Asbestos miners in India demand results of recent study

On January 4, in Ahmedabad, India, thirty members of Rajasthan State Mine Labour Union protested at the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH). Protesters demanded release of a report covering the findings of a study conducted on asbestos miners. The study included one hundred sixty four mineworkers and the possible affects of asbestos mining on their health.

Asbestos is classified as a Type 1 carcinogen. It causes several fatal respiratory conditions including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestos use has become highly regulated in many developed countries, as the safety and health hazards have become known. However, in developing nations, such as India, asbestos continues to be used regularly and without proper protective measures.

The US covers asbestos use in the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s code of conduct regarding the quality and maintenance of American air. Currently, asbestos lawsuits are piling up in America, the UK and Australia as individuals and companies violate public health regulations. However, throughout the world thousands are working with and around asbestos without the benefit of such regulations or even the safety education to take personal precautions.

Asbestos is considered to be the exclusive cause of rare cancer mesothelioma, a cancer affecting abdominal cavity lining, most commonly of the lungs. Airborne asbestos fibers can begin a mutative process if inhaled. Mesothelioma takes decades to develop—typically between twenty and fifty years to show symptoms. Diagnosis is difficult as most mesothelioma patients have no idea they were exposed to asbestos, and therefore do not know what to look for. Coughing and wheezing are normal symptoms of mesothelioma, but often misdiagnosed as pneumonia or other respiratory infections.

In India and the developing world, testing and treatment centers for such a specialized disease are hard to find. Mesothelioma patients in India are hard-pressed from their beginning of unprotected asbestos exposure, through the end with limited adequate testing and mesothelioma treatment facilities.

Rana Sengupta, managing trustee of Mines Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC), reported that of the one hundred sixty four workers in the study, nineteen have already died. Results from the study would greatly help mining and union authorities to implement proper protective measures and to begin treatment for the miners already affected.

An NIOH scientist stated that of those tested 93 workers already showed signs of asbestos related illness. That’s about 65% of the workers still alive who were part of the study. The report however, has still not been released. Many believe there is more to this situation, as members of the NIOH who conducted the testing have suddenly resigned.

Protesters continue to make their demands and are threatening a hunger strike.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at 8:19 AM and is filed under General, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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Study shows palliative care extends survival

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a report composed by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital which advocated palliative care treatment as a method of survival extension. The study, lead by Dr. Jennifer Temel, stated that “integrating palliative care early in the treatment of patients with advanced lung cancer not only improved their mood and quality of life, it also extended their lives.”

Dr. Temel believes that similar studies in other care facilities could help doctors to better understand the potential roles for palliative care regimens in many types of cancer, including mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma, a rapidly progressing and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lung is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. While the disease is relatively rare in comparison to other common health issues, it affects the families of some three thousand Americans each year. Mesothelioma is a terminal cancer with a prognosis which rarely exceeds eighteen months of survival. As such, the vast majority of mesothelioma patients receive primarily palliative care.

Palliative care refers to treatment methods aimed at increasing patient comfort without attacking the cancer itself. Often, mesothelioma patients are too weak to survive radical treatments intended to injure or eradicate malignant tumors. Additionally, the aggressive, recurring nature of the cancer has proven incredibly resistant to curative treatment approaches. In most cases a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are used to control pain, stop bleeding, reduce swelling, and destroy malignant tissues responsible for discomfort. Palliative care works to improve a patient’s quality of life, and to ensure comfortable end of life care.

Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Thoracic Cancer specializes in palliative care treatments. The center delivers “individualized, compassionate care and the most advanced treatments for patients with thoracic cancers,” which include thymoma, lung cancer, esophageal cancer and mesothelioma among others. Massachusetts General Hospital staff are renowned for their exceptional care of both mesothelioma and lung care patients. Dr. Temel’s recent contribution to The New England Journal of Medicine contends that palliative care may provide more complicated benefits than previously believed.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 7th, 2010 at 4:26 AM and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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Study suggests radical surgeries produce better results

Mesothelioma Law Blog: Study suggests radical surgeries produce better resultsMesothelioma Law Blog« Fire at Remington Arms Plant in Connecticut May Reveal Asbestos |Main| Test May Detect Mesothelioma »

Study suggests radical surgeries produce better resultsObtaining an Upper Estimate of the Survival Benefit Associated with Surgery for Mesothelioma, a recent study which was published in the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, discusses in detail the benefits of radical surgery and multimodality therapy in treatment of malignant mesothelioma.

The study, conducted by M. Utley and colleagues of the University College London, concludes in a general sense that radical surgeries and multimodality treatments, where available, tend to improve patient survival by a substantial margin.

Malignant mesothelioma, or a cancerous tumor of the mesothelial tissue, is a terminal disease which is caused by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers. Asbestos fibers which are accidentally ingested or inhaled become lodged in the mesothelial tissues surrounding the lungs after slipping through the lung tissue itself. The fibers instigate a scarring-like reaction in the mesothelium which can develop into malignant tumors given enough time. Mesothelioma can take anywhere from ten to fifty years to develop after initial exposure, and often presents with vague, general symptoms.

The study headed by M. Utley compared the survival rates of several different sets of patients. Patients who underwent no surgery were compared with those who underwent three separate levels of increasingly radical treatment regimens. The three types of treatment covered in the study were as follows:

    * Thoracotomy: An incision in the chest cut through which to remove a tumor
    * Resection: Affected tissues and / or organs (mesothelium and sometimes lung) are completely removed
    * Multimodality: Affected tissues are removed and the are is treated with a direct application of chemotherapy

The results showed that patients who did not undergo surgery survived a mean of 16.8 months, thoracotomy patients survived a mean of 17.8 months, resection patients survived a mean of 17 months and multimodality patients survived a surprising 32.9 months.

While the results appear to demonstrate that more radical surgeries produce better results, it’s important to know that younger, healthier patients tend to be better candidates for radical treatment, and that those patients are often expected to survive longer to begin with.

“Given the burden of morbidity of resection in the management of pleural mesothelioma,” concluded the researchers, “this most optimistic estimate of the magnitude of any survival benefit should be taken into account in any policy decision, in clinical trial proposals and in strategies adopted by clinical teams.”

SourceSeptember 15, 2010 in General Mesothelioma News | Permalink

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November 2010SunMonTueWedThuFriSat 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930    Recent PostsN.Y.'s high court tosses asbestos suitMesothelioma Cases Rising in the United KingdomDisagreement over the use of surgery to treat mesothelioma patientsAsbestos group wants research not reviewMesothelioma Testing May Predict Cancer Development and Improve Prevention EffortsMesothelioma Treatment Improved with the Addition of Tomudex to Cisplatin TherapyFemale Mesothelioma Patients Live Longer After Surgery Test May Detect MesotheliomaStudy suggests radical surgeries produce better resultsFire at Remington Arms Plant in Connecticut May Reveal Asbestos CategoriesAnti Cancer TreatmentAsbestosAsbestos BillsAsbestos CasesAsbestos CleanupAsbestos CompensationAsbestos DangersAsbestos DeathsAsbestos in the WorkplaceAsbestos SettlementsAsbestos WisconsinColorado MesotheliomaConnecticut AsbestosCrocidolite AsbestosDetecting MesotheliomaErie County AsbestosFight Against CancerFiji AsbestosGeneral Mesothelioma NewsGeorgie AsbestosIllinois AsbestosLegal QuestionsLegal RightsLondon AsbestosMaryland AsbestosMasschusetts AsbestosMesotheliom ResearchMesothelioma AnswersMesothelioma CancerMesothelioma CasesMesothelioma CompensationMesothelioma LawMesothelioma law verdictsMesothelioma LawyerMesothelioma LawyersMesothelioma Legal NewsMesothelioma SettlementsMesothelioma StoriesMesothelioma Treatment OptionsMinnesota Minnesota MesotheliomaMissouri AsbestosNew Jersey MesotheliomaNew York AsbestosOhio ResearchPitsburgh MesotheliomaPreventing MesotheliomaSouth Carolina MesotheliomaTelomerase Gene SequenceTennessee MesotheliomaTexas Mesothelioma AttorneysUK AsbestosUncategorizedUnderstanding MesotheliomaVermont AsbestosVermont Asbestos LawVirginia AsbestosMesothelioma News From Topix.netBlog Created ByLawyers CourtOther Legal BlogsDUI SarasotaKent Washington Personal InjuryRenton Personal InjuryLynnwood Personal InjuryBellevue Personal InjuryEverett Personal Injury LawyerCriminal Tax BlogSecurities Law NewsSacramento DUI LawTax Litigation BlogSearch Engine BlogsExecutive SEO MarketingSearch Engine WatchSearch Engine LowdownGoogle BlogYahoo Search BlogSEARCH MARKETING NEWSSubscribe to this blog's feedAdd me to your TypePad People listOther Legal SitesChicago Medical MalpracticeClearwater DUI AttorneyKirkland Personal Injury LawyerChicago Personal InjuryPolk County Drunk Driving LawyersOrlando DUI Law FirmWashington Auto Accident AttorneysRenton Family LawyersFort Wayne Slip & FallDUI ExpungementDeer Park LawyerChicago LawyersSecurities Arbitration AttorneysMinnesota LawyersPalm Springs DUIChicago AttorneysIllinois Tax AttorneyChicago Securities LawSeattle Car Accident LawyerChicago Illinois AttorneyNew York Construction LawyerChicago Shareholder DisputesCalifornia DUI LawyersIllinois Antitrust LawyersWashington Accident AttorneySeattle Personal InjuryChicago Eminent DomainChicago Corporate LawyersPortland Real Estate LawIowa Injury LawyersChicago Business LawLegal DirectoryChicago Securities LawyerChicago Wills AttorneyChicago Probate LawyersChicago LawyersLegal News FeedsLaw Firm ConsultantChicago Tax LawyersAttorney SEOOther SitesChicago Gutter CleaningHospitality TrainingCredit InsuranceSun ProtectionChicago Career CoachWest Palm Beach BankJackson Hole ContractorsBoston LimousinesSun HatsChicago Web DesignArchivesNovember 2010October 2010September 2010August 2010July 2010June 2010May 2010April 2010March 2010February 2010More...

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Study reveals factors in mesothelioma survival

A study published last quarter in The American Surgeon provides new insight on some of the factors which may influence peritoneal mesothelioma survival rates. The study was performed by researchers in Sydney, Australia, and included twenty patients treated for the rare cancer at the University of South Wales Department of Surgery between 1997 and 2008.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The cancer attacks the mesothelial lining of the abdominal organs where it caused fluid buildup, tumors, bowel obstruction, and other serious problems. In time, the disease spreads to the organs themselves, causing organ failure and death. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a terminal cancer whose treatments aim at reducing pain and discomfort while increasing quality of life and survival time.

The patients were selected for the study due to the similarity of their disease’s stage, and because each of them received nearly identical treatments. Each patient underwent surgery to remove tumors and malignant tissues, after which they were administered a heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy regimen. The chemotherapy treatment was comprised of two drugs thought to be more effective acting in tandem, cisplatin and doxorubicin, and was applied directly to the site of the removed tumor after being warmed to improve absorption. All but one of the patients recovered from the treatment.

The study consisted of observing the recovery of each patient in light of their distinguishing characteristics in terms of age, gender, lifestyle and more. The average survival was thirty months after surgery, with individual survival rates ranging from as low as four months. The results were certainly interesting, although the researchers were quick to note that they are still preliminary.

Age and gender played important roles in survival, with women surviving an average of three times longer than men after treatment and, unexpectedly, patients under fifty five years old surviving just a third of the time that older patients did. Researchers believed that the women who participated in the study may have been afflicted with less aggressive tumors. They also noted that incidents of cancer in younger patients may indicate the disease was more aggressive in the first place, making it able to overcome a relatively healthy immune system.

Whether or not the patients were smokers had a serious impact on survival as well. Non-smokers, on average, remained relatively free of malignant cell growth for eleven months after surgery, while smokers redeveloped cancerous tissues just four months after their tumors were removed. Cigarette smoking introduces a variety of known carcinogens into the body, which probably accounts for the faster return of malignant cells in some patients.

Drinking alcohol and a history of regular drinking also affected survival rates, with non-drinkers surviving far longer than regular drinkers after initial treatment. The researchers were unsure why drinking alcohol would impact survival and hope to better understand the phenomena after fully analyzing the results of the study.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 13th, 2010 at 7:32 AM and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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New Study Highlights Benefits of Palliative Care

A new study suggests early palliative care may actually be a better form of treatment for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer than traditional curative care. Patients in the study who were assigned palliative care reported an overall better quality of life, lower levels of depression and survived longer than their traditionally treated counterparts.

The findings, which were reported in the August 19th edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, may seem counter-intuitive. Palliative care n the idea of treating symptoms and improving quality of life for patient as opposed to directly treating the illness n is typically viewed as a last resort by cancer patients. However, these new findings strengthen the idea that choosing palliative care should not necessarily be viewed as “giving up.”

The study involved the randomization of 151 metastatic lung cancer patients into two groups n one that received palliative care and one that received traditional care. Researchers used quality-of-life and depression surveys to conclude that those treated with palliative care were happier and enjoyed a better quality of life at the time of death. More surprisingly, palliative patients survived an estimated two months longer on average than those who went through traditional treatment.

In response to the findings, researchers stress that the potential benefits of palliative care need to be properly communicated by doctors when discussing available treatment options. Presently, much of the medical community perceives palliative care as an inferior treatment option. In some cases, as the study suggests, this may not be the case.

Sources:
http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/blog.showIndex/lenahuang/2010/8/20/Palliative-care-at-diagnosis
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1000678

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 14th, 2010 at 3:13 pm and is filed under Medical news, cancer treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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