Blood Test To Detect Pleural Mesothelioma

Please provide any information you think may be helpful to mesothelioma victimd and their familiesMesothelioma strikes 2,500 to 3,000 people in the United States each year. Most are among the 7.5 million U.S. workers who have been exposed to asbestos used for fireproofing, insulation and soundproofing.
The finding, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, could lead to a test for the disease, which is usually detected at a stage when treatments are ineffective and patients only live for another eight to 18 months.
Researchers investigated the presence of osteopontin in pleural mesothelioma and determined serum osteopontin levels in three populations: subjects without cancer who were exposed to asbestos, subjects without cancer who were not exposed to asbestos, and patients with pleural mesothelioma who were exposed to asbestos.
They concluded that serum osteopontin levels can be used to distinguish persons with exposure to asbestos who do not have cancer from those with exposure to asbestos who have pleural mesothelioma.
Of course the test is unlikely to be available for widespread use until it is determined if early detection of the pleural mesothelioma, actually leads to improved survival. Such tests are planned for the near future.

Osteopontin Levels May Identify Patients with Early Stage Mesothelioma

Researchers from several institutions have reported that serum osteopontin levels can be used to identify persons with asbestos exposure who do or do not have mesothelioma. The details of this study appeared in the October 13, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine .[1]
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer caused predominantly by asbestos exposure. There are approximately 2,000-3,000 new cases per year in the United States and the increase in incidence has stimulated recent clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes. In England, the number of annual deaths from mesothelioma is expected to increase from 1,500 in the year 2000 to 3,000 in the year 2020. Because almost all cases are due to chronic asbestos exposure, the peak incidence will not occur until sometime between 2010 and 2020.
Mesothelioma usually presents as pleural nodules or diffuse involvement of the pleura, although up to 10% of all cases occur in the abdomen. The only curative treatment for mesothelioma is surgery. However, more than 70% of cases are advanced at the time of diagnosis and cannot be cured with surgery. The development of a blood test that would allow early diagnosis in patients at risk of mesothelioma, or that would accurately predict a response to treatment, would be a great advance in the management of this malignancy. A recent study suggested that measuring soluble mesothelin-related proteins (SMR) would discriminate between mesothelioma and benign conditions in patients exposed to asbestos. The current study evaluated measurement of osteopontin, which is a glycoprotein over-expressed in lung, breast, colorectal, gastric, ovarian cancer and melanoma.
Researchers involved in this study evaluated serum osteopontin levels in 76 patients with pleural mesothelioma and 69 patients with benign asbestos-related disease. They reported that serum levels of osteopontin were elevated in patients with pulmonary plaques and fibrosis but not in those with normal X-rays. They found very high levels of osteopontin in paitents with pleural mesothelioma compared to patients without mesothelioma who were exposed to asbestos. They were able to develop a nomogram which had a sensitivity of 77.5% and a specificity of 85.5%. The same sensitivity and specificity was achieved in patients with stage I mesothelioma, which is the stage one hopes to diagnose.
Comments: This test may or may not prove to be useful. In an accompanying editorial it was pointed out that is that much more testing will be required to confirm these findings.[2] More importantly, it must be demonstrated that earlier diagnosis will, in fact, improve outcome.
References
[1]Pass HI, Lott D, Lonardo F, et al. Asbestos exposure, pleural mesothelioma, and serum osteopontin levels. New England Journal of Medicine. 2005;353:1564-1573.
[2] Cullen MR. Serum osteopontin levels-is it time to screen asbestos-exposed workers for pleural mesothelioma. New England Journal of Medicine . 2005;353:1617-1618.

Mesothelioma Treatment 101

Please provide any information you think may be helpful to mesothelioma victimd and their familiesTreatment of MM using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 12 months after presentation. The clinical behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity which favours local metastasis via exfoliated cells, invasion to underlying tissue and other organs within the pleural cavity, and the extremely long latency period between asbestos exposure and development of the disease. Surgery: Surgery, either by itself or used in combination with pre- and post-operative adjuvant therapies has proved disappointing with a 5 year survival rate of less than 10%. Radiation: Although the tumour is highly resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, these regimens are sometimes used to relieve symptoms arising from tumour metastases such as obstruction of a major blood vessel. Chemotherapy: In February 2004, the Food and Drug Administration approved pemetrexed (brand name Alimta) for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Immunotherapy: Treatment regimens involving immunotherapy have yielded variable results. For example, intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in an attempt to boost the immune response, was found to be of no benefit to the patient (while it may benefit patients with bladder cancer). Mesothelioma cells proved susceptible to in vitro lysis by LAK cells following activation by interleukin-2 (IL-2), but patients undergoing this particular therapy experienced major side effects. Indeed, this trial was suspended in view of the unacceptably high levels of IL-2 toxicity and the severity of side effects such as fever and cachexia. Nonetheless, other trials involving interferon alpha have proved more encouraging with 20% of patients experiencing a greater than 50% reduction in tumour mass combined with minimal side effects. Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: A procedure known as heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy was developed by Paul Sugarbaker at the Washington Cancer Institute. The surgeon removes as much of the tumor as possible followed by the direct administration of a chemotherapy agent, heated to between 40 and 48°C, in the abdomen. The fluid is perfused for 60 to 120 minutes and then drained. This technique permits the administration of high concentrations of selected drugs into the abdominal and pelvic surfaces. Heating the chemotherapy treatment can increases the penetration of the drugs into tissues, but it also has by itself an anti-tumor effect since the damage produced by heat is greater to cancerous cells than to normal cells. Research: Because mesothelioma is very hard to control, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring clinical trials that are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments. Before any new treatment can be recommended for general use, doctors conduct clinical trials to find out whether the treatment is safe for patients and effective against the disease. Participation in clinical trials is an important treatment option for many patients with mesothelioma. Legal issues: In the United States, the average mesothelioma-related settlement was $1 million; for cases that go to trial awards averaged $6 million, according to a study by the RAND Corporation. Only a small fraction of the thousands of asbestos-related lawsuits in the United States every year are related to mesothelioma. In 2004, a bill in the United States Senate aimed a asbestos litigation reform failed to reach a floor vote. In January of 2005, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter announced he would again try to pass an asbestos litigation reform bill. A separate bill introduced on March 17, 2005, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005 (FAIR act of 2005), seeks to ensure a set amount of compensation dependent on the symptoms of the victim. The range is from Medical Monitoring for victims with Asbestosis or Pleural Disease to $35,000 for victims with Mixed Disease With Impairment all the way to over $1,000,000 for Mesothelioma victims and nonsmoking Lung Cancer victims. "FAIR act of 2005, full text". FAIR act of 2005, full text. URL accessed on April 13, 2005. History: An article published by Wagner et al in 1960 first established mesothelioma as a disease arising from exposure to crocidolite asbestos. The article referred to over 30 case studies of people who had suffered from mesothelioma in South Africa. Some exposures were transient and some were mine workers. In 1962 Dr McNulty reported the first diagnosed case of malignant mesothelioma in an Australian asbestos worker. The worker had worked in the mill at the asbestos mine in Wittenoom from 1948 to 1950. In the town of Wittenoom, asbestos-containing mine waste was used to cover schoolyards and playgrounds. In 1965 an article in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine established that people who lived in the neighbourhoods of asbestos factories and mines, but did not work in them, had contracted mesothelioma. Despite proof that the dust associated with asbestos mining and milling causes asbestos related disease, mining began at Wittenoom in 1943 and continued until 1966. It is difficult to understand why the mine and mill was allowed to initially open and operate without adequate risk control measures; and why nothing was done to force the owner (CSR) to clean them up, adopt safer work practices or close down their operations. In 1974 the first public warnings of the dangers of blue asbestos were published in a cover story called "Is this Killer in Your Home?" in Australia's Bulletin magazine. In 1978 the Western Australian Government decided to phase out the town of Wittenoom, following the publication of a Health Dept. booklet, "The Health Hazard at Wittenoom", containing the results of air sampling and an appraisal of worldwide medical information. By 1979 the first writs for negligence related to Wittenoom were issued against CSR and its subsidiary ABA, and the Asbestos Diseases Society was formed to represent the Wittenoom victims.

Exposure to Asbestos from Rocks Can Cause Malignant Mesothelioma

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. American Thoracic Society (ATS) 61 BroadwayNew York, NY 10006United Stateshttp://www.thoracic.org

Mesothelioma News: Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers Website Is Now Launched

A new website http://survivingmesothelioma.com provides cancer patients with the opportunity to speak directly with Paul Kraus who may be the oldest mesothelioma survivor in the world. The website also introduces Mr. Kraus’ book Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient’s Guide.
(PRWEB) November 7, 2005 -- In June 1997, Mr. Kraus was diagnosed with mesothelioma (a "terminal" cancer) and given only a few months to live. More than eight years later, he is alive with a good quality of life having rejected surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. He took an alternative approach to healing his cancer that encompassed mind, body, and spirit. In his book he sets out how he accomplished this feat. In the Introduction, Paul Kraus wrote, “In my eighth year after diagnosis I remain well. I have outlived my prognosis by at least seven years and the medical specialist I visited not long ago told me that ‘you will be around for a lot longer yet.’ My survival has been hard work. The underlying assumption with all that I have done, and continue to do, is a strong belief that our bodies are designed with amazing self-healing capacities.”Mr. Kraus has made himself available to other patients who would like to speak with him. The Surviving Mesothelioma website provides details about the book, how to speak directly with Mr. Kraus, facts and statistics about mesothelioma, conventional, alternative, biological and immuno-therapies, the latest medical news, directories of clinics that take a holistic approach to healing, and a patient forum where patients can share information and discuss issues of importance. http://survivingmesothelioma.com

Insurance firm in court bid to halt payouts for asbestos victims

Paul JeevesA LEGAL challenge in the Court of Appeal begins today which could save the insurance industry £500m on compensation to thousands of workers affected by asbestos.
Norwich Union has mounted the legal case in a bid to halt payments to sufferers of the asbestos-related condition, pleural plaques, in what could prove to be a landmark ruling.A High Court decision earlier this year left the insurance firm's initial attempt to stop compensation payments defeated. But the challenge in the Court of Appeal, expected to last the week, could overturn that decision, with ramifications for tens of thousands of sufferers.Thompsons Solicitors, legal specialists in asbestos disease cases, were involved in opposing the original High Court challenge. The legal firm is representing two of the six test cases being used as evidence against Norwich Union's legal challenge.Judith Gledhill, head of Thompsons' specialist regional asbestos team in Yorkshire, said: "The insurance industry is motivated by its need to protect profits and shareholder interests."For over 20 years the courts have accepted pleural plaques together with the increased risk of future disease and related anxiety constitutes an injury and should therefore be compensated."The majority of people who develop any type of asbestos-related disease, including pleural plaques, do so because their employers were negligent in failing to protect them from exposure to asbestos. This case is about the right of those people to continue to receive awards of compensation for the injury they have suffered."Pleural plaques are recognised as a sign of damage to the lining of the lung caused by a history of exposure to asbestos, which itself carries an increased risk of malignant disease such as the deadly cancer mesothelioma.According to insurance industry estimates, asbestos-related claims are expected to cost UK insurers up to £10bn during the next 40 years, with pleural plaques claims accounting for more than £500m.Compensation of up to £20,000 was awarded as a final payment settlement to anyone with pleural plaques, but this was reduced by approximately 50 per cent by the High Court ruling earlier this year. Thompsons Solicitors are contesting the reduction in the level of compensation.Norwich Union spokesman David Ross said: "What we are seeking is clarification from the courts for compensators paying money out to people with pleural plaques."In the vast majority of cases, people's lives are not affected by pleural plaques but they are awarded compensation because of the anxiety which the condition brings."The question is should compensation be paid to the worried well. In our view, compensation should be paid to those who are suffering from more serious conditions associated with exposure to asbestos."With an estimated 14,000 pleural plaques claims each year, these cases account for about 75 per cent of all asbestos claims, with approximately £25m in compensation being paid out by insurers.Paul Cooper has recently been awarded a Pride of York award in recognition of his work with asbestos victims from the carriage works in the city.He said: "Pleural plaques is a condition which affects many people in York, and thousands of people throughout England."It is an extremely worrying condition, and sufferers have to live with the knowledge that they have been exposed to the killer dust through no fault of their own, and are at increased risk of developing the terminal asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma."It would be a great wrong if these sufferers were denied the legal redress they deserve from their employer's insurers."paul.jeeves@ypn.co.uk

Anthony chases asbestos cases

MANCHESTER lawyer Anthony Coombs has set up his own practice to race against time for victims of asbestos-related cancer.
The 50-year-old has quit as a partner at city centre firm John Pickering & Partners, after 20 years, to specialise in claims for people suffering from mesothelioma.
It is caused by tiny fibres of asbestos dust being inhaled. They stick to the delicate lining of the lungs and cause irritation. Cancer develops over a long period, sometimes up to 60 years. But there is no cure and most victims die within 18 months of being diagnosed with the illness.

Fast-track
Mr Coombs, who is based in Didsbury, said about 1,800 people die from mesothelioma each year in the UK, but the figure is forecast to rise to 2,500 over the next decade. Damages are sought from former employers.
He said today: "The cases have to be dealt with very quickly because the life expectancy of clients is limited.
"There is even talk of a fast-track system in the Manchester courts to deal with them.
"I act for people who regularly handled or came into contact with asbestos, such as those employed in the construction industry, laggers, thermal engineers, power station and shipbuilding workers. They were probably handling asbestos until the late 1970s, usually without any type of protection.
"It's only now, almost 30 years later, that mesothelioma is starting to hit them.
"We are also seeing increasing numbers of younger men who worked as shopfitters about 20 years ago."
Mr Coombs spent 25 years at John Pickering, 20 of them as a partner handling industrial disease and personal injury claims. His sister, Geraldine, is a solicitor there.
He said: "They are a more general practice and I wanted to do my own thing and specialise. I think there is a need for it, doing a small number of cases very quickly."
A House of Lords ruling in 2002 paved the way for compensation claims on behalf of thousands of former manual workers who are dying from the disease. It has been estimated that payouts could total £200m a year.

Editorial/The reality of asbestos

Providing financial relief for asbestos-related victims is urgent.
When a factory worker develops an illness caused by exposure to deadly asbestos, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer, that worker clearly qualifies for workers' accident compensation insurance. But for some victims, the picture is not so clear. They are not covered because they cannot produce necessary work records.
Other victims merely had the bad luck to live near a factory that spewed the substance, falling ill years after exposure to airborne asbestos.
The government is moving to aid all these victims without exception, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has begun drafting a bill to ensure compensation. But work on the draft has stalled.
A consensus exists that work-related illnesses fall under the workers' accident compensation insurance plan. But no consensus has yet been reached on how to treat cases arising from air and other pollution.
The biggest stumbling block is how much to pay outside victims. The government's original plan laid out monthly sums of 100,000 yen each to cover their medical and other care expenses. Families of victims who have died would receive 2.6 million yen. That plan was rejected by the ruling party after many members asserted the amounts were not enough.
Under the accident compensation insurance system, workers who developed work-related illnesses are eligible for free medical treatment and compensation for lost income. In cases where the victim has died, bereaved families receive up to 70 percent of the victims' annual income as pension benefits. They also are paid lump-sum death allowances under the program and condolence money from the employers.
Any victims who became ill simply by living near factories will find it hard to accept such a big gap in compensation.
Another sticky question is who should be covered by the aid program. The health ministry's expert panel on the asbestos issue begins its discussions this week. It is tasked with working out the medical criteria to determine whether he or she is an asbesto-related victim.
It is not easy to identify the cause of diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer from symptoms alone. Lung cancer, for instance, can also be caused by smoking. But with new victims emerging almost daily, the panel has no time to spare. We hope it will stay focused on making the scope of the aid program as wide as is realistically possible.
Even if a good relief plan is crafted, however, it should not be the end of the government's response to this public health disaster. The causes and overall picture of asbestos poisoning nationwide, whether in factories or their neighborhoods, is yet unclear.
What is needed now is large-scale epidemiologic research that will have a bearing on important related questions, such as how far away from an asbestos-using factory is safe for residents, and how many people who once lived near an asbestos-spewing factory actually developed mesothelioma. The work environment, health conditions and causes of death of workers who fell ill from asbestos exposure should also be tracked.
Such research will inevitably take time, and thus the medical criteria for asbestos claimants being set by the health ministry panel should only be regarded as tentative. When the causes and scope of the disaster become clearer, both the criteria and the relief program should be revised.
Although this nation has seen public health disasters caused by pollution, there has been little systematic gathering of epidemiologic data related to such tragedies. In fact, no epidemiologic research was ever conducted into the notorious Minamata mercury poisoning. As a result, victims and the state are still locked in court battles over the symptoms of Minamata disease.
For asbestos victims, the government should provide relief quickly and reveal the whole picture of this calamity. This time, the government must not botch its handling of this serious public health challenge.

Despite Poor Prognosis, New Treatment Options for Mesothelioma May Extend Life and Decrease Symptoms: Presented at ONS

By Bonnie DarvesPHOENIX, AZ -- November 15, 2005 -- New drug treatment options and recently improved procedures are providing a glimmer of hope for modest improvements in both life expectancy and quality of life for patients with mesothelioma, one of the most challenging cancers that patients can face.In a presentation here on November 11th at the Oncology Nursing Society's Institutes of Learning (ONS), presenters discussed some recent developments that are helping patients and their families cope with the debilitating effects of the disease."Until very recently, life expectancy after diagnosis of mesothelioma was a matter of just a few months. But with new treatment options, surgical procedures and radiation technology, many patients are living longer," said Sue Gardner, MSN, AOCNP, Nurse Practitioner, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States.This aggressive cancer mostly appears in the pleural cavity and mostly affects men.Ms. Gardner noted that while its incidence is stable in the U.S. -- with 2,000 to 3,000 new diagnoses annually -- it is increasing elsewhere in the world, especially in Third World countries.Recent advances in pharmacological treatment, notably the new antifolate pemetrexed (Alimpta) in combination with standard platins and gemcitabine have been shown to improve survival and reduce the often severe disease-related symptoms. Response rates to the combination therapy are not high -- about 40% of patients improve on combination regimens compared to single-drug treatment.Patients who do respond may experience a life expectancy gain of 3 months or longer, a significant amount of time, given that the majority of patients die within 9 months of diagnosis, Ms. Gardner noted.Co-presenter Marianne Davies, MSN, APRN, Director of Nursing, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut, pointed to several recent developments in both pharmaceutical therapies, surgery and other treatments that are yielding improvements for patients with mesothelioma.In the drug therapy realm, several recent trials have evaluated various combination regimens and combined drug-surgery treatment. While response rates for single traditional chemotherapy agents have hovered in the 20% to 40% range, newer combination regimens are yielding extended survival and far better symptom control, Ms. Davies noted. In particular, she pointed to the following recent trials:-- Cisplatin, mytomycin C and vinblastine, the "MVP regimen," which extended survival by 3 months in responders and resulted in a 69% improvement in symptoms, compared to patients on traditional regimens.-- A phase 2 study in Italy of gemcitabine and carboplatin produced a median response duration of 55 weeks and extended survival to 66 weeks for responders.-- A trial of combined ifosfamide and interferon-alpha2a, which extended survival to 21 months for some patients who tolerated a 3-dose schedule.-- A phase 2 trial of vinorelbine and oxaliplatin as a first-line treatment resulted in a mean progression-free survival of 4.7 months and 1-year survival rates of 27%.In the surgical arena, recent approaches have included exploring possible benefits of radical extrapleural pneumonectomy, and combining aggressive resection surgery and chemotherapy with cisplatin with mitomycin, delivered intraoperatively.While radiation remains a useful therapeutic option for pain management in patients with advanced disease, it is of limited scope, Ms. Davies noted, because of the unavoidable damage to other organs in the thoracic cavity.Photodynamic therapy is being used with some success to target superficial tumours on body surfaces and in cavities, with the objective of sparing surrounding tissue.For oncology nurses, the major challenge is to manage both the severe symptoms of mesothelioma and the treatment-related effects, Ms. Gardner explained. "That's really the difficult issue -- trying to help patients manage both the side effects of treatment and the disease symptoms as they progress," she said.In the post-surgical phase, patients require oxygen supplementation and aggressive pulmonary care in addition to pain management. For patients who develop the peritoneal form of the cancer, pain management is the mainstay of management after what may be major surgery to debulk tumours.As their disease progresses, about 95% of patients develop pleural effusions that require management with chest tubes, pleural catheters or shunts. Persistent cough, depression and dyspnea become particularly problematic in the late stages, and require comprehensive direction to caregivers of patients who will be discharged home upon completion of active treatment.Oxygen supplementation, bronchodilators and steroids are needed frequently to alleviate respiratory symptoms, and opioids are needed in the presence of dyspnea distress."It's very important to instruct the family members on the patient's discharge in how to deal with the symptoms," Ms. Gardner said, as many patients wish to remain at home if possible.The session was supported by Lilly Oncology.

Asbestos bill to go to floor of US Senate in January

Legislation creating a 140-billion-dollar trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure will be debated on the floor of the US Senate in January, top Senate Republican Bill Frist of Tennessee, seen here in October 2005, announced.


Legislation creating a 140-billion-dollar trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure will be debated on the floor of the US Senate in January, top Senate Republican Bill Frist announced.
.The fund, which would be managed by the US Labor Department, would help resolve a decades-old litigation crisis and would provide payments to thousands of US victims.
.The bill was reached with the input of insurers, trial lawyers, labor groups and manufacturers, was approved in May by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measure would create a trust fund, financed by companies and insurers facing lawsuits, to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.
.The money for the fund would be provided by the insurance industry, business groups, and companies that once used asbestos in their products. In return for receiving compensation from the fund, asbestos victims would give up their right to sue.
.Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was used until the mid-1970s in a variety of products, including fireproofing, insulation and car brakes, but was found to be a major cause of mesothelioma, a cancer of a membrane in the chest, and asbestosis, a progressive scarring of the lungs that can cause fatal breathing problems.
.Between 1940 and 1980 more than 27.5 million workers were exposed to the substance and asbestos related ailments currently affect tens of thousand of US families.
.Experts say that because asbestosis and mesothelioma both have long latency periods before the diseases surface, millions more people may yet fall ill. — AFP
Legislation creating a 140-billion-dollar trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure will be debated on the floor of the US Senate in January, top Senate Republican Bill Frist announced.
.The fund, which would be managed by the US Labor Department, would help resolve a decades-old litigation crisis and would provide payments to thousands of US victims.
.The bill was reached with the input of insurers, trial lawyers, labor groups and manufacturers, was approved in May by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measure would create a trust fund, financed by companies and insurers facing lawsuits, to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.
.The money for the fund would be provided by the insurance industry, business groups, and companies that once used asbestos in their products. In return for receiving compensation from the fund, asbestos victims would give up their right to sue.
.Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was used until the mid-1970s in a variety of products, including fireproofing, insulation and car brakes, but was found to be a major cause of mesothelioma, a cancer of a membrane in the chest, and asbestosis, a progressive scarring of the lungs that can cause fatal breathing problems.
.Between 1940 and 1980 more than 27.5 million workers were exposed to the substance and asbestos related ailments currently affect tens of thousand of US families.
.Experts say that because asbestosis and mesothelioma both have long latency periods before the diseases surface, millions more people may yet fall ill. — AFP
Legislation creating a 140-billion-dollar trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure will be debated on the floor of the US Senate in January, top Senate Republican Bill Frist announced.
.The fund, which would be managed by the US Labor Department, would help resolve a decades-old litigation crisis and would provide payments to thousands of US victims.
.The bill was reached with the input of insurers, trial lawyers, labor groups and manufacturers, was approved in May by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measure would create a trust fund, financed by companies and insurers facing lawsuits, to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.
.The money for the fund would be provided by the insurance industry, business groups, and companies that once used asbestos in their products. In return for receiving compensation from the fund, asbestos victims would give up their right to sue.
.Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was used until the mid-1970s in a variety of products, including fireproofing, insulation and car brakes, but was found to be a major cause of mesothelioma, a cancer of a membrane in the chest, and asbestosis, a progressive scarring of the lungs that can cause fatal breathing problems.
.Between 1940 and 1980 more than 27.5 million workers were exposed to the substance and asbestos related ailments currently affect tens of thousand of US families.
.Experts say that because asbestosis and mesothelioma both have long latency periods before the diseases surface, millions more people may yet fall ill. — AFP
Legislation creating a 140-billion-dollar trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure will be debated on the floor of the US Senate in January, top Senate Republican Bill Frist announced.
.The fund, which would be managed by the US Labor Department, would help resolve a decades-old litigation crisis and would provide payments to thousands of US victims.
.The bill was reached with the input of insurers, trial lawyers, labor groups and manufacturers, was approved in May by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measure would create a trust fund, financed by companies and insurers facing lawsuits, to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.
.The money for the fund would be provided by the insurance industry, business groups, and companies that once used asbestos in their products. In return for receiving compensation from the fund, asbestos victims would give up their right to sue.
.Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was used until the mid-1970s in a variety of products, including fireproofing, insulation and car brakes, but was found to be a major cause of mesothelioma, a cancer of a membrane in the chest, and asbestosis, a progressive scarring of the lungs that can cause fatal breathing problems.
.Between 1940 and 1980 more than 27.5 million workers were exposed to the substance and asbestos related ailments currently affect tens of thousand of US families.
.Experts say that because asbestosis and mesothelioma both have long latency periods before the diseases surface, millions more people may yet fall ill. — AFP