The Link Between Surgery and Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma
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The Link Between Surgery and Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A study from the Journal of Clinical Oncology has reviewed the link between radiotherapy and surgery. This is exciting new research in mesothelioma treatment. The study was conducted by mesothelioma experts in Australia. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that rarely responds to a single cancer therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Usually, that happens in the workplace. Exciting New Research There is ongoing research exploring surgical options for mesothelioma. There are two common surgical procedures for mesothelioma: extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleurectomy decortication. Extrapleural pneumonectomy involves removing the lung affected by mesothelioma. Part of the diaphragm and the linings of the lung and heart are also removed. Pleurectomy decortication is a two-part surgical…

Aussie Campaign Warns of Mesothelioma Risk for Homeowners
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Aussie Campaign Warns of Mesothelioma Risk for Homeowners

ByAlex Strauss

An ad campaign launched by Australia’s top asbestos awareness organization has issued a warning about the mesothelioma risk for homeowners doing renovations.  Asbestos is the number one cause of mesothelioma around the world. Australia has a long history with both asbestos and mesothelioma. The country banned asbestos in 2003 but there is still plenty of it around. Thousands of homes and buildings built before 1990 contain asbestos.  There is a mesothelioma risk for homeowners who come in contact with this asbestos. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly cancer that can kill within months of diagnosis.  If people remodel or attempt renovations without having their home checked for asbestos first, the campaign says they are playing “renovation roulette” with their lives. …

Quality of Life with Mesothelioma: Too Many Symptoms, Not Enough Support
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Quality of Life with Mesothelioma: Too Many Symptoms, Not Enough Support

ByAlex Strauss

A new study suggests that even the healthiest patients have a lower quality of life with mesothelioma than they should. That is because they tend to have many symptoms and needs that are not being met.  Researchers at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Western Australia ran the study. They used data from the RESPECT-Meso trial. RESPECT-Meso was a multicenter, randomized study to measure the impact of early palliative care on quality of life with mesothelioma. Australia has one of the highest per capita rates of malignant mesothelioma in the world.  Researchers found that the high symptom burden of this cancer is a big problem for patients. Many also said they were not getting the information they need from their doctors. …

Odds of Surviving Mesothelioma Equal in Rural and Urban Australia
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Odds of Surviving Mesothelioma Equal in Rural and Urban Australia

ByAlex Strauss

Living in a city and having a better socioeconomic status does not necessarily increase the odds of surviving mesothelioma.  That is the message from a 15-year Australian study of more than 300,000 cancer patients.  Some studies suggest cancer survival rates are lower in rural areas. But that does not appear to be the case for mesothelioma in Australia.  Unfortunately, the odds of surviving mesothelioma remain low no matter where a person lives. The Legacy of Asbestos in Australia Australia used to mine and export more asbestos than any other country. The mineral has been banned there since 2003, but Australian mesothelioma rates are still among the highest in the world.  Asbestos fibers are biopersistent. Once they are embedded in the…

Global Asbestos Ban Needed More Than Ever, Study Says
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Global Asbestos Ban Needed More Than Ever, Study Says

ByAlex Strauss

The authors of a new report on the “silent epidemic” of mesothelioma say a worldwide asbestos ban is more urgent now than ever. The researchers are from universities in Australia, New Zealand and Pennsylvania. They are experts in medicine, public health, and pathology.  Their new report sums up the global problem of asbestos and its link to deadly illnesses like lung cancer, asbestosis, and malignant mesothelioma. Australia and New Zealand are among the countries that no longer allow any asbestos in or out but they still have many cases of mesothelioma.  The US has yet to institute an asbestos ban. Malignant mesothelioma affects about 2,500 Americans a year.  The Link Between Asbestos and Mesothelioma Asbestos is the primary cause of…

History of Asbestos Mining Blamed for Mesothelioma Epidemic
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History of Asbestos Mining Blamed for Mesothelioma Epidemic

ByAlex Strauss

Residents of Western Australia are still paying the price for the history of asbestos mining in the region. A new report from the University of Western Australia focuses on people in the region of the now-closed Wittenoom asbestos mine.  The report blames the mine and its products for an “ongoing epidemic of mortality from lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma”.  Australia’s Sad History of Asbestos Mining Asbestos is a mineral once prized for its strength and abundance. It was used around the world in thousands of products, including many construction materials.  Australia has a long history of asbestos mining and exportation. The country was once one of the world’s top producers of asbestos. The Australian Blue Asbestos Company in Wittenoom was…

Mesothelioma Risk From Home Renovation in The Spotlight
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Mesothelioma Risk From Home Renovation in The Spotlight

ByAlex Strauss

The case of an Australian man is highlighting the mesothelioma risk from home renovation when asbestos is present.  Forty-two year old Matthew Werfel recently won a lawsuit against Amaca, the asbestos producer previously known as James Hardie. The company manufactured the asbestos-containing cement sheets that led to Werfel’s pleural mesothelioma. The record $3 million payout is an expensive warning to other DIY homeowners about the potential mesothelioma risk from home renovation. Asbestos in Construction Products Asbestos is a mineral that has to be mined from the ground. As early as the 1930’s, companies like James Hardie recognized its potential value as a construction material. Asbestos is strong, plentiful and resistant to heat and corrosion. It was used for decades to…

Australian Doctors Use Bacteria to Shrink Mesothelioma Tumors
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Australian Doctors Use Bacteria to Shrink Mesothelioma Tumors

ByAlex Strauss

Could bacteria responsible for problems ranging from sinusitis to food poisoning be used as a weapon in the fight against malignant mesothelioma? The results of a new study conducted by mesothelioma researchers at the University of Western Australia suggest that it might. The researchers focused their study on a compound made up of proteins produced by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, also called ‘Staph’ bacteria. The compound has been used clinically to induce pleurodesis, a closing up of the pleural space around the lungs that can become fluid-filled in people with mesothelioma. Based on its success in pleurodesis, the Australian team wondered if the S. aureus protein compound could also shrink tumors. Scientists in the University’s Centre for Asthma, Allergy and…

Cholesterol Drugs Ineffective Against Mesothelioma
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Cholesterol Drugs Ineffective Against Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A new study from the University of Western Australia has dealt a blow to the idea that the anti-cancer properties of statin drugs could help fight malignant pleural mesothelioma. Statins are a group of drugs that are typically used to lower high cholesterol and treat heart disease by blocking a substance the body needs to make cholesterol. Statins have been found to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in mesothelioma cells and epidemiological evidence has suggested that people on statins have a lower incidence of cancer. Based on these facts, researchers at Australia’s National Center for Asbestos Related Diseases hypothesized that statin drugs might be used to slow the progression of mesothelioma in patients who have it, and possibly even prevent mesothelioma development…

Rise in Asbestos Claims Not Hurting James Hardie’s Bottom Line
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Rise in Asbestos Claims Not Hurting James Hardie’s Bottom Line

ByAlex Strauss

Australian construction company James Hardie says a rise in mesothelioma claims from former workers exposed to asbestos on the job is not affecting its bottom line. The company recently released its semi-annual profit statement to the Australian stock exchange. The report shows that James Hardie has doubled its profits from the first half of 2013, despite the fact that the number of mesothelioma-related asbestos claims has risen above company expectations. Company profits were reported to be $108.3 million from April to September. Quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald, James Hardie CFO Russell Chenu said, “We have seen some concerning trends in mesothelioma claims, which we have highlighted previously. We’ve now got a better handle on the ‘what’ and the ‘how’,…