A new study could lead to ways to extend the lives of patients with a lethal form of lung cancer.
A study by researchers at New York University School of Medicine and Wayne State University published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine, finds a molecule that reveals the early stages of pleural mesothelioma, a chest cancer caused by asbestos.
”It’s called osteopontin, and it’s been discovered before, but not really as an early detection marker for mesothelioma, what it means is this is a disease that’s usually found late in the course of the disease- and the survival is not good when found late,” say Dr. Harvey Pass is the study’s lead author.
They found that levels of a specific protein rise dramatically in the early stages of this disease. This finding could lead the way to an early detection blood test. “What has to be done now is take this marker and validate it in big trials. It’s important to know that patients who present with early mesothelioma, earliest stage, stage one, can have 5 year survival. So we need to look towards that and have more patients live longer with the disease.”
Right now, fewer than five-percent of mesothelioma cases are detected early. And by the time it is detected– the prognosis is not good. Dr. Pass, “Mesothelioma is a horrible cancer which involves the linings of the lungs and chest cavity and can also involve the abdomen- what happens it patients develop fluid first then solid tumor. It squeezes the lung and they can’t breathe. They lose weight and if untreated patients can die as early as 9 months after diagnosis. So it’s an aggressive tumor but if detected early, we have some indication that they can be salvaged for long term survival.”
Patients usually only live between nine and twelve months. According to federal statistics, an estimated 7.5 million workers in this country have been exposed to asbestos. And, it remains a hazard to about one-point-three million workers, in construction and building maintenance.
The research was funded by a Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review Award and by donations from patients.
Researchers at the NYU School of Medicine and Wayne State University have discovered a molecule that can show pleural mesothelioma at its early stages. Pleural mesolthlioma is a cancer that affects the chest, and is caused by exposure to asbestos. The findings lead to the possibility of a blood test that can detect the disease early. This is great news considering an established screening method is currently unavailable. Those exposed to mesothelioma may soon have means for screening.
The study published in the Oct. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found a protein called osteopontin, to be elevated in pleural mesothelioma patients.
For more information on the sudy, please visit the NYU School of Medicine
Californians who live close to naturally occurring asbestos sources and who are exposed to low levels of the mineral are at increased risk for developing malignant mesothelioma, a serious cancer of the membrane covering the lung, according to a new study published in the second issue of the October 2005 American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Marc B. Schenker, M.D., M.P.H., of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, at the University of California, Davis, along with four associates, investigated 2,908 malignant mesothelioma cases reported over a 10-year period (1988 to 1997). Over 50 percent of the men and 58 percent of the women, all of whom were listed in the California Cancer Registry, either had no or low occupational exposure to asbestos.
“People who lived closer to an asbestos source had a greater chance of having mesothelioma, and the chance decreased steadily as the distance increased,” said Dr. Schenker.
According to the article, the odds of developing mesothelioma decreased 6.3 percent for every 10 kilometers farther from the asbestos source.
The authors explained that a major strength of the study was the very large number of mesothelioma cases used to assess the potentially weak association between exposure to naturally occurring asbestos and mesothelioma incidence.
“Epidemiological studies have confirmed that occupational exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma,” said Dr. Schenker. “However, almost all population-based studies have found that many mesothelioma cases had no known occupational exposure to asbestos.”
Considered rare, mesothelioma usually takes from 30 to 40 years after exposure to develop. The only know causes is exposure to asbestos fibers, which can cause tumors in the two layers of membrane covering the lung (the pleura), or, with greater exposure, in membranes of the abdomen.
According to the authors, California has more naturally occurring asbestos source rocks than any other state in the U.S., but their distribution is patchy, with exposed areas separated from unexposed areas. The group used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to pinpoint the sources of asbestos and the location of patient residencies more precisely.
“Geocoding of residential addresses provided a more accurate assessment of potential environmental exposure to naturally occurring asbestos at the individual level than methods using a less precise geographic classification,” said Dr. Schenker.
The California Cancer Registry includes occupational information, so the researchers were able to control for, and the study confirmed, the increased risks of mesothelioma among shipyard workers, boilermakers, insulators, plumbers, steam fitters, and other tradespeople involved in construction and shipping. In an editorial on the article in the same issue, Marcel Goldberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Danièle Luce, Ph.D., of the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) in Saint Maurice, France, note that it is of utmost importance, “from a scientific and public health point to view, to know whether exposure to low levels of asbestos is able to induce pleural mesothelioma.”
“While exposure in environmental settings is generally much lower than in occupational circumstances, the levels may not be negligible,” they write. “In studies in which elevated risk of mesothelioma was demonstrated, people typically lived in close vicinity of naturally occurring asbestos sources, and may have had direct contact with asbestos, when white-washing houses with material containing asbestos or working in polluted fields. It is thus likely that lifelong cumulative exposure may have been as high (if not higher) as in some occupational settings, but it was not-or not adequately-measured, and non-occupational studies have not yet provided adequate answers.
“That is why this work…showing a relationship between mesothelioma risk and residential distance from naturally occurring asbestos, and suggesting that there is excess risk of mesothelioma even at long distance from the asbestos source, is important. To our knowledge, this study is the first one that demonstrates such an effect quite convincingly.”
The editorialists contend that additional research is now necessary to more accurately assess the levels of cumulative exposure that persons experience in areas where excess risk of pleural mesothelioma was observed.
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Mesothelioma lawyers are legal experts specializing in lawsuits for compensation to mesothelioma victims. Among the many forms of cancer, Mesothelioma is a rare manifestation that attacks the linings of the internal organs. Mesothelioma has a 100% mortality rate and occurs in people exposed to poisonous dust particles emanating from asbestos or related products. Victims of such exposure can hope to be compensated by approaching specialized legal professionals, aptly called mesothelioma lawyers.
Mesothelioma lawyers: A Helping Hand:
Victims of asbestos poisoning can approach mesothelioma lawyers if they want to take legal action against the company or individual responsible for their condition. In fact, many such victims have won lawsuits and financial compensation running into millions of dollars. In some cases, the money recovered has sustained a family for years even after the death of the victim. Mesothelioma lawyers also help to obtain disability benefits and workers compensation for those affected with the disease.
If the exposure to asbestos poisoning was caused by the accused party’s negligence even years ago, a mesothelioma lawyer can still fight for compensation, which might have been denied years ago. Lawyers fighting for asbestos related lawsuits argue the cases as product liability claims under the theories of negligence and strict liability. Generally, a lawsuit is filed against the company, where the victim was employed. Because every affected employee has a unique work history, the attorney must dedicate sufficient time and attention to investigate each case in detail.
Fee Structure of Mesothelioma Lawyers:
Mesothelioma lawyers charge their clients only after the successful completion of a case. This fee plan is called a contingent fee plan wherein a percentage of the compensation received goes to the lawyer as the fee and the lawyers do not charge a fee if the victim does not get a compensation. Normally the lawyers first identify the offending party, and then file the lawsuit in the state where the laws are more pro-employees. This increases the chances of securing a positive verdict. However, in cases of companies are granted immunity under bankruptcy laws, mesothelioma lawyers are there again to assist in arranging out of court settlements.
About the Author
Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.asbestosblog.org for information on asbestos reform, mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.