A nurse diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2002 will be honored at the 6th Annual Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) Asbestos Disease Awareness Conference in 2010.
The conference will take place in Chicago, Illinois from April 9 – 11 and will present June Breit, RN, with the Alan Reinstein Memorial Award, an award created to honor former ADAO president Alan Reinstein, who passed away from mesothelioma in 2006.
Following her mesothelioma diagnosis, Breit became extremely active in the mesothelioma community, advocating for stronger awareness about the asbestos-related cancer and meeting with the governor of Pennsylvania to implement Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the state.
Breit worked for nearly 30 years as a registered nurse and was familiar with the poor prognosis typically associated with mesothelioma when she was diagnosed. When her mesothelioma symptoms first surfaced and she experienced difficulty breathing, Breit initially thought she had the flu.
Her doctor suspected pneumonia, but when an X-ray revealed the presence of fluid in her left lung, a biopsy was preformed and the presence of malignant mesothelioma was confirmed.
Breit turned to treatment to combat the cancer, undergoing an extrapleural pneumonectomy, a surgical procedure in which portions of the lung, the lining of the lung and the diaphragm are removed. She also received chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
One of the biggest surprises following treatment Breit, an avid swimmer, experienced came when she tried swimming again. “I sank like a stone instead!” she said. “Turns out you need two lungs to be able to be able to float, so now I use my granddaughter’s noodle when we go to the pool.”
Today, seven years after her mesothelioma diagnosis, Breit continues to devote her efforts towards banning asbestos and increasing funding for the creation of additional treatment options for mesothelioma patients.
“I hate this disease, and pretty much consider myself to have been murdered by a society that chose to let asbestos be used even though it was known to be toxic,” said Breit.
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Mesothelioma Patient Dies, Wife Demands Investigation
An English train driver has succumbed to mesothelioma. Now, his widow has spoken before a coroner's inquest and unveiled the truth behind her husband's asbestos-related cancer. Frank White died in June of this year. He was 74. He was an employee of British rail for nearly 50 years, and he was exposed to asbestos while on the job. While training to become a driver, White was instructed to clean out fire boxes that were rife with asbestos.
His widow, Freda, 80, said: "Frank would tell me about how some of the workers would make snowballs out of the asbestos to throw at each other while they were messing about, or make it into a football and kick it about. He was a fit man who was never ill. He tended to his allotment every day for 35 years and had years in him until he fell ill. I feel really cheated and angry and feel something should have been done about this years ago. Companies must have known it [asbestos] was dangerous."
Mr. and Mrs. White have two children, David, 48, and Susan Wood, 45. Said daughter Susan, "He was young-looking and strong for his age, which makes it all the more sad that he was taken from us by this disease. He lived for his job and would not have done anything else."
The coroner's inquest recorded a verdict of industrial disease, and the coroner was satisfied that Mr. White's mesothelioma was caused by his exposure to asbestos during his time working for British Rail.
Physicians in the UK, like Dr. Robert Winter of Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, as well as physicians here in the US continue to work towards a cure for mesothelioma cancer.
Source
His widow, Freda, 80, said: "Frank would tell me about how some of the workers would make snowballs out of the asbestos to throw at each other while they were messing about, or make it into a football and kick it about. He was a fit man who was never ill. He tended to his allotment every day for 35 years and had years in him until he fell ill. I feel really cheated and angry and feel something should have been done about this years ago. Companies must have known it [asbestos] was dangerous."
Mr. and Mrs. White have two children, David, 48, and Susan Wood, 45. Said daughter Susan, "He was young-looking and strong for his age, which makes it all the more sad that he was taken from us by this disease. He lived for his job and would not have done anything else."
The coroner's inquest recorded a verdict of industrial disease, and the coroner was satisfied that Mr. White's mesothelioma was caused by his exposure to asbestos during his time working for British Rail.
Physicians in the UK, like Dr. Robert Winter of Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, as well as physicians here in the US continue to work towards a cure for mesothelioma cancer.
Source
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
NEW MESOTHELIOMA DETECTION TEST READY FOR DISTRIBUTION
Rosetta Genomics, a cancer research firm based in Philadelphia, has reached an agreement with Super Religare Laboratories, a biotech firm headquartered in India, to distribute Rosetta's new cancer testing methods throughout the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. The deal includes making the new tests available in countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The new tests, called "miRview" tests, use genetic templates that carry certain molecular sequences based on their "microRNA". Many microRNA sequences have been linked to cancer and these new tests are among the first ones that use these sequences to detect diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The three tests include one under the trademarked name of "miRviewTM meso". This test uses microRNA markers to determine if a particular tumor is mesothelioma or another type of lung cancer. Mesothelioma often occurs in patients who have had long-term exposure to asbestos. Over time, as the patient inhales asbestos fibers, these fibers irritate the lining of the lungs and mutate the cells into malignant tumors. Since the symptoms of mesothelioma are often similar to those of other lung diseases, doctors frequently have a difficult time diagnosing it. With the miRviewTM meso test, doctors will be able to differentiate a diagnosis of mesothelioma with one of other forms of lung cancer.
According to Super Religare Laboratories Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sanjeev Chaudhry, the new tests and the partnership with Rosetta will reduce the time it takes to receive an accurate diagnosis down from five days to forty-eight hours. Not only would doctors receive the test results faster, said Chaudhry, but also the improved accuracy for diseases such as mesothelioma would help a great deal with early detection of the disease. The agreement allows for SRL to send samples to Rosetta's labs in blocks of a specially formulated type of paraffin. Rosetta then uses the miRviewTM meso test to determine if the sample has the genetic markers that signify the presence of mesothelioma.
Dr. Chaudhry also stated that the new idea that microRNA can be used to distinguish cancer cases is quickly becoming recognized in the cancer research community over the last ten years. With regard to these discoveries, Dr. Chaudhry's firm has created an important relationship with Rosetta Genomics in order to provide the first diagnostic tests using microRNA for the welfare of patients in this part of the world.
In addition to the miRviewTM meso test, Dr Chaudhry also announced that two other tests would be made available through the distribution agreement with Rosetta. One of these tests, called "miRviewTM squamous", helps doctors tell the difference between squamous and non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Until recently, oncologists did not have accurate, standardized tests that allowed them to differentiate between the two forms of the disease. The other test, called "miRviewTM mets", allows doctors to determine the original site of a cancer that has metastasized. Since the best way to tread a metastasized cancer is at its primary source, the miRviewTM mets test will help doctors determine the proper treatment method depending on that source.
Source
The new tests, called "miRview" tests, use genetic templates that carry certain molecular sequences based on their "microRNA". Many microRNA sequences have been linked to cancer and these new tests are among the first ones that use these sequences to detect diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The three tests include one under the trademarked name of "miRviewTM meso". This test uses microRNA markers to determine if a particular tumor is mesothelioma or another type of lung cancer. Mesothelioma often occurs in patients who have had long-term exposure to asbestos. Over time, as the patient inhales asbestos fibers, these fibers irritate the lining of the lungs and mutate the cells into malignant tumors. Since the symptoms of mesothelioma are often similar to those of other lung diseases, doctors frequently have a difficult time diagnosing it. With the miRviewTM meso test, doctors will be able to differentiate a diagnosis of mesothelioma with one of other forms of lung cancer.
According to Super Religare Laboratories Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sanjeev Chaudhry, the new tests and the partnership with Rosetta will reduce the time it takes to receive an accurate diagnosis down from five days to forty-eight hours. Not only would doctors receive the test results faster, said Chaudhry, but also the improved accuracy for diseases such as mesothelioma would help a great deal with early detection of the disease. The agreement allows for SRL to send samples to Rosetta's labs in blocks of a specially formulated type of paraffin. Rosetta then uses the miRviewTM meso test to determine if the sample has the genetic markers that signify the presence of mesothelioma.
Dr. Chaudhry also stated that the new idea that microRNA can be used to distinguish cancer cases is quickly becoming recognized in the cancer research community over the last ten years. With regard to these discoveries, Dr. Chaudhry's firm has created an important relationship with Rosetta Genomics in order to provide the first diagnostic tests using microRNA for the welfare of patients in this part of the world.
In addition to the miRviewTM meso test, Dr Chaudhry also announced that two other tests would be made available through the distribution agreement with Rosetta. One of these tests, called "miRviewTM squamous", helps doctors tell the difference between squamous and non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Until recently, oncologists did not have accurate, standardized tests that allowed them to differentiate between the two forms of the disease. The other test, called "miRviewTM mets", allows doctors to determine the original site of a cancer that has metastasized. Since the best way to tread a metastasized cancer is at its primary source, the miRviewTM mets test will help doctors determine the proper treatment method depending on that source.
Source
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wife Vows to Continue to Fight for Mesothelioma Cure
Shelly Kozicki continues her fight for a mesothelioma cure and for a ban on asbestos after her husband Craig Kozicki lost his 11 year battle to the deadly cancer on April 1, 2009. While helping her husband beat peritoneal mesothelioma, Shelly dedicated her time to learning as much as she could about the causes and treatments for mesothelioma, then became an advocate and fundraiser to find a cure for the cancer.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma can affect the lungs, the heart or the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects less than 10% of mesothelioma patients, and develops in the abdomen in the mesothelial cells that form a layer called the peritoneum. Like all types of mesothelioma, there is no known cure for the disease.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Craig Kozicki and his wife Shelly were devastated when Craig was diagnosed in 1998 at the age of 42 with mesothelioma. Craig chose an aggressive, tri-modal treatment approach offered by Dr. Taub and Dr. Chabot at the Columbia Presbyterian Cancer Center in New York City. Craig underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation in an effort to increase his survival rate. Although met with various setbacks throughout his years of treatment, Craig was able to return to work full-time, enjoy various sports including golf, and continue a normal life with his family including taking vacations and even walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
Seeing firsthand the pain and suffering caused by mesothelioma, the Kozickis became activists for mesothelioma victims and for halting the use of asbestos in the United States so future generations will not have to be concerned with developing mesothelioma. Craig challenged his physicians with his treatment with experimental surgeries, and newly devised chemotherapy cocktails – all the while inspiring other patients to fight the disease. Craig continued to share his story as a long-term mesothelioma cancer survivor throughout his 11 year battle.
Partnership with Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Shelly and Craig joined the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) where Shelly found an organization that she could support and lean on while she began to urge the government to ban asbestos in the United States, and to increase the research towards finding a cure.
Shelly became MARF’s most effective volunteer fundraiser. Through her efforts she raised $100,000 that funded a federal government researcher at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Ho, funded by the "Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Grant in Honor of Craig Kozicki" has had early success focusing on developing antibodies to fight the cancer.
Volunteers of the Year
Shelly and Craig were named the 2009 MARF volunteers of the year. Shelly attended the MARF Symposium in Washington, D.C., and accepted the award for herself, and posthumously, for her husband. During her acceptance speech Shelly vowed to continue to fund additional grants to continue the research effort. She then challenged the attendees to support the fundraising effort resulting in over $100,000being raised during the event. That is the first time a plea for funding has ever been made at the Symposium.
Shelly, along with her family and friends, continue to reach out to the public through a blog and through various fundraising efforts including 5K runs. One is being held on Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 26th. In addition, donations can be made directly to MARF in memory of Craig Kozicki. Shelly said she promised Craig that she "would continue to fight for what is right…And that is finding a cure and stopping the importing of asbestos into the US.”
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma can affect the lungs, the heart or the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects less than 10% of mesothelioma patients, and develops in the abdomen in the mesothelial cells that form a layer called the peritoneum. Like all types of mesothelioma, there is no known cure for the disease.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Craig Kozicki and his wife Shelly were devastated when Craig was diagnosed in 1998 at the age of 42 with mesothelioma. Craig chose an aggressive, tri-modal treatment approach offered by Dr. Taub and Dr. Chabot at the Columbia Presbyterian Cancer Center in New York City. Craig underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation in an effort to increase his survival rate. Although met with various setbacks throughout his years of treatment, Craig was able to return to work full-time, enjoy various sports including golf, and continue a normal life with his family including taking vacations and even walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
Seeing firsthand the pain and suffering caused by mesothelioma, the Kozickis became activists for mesothelioma victims and for halting the use of asbestos in the United States so future generations will not have to be concerned with developing mesothelioma. Craig challenged his physicians with his treatment with experimental surgeries, and newly devised chemotherapy cocktails – all the while inspiring other patients to fight the disease. Craig continued to share his story as a long-term mesothelioma cancer survivor throughout his 11 year battle.
Partnership with Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Shelly and Craig joined the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) where Shelly found an organization that she could support and lean on while she began to urge the government to ban asbestos in the United States, and to increase the research towards finding a cure.
Shelly became MARF’s most effective volunteer fundraiser. Through her efforts she raised $100,000 that funded a federal government researcher at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Ho, funded by the "Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Grant in Honor of Craig Kozicki" has had early success focusing on developing antibodies to fight the cancer.
Volunteers of the Year
Shelly and Craig were named the 2009 MARF volunteers of the year. Shelly attended the MARF Symposium in Washington, D.C., and accepted the award for herself, and posthumously, for her husband. During her acceptance speech Shelly vowed to continue to fund additional grants to continue the research effort. She then challenged the attendees to support the fundraising effort resulting in over $100,000being raised during the event. That is the first time a plea for funding has ever been made at the Symposium.
Shelly, along with her family and friends, continue to reach out to the public through a blog and through various fundraising efforts including 5K runs. One is being held on Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 26th. In addition, donations can be made directly to MARF in memory of Craig Kozicki. Shelly said she promised Craig that she "would continue to fight for what is right…And that is finding a cure and stopping the importing of asbestos into the US.”
Monday, September 28, 2009
Army Archerd dies at 87; Variety columnist watched over Hollywood for half a century.
Army Archerd, a prolific reporter who chronicled the personal and professional lives of Hollywood stars and moguls for more than half a century from his columnist's perch at Daily Variety, and rocked the entertainment world when he announced in 1985 that actor Rock Hudson was suffering from AIDS, has died. He was 87.
Archerd collapsed at home in Westwood on Monday afternoon and died Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said his wife, Selma. Five years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare form of mesothelioma, she said, which doctors ascribed to his exposure to shipyard asbestos when he was in the Navy during World War II.
Over the years, as the relationship between entertainment journalists and movie stars evolved from fawning to sometimes harshly objective, Archerd, perhaps best known for his televised job as official greeter of stars each year outside the Academy Awards, remained a respected figure by generations of industry insiders who praised him for his integrity, truthfulness and kindness.
"Army was extraordinarily passionate about his work and was a great crusader -- against the blacklist, for example," said former Variety editor and studio chief Peter Bart, who met Archerd when Bart was sent to cover Hollywood in 1961 for the New York Times. "He was a very honorable man and a damned good journalist."
Archerd, who retired from his "Just for Variety" column on Sept. 1, 2005, but returned soon after with a Variety blog, was also known as a journalist who never forgot which side of the red carpet he was on. In 1996, he told The Times, "I don't burn out because I'm not part of the scene, I'm looking at the scene. I don't get involved like some unnamed people who cover this business."
Though he didn't consider himself part of the crowd he covered, he befriended many Hollywood movers and shakers and was in his own way a Hollywood institution. When Daily Variety threw a charity bash at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to celebrate his column's 40th anniversary in 1993, more than 1,000 people showed up. A-listers who lauded him from the stage included Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck and Sidney Poitier. The audience included Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Jack Nicholson, Anthony Hopkins and Aaron Spelling. Even then-President Clinton videotaped a greeting to the columnist.
Dubbed in various profiles "the town crier of Hollywood," "a running intelligence report" and "the town's breeziest boulevardier," Archerd wrote well over 10,000 columns, a three-dot compendium of news, observations and occasional bombshells, sprinkled with the lingo peculiar to Variety, where films are "helmed" instead of "directed" and people "ankle" instead of "quit."
Without benefit of a secretary or an assistant, Archerd began working the telephone as soon as he arrived in his office to churn out his column. Dipping into drawers filled with one of Hollywood's most impressive Rolodexes, he could reach just about anyone he needed to. Bart once bragged that Archerd had the numbers of the nurses on every floor of every important hospital in town.
"A couple years ago, I dropped by to see him and he started to pull out cards from that Rolodex, and some were so old and about to crumble," Bart said. "He'd say 'Here's Jack Warner's private number,' and it fell apart."
Archerd met everyone and interviewed everyone -- Charlie Chaplin in the director's chair, Humphrey Bogart on his deathbed and Jon Peters at the hairdresser's chair. On Oct. 17, 1958, his lead item was about the world's biggest sex symbol: "Marilyn Monroe, who is expecting, requested a grand piano be moved to her Bel-Air Hotel suite to save her going to the studio for rehearsal in her delicate condition. She was off work again Wednesday. . . . " (Monroe suffered a miscarriage that December). There was only one star he longed to interview, but never did: Greta Garbo.
He became such an integral part of the daily ritual of Hollywood that when a bout of flu in 1983 forced him to miss work for the first time in 30 years, the Associated Press reported that "consternation and confusion reigned when the column failed to appear for three days."
Archerd's biggest scoop was published July 23, 1985, the announcement that Hudson was battling AIDS. The actor had never publicly acknowledged his homosexuality, and became the first major Hollywood figure to be linked to the scourge. "The whispering campaign on Rock Hudson can and should stop. He has flown to Paris for further help. . . . His illness was no secret to close Hollywood friends, but its true nature was divulged to very, very few. Doctors warn that the dread disease is going to reach catastrophic proportions in all communities if a cure is not soon found."
Source
Archerd collapsed at home in Westwood on Monday afternoon and died Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said his wife, Selma. Five years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare form of mesothelioma, she said, which doctors ascribed to his exposure to shipyard asbestos when he was in the Navy during World War II.
Over the years, as the relationship between entertainment journalists and movie stars evolved from fawning to sometimes harshly objective, Archerd, perhaps best known for his televised job as official greeter of stars each year outside the Academy Awards, remained a respected figure by generations of industry insiders who praised him for his integrity, truthfulness and kindness.
"Army was extraordinarily passionate about his work and was a great crusader -- against the blacklist, for example," said former Variety editor and studio chief Peter Bart, who met Archerd when Bart was sent to cover Hollywood in 1961 for the New York Times. "He was a very honorable man and a damned good journalist."
Archerd, who retired from his "Just for Variety" column on Sept. 1, 2005, but returned soon after with a Variety blog, was also known as a journalist who never forgot which side of the red carpet he was on. In 1996, he told The Times, "I don't burn out because I'm not part of the scene, I'm looking at the scene. I don't get involved like some unnamed people who cover this business."
Though he didn't consider himself part of the crowd he covered, he befriended many Hollywood movers and shakers and was in his own way a Hollywood institution. When Daily Variety threw a charity bash at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to celebrate his column's 40th anniversary in 1993, more than 1,000 people showed up. A-listers who lauded him from the stage included Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck and Sidney Poitier. The audience included Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Jack Nicholson, Anthony Hopkins and Aaron Spelling. Even then-President Clinton videotaped a greeting to the columnist.
Dubbed in various profiles "the town crier of Hollywood," "a running intelligence report" and "the town's breeziest boulevardier," Archerd wrote well over 10,000 columns, a three-dot compendium of news, observations and occasional bombshells, sprinkled with the lingo peculiar to Variety, where films are "helmed" instead of "directed" and people "ankle" instead of "quit."
Without benefit of a secretary or an assistant, Archerd began working the telephone as soon as he arrived in his office to churn out his column. Dipping into drawers filled with one of Hollywood's most impressive Rolodexes, he could reach just about anyone he needed to. Bart once bragged that Archerd had the numbers of the nurses on every floor of every important hospital in town.
"A couple years ago, I dropped by to see him and he started to pull out cards from that Rolodex, and some were so old and about to crumble," Bart said. "He'd say 'Here's Jack Warner's private number,' and it fell apart."
Archerd met everyone and interviewed everyone -- Charlie Chaplin in the director's chair, Humphrey Bogart on his deathbed and Jon Peters at the hairdresser's chair. On Oct. 17, 1958, his lead item was about the world's biggest sex symbol: "Marilyn Monroe, who is expecting, requested a grand piano be moved to her Bel-Air Hotel suite to save her going to the studio for rehearsal in her delicate condition. She was off work again Wednesday. . . . " (Monroe suffered a miscarriage that December). There was only one star he longed to interview, but never did: Greta Garbo.
He became such an integral part of the daily ritual of Hollywood that when a bout of flu in 1983 forced him to miss work for the first time in 30 years, the Associated Press reported that "consternation and confusion reigned when the column failed to appear for three days."
Archerd's biggest scoop was published July 23, 1985, the announcement that Hudson was battling AIDS. The actor had never publicly acknowledged his homosexuality, and became the first major Hollywood figure to be linked to the scourge. "The whispering campaign on Rock Hudson can and should stop. He has flown to Paris for further help. . . . His illness was no secret to close Hollywood friends, but its true nature was divulged to very, very few. Doctors warn that the dread disease is going to reach catastrophic proportions in all communities if a cure is not soon found."
Source
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Most Canadian Mesothelioma Cases Go Unreported
Less than half of asbestos workers diagnosed with mesothelioma file claims for workers’ compensation, even though most of those who do file receive compensation, according to a Canadian study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure. Most of that exposure has occurred in jobs where people work with the fibrous mineral. Up to 40 years can elapse between the time when a worker is exposed to asbestos and when he or she is diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Similar to the United States, workers’ compensation in Canada covers medical costs for workers who are injured on the job. This coverage can be an invaluable help to both patients and their families. “Workers’ compensation can compensate for wage losses and treatment costs, such as prescriptions that are not covered under other insurance plans,” explains lead study author Marilyn Cree, PhD, an epidemiologist who, at the time the research was done, was working in the Department of Prevention at the Alberta Cancer Board in Alberta, Canada. “It can also pay survivor benefits to families of patients.”
Yet few mesothelioma patients are actually filing claims. When Dr. Cree and her colleagues studied all mesothelioma cases that occurred between 1980 and 2004 in Alberta, they found that only 42 percent of patients filed claims, even though most of the claims that were filed (83 percent) were accepted.
Dr. Cree isn’t sure why so few workers with mesothelioma file claims, but she has a few theories. “There may be several reasons–we know that other research has implicated factors related to both physician awareness and patient preference,” she says.
The study found that males were more likely than females to file claims (males also face a much higher rate of mesothelioma in general), and patients under age 70 were more likely to file than those over age 70. All of the patients had a confirmed diagnosis of mesothelioma in the Alberta Cancer Registry, yet only 42 percent of the workers’ compensation claims listed mesothelioma as the diagnosis. The rest of the claims listed diagnoses such as asbestosis (a lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers) or neoplasms (abnormal cells).
Although this study was done in Canada, previous research has found that under-compensation is also an issue in other countries. “It could happen in many countries because of the very long latency period [of mesothelioma] and need to show exposure was occupationally related,” Dr. Cree says.
Future studies will help researchers discover why mesothelioma is so under-reported, and how its workers’ compensation filing rates compare to those of other cancers, such as lung cancer. “Once we determine why patients aren’t filing, we can develop and implement strategies to increase rates,” Dr. Cree says. One such program, conducted in 2005 by the British Columbia Cancer Agencies, sent letters to physicians of all patients with newly diagnosed mesothelioma. The goal of this program was to increase doctor awareness. Whether it has a positive impact on workers’ compensation filing claims remains to be seen.
Source
Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure. Most of that exposure has occurred in jobs where people work with the fibrous mineral. Up to 40 years can elapse between the time when a worker is exposed to asbestos and when he or she is diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Similar to the United States, workers’ compensation in Canada covers medical costs for workers who are injured on the job. This coverage can be an invaluable help to both patients and their families. “Workers’ compensation can compensate for wage losses and treatment costs, such as prescriptions that are not covered under other insurance plans,” explains lead study author Marilyn Cree, PhD, an epidemiologist who, at the time the research was done, was working in the Department of Prevention at the Alberta Cancer Board in Alberta, Canada. “It can also pay survivor benefits to families of patients.”
Yet few mesothelioma patients are actually filing claims. When Dr. Cree and her colleagues studied all mesothelioma cases that occurred between 1980 and 2004 in Alberta, they found that only 42 percent of patients filed claims, even though most of the claims that were filed (83 percent) were accepted.
Dr. Cree isn’t sure why so few workers with mesothelioma file claims, but she has a few theories. “There may be several reasons–we know that other research has implicated factors related to both physician awareness and patient preference,” she says.
The study found that males were more likely than females to file claims (males also face a much higher rate of mesothelioma in general), and patients under age 70 were more likely to file than those over age 70. All of the patients had a confirmed diagnosis of mesothelioma in the Alberta Cancer Registry, yet only 42 percent of the workers’ compensation claims listed mesothelioma as the diagnosis. The rest of the claims listed diagnoses such as asbestosis (a lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers) or neoplasms (abnormal cells).
Although this study was done in Canada, previous research has found that under-compensation is also an issue in other countries. “It could happen in many countries because of the very long latency period [of mesothelioma] and need to show exposure was occupationally related,” Dr. Cree says.
Future studies will help researchers discover why mesothelioma is so under-reported, and how its workers’ compensation filing rates compare to those of other cancers, such as lung cancer. “Once we determine why patients aren’t filing, we can develop and implement strategies to increase rates,” Dr. Cree says. One such program, conducted in 2005 by the British Columbia Cancer Agencies, sent letters to physicians of all patients with newly diagnosed mesothelioma. The goal of this program was to increase doctor awareness. Whether it has a positive impact on workers’ compensation filing claims remains to be seen.
Source
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mesothelioma cancer related to cancer of kidney
Mesothelioma cancer News – Asbestos fibers, that effect the lungs, respiratory system, heart and other internal organs do also effect the kidneys. In case of mesothelioma cancer of kidney, the asbestos fibers leave their affect on the mesothelium of the kidneys and aid in the growth of and multiplication of cancerous cells.
There are various reasons, which are the cause of kidney cancer. The prominent .among them, are as follows:
1) Exposure to coal tar pitch..
2) Exposure to creosote
3) Exposure to some industrial chemicals.
4) Smoking, excessive use of pain killers, and the genetic and hereditary factors.
5) Exposure to asbestos or asbestos related goods leads to mesothelioma cancer
Symptoms of the mesothelioma cancer and the normal kidney cancer:
1) Appearance of the blood in the urine.
2) Blood anaemia
3) Appearance of lumps on the abdomen.
4) Continuous pain on the sides of the abdomen.
5) Loss of weight, with no feeling of hunger.
6) Loss of weight.
The treatment of the mesothelioma cancer and the normal kidney cancer.
In the early stages of this disease, there is no appearance of any symptoms, although the onset of the infection has taken place. The early detection is only possible, if the doctor spots the infection during a medical check up.
There are different types of cancers regarding the kidneys:
a) The mesothelioma kidney cancer: This type develops on the mesothelium of the kidneys
b) The renal adenocarcinoma cancer: Develops on the kidneys of the adult people.
c) The Wilm’s tumor of the kidneys: Develops in children only.
Though mesothelioma cancers are difficult to cure, mesothelioma kidney cancer cases can be treated successfully if detected in the early stages. The removal of infected kidney used to be the only method for helping the patient from recovering from this disease but recently, the
research has helped the doctors to remove the specific affected area and save the kidney ensuring better survival rate of the suffering patient.
While other type of the treatment is to block the blood vessel that supplies blood to the Infected kidney, Therapies of radiation, immunotherapy and chemotherapy are administered to control the infection. The course of treatment is the same in thenormal cancer infection and in the mesothelioma cancer.
Mesothelioma cancer news is a free release service for Mesothelioma lawyers, mesothelioma treatment centers.
Source
There are various reasons, which are the cause of kidney cancer. The prominent .among them, are as follows:
1) Exposure to coal tar pitch..
2) Exposure to creosote
3) Exposure to some industrial chemicals.
4) Smoking, excessive use of pain killers, and the genetic and hereditary factors.
5) Exposure to asbestos or asbestos related goods leads to mesothelioma cancer
Symptoms of the mesothelioma cancer and the normal kidney cancer:
1) Appearance of the blood in the urine.
2) Blood anaemia
3) Appearance of lumps on the abdomen.
4) Continuous pain on the sides of the abdomen.
5) Loss of weight, with no feeling of hunger.
6) Loss of weight.
The treatment of the mesothelioma cancer and the normal kidney cancer.
In the early stages of this disease, there is no appearance of any symptoms, although the onset of the infection has taken place. The early detection is only possible, if the doctor spots the infection during a medical check up.
There are different types of cancers regarding the kidneys:
a) The mesothelioma kidney cancer: This type develops on the mesothelium of the kidneys
b) The renal adenocarcinoma cancer: Develops on the kidneys of the adult people.
c) The Wilm’s tumor of the kidneys: Develops in children only.
Though mesothelioma cancers are difficult to cure, mesothelioma kidney cancer cases can be treated successfully if detected in the early stages. The removal of infected kidney used to be the only method for helping the patient from recovering from this disease but recently, the
research has helped the doctors to remove the specific affected area and save the kidney ensuring better survival rate of the suffering patient.
While other type of the treatment is to block the blood vessel that supplies blood to the Infected kidney, Therapies of radiation, immunotherapy and chemotherapy are administered to control the infection. The course of treatment is the same in thenormal cancer infection and in the mesothelioma cancer.
Mesothelioma cancer news is a free release service for Mesothelioma lawyers, mesothelioma treatment centers.
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