits the growth of blood vessels that can nourish new cancer cells in the hope that the tumor will shrink.

Pemetrexed combined with Cisplatin was compared to Cisplatin alone in a Phase III trial involving patients with metastatic pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The combination of both drugs with the addition of vitamin B12 and folic acid “resulted in superior survival time, time to progression, and response rates…” Adding the vitamins reduced toxicity.

Another study in Phase I involves Pemetrexed and Carboplatin in patients with MPM. During Phase I some of the patients experienced toxicity related to the dosage, however, 70% of the patients experienced improvement in their symptoms after only two courses of treatment. Time to progression was delayed 305 days (about ten months) and median survival time 451 days (about fifteen months.)

Photodynamic therapy is another approach that is currently being studied. Patients are pretreated with light-sensitive molecules that cause the cancer cells to become sensitive to light. During surgery, these cells are exposed to light of a specific wavelength. Though there have been positive results, this treatment also requires more study.

In comparison, the patients who qualified for these clinical trials had a life expectancy of six to nine months at the time they entered the trials. While there is still a long way to go, scientists are working to find the key to curing mesothelioma. In the past surgery was done as a palliative treatment.

Fifteen years ago researchers were hopeful that surgery combined with chemotherapy, radiation therapy would provide more significant results than each give separately. Today, therapy combining surgery with chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy and gene therapy are producing encouraging results.

You may be entitled to compensation if you have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma or asbestosis. Please visit the website of Parker, Dumler & Kiely, LLP, the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center: February 4, 2009 is World Cancer Day

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center: February 4, 2009 is World Cancer Day

The World Health Organization, along with other cancer-related groups, encourage people worldwide to donate to cancer research today

Syracuse, NY 2/04/2009 04:42 PM GMT (FINDITT)



According to the World Health Organization (WHO) at least 84 million individuals worldwide will lose their battle with some form of cancer by the year 2015. The number of people who die from cancer each year, according to WHO, could be far more than 14 million worldwide unless more funding is allocated to important cancer research.

WHO, along with the International Union Against Cancer, has named February 4th of each year as a day for world citizens to not only donate to cancer research, but also to educate themselves about cancer in general.

Here in the United States, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that approximately 1,437,180 people died from cancer in 2008. Florida, California, Texas, and New York had the highest number of cancer-related deaths in the nation, while Wyoming had the smallest number of related deaths. Despite these discouraging statistics, the ACS also reports that, as of 2004, there were an estimated 10.8 million cancer survivors living in our country. The encouraging survival rates are attributed to advances in cancer treatment methods and an increase in individuals who detected their cancer early.

Unfortunately, Americans who are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma cancer do not generally receive such encouraging information about their treatment and survival. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused exclusively by previous exposure to asbestos, does not have a cure. Almost all mesothelioma sufferers will lose their battle with this disease in less than two years following their diagnosis, and mesothelioma treatment methods are essentially a temporary means of controlling pain and symptoms associated with the disease.

Mesothelioma is not a problem limited to the United States, however. In India, for example, the rate of mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused diseases is incredibly high, and the number of individuals diagnosed with these illnesses continues to rise. India imports 43% of the world’s asbestos, almost exclusively from Canada, and the country has very loose asbestos safety regulations.

World Cancer Day is an ideal time for all citizens worldwide to take the time to educate themselves about different types of cancer and the risk factors associated with each. It is also a day to donate to cancer research. The options for donating are virtually endless. Those interested in donating to mesothelioma cancer-specific treatment research may wish to consider giving to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. For information about their organization, please visit their website at www.karmanos.org or send them an email at giving@karmanos.org.

What is Pleural Mesothelioma?

What is Pleural Mesothelioma?

Pleural Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is most often found in people who have, at some point during their lives been exposed to high levels of asbestos. Asbestos is a type of naturally occurring mineral that was, for many years mixed with cement, plaster and paint and used in the interiors of houses. It was used as it is highly resistant to heat and is surprisingly strong. Unfortunately asbestos is made up of thin fibres which have since been found to be highly toxic to humans when they get into the body and it is these fibres that can be breathed in and cause a large number of health problems.

Due to the way that asbestos acts once inside the body it is usually many years later that asbestos related Pleural Mesothelioma is noticed. Pleural Mesothelioma is normally diagnosed when there is a change in the thin layer of membranes that are in the chest. When this pleural lining thickens or starts to calcify it is known as pleural plaques. These plaques in themselves are not always a definite precursor to cancer but they can greatly affect the function of the lungs and they can signal the start of Pleural Mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma may begin in the pleura but it can soon radiate outwards to the abdomen, the heart and the outer wall of the chest. When this happens and a diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma is made the prognosis is not good and many patients with Pleural Mesothelioma are not expected to live much longer than 12 months or so. With this in mind it is critical that anyone who has had previous exposure to asbestos is regularly tested for any changes in the pleura as this is an early sign that Pleural Mesothelioma could be imminent. When Pleural Mesothelioma is suspected early enough the patient can be treated and this can help them to live much longer than someone who has been diagnosed with full blown Pleural Mesothelioma.

Some of the symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma are pain in the lower back, shortness of breath and pain towards the side of the chest. Some people may have problems when swallowing, have a cough that will not go away and in some cases a patient might even be coughing up blood. Some people also find that they start to lose weight quite rapidly once the disease sets in.

As the outlook for a person with Pleural Mesothelioma is not good as treatment can be quite limited due to the aggressive nature of the disease. If the disease is caught quickly enough surgery can help to remove the pleura that are affected and the patient will live for longer than someone with advanced Pleural Mesothelioma. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are also options that some doctors will use to further extend the life of their patient but this does need to be carefully considered. Painkillers are used to keep the patient as comfortable as possible and other complimentary therapies can be used.

The Mesothelioma Mess

Have you ever realized that with asbestos being used all around us, we might be inhaling a potential source of cancer 24/7? Occupational exposure to asbestos has been found to be associated with a life threatening disease called mesothelioma.


About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year.Themedguru explores the different aspects associated with malignant mesothelioma and its possible cure.

Explaining the Term Mesothelium

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects your internal organs. It also secretes a lubricating fluid that allows your organs to glide through adjacent structures. It is due to this membrane that your heart can breathe and lungs expand and contract, all at the same time.

The mesothelium is known by different names depending upon its location in the body. The mesothelial membrane covering most organs in the abdominal cavity is called peritoneum, while that covering the lungs and the walls of the chest cavity is called the pleura.

What Is Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma or simply mesothelioma is a type of cancerdefine that affects the mesothelium. When a person’s mesothelium gets malignant, it begins to grow uncontrollably, thus causing damage to the nearby organs. Cancer cells can also spread to the other parts of the body from its site of origin. Usually, mesothelioma originates in either the peritoneum or the pleura.

Role Played by Asbestos in Causing Mesothelioma

Asbestos is the culprit behind causing malignant mesothelioma. The first commercial use of asbestos began in the early 19th century. It was during World War II, when its commercial use increased by many folds. It was during this time that millions of commercial workers all over the world started being exposed to asbestos dust, grossly unaware of its ill effects and its potential of causing cancer.

The passage of time revealed the risks associated with asbestos when workers from asbestos mines, mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries and other trades people started developing certain common symptoms, which subsequently resulted into mesothelioma.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The problem with mesothelioma is that, after being exposed to asbestos dust it takes around 30 to 50 years for its symptoms to surface. The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include:
• weight loss
• abdominal paindefine
• swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomendefine
• bowel obstruction
• blood clotting abnormalities
• fever

The symptoms of pleura mesothelioma include shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura. If the mesothelioma spreads to the other parts of the body, its symptoms might include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

Detection of the Disease

The very fact that the symptoms of mesothelioma are quite similar to that of scores of other diseases, diagnosis of the disease becomes all the more difficult. Your doctor might be interested in knowing the history of the ailment and if an association with asbestos comes to the forefront, he might be required to carry out a thorough check up. The conformation of a malignant mesothelium can be made only through a biopsy.

If at all a biopsy confirms malignancy, the doctor would like to know how far it has spread which will also reveal the stage of cancer. Depending upon the stage, the doctor would like to advice a suitable treatment.

Mesothelioma Treatment

The treatment prescribed by a doctor would depend upon many factors such as the location of the cancer, stage of cancer, the patient’s age and his general health. The doctor might then select one or a combination of the following treatment options:
• Radiationdefine therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Surgery

In addition, your doc might also be required to drain out the fluid that has built up within your chest or abdominal cavity. For this, he could make use of a needle or a thin tube.

Prevention of Mesothelioma

In certain cases, the family members of asbestos workers have also developed the ailment, primarily due to the asbestos dust brought home through the clothes and hair of the workers. Today, it has been made mandatory for all workers to shower and change clothes before leaving for home. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also established strict limits for determining the maximum level of asbestos in a workplace. Those exposed to asbestos are also required to wear certain protective equipments to lower the risk of cancer.

Considering the fact that several asbestos manufacturing companies kept toying with their hazardous produce and floating it irresponsibly in the open market in spite of being fully aware of their potential risks, makes them criminals in the eyes of law. If you are also a victim of this selfish act, you have a right to approach the court of law and demand for compensation. Although the compensation will never be able to get back your lost health, it could be of help to you in more than one way….for sure.

Causes for mesothelioma cancer

The causes of mesothelioma have been under study for several decades. It is estimated that nine out of ten cases of mesothelioma are caused by exposure to asbestos, the mineral which was once widely used in construction materials, brake pad linings, and hundreds of other products found in everyday life. Other possible but as yet unproven causes of mesothelioma cancer are discussed below.

Genetic Mutation of Cells

According to the Mayo Clinic, the causes of mesothelioma can be traced to the genetic mutation that turns healthy cells into cancer cells. These abnormal cells multiply randomly and don't die as normal cells do. The accumulation of cancer cells forms a tumor, which can invade other body tissues and spread further through the body.

It's not yet known what causes the genetic mutation that leads to the cancer mesothelioma, and the interaction of several factors appears to affect its incidence:

· Inherited conditions
· A given individual's environment
· Overall health
· Lifestyle choices such as smoking

Asbestos Exposure Initiates Mutation

This genetic mutation can apparently be initiated when asbestos fibers lodge in the lungs or other internal organs. Some 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer each year in the United States alone. Nearly all of these unfortunate individuals have asbestos exposure in their history. However, a complete determination of the exact causes of mesothelioma is desirable and would be very helpful in the fight to find a cure for this devastating disease.
A Nationwide Study of the Causes of Mesothelioma

A large-scale research and clinical study with the purpose of finding out more about the causes of mesothelioma is being conducted in the United Kingdom. This "National Study of Occupation and Lung Diseases" is designed to more closely identify causes of mesothelioma among the thousands of victims in the UK, and the results will shed light on causes of mesothelioma in individuals all over the world.
Other Causes of Mesothelioma Cancer

In studies using animals, the Simian virus (SV40) was found to cause mesothelioma. Some polio vaccines given during the mid-1950s to the early 1960s were found to be contaminated with SV40, but no definitive link between SV40 and mesothelioma has been established.

In contrast, there are a handful of documented cases of mesothelioma in patients who underwent x-ray imaging that used thorium dioxide. These x-rays have not been in use for many years because of the link between thorium dioxide and cancer.

If you are concerned about the causes of mesothelioma in someone you know, contact mesothelioma treatment center for more information.

Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers

Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.


1.What is the mesothelium?

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.


2.What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.


3.How common is mesothelioma?

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.


4.What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.

Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.


5.Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma?

Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not known. However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.

The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.

There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.


6.What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.


7.How is mesothelioma diagnosed?

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful. A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.


8.How is mesothelioma treated?

Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.


Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.


Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).


Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).

To relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving symptoms.


9.Are new treatments for mesothelioma being studied?

Yes. Because mesothelioma is very hard to control, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring clinical trials (research studies with people) that are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments. Before any new treatment can be recommended for general use, doctors conduct clinical trials to find out whether the treatment is safe for patients and effective against the disease. Participation in clinical trials is an important treatment option for many patients with mesothelioma.

People interested in taking part in a clinical trial should talk with their doctor. Information about clinical trials is available from the Cancer Information Service (CIS) (see below) at 1–800–4–CANCER. Information specialists at the CIS use PDQ®, NCI's cancer information database, to identify and provide detailed information about specific ongoing clinical trials. Patients also have the option of searching for clinical trials on their own. The clinical trials page on the NCI's Cancer.gov Web site, located at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials on the Internet, provides general information about clinical trials and links to PDQ.

People considering clinical trials may be interested in the NCI booklet Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies. This booklet describes how research studies are carried out and explains their possible benefits and risks. The booklet is available by calling the CIS, or from the NCI Publications Locator Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/publications on the Internet.

Mesothelioma Treatment Gets Boost with New Diagnostic Test

Mesothelioma Treatment Gets Boost with New Diagnostic Test
Israeli-based MicroRNA company, Rosetta Genomics, has made a giant leap in cancer diagnosis by announcing the commercial availability of its third diagnostic test, miRview (TM) meso.

This breakthrough marks the first molecularly-based test that can accurately diagnose mesothelioma from other types of cancers found in the lung.

MicroRNAs are recently-discovered RNAs that consist of a chain of nucleotide units, each made of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar and a phosphate. Although similar to DNA, RNA is single-stranded, while DNA is double-stranded. MicroRNAs provide the ability to treat and diagnose a variety of human illnesses and conditions.

One of the most devastating types of asbestos-related disease is known as malignant mesothelioma, a fatal lung ailment that is directly linked to asbestos exposure. One of the most difficult tasks for physicians that treat mesothelioma is diagnosing the illness, making the test especially important to treating the disease at an early stage of development.

Diagnosis of the disease does not typically occur until the later stages of development have been reached, equating to a poor patient prognosis. Symptoms and warning signs of mesothelioma typically include shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss, resembling symptoms felt by other less serious conditions. Most individuals who develop mesothelioma contract the disease through occupational exposure where they inhaled airborne asbestos fibers were exposed to asbestos dust through other means while on the job.

Rosetta Genomics is one of the world’s leading developers of microRNA-based diagnostic tools that offer patients and physicians an objective method of identifying many types of cancer. The company believes that using microRNAs as biomarkers in the development of diagnostic tools will enable several advantages over other methods.

“Ruling out mesothelioma from lung cancer for individuals that were exposed to asbestos can be difficult and challenging,” noted Harvey Pass, MD, Division Chief for Thoracic Surgery and Oncology at the New York University Langone Medical Center.

The hope of early cancer detection for asbestos victims is to increase survival rates and address significant needs in the medical field for the next century. Rosetta Genomics’ efforts in leading the development of microRNA-based diagnostic tools will hopefully continue to advance future patient care and management.

“I am sure that this test will become an important tool for both oncologists and pathologists in obtaining the right diagnosis in these patients,” Pass said.

For more information on mesothelioma treatment, visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.