Mesothelioma is a rare, but devastating cancer diagnosed in approximately 3,000 people each year in the U.S., mostly in men. Researchers now have encouraging news that a combination of surgery and radiation treatment is extending some patient’s lives.

Countless U.S. workers were exposed to asbestos before it was banned in the early 1980s. Two years ago, when his doctors suspected he developed Mesothelioma as a result of being exposed to asbestos, John Ross and his wife Dorothy weren’t given many treatment options.

Read More: Health Watch: Battling Mesothelioma