Research scientists have been exploring the use of biomarkers as diagnostic tools to detect malignant pleural mesothelioma.A biomarker is a specific physical trait used to measure the effects or progress of a disease. A validated biomarker can diagnose the presence of a disease and perhaps aid in its treatment. A recent study shows that two new tests offer potential markers for mesothelioma.
Osteopontin (OPN) is a protein that can be found in circulating blood and is associated with cancers.Three subject groups were studied, including 69 subjects with asbestos-related pulmonary disease, 76 mesothelioma subjects and 45 healthy subjects with no known asbestos exposure.
OPN levels were significantly higher in people diagnosed with mesothelioma as compared to those with pulmonary plaques and fibrosis. The osteopontin levels had an accuracy of 85.5% in identifying those with mesothelioma compared to those with benign lung conditions.
Researchers concluded that serum osteopontin levels could be used to identify those with pleural mesothelioma from those who do not have cancer although had been exposed to asbestos.
A biomarker for monitoring mesothelioma, called MESOMARK, is a simple blood test that utilizes an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay format to measure the soluble mesothelin-related proteins in the blood of certain mesothelioma patients.
Doctors have used the registered MESOMARK test in conjunction with PET/CT scans to monitor the progression of disease and management of treatment options. The MESOMARK can only be given in designated laboratories.For information go to http://www.fdi.com/.
Although Flintkote has gone bankrupt because of asbestos-related lawsuits, public health officials in Fremont, CA are asking former employees to report about any potential impacts they have had from asbestos exposure.
Between 1967 and 1979, Flintkote workers were exposed to low levels of asbestos, according to the Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry. The workers and their families could be at risk because employees might have carried the potentially toxic asbestos fibers home on their clothing or on their bodies. Cancer records and death records for the neighborhood reviewed by State health officials revealed scattered evidence that the number of deaths from asbestos exposure is higher than expected.
A new study by Japanese researchers suggests that people who have ever lived near an asbestos manufacturing plant are at risk of developing mesothelioma decades later. Risk was especially noted among those who lived roughly 1.5 miles downwind of the Japanese cement pipe plant.
Asbestos is not one mineral but the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals such as vermiculite, amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite and anthophylite withlong thin fibers that are tasteless and hardly detectable in the air or on clothing. When inhaled they become lodged in the lungs and over time can cause inflammation, scarring and possibly a deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma.
Asbestos is resistant to heat and fire, and was used as insulation in building materials for years before it was found to be harmful to the body. U.S. Gypsum now owns the former Flintkote site and uses the site as a reloading and distribution center.
The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network is sponsoring a Fight Back Express, a shrink-wrapped bus (no kidding!) that is moving across the country until Nov. 4 to raise awareness about cancer, including mesothelioma.
Community residents get a chance at each stop to write their own messages about cancer, using the black marker on the side of the bus. When the walls are filled with signatures the shrink-wrap is saved, mounted and given to members of Congress in Washington at the end of the road on Election Day.
“Cancer is a political issue as well as a medical one,” said Jack Clapper, partner in the mesothelioma law firm of Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason in Sausalito, California. “We support the efforts of the American Cancer Society in bringing this issue forcefully to the nation’s capital, and emphasizing the need for legislation to ban asbestos in the United State,” he said.
To follow the path of the ACSCAN bus to see when it’s in your community, log on to http://acscan.org/bus.
The attorneys at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason urge their clients, friends and the general public to participate in this effort toward greater education and awareness about mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases:
Two Illinois Women on Personal Crusade to Ban Asbestos
It’s all about awareness, according to Lacey Caraway and her mother, Janet Graeff, who are on a crusade to ban asbestos throughout the United States.
They’re declaring – and trying to get Congress to declare – Mesothelioma Awareness Day on Friday, September 26, to help the public understand the origin of this painful and usually fatal disease caused by exposure to asbestos.
Lacey was diagnosed with mesothelioma three years ago. She’s in remission now, but only after three surgeries and six rounds of chemo and some heavy pain management meds.
When she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, Lacey said she had no idea about where it came from or how she got it. She was also amazed at the total lack of treatment information available. Fortunately her family physician and surgeon pointed her in the right direction to find a foremost mesothelioma physician.
The disease could come back, she realizes, but in the meantime, she and her mother are trying to get a bill through Congress and another one in Illinois to declare Mesothelioma Day on Sept. 26. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has already declared the day in his state and efforts are underway to make the designation permanent.
This is the story of a 7 year Mesothelioma survivor, James O’Connor, after receiving the depressing diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma was given less than one year to live by his doctors. Told to spend his last days vacationing with his wife and to call hospice he chose differently. Not wanting to accept the prognosis and live his last months waiting to die, he decides to work with clinicians to come up with his an aggressive treatment plan, which includes dietary supplements, diet changes and meditation.
author J.R. O'Connor
In his book , They Said Months. I Chose Years! A Mesothelioma Survivor’s Story (Perfect Paperback), James shares what he did to survive his diagnosis of mesothelioma and provides much of the science behind his decisions. At the time of this writing James continues to live a productive life. This inspirational book was written to help those coping with a diagnosis of Mesothelioma or any other form of cancer. James cites nearly one hundred medical articles that support the paradigm of using nutrition to help manage a chronic disease like cancer.
In the United States alone approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, a type of cancer usually associated with exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma tumors occur in the thin membranes that line the lungs, abdomen or heart. Although many cases are fatal within two years, early diagnosis and proper treatment can often lead to a good prognosis and extended survival.
A man in Tennessee and a nurse in Ohio are suing defendant corporations for contracting mesothelioma through second-hand exposure to asbestos fibers brought home on family members’ clothing.
In Tennessee, the Supreme Court allowed Doug Satterfield, an asbestos worker at Alcoa Inc., to sue the company after his daughter Amanda died of mesothelioma in 2005 at the age of 25. The suit claims Ms. Satterfield’s illness was caused by the asbestos dust carried home in her father’s clothing. Mr. Satterfield is seeking $10 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages on behalf of his late daughter, claiming the employers should have known or possibly did know the hazards of asbestos exposure to their employees and family members.
In Ohio, Kathy Castle has filed an asbestos lawsuit against 13 corporations claiming her recently diagnosed mesothelioma was wrongfully caused. Ms. Castle worked from 1970 until 2008 as a home nurse, secretary, clerical worker and nurse’s aide. She believes she contracted mesothelioma through second-hand exposure to asbestos fibers on family member’s clothing.
One family member worked for five years as a construction worker and mason assistant; another worked for five years in plastic manufacturing. Both worked at various locations.
Castle alleges her mesothelioma has prevented her from continuing her normal employment and seeks punitive and compensatory damages.
Support Groups Help Ease The Pain For Families and Victims of Mesothelioma
Two sisters in the UK have set up a support group for victims of mesothelioma and their families. Diane McLellan and Lynne Squibb formed Hampshire Asbestos Support and Awareness Group. Their 72 year old father, Dave Salisbury, died from lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure or mesothelioma. Since his death they have helped dozens of families find comfort and information on how to receive compensation after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
The support group also sponsors home visits and they have raised much needed money for research. During a time of need their group has given support to families that would not have known what to do during a time of crisis. Victims have found comfort by coming together with other people who are going through similar situations and knowing they are not alone.
Mrs McLellan said:
“I like to think we have made a difference. Asbestos-related illnesses can take years to develop but can take hold very quickly. We need to help people before it’s too late.”
“If we can stop one person from being exposed and prevent them from developing one of these conditions later in their lives it’s worth it.”
Also in the UK another group has announced plans to set up a similar organization. This one is being launched by a widow in honor of her husband a mesothelioma victim; Gill Willcocks plans to create the Dave Willcocks Asbestos Victim Support Group. Her husband was 61 when he died from this devastating cancer of the lining of the lung, mesothelioma, in October 2007. The group plans to meet regularly, provide a warm and friendly environment for victims and their families to share their experiences.
Mrs. Willcocks commented:
“We want to provide an environment where those suffering from asbestos related diseases and their families can gain support on a practical and emotional level.”
“We will raise awareness about asbestos related disease and will campaign to improve access to treatments, benefits and compensation.”
“Asbestos related diseases aren’t going away but we hope by setting up this group we can alleviate a little of the devastation they cause.”
The city of Chicago wants to buy the campus of Michael Reese Hospital to construct a $1.1 billion Olympic Village for the 2016 event it has landed. Mesothelioma attorneys, knowing the hazards of asbestos removal, wonder if the city can borrow the $85 million to start construction. The biggest obstacle is contamination of the site.
Borrowing is hampered by the estimated cost of demolition and environmental cleanup. Already 60% higher than anticipated, the demolition faces the prospect of asbestos and other toxins on the site. Costs may exceed $32 million for cleanup. The 27 buildings of the Reese campus are known to contain lead paint, asbestos and some potentially hazardous underground storage tanks.
Removal of asbestos is hazardous and expensive because of safety precautions required in handling. When asbestos fibers are inhaled they can become lodged in the lungs and over the years lead to asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a potentially terminal cancer that is usually not diagnosed until the late stages. It is resistant to treatment.
The Olympic Committee is reportedly trying to renegotiate the purchase price for the campus so that plans can move forward.
Carl Mortenson has filed a 13-count lawsuit against some 100 companies for not taking precautions in his exposure to asbestos during his years as a laborer for Southern Pacific Railroad, in the U.S. Navy from 1949 until 1984 and as a laborer in the construction industry for some 15 years with Northrop Grumman.
Mortenson is seeking some $600,000 in compensation and punitive damages against Ferris Kimball Company, LLC, Sprinkmann Sons Corporation, Sprinkmann Insulation, Inc., and Young Insulation Group of St. Louis for misconduct. His suit alleges that the companies should have foreseen that his exposure to asbestos would lead to malignant mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma attorneys have known for many years that exposure to asbestos can lead to malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Mortenson claims the asbestos-related disease has caused him substantial physical pain, disfigurement, mental anguish and medical costs.
Mesothelioma Blog of Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason
Welcome to our blog, as expert lawyers in the field of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer we will post relevant articles and news stories as they become available. We invite you to use our website and blog as a resource for news and innovations to further your knowledge. For a Free Mesothelioma Case Evaluation, please call us at 800-440-4262.
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