ASBESTOS TIPS - News, Resources and Information

Active Symptom Control for Mesothelioma Studied in Chemotherapy Treatment

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:56:22 -0500

Although mesothelioma cancer has no current cure, many medical professional believe that chemotherapy can be a successful treatment of symptom control of the condition, however, this continues to be debated, according to a study from The Lancet, a British Journal.Researchers studied patients all of which were suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma in different parts of the world. According to the study, patients received either an active symptom control treatment with one of two chemotherapy medications or just an active control treatment. "The active symptom control treatments included steroids, bronchodilators, analgesic medications and palliative radiotherapy," according to the study."Following the study, the patients with both treatment options were compared and, according to researchers, "the addition of chemotherapy to active symptom control presented no significant benefit or advances in survival rates or quality of life" among mesothelioma victims.Diagnosing ...

Lung Function Plaques and Asbestos Related Diseases

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:05:56 -0500

There has been a great deal of important research conducted examining the link between asbestos exposure in the workplace and disease development. One important study is called, "Asbestos-related pleural plaques and lung function" by L. Christine Oliver, MD, Ellen A. Eisen, ScD, Reginald Greene, MD, Nancy L. Sprince, MD - American Journal of Industrial Medicine - Volume Issue , Pages ' . Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - The present study examines the association between asbestos-related pleural plaques and lung function in a group of workers with occupational exposure to asbestos. Exposure, smoking, and respiratory histories, chest radiographs, flow-volume loops, and single breath DLCOs were obtained on railroad workers. A score based on the ILO- classification system was used to quantify the extent of plaquelike thickening. In order to eliminate potential confounders, we excluded from final analysis subjects with diffuse pleural thickening n ...

Clustering of Mesothelioma Cases and Asbestos Exposure

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:05:11 -0500

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can attack the membranes surrounding the heart, lungs and abdomen and lead to disease development. Mesothelioma alone causes the death of over , people each year. Identifying the links between this deadly disease and asbestos exposure are important and ongoing. One important study is called, "The epidermiologic relationship between pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure." by Nurminen M. - Scand J Work Environ Health. Jun;:-. Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - This paper describes an investigation of notifications of either probable or possible mesothelioma to the Finnish Cancer Registry from through . The investigation covers characteristic epidemiologic features and the possibility of the mesothelioma being connected with occupational or other exposure to asbestos. The incidence rate of pleural mesothelioma was estimated at . per million per year. The malefemale ratio was .:, which great...

Asbestos Fibers Disrupt Chromosome Behavior

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:33:02 -0500

The development of mesothelioma disease has been linked to asbestos exposure. One interesting study examining this relationship is called, "The Hygiene Standard for Chrysotile Asbestos" - The Lancet, Volume , Issue , Pages -. Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - Previous studies, including the analysis on which the current fibrescm hygiene standard is based, may have underestimated the risk of morbidity or mortality following exposure to low levels of asbestos dust. Accurate dose-response data at levels below fibrescm are unlikely to be available for the foreseeable future, and the biologically plausible assumption that excess cancer mortality is approximately proportional to dust level should be provisionally accepted. It may be reasonable, however, to postulate a safe threshold for mortality from asbestosis. If excess mortality from asbestos-related disease is proportional to dust level for each cause, approximately of male asbestos workers migh...

Malignant Mesothelioma Controversy Depends on Type of Asbestos Fiber

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:47 -0500

Few credible researchers deny the association between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. However, some hold to a theory that suggests the type of asbestos fiber can make a difference on disease development. One interesting study is called, "Asbestos fiber type in malignant Mesothelioma: An analytical scanning electron microscopic study of cases" by Victor L. Roggli, MD, Philip C. Pratt, MD, Arnold R. Brody, PhD - American Journal of Industrial Medicine Volume Issue , Pages ' . Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - Although the association between asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma is indisputable, controversy continues regarding the relative contribution of the various types of asbestos fibers to the development of mesothelioma. We examined the types of asbestos fibers recovered from lung parenchyma in more than cases of malignant mesothelioma from the United States, using an analytical scanning electron microscope. Almost half of the patients...

Asbestos Induced Diseases Include Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:08:09 -0500

The development of asbestos induced disease can vary depending on several critical factors. One interesting study that examines this issue is called, "Asbestos-induced phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor is linked to c-fos and apoptosis" by Christine L. Zanella, Cynthia R. Timblin, Andrew Cummins, Michael Jung, Jonathan Goldberg, Rachel Raabe, Thomas R. Tritton, and Brooke T. Mossman - Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol - Vol. , Issue , L-L, October . Here is an excerpt: "We examined the mechanisms of interaction of crocidolite asbestos fibers with the epidermal growth factor EGF receptor EGFR and the role of the EGFR-extracellular signal-regulated kinase ERK signaling pathway in early-response protooncogene c-fosc-jun expression and apoptosis induced by asbestos in rat pleural mesothelial RPM cells. Asbestos fibers, but not the nonfibrous analog riebeckite, abolished binding of EGF to the EGFR. This was not due to a direc...

High Concentrations of Amosite Asbestos Fibers Can Cause Disease

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:06:08 -0500

Exposure to hazardous asbestos fibers has been linked to several deadly diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. One interesting study is called, "Fiber burden and patterns of asbestos-related disease in workers with heavy mixed amosite and chrysotile exposure" by A Churg and S Vedal - Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. - Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Vol , No. , Sep , -. Here is an excerpt: "To attempt to determine the mineralogic factors that relate to the appearance of specific types of asbestos-related disease in workers with heavy mixed exposure to amphiboles and chrysotile, we analyzed the pulmonary asbestos fiber burden in a series of shipyard workers and insulators from the Pacific Northwest. Amosite was found in all lungs, and tremolite and chrysotile in most lungs, but the vast majority of fibers were amosite. Tremolite and chrysotile concentrations were significantly correlated, indicatin...

Lung Function in Men Exposed to Hazardous Asbestos and the Protective Effect of Beta Carotene

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:29:33 -0500

There is a substantial correlation between exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma, but what is less understood is the protective effect that beta carotene can have on loss of lung function. One interesting study is called that examines this issue is called, "The protective effect of beta-carotene and retinol on ventilatory function in an asbestos-exposed cohort" by P Chuwers, S Barnhart, P Blanc, CA Brodkin, M Cullen, T Kelly, J Keogh, G Omenn, J Williams and JR Balmes - Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco - - Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Vol , No. , , -. Here is an excerpt: "The association between serum beta-carotene or retinol concentration and level of ventilatory function was investigated in a population of asbestos-exposed men with a high rate of current and former cigarette smoking. The study population consisted of subjects enrolled in the pilot component of the Carotene and Retin...

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:36:11 -0500

Clinical trials, phases I through III, are experimental treatments that have not yet been proven to be effective enough to be accepted as standard treatment. In fact, they are done for the purpose of determining whether they are or are not effective, and of determining to what degree they are effective. Results from clinical trials are compared with other forms of treatment to determine the most effective treatments under varying conditions. Clinical trials types include: ' Prevention trials ' Screening trials ' Diagnostic trials ' Treatment trials ' Quality-of-life, or Supportive care trials ' Genetics studies What Kinds of Clinical Trials are Available for Mesothelioma Patients? Clinical trials for treatment of mesothelioma might be designed to find a new treatment, or to improve a standard one. They test new drugs, radiation therapy, vaccines, new methods of surgery, or new treatmen...