Mesothelioma/Asbestos Update

Mesothelioma Science News
San Pedro, CA - August 27, 2008

1.	National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank: a standard based biospecimen and clinical data resource to enhance translational research Click here

2.	Clinical statistics of outpatients investigated for asbestos-related lung diseases at a general hospital in Tokyo Click here

3.	Enhanced antitumor therapy by inhibition of p21waf1 in human malignant mesothelioma Click here

4.	Full-thickness pleural biopsy using an insulation-tipped diathermic knife in a patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma Click here

5.	Successful palliation of malignant ascites from peritoneal mesothelioma by laparoscopic intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy Click here

6.	Cancer mortality and asbestosis among workers in an asbestos plant in Chongqing, China Click here

7.	Asbestos clinics and asbestos health examinations: Findings from a questionnaire of implementing organizations Click here

Worthington to address surgeons at IMIG in Amsterdam Roger has been invited by the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, the world's leading body of specialists devoted to mesothelioma, to discuss the illness from an advocate's perspective. The annual congress will take place on September 25. An abstract of his presentation is below: Meso clients suffer from a lack of reliable information about treatment. Thanks to the Internet, patients are beginning to ask frank questions. The questions provoke conflicting answers reflected by confusion within the medical community about mesothelioma. As an advocate, it is important to be able to provide thumbnail answers in order to refer clients to the best treaters. A lack of consensus on research priorities and other issues are exacerbated by a crippling lack of accessible data. From an advocate's perspective, without this data clients cannot make informed decisions about treatment, which affects the viability of their lawsuit and ultimate financial compensation. A questionnaire sent out to the most well known surgeons in the U.S. who treat meso patients received a disappointing response. One way to address this problem is a global meso database that would take advantage of the extraordinary medical data generated by litigation. Uploading medical records, films, charts, prescriptions, exposure information, and patient surveys into a confidential, web-based, multi-lingual database would help provide critically needed data. The problem of data accessibility occurs in tandem with meso remaining grossly underfunded despite billions of dollars changing hands in asbestos litigation. Recent litigation changes have provided industry with an estimated $60 billion windfall that has not, and will not, find its way into research coffers. The U.S. Congress could use money held in asbestos settlement trust funds for research. The value of these trusts is between $40 and $60 billion USD, and a small percentage of those funds dedicated to meso research would go a long way to finally jumpstarting research into prevention and treatment for an asbestos related cancer known since the late 1940's.