Lung Cancer Trial Targets Asbestos-Related Disease

MONDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- Patients are being recruited for a clinical trial of a new targeted radiation and chemotherapy protocol for pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung's lining that's almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Currently, the standard treatment is to remove the affected lung.

Current surgical and chemotherapy treatments of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma are unsatisfactory and have not been shown to significantly prolong survival. In this study, we will investigate whether a combination of chemotherapy and radiation targeted directly at the lung's lining can improve outcomes while avoiding surgery," principal investigator Dr. Robert Taub, director of the Mesothelioma Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center, said in a news release.

The trial is also significant, because our center is the only one nationwide that is offering this experimental therapy to treat pleural mesothelioma," Taub said.

It's expected the targeted radiation will kill cancer cells on the surface of the lung while sparing other parts of the lung and surrounding vital tissues.

Patients aged 18 and older who have not had recent radiation therapy or chemotherapy and have not received prior Alimta chemotherapy will be considered for the study.

Patients enrolled in the study will receive several rounds of targeted chemotherapy using the drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin via surgically implanted catheters. Some patients will be randomly selected to receive additional systemic (intravenous) chemotherapy using the drugs cisplatin and pemetrexed. All patients will receive targeted radiotherapy using the P-32 radioisotope. Patients may elect to receive additional surgical treatment, including removal of the affected lung lining or lung.

For more about the study, call 212-305-6837.

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How To Care For Someone With Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a killer lung disease. When it strikes, there is nearly no way out for the patient. Simple activities like talking become difficult. Even eating to keep the patient alive becomes a tough chore.

Caring for someone with Mesothelioma requires strength and patience. When your family members become one of the Mesothelioma sufferers, it can be a huge blow for you. The caring process can be emotionally and physically difficult for you.

It is not easy to watch a Mesothelioma patient suffer. It is extremely easy to burst out crying but this might demoralize them. What a Mesothelioma patient need from you is strength and motivation for them to battle the killer disease.

Knowledge is power. This is applicable everywhere, including the focus on mesothelioma patients. Learn about the disease, how it affects the patients. There are incredibly huge amounts of informatoin on the Internet for you to read. There are many sites dedicated for Mesothelioma. If you are not sure about the information parted on the sites, you can always talk to the doctors.

When you have learnt everything that you need to know about Mesothelioma only then will you be prepared for anything that might come your way. Emotions will always take over but when you know what is going to happen, it will become more bearable. Patients might suffer from difficulty to breathe, something that is essential and basic activity to live. Hence, you can imagine how much mesothelioma patients have to suffer.

In order to provide some relief from the pain, most of them will be prescribed morphine. The misconception of this type of drug is widely spread. There are many cases when patients refuse to be sedated because they believe that it will lead to addiction. Your role is to convince them that when taken with care, it will never lead to addiction. In fact, it will release them from the pain.

You have to understand that medicine have to be taken in the order it was prescribed by the doctor. Although a mesothelioma patient might look fine three days in a week, you must not forget to provide them with medicine during these three days. You might wonder why this is so. Well, the medicine will help them combat the pain continuously so if you keep giving medicine, they will be able to lead an almost normal life.

This is one option where you can really care for mesothelioma patients effectively. Try keeping a diary where you will jot down their progress daily. Apart from that, write down the patient’s reactions towards every medicine they take. This way, you can team up with the doctors to help provide better medication for the mesothelioma patients. Any medications that give bad reaction towards the patient will be removed. Only beneficial medicines will stay at this stage. You will find how relieved you will be when you are able to see your loved ones able to escape pain, even for a moment.

It is true that caring for any patients, including mesothelioma patients will be challenging, both physically and mentally. However, when you are prepared to face with the facts, soon you will realize it is not so bad after all. Your attention to detail, willing to help them and your care will definitely give new hope to mesothelioma patient that you care for.

Mesothelioma is a killer lung disease. When it strikes, there is nearly no way out for the patient. Simple activities like talking become difficult. Even eating to keep the patient alive becomes a tough chore.

Caring for someone with Mesothelioma requires strength and patience. When your family members become one of the Mesothelioma sufferers, it can be a huge blow for you. The caring process can be emotionally and physically difficult for you.

It is not easy to watch a Mesothelioma patient suffer. It is extremely easy to burst out crying but this might demoralize them. What a Mesothelioma patient need from you is strength and motivation for them to battle the killer disease.

Knowledge is power. This is applicable everywhere, including the focus on mesothelioma patients. Learn about the disease, how it affects the patients. There are incredibly huge amounts of informatoin on the Internet for you to read. There are many sites dedicated for Mesothelioma. If you are not sure about the information parted on the sites, you can always talk to the doctors.

When you have learnt everything that you need to know about Mesothelioma only then will you be prepared for anything that might come your way. Emotions will always take over but when you know what is going to happen, it will become more bearable. Patients might suffer from difficulty to breathe, something that is essential and basic activity to live. Hence, you can imagine how much mesothelioma patients have to suffer.

In order to provide some relief from the pain, most of them will be prescribed morphine. The misconception of this type of drug is widely spread. There are many cases when patients refuse to be sedated because they believe that it will lead to addiction. Your role is to convince them that when taken with care, it will never lead to addiction. In fact, it will release them from the pain.

You have to understand that medicine have to be taken in the order it was prescribed by the doctor. Although a mesothelioma patient might look fine three days in a week, you must not forget to provide them with medicine during these three days. You might wonder why this is so. Well, the medicine will help them combat the pain continuously so if you keep giving medicine, they will be able to lead an almost normal life.

This is one option where you can really care for mesothelioma patients effectively. Try keeping a diary where you will jot down their progress daily. Apart from that, write down the patient’s reactions towards every medicine they take. This way, you can team up with the doctors to help provide better medication for the mesothelioma patients. Any medications that give bad reaction towards the patient will be removed. Only beneficial medicines will stay at this stage. You will find how relieved you will be when you are able to see your loved ones able to escape pain, even for a moment.

It is true that caring for any patients, including mesothelioma patients will be challenging, both physically and mentally. However, when you are prepared to face with the facts, soon you will realize it is not so bad after all. Your attention to detail, willing to help them and your care will definitely give new hope to mesothelioma patient that you care for.

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Dying man wins £5,000 bet on life

A terminally-ill man has collected £5,000 after placing a bet that he would live past doctors' predictions.

Jon Matthews was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer in April 2006 and given just nine months to live.
But the 58-year-old, from Milton Keynes, made a £100 bet at 50-1 that he would beat the survival odds.
He said: "I do get bad days obviously but I'm feeling fine today. Everyone's feeling fine if they're going to pick up five grand."

It has now been 25 months and a week since mesothelioma was diagnosed.

"The longest the doctors have ever heard of anyone surviving mesothelioma [a cancer linked to asbestos] was 25 months," Mr Matthews said.
The former car dealer said he would give half the money paid out by bookers William Hill to the Macmillan cancer charity.

"The other half I'm going to spend on myself - booze and fags probably - I don't have anything to lose," he said.
"The other thing I've always wanted to do is a bungee jump."

Graham Sharpe, media relations director with William Hill, said: "We have never been asked to accept a bet of this nature before, but as Jon approached us directly and was adamant that it would give him an additional incentive to battle his illness, we offered him the bet he wanted.

"Never, in 30 years in the business, have I been so pleased to pay a winning client £5,000."

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Mesothelioma: Diagnosis Of Mesothelioma Cancer

Diagnosis of Mesothelioma cancer is very difficult in many cases, because its symptoms can be associated with other diseases too. Hence patient's medical history is quite important to know, since if there was an exposure to asbestos from the sick person, the risk factors for developing Mesothelioma are greater.

The doctor will order you a physical examination, including chest and abdomen x-rays, and lung function tests. A computerized tomography (CT) or a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan may be useful, along with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).



The CT scan allows a computer x-rays machine to create a series of detailed pictures of inner body areas. The MRI allows to obtain detailed images of areas inside the body through a powerful magnet linked to a computer.



The way to confirm a Mesothelioma diagnosis is a biopsy, in which an oncologist or a doctor specialized in diagnosing and treating cancer pathologies takes a sample of tissue from the patient to examine it under a microscope.



The biopsy may be performed in various ways. In a thoracoscopy the name of the biopsy if the cancer is in the chest the doctor makes a small cut through the patient's chest and introduce a tube called thoracoscope to look inside and take tissue samples.



In a peritoneoscopy if the cancer is in the abdomen the doctor makes the same procedure but in the patient's abdominal cavity to obtain tissue for examination.



The stage of the disease is important to know if cancer is metastasized to other parts of the body, and to apply the best treatment for the patient.



The disease will be 'localized' if the cancer is found only on the surface of the membrane, but it will be 'advanced' if it has spread to other parts of the body, such as lungs, abdominal organs, chest wall, lymph nodes.



About the Author: Article written by the staff of mesothelioma -10.com a website edited by Hector Milla, if you want to read more articles about mesothelioma cancer information, feel free to visit http://www.mesothelioma-10.com , or http://www.asbestos-10.com, for wsib asbestos information.

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This Is How Deadly Malignant Mesothelioma Is

Author: Peter Gitundu

Article:
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer that has been found to
be caused by asbestos. The disease affects the mesothelium walls
and cause the cells to be cancerous. Around 2,000 cases are
diagnosed every year in the United States. This disease can have
a person stay over 30 years without it developing and showing
symptoms. It is deadly just like any other form of cancer and it
can be treated when it has not yet spread to all the major
organs. Malignant mesothelioma is usually a heartbreaking
diagnosis but, you need to know that you can file a legal claim
against the company in which you think you got the asbestos
exposure from. The disease manifests with various symptoms
depending on the area affected. The abdomen mesothelioma is
called peritoneal mesothelioma and it can be malignant.

You will experience discomfort with bowel blockage, pain,
bloating, swelling and you can feel a mass in your abdomen, loss
of appetite, swelling of other organs around the stomach and
others. If your lungs and breathing system is affected, you will
experience chest pains, shortness of breathe, coughing and
weight loss. The symptoms can be different depending on the
bodies of individuals. Immediately you notice such symptoms do
not stay in your home and say that you have mesothelioma. You
can only say it conclusively if the proper tests are done to
determine the presence of the disease. The doctor will perform
several tests and they include chest x rays, biopsy and others.
If found that you have malignant mesothelioma, you do not have
to panic because you can be cured.

However, the disease must be contained before spreading to other
areas and sometimes when the condition is too bad, nothing can
be done. This however does not mean that recovery is impossible,
you have to maintain a positive attitude. For a cure, you have
the option of surgery. It can totally heal your disease and it
is sometimes accompanied by radiation and chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells
while radiation is the use of rays to also suppress the disease.
You need to take time and look at the facts as offered to you by
the doctor and make decisions that will facilitate your cure. If
you find that your condition is not malignant then it is benign
an this means that you do not have cancerous cells.

People who suffer from malignant mesothelioma are usually
advised to participate in clinical trials of new drugs. They can
provide a window to relief and healing. There are also many
support groups they can find and form to share their
experiences. Many people suffer alone and this is not necessary
because being around people with the same experiences will
enable you to open up and as a result, you will reduce the
stress in your body improving your immunity and this will
contribute to your getting better. Remember that you have the
option to fight for your rights and a good mesothelioma lawyer
will guide you through the process until you get victory and
compensation.

About the author:
Peter Gitundu Is A Web Administrator And Has Been Researching
And Reporting On Mesothelioma For Years. You Can Post Your Views
On this Article On My Blog Here    href="http://merpetsales.com/?p=4433">Malignant
Mesothelioma   Feel Free To Read My Other Articles
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Mesothelioma

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