Can asbestos cause my type of lung cancer?

Can asbestos cause my type of lung cancer?

Asbestos can cause all types of lung cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure causes pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, bronchogenic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, non-small cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, oat cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. If you or a loved one has worked with or around asbestos and has been diagnosed with any form of lung cancer or mesothelioma, there is a strong possibility that asbestos contributed to causing the disease.

Cigarettes and Mesothelioma

Cigarettes and Mesothelioma

Cigarette smoking does not cause mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Even a brief exposure to asbestos can cause this terrible illness. Mesothelioma can come from exposure to asbestos that is as short as a summer job. We also represent spouses and family members who contracted mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos dust while washing their fathers' or husbands' clothes.

What if I smoked cigarettes?

What if I smoked cigarettes?

Many people who were exposed to asbestos and develop lung cancer are also smokers or former smokers. This does not mean that they do not have a potential asbestos case. If you smoked, have exposure to asbestos, and have lung cancer, physicians will likely tell you that your cancer was caused by both factors. Smoking has a multiplying effect on the risk of getting cancer from asbestos exposure. It is similar to the effect of mixing alcohol and sleeping pills; a deadly combination. Our firm has represented hundreds of smokers and former smokers in extremely successful lung cancer and mesothelioma asbestos cases.

Karmanos Researchers Identify Pathway for Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Karmanos Researchers Identify Pathway for Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Source: Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute today announced significant scientific findings that could lead to better treatment and therapies for cancer patients suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Karmanos scientists presented their research at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Los Angeles, CA.

“We are getting closer and closer to making an impact on this insidious disease,” said Anil Wali, Ph.D., an associate professor with Karmanos who led a group of cross-collaborative researchers in studying the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic (UPP) pathway regulatory proteins.

Their study demonstrated that protein ubiquitination and degradation are critical players in the spread of mesothelioma. After studying 241 genes involved in the UPP pathway, Wali’s group determined 33 genes were differentially expressed among epithelioid and biphasic histotypes.

“We have already reported earlier detection biomarkers that can be utilized in assessing the high risk groups of patients,” Dr. Wali said. “Now, if we can develop a therapy to target this pathway, we will be one step closer to halting this disease.”
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive, asbestos-related thoracic cancer affecting about 3,000 new patients in the United States annually. Despite advances in cancer treatment, the average survival rate remains low and the majority of patients die within two years of diagnosis. Currently there is no cure.

The Karmanos Cancer Institute has a long history of mesothelioma education and treatment. In 2004, the Institute joined with Wayne State University’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine to create the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos Related Cancers.

It addresses the need for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment for those afflicted with asbestos-related diseases. John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., president and chief executive officer of KCI, co-directs the center in conjunction with Michael R. Harbut, M.D., M.P.H., F.C.C.P., an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of environmental and workplace diseases. Dr. Ruckdeschel, an internationally recognized figure in both lung cancer research and treatment, contributed to the research and authorship of today’s presentation.

This study received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Alimta®/Platinum-compound Combination Confirmed Active in Mesothelioma

Alimta®/Platinum-compound Combination Confirmed Active in Mesothelioma

Source: National Foundation for Cancer Research

According to results recently presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the chemotherapy combination consisting of Alimta® (pemetrexed) plus a platinum compound (Platinol® [cisplatin] or Paraplatin® [carboplatin]) has been confirmed as an active therapeutic regimen in the treatment of patients with previously untreated malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesotheliomais a rare cancer that develops in the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior of the chest. It is often caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. The majority of patients are not diagnosed until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage; treatment with surgery or radiation is not an option at this stage. Patients with this disease often experience symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, pain, fatigue, and an inability to eat, which lessen their quality of life.

Mesothelioma is fairly resistant to most therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Therefore, finding a chemotherapy regimen or new therapeutic approaches that can improve quality of life or survival is essential for improving care for patients with this disease. Prior results have indicated that the chemotherapy combination consisting of Alimta plus a platinum compound provides significant anticancer activity in patients with newly diagnosed mesothelioma.

Researchers from Italy recently conducted a clinical trial further evaluating Alimta/Platinum compound in 745 patients with previously untreated mesothelioma. Patients in this trial were not eligible for surgery and were treated with Alimta plus Platinol or Alimta plus Paraplatin.

* At one year survival was approximately 64% for both treatment groups.
* The median time to cancer progression was approximately seven months for
both treatment groups.
* Overall anticancer responses were achieved in 26.3% of patients treated with
Alimta/Platinol and 21.6% for those treated with Alimta/Paraplatin.
* Severe low levels of blood cells occurred more frequently among patients
treated with Alimta/Platinol than those treated with Alimta/Paraplatin.

The researchers concluded that the combination of Alimta plus a platinum compound provides significant activity among patients with previously untreated mesothelioma. These results confirm earlier results providing the same information.

Patients with mesothelioma may wish to speak with their physician regarding their individual risks and benefits of treatment with Alimta and a platinum compound.

For more information, visit the National Foundation for Cancer Research at their web site www.nfcr.org.

Reference: Santoro A et al. Pemetrexed plus cisplatin or pemetrexed plus carboplatin for chemonaive patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: results for the international expanded access program. Proceedings from the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Abstract 7562.

Mesothelioma Research

Mesothelioma Research

Unfortunately, a diagnosis of mesothelioma has never carried much hope for the victim. Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that's rarely diagnosed until it's reached an advanced stage. Treatment options have been limited and the prognosis is usually grim.

Nonetheless, because there's been a rise in the disease and more doctors and research scientists are stepping up and taking notice of this dreaded illness, more research pioneers have jumped on the bandwagon in the search for better treatment and ultimately a cure for the disease.
Finding New Treatments

As more and more money begins to be spent on this disease which affects individuals from many countries throughout the world, new treatments are emerging all the time. Research allows doctors and scientists to better understand the design of the disease and researchers are eager to develop both new forms of common treatments as well as totally new treatment procedures. Good research and proper funding allows the opportunity to do both.

As these drugs or procedures are developed, they are tested in clinical trials by people who already have the disease. The success or non-success of the clinical trial will dictate whether or not the drug or procedure will be approved in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once the FDA issues an approval, the new treatment will be available to the general public, not just a hand-selected group of trial patients.
What's New in Research?

Chemotherapy - Chemo has always been the treatment of choice for mesothelioma patients, usually as a palliative measure to relieve symptoms and make the patient more comfortable. Strides in the field of chemotherapy vs. mesothelioma are promising. The most notable new drug is Alimta©. This drug, when combined with another long-used chemo drug called Cisplatin, is the only Food and Drug Administration approved agent designated for specific use in combating malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Another drug currently on the FDA's Fast Track system and awaiting imminent approval is Onconase©. Onconase is a first-in-class drug that has been shown to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells.

Anti-Angiogenesis drugs - As the name indicates, these drugs are designed to prevent angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the spreading of tumors, so researchers are searching for ways to halt the process in cancer patients. One anti-angiogenesis drug for the treatment of mesothelioma is currently being offered. It's called Avastin and it lowers the levels of a protein that prompts angiogenesis, therefore inhibiting cell growth.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy - Unlike standard radiation therapy, this new form of radiation is done in the interest of limiting the amount of radiation hitting the healthy tissue surrounded the area where the tumor is located.

Gene Therapy - Many researchers are taking a close look at gene therapy in regards to its success in treating a number of diseases, including mesothelioma. According to the American Cancer Society, this approach to treating mesothelioma uses special viruses that have been modified in the laboratory. The modified virus is injected into the pleural space and infects the mesothelioma cells. When this infection occurs, the virus injects a gene into the mesothelioma for interferon-beta, an immune system hormone (cytokine) that may help activate immune system cells to attack the cancer.
Becoming Part of a Clinical Trial

Most oncologists (cancer doctors), especially those that specialize in the treatment of mesothelioma, will most likely be aware of the clinical trials that are currently seeking patients who are fighting mesothelioma.

If you are a candidate, you should know that there are basically 4 types of clinical trials.
Treatment trials - these trials test new approaches to cancer treatment, be it a drug, radiation therapy, a multi-modal therapy, or a totally new treatment procedure.
Prevention trials - these trials test approaches to lowering the risk of developing a certain kind of cancer.
Screening trials - such trials test new ways to detect cancer, particularly in its early stages. These are important trials in the field of mesothelioma, which is usually diagnosed in its late stages.
Supportive care trials - these trials test ways to improve comfort and quality of life for cancer patients, often referred to as palliative treatments.

Patients can be involved in various phases of a trial.
Phase I helps determine how a new drug should be given and attempts to measure safe dosage. This phase generally involves only a handful of volunteers.
Phase II trials usually focus on one particular type of cancer and are used to test the safety of the drug and how well it works in combating a particular cancer.
Phase III trials test new drugs or treatments in comparison with the current standard. In a process called randomization, the participant will be assigned to the standard group or the new group. Phase III trials are the largest and may often involve doctors and hospitals throughout the country.

Your doctor can best determine if you are a candidate for any ongoing trials and will take the responsibility of submitting the proper paperwork for consideration. Don't be afraid to ask about new clinical trials or inquire about one of which you may be aware.

The Hidden Risks

The Hidden Risks

While most cases of mesothelioma involve men and women who were directly exposed to asbestos, more and more cases of second-hand exposure are coming to light. Family members of workers who brought asbestos home on their clothing have contracted the disease and are now wondering who's responsible.

In addition, communities where asbestos was mined or asbestos-products were produced are gradually discovering cases of mesothelioma among those who never had direct contact with the mineral or any products containing it. In the case of Libby, Montana, for instance, hundreds have already died of mesothelioma due to the fact that asbestos was mined there for many years.