Researchers in Japan recently published an article in the journal BMC Cancer evaluating the usefulness of the blood protein HMGB1 as a prognostic marker for mesothelioma.

The researchers studied blood samples from 106 individuals who had a documented history of asbestos exposure. Of the total group, 61 individuals had diagnoses of malignant pleural mesothelioma and 45 had non-malignant asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs.

The protein HMGB1 is found naturally in human cells and is associated with inflammation, cell proliferation and cell migration. The researchers examined the presence HMGB1 molecules in relation to malignant pleural mesothelioma. They observed that patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma had significantly higher levels of the protein in their blood than the patients with non-malignant asbestos disease.

The researchers suggested that high blood levels of HMGB1 are supportive of a diagnosis of mesothelioma. They also found a significant correlation between levels of HMBG1 and patient survival, making the protein useful for making a prognosis. Mesothelin is currently considered the best indicator in a blood test for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

The researchers called for further study of HMGB1 to make it a useful method for clinical diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma.

Source: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/13/205

Importance of Early Diagnosis of Mesothelioma Spurs Research for Better Blood Test

Carlos Tarazon, a resident of Chandler, Ariz., had been given no hope when he was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma is an highly invasive form of cancer that develops in the lining of the chest cavity and abdominal cavity. Approximately, 2,500 to 3,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S. with the cancer.

Tarazon spent much of his life working construction and was exposed to asbestos on the job, which is common. His family refused to accept Tarazon’s bleak diagnosis and their search for medical help led them to Dr. Gharagozloo, a thoracic surgeon who heads the University of Arizona Health Network Thoracic Oncology Program.

“My dad saw the surgery as an option for living,” says Adriana Tarazon Weyer, one of his four children.

In a highly complex procedure, performed in January, Dr. Gharagozloo removed Tarazon’s left lung, diaphragm and part of the lining of the heart with help from the da Vinci Surgical System robot. A new diaphragm and lining of the heart were created with a synthetic material.

Dr. Gharagozloo described the robotic-assisted chest surgery as a game changer. The robot-assisted procedure sharply reduce blood loss, shorten the patient’s hospital stay and lowers risk of infection and death, according to the University of Arizona.

“It’s dramatic when you see the patient the next day,” Dr. Gharagozloo says. “It’s the difference between a patient on a ventilator and a patient who is sitting there reading a newspaper. “

Tarazon is now back home, puttering in his yard and planning a fall hunting trip.

“Without the robot, an extrapleural pneumonectomy is a “very blind operation,” Dr. Gharagozloo says. The lining of the chest is remove, causing a loss of up to two-fifths of the total blood supply.

Dr. Gharagozloo said robotic-assisted surgery is safer operation.

“The impact we are hoping to make is through early detection as well as very advanced minimally-invasive therapy for these tumors,” the thoracic surgeon said.

Source: AHSC Office of Public Affairs

Mesothelioma Patient Undergoes World’s First Robot-Assisted Extrapleural Pneumonectomy in Arizonia

The findings which will be presented to the Minnesota Legislature were part of an ongoing 5-year, $4.9 million study of Taconite workers’ health.The researchers said that a person’s risk of getting mesothelioma increased by three percent for each year they works in a taconite mine. The study is potentially groundbreaking because the type of mineral fibers present in iron ore mining have not been previously linked to mesothelioma.

“One important finding of the work to date in that the risk of contracting mesothelioma is higher across the entirety of the Range among people who worked longer in the industry,” said Dr. Jeff Mandel, a School of Public Health environmental health expert and principal investigator of the study.”

The Minnesota Legislature commissioned the study in 2008 after data from the Minnesota Cancer Registry showed an apparent excess of cases of mesothelioma among Iron Range workers. The study’s objective is to determine whether dust-related lung disease, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and other non-malignant respiratory disease is related to working in the taconite industry.

The researchers found that the causes of death among taconite workers compared to Minnesotans as a group were higher than expected for mesothelioma, lung cancer and heart disease.

The researchers are still trying to determine if the increased risk of mesothelioma among taconite miners is a result of cumulative exposure to the microscopic mineral fibers present in taconite dust. They plan to do further data analysis in coming months.

Source: University of Minnesota School of Public Health Press Release

Minnesota Researchers Say Link Between Mesothelioma and Working in Taconite Mines

In the statement issued in conjunction with National Asbestos Awareness Week, Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin said that anyone who disturbs asbestos-containing products puts their self at risk of developing respiratory disease. Three of the major health effects associated with asbestos exposure including asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lungs; lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest cavity and abdominal cavity.

Dr. Benjamin said certain occupations are of special concern because of the frequency with which workers may encounter building materials containing asbestos.

Jobs with occupational risk of asbestos exposure include pipefitters, boilermakers, construction workers, workers who install insulation, workers who carry out demolition of older buildings.  The danger is also very real for do-it-yourself home handymen, firefighters and first responders and community volunteers, she said.

Any disturbance of the materials can cause asbestos fibers to float in the air, allowing them to be inhaled.

“The greater the exposure to asbestos, the greater the chance of developing harmful health effects,” Dr. Benjamin said. “If you think you have been exposed to asbestos, I encourage you to speak to your health care professional.”

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, an estimated 1.3 million construction and general industry workers are potentially being exposed to asbestos. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 Americans die of mesothelioma each year and a similar number of new cases are diagnosed, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reports.  The interval between exposure to asbestos and diagnosis of the disease is typically 20 to 50 years.

Source: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=184191

U.S. Surgeon General Urges Americans to Learn Health Hazards of Asbestos

Mesothelioma is a preventable form of cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Each year, 2,500 to 3,000 Americans including many New Yorkers are diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos. Most people diagnosed with the disease are older workers, retirees and Navy veterans who worked around asbestos decades ago.

Two brave women Erica Iacono and Janice Malkotsis, each of whom lost fathers to mesothelioma, organize The Walk/Run for Hope each year to benefit the foundation. The non-profit foundation works to increase public understanding of mesothelioma and increase funding of research in hopes of ending the suffering of mesothelioma victims and their families.

You can find the online registration form and contact information here. Visit http://www.curemeso.org/5K2013 to create an individual or team fundraising page. The event starts at 10 a.m.

Annual NY Walk/Run for Hope to Benefit Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation This Month

An article in the April issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology discusses the use of lung volume as a marker for patient response to treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest cavity. Mesothelioma is closely linked to inhalation of asbestos fibers. Approximately, 2,500 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States.

Researchers at the University of Chicago evaluated the changes in lung volume of 61 patients undergoing treatment for pleural mesothelioma from baseline CT scans through the course of their chemotherapy treatment. As tumors grow, they occupy more space, reducing the amount of space that lungs have.

In addition to measuring changes in lung volume in the mesothelioma patients, the researchers tracked the changes in:

• Disease volume

• Tumor thickness

The researchers reported that the trajectory of the lung volume correlated with the patient’s prognosis.  In fact, all three measurements were indicative of prognosis.  Decreasing lung volume, increasing tumor thickness and increasing disease volume all pointed independently to a poor prognosis for the mesothelioma patients.

Lung volume is typically easier for doctors to measure using non-invasive scans than the size of mesothelioma tumors. Therefore, the researchers suggest lung volume be a useful diagnostic tool for assessing tumor growth and response to treatment.

The median survival for the mesothelioma patients from the baseline CT scan before treatment began was approximately 12.7 months.

Source: http://journals.lww.com/jto/Abstract/2013/04000/Lung_Volume_Measurements_as_a_Surrogate_Marker_for.14.aspx

Measuring Lung Volume As Indicator of Mesothelioma Tumor Response

Mesothelioma is a terrible disease caused by exposure to asbestos. It takes a toll on patients and their families. Patients receiving treatment for mesothelioma may experience mood swings, feelings of isolation and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The laudable goal of the research is to find ways to reduce the physical and emotional strains of mesothelioma patients and develop better ways of coping.

As part of the clinical trial, mesothelioma patients are invited to join a therapeutic internet-based discussion group, allowing patients to take part from the comfort on their own homes.  The small groups of three to five patients meet for approximately an hour once a week.

Patients who have been diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung and who are undergoing treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center are eligible for the trial. You can find contact information about the clinical trial here.

Approximately, 2,500 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United State. Most are older workers, retired workers and veterans who were exposed to asbestos in workplace or during military service. For patients who are diagnosed with less advanced mesothelioma, there are treatments available to try to manage the disease.

Understanding the Emotional Support Needs of Patients Undergoing Mesothelioma Treatment

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed Senate Resolution 66 urging the U.S. surgeon general to warn people about the public health issues surrounding asbestos exposure and designating a week of special focus on the prevalence of asbestos-related disease.

The resolution, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, states that asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot be smelled or tasted. But inhaling asbestos fibers can cause significant respiratory damage, including cancer and asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lungs. Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of chest cavity and abdominal cavity is caused by exposure to asbestos. Approximately, 2,500 to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with mesothelioma.

According to the resolution, thousands of workers in the United States face significant asbestos exposure, primarily in workplaces and thousands of people die from asbestos-related disease.  A significant percentage of all victims of asbestos-related disease were exposed to asbestos on Navy ships and in shipyards, the resolution said.

While the United States has significantly reduced consumption of asbestos, manufacturers continue to use 1,100 metric tons of the mineral fiber in various products. Public awareness of the dangers of asbestos and prevention of asbestos exposure can reduce the incidence of asbestos-related disease.

It’s the seventh year that Sen. Baucus has sponsored an asbestos awareness week resolution to honor the nearly 300 people in Libby, Montana who have died from asbestos-related diseases. Many of the mesothelioma victims worked at the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine that closed in 1990.

“Asbestos Awareness Week is just one more way we can keep the folks in Lincoln County and the people with asbestos-related disease everywhere in our thoughts and prayers,” Baucus said in a press release.  Baucus was instrumental in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to declare the first ever public health emergency in Libby, Montana.

A Week to Focus on Asbestos Awareness and Mesothelioma in April

Asbestos is a recognized carcinogen that causes serious respiratory disease including lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs.

The labeling proposal originated with the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, which inspects demolition sites for asbestos. “It’s kind of hard to find a building that you’re going to demolish that doesn’t have a lot of asbestos in it,” Bill Dameworth, director of the regional air agency, told The Spokesman-Review.

Dameworth said the presence of asbestos materials is a recognized problem in older buildings built before 1980, but is a less well-known issue for more recent construction. The sponsor of the legislation, state Sen. Andy Billig of Spokane, said he was surprised to learn that it was still possible to buy building materials containing asbestos.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned asbestos in 1989. But a federal appeals court decision in 1991 largely overturned the ban for most of the asbestos-containing products the ban covered, according to EPA.  Since then, asbestos has been used by some building manufacturers and may be listed as “mineral fibers” or “chrysotile,” or not listed at all.

Dameworth said consumers would be glad to know what their building products contain.

Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with mesothelioma, a cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Most are older workers, retired workers and veterans who were exposed to asbestos in a workplace or during military service.

Washington Senate Passes Consumer Protection Measure, Requiring Building Products to Label Asbestos Content

Scientists are evaluating the role of mesothelin in the spread of cancer and its potential usefulness as a signal of cancer for doctors who are trying to diagnose a patient’s disease such as mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. There are treatments for mesothelioma, but as yet, there is no known cure. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma each year in the U.S., primarily as a result of asbestos exposure at a workplace or during military service.

In a mesothelioma research article published in February 2013 in the journal Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, medical researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland and East China Normal University in Shanghai, say that there are  three ways that mesothelin may play a role in the advance of cancer, as previous studies have suggested:

• Implantation—Mesothelin may aid in the implantation of tumors in the abdominal cavity, leading to peritoneal mesothelioma;

• Survival—Mesothelin may play an important role in the survival of cancer cells;

• Resistance—The presence of mesothelin may cause resistance to certain chemotherapy drugs.

As a result of the key role of mesothelin, the researchers say that a drug that neutralizes the functionality of mesothelin may be helpful in cancer treatment, making chemotherapy drugs more effective, for instance. Some antibody drugs that disrupt the function of mesothelin are currently being evaluated in clinical studies.

The researchers say additional research is needed to evaluate the role of mesothelin in the growth and spread of malignant tumors, cancer cell survival and drug resistance. They conclude that studies on mesothelin biology may give opportunities for more effective antibody therapy targeting mesothelin in solid tumors.

Mesothelin May Play Multiple Roles in Spread of Mesothelioma, Other Cancers