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.