Occupational Asbestos Exposure: The Need for Standardized Assessment
| | |

Occupational Asbestos Exposure: The Need for Standardized Assessment

A new report shows how important it is to have a standardized way to assess occupational asbestos exposure in people with mesothelioma.  Malignant mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Usually, that happens in the workplace. But sometimes, even the worker has no idea how or where he or she was exposed. This is especially true in industries not normally associated with occupational asbestos exposure.  The new Italian case study of a trucking worker who developed pleural mesothelioma illustrates the point.  Some Occupations Pose a Higher Mesothelioma Risk Than Others Before scientists discovered how dangerous it was, asbestos was a common additive to many products. Industries prized the fibrous mineral for its strength, heat and corrosion resistance, durability,…

Evaluating Mesothelioma Symptoms: New Tool Makes it Easier
| | | |

Evaluating Mesothelioma Symptoms: New Tool Makes it Easier

Evaluating mesothelioma symptoms is an important step in planning treatment for asbestos cancer. But researchers at a top US cancer center say it is hard to do a thorough job using current tools. That’s why doctors at MD Anderson have developed their own method for evaluating mesothelioma symptoms. They made some mesothelioma-specific additions to an existing cancer symptom evaluation system. Tests on more than 200 mesothelioma patients show the method works well and is easy to use. The developers hope doctors can use it to design better mesothelioma treatment plans. The Importance of Evaluating Mesothelioma Symptoms When a patient receives a mesothelioma diagnosis, the next step is evaluating mesothelioma symptoms. This process can help give the doctor valuable information about…