Mesothelioma Stories - Bonnie Anderson Shares Mesothelioma Symptoms And Her Harrowing Experience

Here's the touching story of Bonnie Anderson, a peritoneal mesothelioma patient who survived the condition for 10 years now. This short documentary gives us an insight on what mesothelioma patients undergo through when they found out that they have mesothelioma symptoms and that they are positive of this rare case of cancer. Let's watch Bonnie as she talks about the mesothelioma symptoms that she experience, the diagnosis, the treatment and the hardship that she and her family has gone through until she survived the most painful chapter of her life.

Importance of Early Diagnosis of Mesothelioma Spurs Research for Better Blood Test

It’s very important to diagnose malignant pleural mesothelioma at the onset of the stage if patients want only the best outcome. And to hasten the benefits of early-stage mesothelioma diagnosis, researchers are working hard to come up with a reliable yet non-invasive procedures to identify the existence of mesothelioma symptoms.

An article published in the BMC Cancer journal reports of a Japan-based research which assessed the the “usefulness of the blood protein HMGB1 as a prognostic marker for mesothelioma,” reports AboutMesothelioma.net.

The research employed 106 participants who were exposed to asbestos at a certain point of their lives. After examining their blood samples, 61 individuals were found positive of malignant pleural mesothelioma, while 45 were diagnosed with non-malignant asbestos-related disease, including asbestosis, which is the scarring of the lungs.

Verastem's VS-6063 gets orphan drug status

Hope seems to be on its way to mesothelioma patients. Good news because the European Commission has just granted Verastem, Inc.’s VS-6063 the orphan status.

According to News-Medical.net, Verastem, Inc., has been working hard to discover and develop drugs that will treat cancer aiming at cancer stem cells.  

VS-6063’s orphan designation only serves to encourage the development of the drug, which will provide benefit to patients with mesothelioma cancer, as well as other diseases.

The drug-maker wants to begin “the randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of VS-6063 in mesothelioma” within this year.

"We are pleased that the EMA recognizes the significant unmet medical need in mesothelioma," said Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., Verastem Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This orphan drug designation provides us with a number of benefits in the development of VS-6063."

Radioactive Lead May Treat Cancer including Mesothelioma

Radioactive lead may treat cancer. This is if researchers at Areva Med in France succeeds in their experiment as they try to explore this procedure as a more effective treatment to cancers, including ovarian, gastric, pancreatic, cancers, especially the most dreaded of them all, mesothelioma cancers.

Areva’s research, as noted by AFP, features the use of the Pb212 isotope in fighting against antagonistic cancers. However, this isotope can be found only in very rare metals, like thorium. Only very few countries have stocks of this radioactive metal.

The study began in 2003, when researchers decided extracting the isotope when they had hints that this rare element is indeed effective in cancer treatment. When they saw signs of promise, Areva opened a medical affiliate in U.S. in 2009, continually working with the Pb212 in the U.S.

In 2011, together with physicians at the University of Alabama, Areva Med started the first phase of the clinical trial using radioimmunotherapy. The first of the 18 test patients started with therapy in April 2012. Areva Med chief Patrick Bourdet noted that the trial has been going well. If the progress goes on, Areva believes that their findings could be of long-term use.

Mother Of Three Dies Of Mesothelioma After Hugging Her Father When She Was A Child

Debbie Brewer, the mother-of-three who died of mesothelioma because
she hugged her father when she was a child.
Image credit: SWNS.com/Mail Online

Debbie Brewer spent seven years fighting mesothelioma cancer after contracting the disease by frequently hugging his father as a child, reports Mail Online.

Her father, Philip Northmore, worked as a lagger scraping asbestos from pipes at the British Royal Navy’s dockyard in Davenport. Northmore himself died of asbestos-related lung illness in 2006, the same year that his daughter was diagnoses with the long-dormant illness.

Mail Online reports that Northmore would come home every day from the dockyard virtually covered by asbestos. Debbie would rush to her father to give him a welcome hug, unknowingly killing herself in the long run.

In 2007, Debbie was awarded a six-figure sum by the Ministry of Defence who operated the dockyard after the agency admitted liability.

Volunteers Warned Against Mesothelioma Risk in Oklahoma

Oklahoma volunteers may be at risk from asbestos exposure. 

Volunteers from all over the country continue to head to storm-ravaged Oklahoma for the cleanup effort. But while their hard work and passion to helping others are hailed, they are however, warned against the threat of mesothelioma cancer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a lot of damaged homes and buildings in Moore, Oklahoma have been found to be exposed to different toxins. That includes asbestos, the number one cause of malignant mesothelioma.

While asbestos has long been phased out as among the construction materials, it is still present in large quantities in insulation, caulk and joint compound, floor and ceiling tiles, and shingles of old houses and buildings. In fact, a lot of establishments damaged by the hurricane are those that had been built between the late 50s and 1970s. This was the time when asbestos was the leading construction material. Although asbestos may not pose harm when buildings were intact, the risk, however, comes for anyone who unintentionally comes in contact with the hazardous material.

Early Stage Mesothelioma Symptoms You Should Watch Out

Mesothelioma cancer is a disease attributed to exposure to asbestos. It affects the mesothelium, the protective layer that covers some vital internal organs on the body. Early mesothelioma symptoms can be very elusive that victims tend to ignore them or feel that these symptoms do not need any medical attention. Oftentimes, these symptoms do not even manifest until the disease is already in a severe condition, and that medication is already too late to contain or cure mesothelioma.

Early Stage Mesothelioma Symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma cancer often manifest fifteen to twenty years after the victims’ exposure tot asbestos, and these symptoms vary. What are the factors of these variations? Well, for one the severity of the condition is a great factor; other factors include the immunity of the person to the condition and, of course, the anatomical area of the body where mesothelioma developed.

Mesothelioma Symptoms May Benefit from Tuberculosis Drugs

A person with mesothelioma may manifest pleural effusion, considered as one of the most excruciating and event life-limiting mesothelioma symptoms. Pleural effusion occurs with the excessive supply of fluid in the pleural space surrounding the lungs. This usually manifests in later stages of mesothelioma, although this may also afflict patients with other types of cancer.

This mesothelioma symptom restricts breathing and may even prove painful. In fact, effusion is considered one of the most common factors why late-stage mesothelioma patients have difficulty taking a full breath. Most of the time, they may even complain chest pain and fatigue.

Pleural effusion may be remedied by draining the fluid in two ways. One is thoracentesis, while the other is chemically absorbing pleura through pleurodesis. However, these treatments are not only agonizing but they don’t really guarantee complete  recovery for the patient.

Determining Factors in Mesothelioma Compensation

Mesothelioma cancer is a kind of cancer that is characterized by the thickening of the mesothelium (the membrane that forms the lining of several body cavities). It develops on different anatomical sites of the body, and among the most common are pleural, peritoneal, pericardial, and testicular mesothelioma. The cause of this disease has always been attributed to asbestos exposure, which has also different reasons. There are also different ways how a person can be exposed to asbestos, but the most common reasons are occupational and residential exposures. People who work or live in places where asbestos is abundant are at higher risks in developing mesothelioma.

However, regardless of the reasons, some people are able to file compensation lawsuits against companies that are responsible for their asbestos exposure when they have already been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Asbestos is highly regarded as a health hazard, and companies distributing such materials (health hazards) are liable for the damages they cause. However still, not all who filed such lawsuits were compensated. Why? Because there are serious factors that are being considered before a decision for compensation is made. Here are some of them.

Australian Government to invest more than $10.5M for asbestos safety

In response to the rising cases of mesothelioma, the Australian Government is set to invest more than $10.5 million to mobilize a national campaign in an effort to protect everyone from asbestos-related diseases, revealed Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten last Tuesday.

In an interview, Shortin said, “Asbestos is a cruel, indiscriminate killer, and because of its widespread use over much of the 20th century, it remains a persistent threat to Australians.”

The aggressive campaign against mesothelioma cancer was launched after more 600 Australians died from mesothelioma in  2010. “For every death attributed to mesothelioma, it’s estimated two further people die from lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos,” Shortin explained.

“Over the next 20 years, up to 40,000 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. There are children not yet born who’ll die of an asbestos-related disease,” he added.

What to do when you have mesothelioma: empowering patients through acceptance, faith and love

The doctor’s been brutally honest about telling you that you have mesothelioma and that chances are, you may not live that long. Ouch. It’s like you’ve been stabbed at the back. Not once. Not twice. But many times over. A hundred times maybe. But you didn’t bleed to death. You’re still there. In front of Doc. Still sitting on the chair and staring blankly at the realization that your days are numbered. Yes, knowing you are positive of mesothelioma ushers that feeling of fear and hatred. You may ask God, why you? You may curse at the decisions you’ve made in your life. You might even curse the doctor and demand another test. Or you might totally decide to see another doctor for second opinion. And there’s the second opinion. You are positive with mesothelioma. Another slap on your already battered soul.

You have mesothelioma.

But after all has been said and done, it will help you a lot to gather the pieces of yourself and start to move on with life. Much to your desire to deny that you have that illness, sooner or later, you’ll have to accept the fact that you have it. Indeed, denial can only serve to hasten the pain.

Right nutrition helps fight mesothelioma cancer

The National Cancer Institute can reveal that more thanone-third of all cancer  cases, including mesothelioma, are caused by poor nutrition. In fact, dozens of studies have been conducted to determine what food can best fight and prevent cancer, and that includes mesothelioma. Berries, leafy vegetables and flaxseed oil rank among the top healthy suggestions that anyone should consume for a cancer-free life.

Berries

For being a host of so many vitamins and minerals, berries have earned the moniker as the ‘super food.’ In fact, berries are among the fruits that contain the contain the most antioxidants and supply the most phytochemicals that do so much to prevent the development of cancer. Berries also contain immune-boosting nutrients, like fiber and vitamin C. If you want to get the best benefits that berries have to offer, eat them raw and fresh, instead of opting for the processed berries or drinks made from berries to ensure that you get the healing effects of phytonutrients. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, cranberries are among the most popular healthy berries.

University study finds link between cancer, taconite mining

Minnesota Daily reports that taconite miners are highly atrisk of developing mesothelioma cancer.

In 2008, the Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study was launched to look the work-related risks that could affect the health of the workers. The $4.9 million-study can reveal that miners actually have a 3 percent risk of contracting the rare lung cancer for every year spent at work.

"This is a landmark study for Minnesota and the Iron Range," revealed School of Public Health dean John Finnegan. "Our goal was to begin to answer questions around how mining and taconite processing have impacted the health of Minnesotans. These studies have started to uncover those answers."

However, the results from the study cannot link the dust from taconite operations into contracting mesothelioma.

"Regardless of whatever is going on with our research, you can't wait around until our results come back," Mandel said in a radio interview.

Stem Cells from fat tissue may help treat mesothelioma

Human fat could be used to “to create cancer-fighting cells.,” reports Mesothelioma Help.

A study at John Hopkins University was conducted to come up with an advanced treatment that could fight glioblastoma, one of the most common types of brain tumor, in the hopes of reaching the “difficult-to-reach parts of the brain where cancer cells can hide and proliferate anew.”

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), explains that “stem cells are the foundation cells for our bodies.”  Stem cells have been proven and tested helpful in the field of cancer research because of their natural capacity to self-renew, that is, they can multiply to generate more stem cells. Stem cells also have the capacity to differentiate (transform into mature, specialized cells that replenish tissues and organs). Earlier researches have been conducted to prove that there are certain cancer stem cells that trigger cancer growth because of their ability to renew and multiply.

Mesothelioma chemotherapy tested in Japan

The theory that high levels of chemotherapy performed before other types of anti-cancer treatments are the precursor to a successful mesothelioma surgery is now under study in Japan.

Induction chemotherapy involves the administration of very high levels of chemotherapy drugs to serve as front-line cancer treatment eliminate as much cancer cells up front. This is expected to minimize if not immediately eliminate the need for more chemotherapy sessions or other types of treatment, reports Surviving Mesothelioma: A Patient’s Guide. 

Mesothelioma cancer can be very nasty that a mere chemotherapy cannot immediately destroy the cancer cells. However, Japanese researchers hypothesized that while it cannot totally eliminate the cell, this form of treatment can, in one way or another, weaken their resistance, thereby improve surgical outcomes.

New mesothelioma treatment to combat chemo-resistance to cisplatin

Chemotherapy is one of the most common types of treatment that fights the symptoms and avert the development of the mesothelioma cancer, as well as other types of cancer. However, most of the time, the tumors tend to fight off the effects of the drugs, thus, treatment becomes of no use at all. A recent study, however, can reveal the reason why cancer cells tend to resist cisplatin, a common chemotherapeutic agent. This finding can be very helpful in devising a brand-new treatment strategy not only for mesothelioma, but also for other types of cancers, that seemingly resist treatments.

Cisplatin is used together with other chemotherapy agents following surgery to slow down, if not prevent, the growth of the cancer, as well as to alleviate mesothelioma symptoms. However, Guido Kroemer, M.D., Ph.D., professor at University Paris Descartes in Paris, France reveals that a lot of patients would respond transiently to cisplatin therapy.

“Cancer cells develop ways to resist the effects of the drug,” he reveals

Estrogen and its impact on mesothelioma

A recently concluded research in New South Wales, Australia can reveal the hormones may impact survival differences in men and women diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

The sex hormone estradiol is produced by the ovaries and the adrenal gland in women. It is an active metabolic product of testosterone (although in much lower levels) in men. Estradiol, considered the most important estrogen in the body, it was revealed, is linked in cellular propagation of different cancers via estrogen receptors.

One type of cancer that may be triggered by estrogen is the peritoneal mesothelioma, a type of cancer that spreads throughout the thin lining of the abdomen. The Australian researchers underwent immunohistochemical testing to assess estrogen receptors in 42 patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma.

It was revealed that thirty-three patients contain specific type of estrogen receptor (ER-â) in the cell nucleus. Nine patients revealed cellular cytoplasm with ER-â, a gel-like substance located in the cells, between the cell wall and the nucleus.

What is Pleural Effusion?

A lot of people think that pleural effusion is a type of disease. No. it’s not. It’s actually a complication caused by a disorder. Pleural mesothelioma is one of the reasons why a person manifests pleural effusion. Heart failure, pneumonia, pulmonary embolus, tuberculosis, and malignancies or tumors also trigger the occurrence of this condition.

Among the manifestations of pleural effusion include shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, cough, or hiccups. Pleural effusion occurs when fluid accumulate around the lungs. Also known as visceral and parietal pleura, these membranes wrap and protect the lungs. They also lubricate to allow them to function properly. They exist with other organs also. However, their functions are threatened if fluid accumulates in these layers of tissue, lining the lungs and chest cavity. Thus occur malignant pleural mesothelioma, the cancer that hits the lining of the lung after mild or excessive exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelin May Play Multiple Roles in Spread of Mesothelioma, Other Cancers

Mesothelin, a type of protein present on the surface of some cells in the human body, can trigger mesothelioma and other types of cancer, including ovarian, pancreatic and abdominal cancers. Given of the vague biological purpose of this protein, it occurs that  it is excessively present in certain types of cancer cells that doctors would look to it for warning signs.

Cancer experts are assessing the part of mesothelin in hastening the occurrence of cancer, as well as, its “potential usefulness” as a signal of cancer for doctors who are trying to diagnose a patient’s disease, reports AboutMesothelioma.net.

While treatments are available for mesothelioma patients, still, no known cure has been invented as of yet. In the U.S. alone, around 3,000 people are found to be suffering from malignant mesothelioma. That’s on a yearly basis. The main cause is asbestos exposure at a workplace or during military service.

Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (EPP) reduces pulmonary function of mesothelioma patients

The Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals can reveal that patients who opt for pleural/decortication (P/D) has more chances of enjoying a more comfortable life compared to patients who undergo extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP).

Pleural mesothelioma originates from the skinny lining that wraps the lungs. Since it is very near the lungs, there is a high probability that pleural mesothelioma will eventually extend to the lung itself, thus, undermining the latter’s function. In the long run, the diseased mesothelium eventually thickens and hardens, thus, preventing the lungs’ expansion every time a patient breathes.

Pleurectomy/decortication and extrapleural pneumonectomy are the two major types of surgical treatments offered to mesothelioma patients. However, the medical community is divided as to which of the two offers better relief to the patients. While both operations are invasive in nature and aim to eliminate diseased pleural tissue, studies show that only extrapleural pneumonectomy can remove the diseased lung, the lymph nodes, parts of the covering of the heart (pericardium) and part if not all of the diaphragm, too.

Clinical trials essential in fighting mesothelioma

Clinical trials helpful in fighting mesothelioma

The National Institutes of Health reveals that clinical trial is essential for a patient’s medical advances. “Clinical trials serve to uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose and understand human disease,” reports Mesothelioma Help. But what’s even better is that getting cleaning trials at the onset of mesothelioma cancer will do so much to help researchers obtain the necessary information information needed to push through with their studies in providing cure to this seemingly incurable disease.

MIT develops breakthrough cancer detection and diagnosis

MIT develops breakthrough cancer detection and diagnosis.

Another breakthrough is cancer detection and mesothelioma diagnosis has been developed, albeit in its infancy stage, by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This biomarker amplification system “could become a major breakthrough for early detection of cancers like mesothelioma,” reports Asbestos.com.