The new technologies will use a very small micro chip and be able to diagnosis Mesothelioma from a urine sample. Mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer caused by asbestos, responds more effectively to treatment in the early stages of the disease. The new form of diagnosis could be revolutionary in the treatment of Mesothelioma.

The research suggests that an increase in vitamin A may decrease the risk of Mesothelioma. The original study focused on the diet of people with and people without Mesothelioma. The group that ate fewer vegetables high in vitamin A showed a higher incidence of Mesothelioma.  A for the National Cancer Institute and vitamin A for Mesothelioma suffers.

Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that responds more favorable to treatment in the early stages of the disease. This new discovery can lead to blood tests which can predict potential Mesothelioma victims. Monitoring of potential victims showing high levels of the molecule would lead to early detection and treatment.

Dr. David Sugerbaker at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts said that the greatest impact will be on early stage Mesothelioma, but overall survival rates were higher in patients who underwent the heated chemotherapy. Dr. Sugerbaker is also trying to determine if adding other drugs to the procedure will likewise increase survival rates. Keep the heat on, Doc!

Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction. I hope that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law sending a clear message to any who violate the laws to avoid expensive asbestos cleanup.

Estrogen in both sexes has functions in the skeletal, central nervous, cardiovascular and immune system. Italian researchers have found that estrogen stopped or slowed the growth of Mesothelioma cells.

Onconase, a drug developed by Alfacell Corporation, is in Phase III of a clinical trial which may lead to FDA approval. In Mesothelioma cells, Onconase triggers several biological effects of key cell cycle regulatory factors.

Tea Tree Oil has been found, by the Biomolecular and Chemistry Sciences at The University of Western Australia, to kill mouse Mesothelioma cells in vitro. The compounds in tree oil were found to stop cells from multiplying and inducing cell death. The most promising part of this study is that the compounds had a tendency to protect healthy cells.

While the Italians study Estrogen and the Australians study Tree Oil, researchers at Dartmouth Medical center in New Hampshire are studying the use of a highly toxic drug, Thioguanine with fluorouracil, which protects the healthy cells while Mesothelioma cells are damaged.

While some of these Mesothelioma treatments are a long way from being approved for current use, others are just around the corner. The most encouraging fact is that researches around the world are working tirelessly to find effective treatments for Mesothelioma suffers.  The future looks bright, at least for the many more people that will learn they have this deadly disease.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer with no known cures. Dr. Tsao believes that “non-specializing medical centers, as well as smaller local healthcare centers, may miss some of the symptoms of Mesothelioma when it is in its earliest stages.”

Additionally Mesothelioma specialists are involved in new drug therapies and clinical trials which I have written about often. Dr. Tsao means no disrespect to your local medical providers and I concur that a disease as deadly as Mesothelioma should be handled by a specialist who could add years to your life and make the last ones more comfortable. Check the web and visit sites of major cancer centers such as M.D. Anderson as soon as symptoms occur. Don’t wait.

Patients who are interested in getting involved in the study should contact New York’s Columbia University Medical Center. To qualify for the clinical trial you must have been diagnosed with one of these forms of Mesothelioma and patients must not have gone through more than one prior chemotherapy treatment. Scientists are hoping that the therapy will decrease mortality rates and affect the growth of cancer cells. There are many studies going on throughout the World and it is great to see Columbia University leading the charge.

Cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among American service members have risen by eighty percent since 2001. Even Veterans who have not been diagnosed with disease are in danger due to asbestos fibers that may be trapped in their lungs. Mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer, is caused by asbestos fibers and the disease may not show up for as long as thirty or more years.

The problem has not gone unnoticed by Congress and several representatives are working on a bill to address it. Our Foreign Service men and women face the most dangerous of situations fighting for their country risking death every day. The least we can do as a country is to protect them from needless additional risks that can be prevented.

A thorough analysis of U.S. products, in addition to imported ones, which include talc, should be done immediately to determine if the Mesothelioma-causing asbestos is present in any products for sale in the United States. With the known risk of Mesothelioma caused by asbestosis, it is absurd to hear that some countries in the world still have the substance in ingestible products.

The new procedure is a video assisted procedure that is less invasive and causes less damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Clinical trials will try to determine which of the two procedures offers better control of symptoms, involves fewer complications, with a shorter hospital stay, and which offers a better quality of life. The study, overseen by Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, is another encouraging sign to Mesothelioma victims that serious steps are being taken to determine not only a cure for the disease but better and safer methods of treatment while a cure is being sought.

The earlier the diagnosis of Mesothelioma, the more effective the treatment is in slowing the progress of the cancer and relieving the symptoms. However, there is presently no cure.

Carpenter unions and trade associations should take the lead and get this information out to there members so that tests can be done and treatment can be started early.

Some cancer experts and oncologists think a cure is a little ambitious, and think the focus should be on improving treatment methods, especially for Mesothelioma victims, wherein chemo and radiation are simply palliative treatments not curative or even able to slow the growth.

With the president behind this program and billions of dollars dedicated, a cure for Mesothelioma may be seen in our lifetime. I applaud the administration for their efforts and hope that the recipients of the funds use them wisely to help cancer and Mesothelioma victims see the light at the end of the tunnel.