Have you worked in shipyards before? Then you are at risk of asbestos exposure

There are certain jobs that increase one’s risk of asbestos exposure. If you worked in shipyards during World War II and the Korean War you were very likely exposed to asbestos. The material was greatly used for shipbuilding because of its ability to resist corrosion and high temperatures. The asbestos dust tended to build up around these areas and other inadequately ventilated parts of the ship, which led to human exposure aboard vessels.

Not only the shipbuilders, but the crews of those ships and the longshoreman (those who load the ships) were heavily exposed to asbestos as well. In fact, before the 1980s, many longshoremen probably even loaded bundles of asbestos onto ships.

Before that time, the health risk associated with asbestos was not known by these workers and no special precautions were taken to prevent inhalation.

A scientific study revealed that 86 percent of shipyard workers with 20 or more years of experience developed asbestos-related lung disease or lung cancer. If you have ever worked in a shipyard or on an old ship and feel you may have been exposed to asbestos, it is important that you discuss it with your physician. As with most types of cancer, mesothelioma is best treated if detected early.

If you or a family member are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease you should seek to know more about the disease and seek for legal help to you get monetary compensation from those that wrongfully exposed you to asbestos.




Bello Kamorudeen. http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com

Mesothelioma Clinical Trial-An overview of three important clinical trials

Clinical trials are used to find out whether the treatment is safe for general use and whether it is actually effective against diseases. Participation in clinical trials is an important treatment option for many patients with mesothelioma as much of the currently used treatments offer little hope for a cure.

Mesothelioma is very resistant to treatment h and medical experts believe that there could be an epidemic of mesothelioma cases in years to come. Clinical trials (research studies with people) are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments, raising hope for victims of this devastating disease. These are three important ongoing clinical trials for mesothelioma treatment.

1-Phase III Vorinostat (SAHA) clinical trial for progressive or relapsed malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. This trial is studying the use of chemotherapy drug vorinostat to kill cancerous cells and stop their division, it is also believed that the drug can inhibit enzymes that are needed by the cancerous cells for growth and multiplication. These studies are currently in the third phase to understand its effects on epithelial, sarcomatous, and recurrent mesothelioma. Phase III Vorinostat (SAHA) trials for progressive or relapsed malignant pleural mesothelioma patients are currently underway at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA and Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center - NCI Clinical Studies Support, Bethesda, Maryland.

2-Phase II AZD2171 clinical trial for patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma Phase II AZD2171 for patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma is investigating the use of chemotherapy drugs to inhibit enzymes that slow the growth and block the supply of blood into the cancerous cells. Cancer cells depend on the formation of new blood vessels to bring blood that will supply the nutrients that they need for growth, new drugs are being studied that will inhibit the development of these new blood vessels. This study hopes to result in the development of drugs that will be used to treat epithelial, sarcomatous, advanced, and recurrent malignant mesothelioma. These clinical trials are underway in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

3-Phase II clinical trial on the use of Pemetrexed Disodium with Gemcitabine or Carboplatin in advanced malignant mesothelioma patients. The Phase II clinical trial on the use of Pemetrexed Disodium with Gemcitabine or Carboplatin in advanced malignant mesothelioma patients clinical is a study to study the effects of chemotherapy drugs pemetrexed disodium, gemcitabine, and carboplatin on advanced and recurrent malignant mesothelioma. This study is in phase II and is being conducted in several locations across the country including Delaware, Florida Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Mesothelioma victims should always endeavor to ask their oncologist about available clinical trials in their area.



Bello Kamorudeen. http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com