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

Asbestos exposure-What are the 4 diseases that are commonly associated with asbestos exposure?

Asbestos exposure results from breathing in asbestos fibers. If rocks, soil, or products containing asbestos are disturbed, they can release asbestos fibers into the air. These fibers can be breathed into your lungs and could remain there for a lifetime. Most people don’t show any signs or symptoms of asbestos-related disease for 10 to 20 years or more after exposure. When symptoms do appear, they can be similar to those of other diseases. Asbestos-related diseases can be divided into 1} cancerous and 2} non cancerous diseases:-

Non-cancerous diseases

Asbestosis

This disease is characterized by scarring of the lungs. It is commonly occurs as result of exposure to high levels of asbestos over a long period of time, as seen in work-related asbestos exposure. Smoking increases the risk of developing asbestosis. Initially there are no symptoms but latter some symptoms which show up include difficulty in breathing, chronic cough and chest pain.

Pleural changes or pleural plaques

This disease is characterized by thickening and hardening of the pleura (the pleura is the lining that covers the lungs and chest cavity). Most time the disease is asymptomatic {the people will have no symptoms}, but sometimes the affected victims may have decreased lung function. This might lead to the development of difficulty in breathing with exertion or sometimes at rest if the degree of lung dysfunction is severe.

Cancerous diseases

Lung cancer

This is cancer of the lungs and lung passages. Cigarette smoking combined with asbestos exposure greatly increases the likelihood of lung cancer. Lung cancer caused by smoking or asbestos looks the same. Symptoms for lung cancer can vary. Some late stage symptoms can include chronic cough, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, and coughing up blood.

Mesothelioma

This is a rare cancer mostly associated with asbestos exposure. It affects the lining of the lungs and sometimes the lining of the abdomen. Occasionally it affects the lining of the heart and the lining of the testis. Symptoms include chest pain, persistent shortness of breath, and unexplained weight loss, abdominal swelling and abdominal pain in case of abdominal mesothelioma. Other less common symptoms include haemoptysis {coughing up of blood} and excessive sweating.

These asbestos-related diseases can be serious, though not everyone exposed to asbestos gets health problems. These diseases range form those that are mild and manageable to those that are very dangerous and very difficult to manage, leading ultimately to death.



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

Start Beating Mesothelioma Cancer Today Through Awareness and Understanding

Mesothelioma is a serious and very aggressive form of cancer.

People who have mined asbestos, manufactured asbestos products, installed asbestos insulation, or removed asbestos may be at risk for developing mesothelioma. In addition, family members of those who have worked with asbestos, people who have lived near asbestos mines or processing plants, or anyone who has inhaled asbestos fibers may also be at risk for developing mesothelioma.

There are a range of tests and procedures used to diagnose mesothelioma. X-rays, CT scans, and/or MRI scans are performed to determine the presence of mesothelioma. If there is a positive indication of mesothelioma, or if further testing is still needed to determine the presence of mesothelioma, the scans are followed-up with a needle biopsy or an open biopsy.

Treatment options for mesothelioma vary according to age, overall health, location of the disease, and extent of the disease. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, alone or in combination, are standard treatment options for mesothelioma. Experimental treatments, such as those used in clinical trials, may also be an option.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that could have been prevented and is not the fault of the victim, but the fault of the companies that did not protect workers or others against the hazards of asbestos. Financial security for victims and their families, including compensation of medical expenses, pain and suffering, burial expenses, and after-death stability for families afflicted, may, therefore, be accessible through the law.

There are many different types of support groups, as well, available to mesothelioma patients and their families including formal groups that focus on learning about mesothelioma or dealing with feelings, informal groups, social groups, groups only for those with mesothelioma, and groups for those with mesothelioma including family members and friends. Hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers have, or can obtain, a listing of such groups within your local area.

Reference:

Rae Rand