The University of Hawaii’s Cancer Research Center’s designation as an NCI Cancer Center is important to mesothelioma research as it allocates financial and research support that helps scientists reach their goals of improving the disease’s diagnosis and treatment processes. Carbone had indicated that the NCI designation was in danger when he became the new director of the Cancer Center in September of 2009. Since then, the staff has worked to address the NCI’s specific concerns in an effort to maintain the assistance that improves the efficacy and output of their efforts.

The Hawaii Cancer Center has worked to fill many vacant positions, established partnerships and cooperative programs with other research facilities, and has begun the design of a new research center. These types of responsible developments could help them to maintain the NCI funding that’s vital to the mesothelioma research that they are conducting.

Mesothelioma affects more than 3,000 individuals annually in the United States alone, and brandishes a frightening prognosis that often gives patients no more than 18 months to live. The incurable cancer is caused almost exclusively by exposure to dangerous asbestos fibers, which through inhalation or ingestion can become lodged in a soft tissue called the mesothelium that protects our bodies’ vital organs. The disease can take decades to fully develop, and mesothelioma symptoms are so generic that they can be difficult to recognize properly.

Cancer Centers that are designated by the NCI are major contributors to the race for a cure for cancer. They are often recognized for their scientific excellence and their substantial discoveries in regards to improving the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers. While NCI supported Cancer Centers receive a huge amount of support that helps them to further their research, they must be re-evaluated each year to ensure that their research merits the NCI’s assistance.

Although he had no formal training in forensics or the arts, Bender has worked for more than thirty years accurately recreating the faces of those involved in crimes – often working from only old photographs or the remains of the individuals. His clay representations have helped law enforcement agencies across America to track down and capture wanted criminals. Working with John Walsh and the authorities, Bender assisted in the capture of John List, a notorious murderer and one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals.

While it’s not possible to know for sure, it’s likely that Bender contracted mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy. Mesothelioma occurs as a result of either inhaling or ingesting microscopic asbestos fibers. These fibers can become lodged in the mesothelium, a protective soft tissue that lines many of our vital organs, where they cause severe scarring and potentially the development of malignant tumors. Mesothelioma is an incredibly aggressive and incurable cancer which often takes the lives of its victims in less than two years following diagnosis. While palliative treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are available for mesothelioma patients, they aren’t always recommended, and generally serve to improve quality rather than quantity of life.

Asbestos is a mineral substance that was used prolifically throughout the 20th century in a variety of different industries. Prized for its thermal insulation and fire retarding qualities, it was used fervently in the production of Navy fleets to insulate pipes, boilers, engine rooms and more. Up until the 1980’s when rigid regulations and restrictions were placed on its use, asbestos was used and handled freely by many workers without even the simplest protective gear such as a dust mask.

Recently, procedures for working with asbestos are more closely monitored and harmful exposure to the substance appears to be declining. The fact that mesothelioma can take several decades to become diagnosable, however, lends to its diagnoses continuing to rise every year. Mesothelioma kills thousands of Americans annually, and that number is likely to continue to rise until today’s safety measures protect tomorrow’s generation of industrial workers.

The United States is one of very few developed countries that hasn’t passed a complete ban on the manufacture and use of asbestos containing products.

Bender has opted not to be treated with traditional mesothelioma therapy regiments, due to their many undesirable side effects.

The new drug, known as BCN105, will be tested this year on sixty different patients suffering from mesothelioma. The trials will aim to improve the prognosis for patients suffering from this aggressive form of cancer, as well as increase their quality of life.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive and fatal cancer that attacks the mesothelium, a soft tissue lining found in both the chest and abdominal cavities. Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are normally given less than two years to live. The cancer has been linked with asbestos exposure and has become a source of controversy in regards to negligent practices on the part of industrial employers over the last century.

The new drug, BCN105, says Dr. Rathjen, is expected to be more effective against mesothelioma and other types of cancer due to the malignant cells’ inability to develop a resistance to its activities. In many chemotherapy treatments, cancerous cells eventually form an immunity to the drug being used and stop reacting to its presence after some time. In the past, this has necessitated the use of several different drugs being used during therapy to ensure that the cancer is unable to adapt. This practice, unfortunately, can contribute to a rapid deterioration of the patient’s health. Dr. Rathjen hopes that cancer cells will be unable to develop an immunity to BCN105 as effectively as existing treatments.

The Phase II trials will be conducted in Australia until the beginning of 2011. If the trials continue to show promise and can be proved effective against mesothelioma, Bionomics will begin to consider its commercial applications.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule more than 20 years ago in 1989, but it was overturned just two years later in 1991 by the rich and powerful asbestos industry lobby. Since then, more than 40 developed countries across the world have completely banned the production and use of asbestos products. The United States and Canada remain as two surprising examples of nations that have thus far failed to completely protect the health interests of their populations in regards to asbestos exposure.

In the United States, asbestos continues to be imported for use in consumer products, construction materials, and some industrial and fabrication operations like the manufacture of brake pads. Last year, the USA actually saw an increase of asbestos imports of almost ten percent. Canada, on the other hand, is one of the last remaining developed nations that continues to mine and mill asbestos and holds the status of the world’s second largest asbestos producer, with Russia as the world’s first.

Due to the decades between the 1940’s and 1980’s when asbestos use was in its prime, much of the United States’ infrastructure is inundated with the dangerous material. Concrete, pipes, roofing tiles, flooring, drywall, insulation, vehicle paneling and other materials constructed throughout the 1980’s made extensive use of asbestos as a cheap, effective base for highly insulating, fireproof materials.

Unfortunately, the presence of asbestos fibers poses a serious threat to human health, causing diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma with consequences ranging from respiratory difficulties to the development of terminal malignant tumors. Asbestos related diseases can take several decades to become diagnosable, which means that an asbestos ban may not visibly reduce their diagnoses for several generations.

The ban of asbestos by the European Union, and strict regulations regarding its use and safe handling in the United States and Canada dictate that the vast majority of asbestos materials are used in poorer, developing nations. India and China are both large scale importers of asbestos products, and continue to use pressed asbestos boards in the construction of homes and other buildings. A total ban of Asbestos in the United States could go a long way not only in protecting the health of our population, but in setting a respectable example for developing nations.

In May of this year, W.R. Grace, the former operator of the mine, as well as other executives were acquitted by a federal jury for charges related to negligent industrial practices. The toxic dust created by the mine contributed to more than 400 deaths and caused countless illnesses and health complications.

Mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases are incredibly serious. After being either ingested or inhaled, asbestos fibers can become embedded in a tissue known as the mesothelium which protects our body’s major organ systems. The fibers inflict scarring on the mesothelium, which can eventually develop into a fatal malignant tumor.

An emergency cleanup was declared earlier this year, and hundreds of millions of dollars were allocated to contain and remove the toxic waste as well as treat the town’s affected residents. Progress has been slow, though, and many residents are still waiting for the results of asbestos testing being administered on their property. The EPA has been involved in decontaminating Libby since 1999, and while the major sources of contamination are under control, the agency is still involved in testing and decontaminating homes and businesses.

The latency of mesothelioma, or the time that it takes for the symptoms of the disease to develop from the time of asbestos exposure, is remarkably long, sometimes as much as half a century. This means that the battle for residents of Libby is far from over. And, after hundreds of millions of dollars and ten years of decontamination efforts, living and working in the town is still considered a substantial health hazard.

For some residents, that’s simply not good enough. Lerah Parker, a resident of Libby, voiced what is likely the general sentiment, saying “I want to know when it’s safe to bring my family back to our property.”

Mesothelioma affects between 2,000 and 3,000 people each year in the United States, comprising a substantial 3% of total cancer diagnoses in the country. The deadly cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos and asbestos fibers. It is a very aggressive, incurable cancer that occurs most commonly in the chest or abdominal cavities after the patient either inhales or ingests the dangerous substance. The disease can take several decades to occur after exposure to asbestos fibers, which contributes to the fact that it is exceedingly difficult to diagnose. Also contributing to the difficult diagnosis are the disease’s generic, flu like symptoms. Due to the aggressiveness of the cancer and the long amount of time it normally takes for a correct diagnosis, patients who learn that they have mesothelioma are often told they can expect to live only 6 to 18 months from their diagnosis. Mesothelioma’s very poor prognosis directly contributes to the value of supportive or palliative care options, which work to alleviate the patient’s discomfort and improve the time they have left to spend with their family and loved ones.

The Palliative Care Options conference will be conducted by a Dr. Charles F. von Gunten, an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Institute of Palliative Medicine in San Diego, California. Dr. von Gunten is among the nation’s leading experts in supportive care and aims to ensure that doctors, patients and families of patients are thoroughly informed about their options in when it comes to mesothelioma treatment. The doctor is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Palliative Medicine, a renowned investigator of the National Cancer Institute, and the former President of the American Association for Cancer Education.

A thorough understanding of mesothelioma, likely treatment scenarios for the disease, and the role that supportive or palliative care can play can be incredibly important to both mesothelioma patients and their families alike. Often, an oncologist’s unrelenting determination to destroy or remove the cancer effectively can come at the cost of a reduced quality of life for the patient due to invasive and traumatic treatments. Palliative care aims to keep the patient’s best interests in mind in terms of both the quantity and the quality of their life. These options often promote treatments that will encourage a better overall experience for mesothelioma patients and their families. Depending on the circumstance, palliative care can be comprised of treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgeries to improve the patients ability to breath easily or to halt painful fluid buildup. Less intensive treatments such as meditation, dietary changes, acupuncture, massage and hypnosis may also be recommended to improve the patient’s comfort level.

During the conference next Tuesday, Dr. von Gunten will promote supportive care techniques to doctors, patients and their families that will improve the quality of their life and their overall treatment experience.

Last year, Leigh Carlisle said “I used to take a shortcut across a yard in Failsworth on my way to primary school. I know that men working there cut asbestos sheets and handled asbestos materials in the yard, but I had no idea that by walking through the yard I could have inadvertently got cancer.”

While the exact source of asbestos that caused Leigh’s mesothelioma was never determined, the fact that the dangerous fibers were being used and even handled like a safe construction material just fifteen years ago is disconcerting.

Mesothelioma has an incredibly long latency, that is, the time it takes between exposure to asbestos fibers and the development of the cancer. With a latency between a few years and a few decades, we can expect to see mesothelioma diagnoses far after asbestos exposure is no longer considered a present danger – which is certainly not the case.

Leigh Carlisle died from mesothelioma when she was just twenty eight years old. Her family and loved ones were shocked and devastated.

“After the shock subsided we were left with the question how did Leigh come into contact with asbestos,” Leigh’s mother said, “we had the massive task of retracing her life. It meant talking to friends, family, neighbors – anyone who had come into contact with Leigh. We did our best to explore every avenue and possibility. That question still hangs over me and the family.”

Investigations never indicated an exact source of Leigh’s asbestos exposure and no one was held accountable for her disease and subsequent death. Her mother is not giving up, however, and says that she will fight to learn the truth about how her daughter contracted mesothelioma.

“We’re being told to get on with our lives and that we might never know how Leigh died,” she said, “we can’t be expected to be satisfied with this. We are a grieving family. We will always be grieving for Leigh. I owe it to my daughter to keep looking for what caused her cancer and I will not stop until my last breath.”

The Health and Safety Administration of the United Kingdom, or HSE, recently stated that asbestos related deaths are on the rise throughout Britain. More than twenty people a week die of asbestos related disease in Britain alone, a number that’s beginning to register alongside more commonplace causes of death such as traffic accidents. The weekly toll is growing quickly, and is up almost 100% from just ten years ago. The HSE has declared asbestos as the leading cause of death in the industrial realm and has launched an asbestos awareness campaign entitled “Asbestos: The Hidden Killer.” The campaign aims to compel employees to take an active interest in the safety of their workplace.

“Asbestos is Britain’s biggest industrial killer and remains a very real threat. The risks are not a thing of the past…” Said Greg Haywood, who leads the Health and Safety Administration’s asbestos licensing unit.

Contrary to the general public sentiment, mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by asbestos, can be contracted by accidental and minor exposure to asbestos – not just prolonged high volume exposure such as would be found in asbestos manufacturing or processing plants of yesteryear. Buildings constructed before the turn of the century often used asbestos as a fire retardant and thermal insulator, and the asbestos fibers can be released into the air during renovations, demolitions, or even repair and utility work performed on the building. Many victims of mesothelioma develop the disease through mild exposure in their place of business which takes place during just such renovations or repairs.

The HSE’s asbestos campaign is being supported by victims of mesothelioma who wish to increase awareness of asbestos dangers in the workplace. One such supporter of the asbestos awareness campaign is Robert Hamilton of Forest View, Polmont.

Robert worked in a chemical plant in Grangemouth as an assistant foreman for 28 years. While he did not handle asbestos himself, he was exposed to the dangerous fibres during maintenance and renovation work performed on his building. Robert has since undergone chemotherapy, radium treatments and has had his left lung removed in an attempt to alleviate his symptoms.

“I have been extremely lucky,” Robert said, “I was told I had six months to live three years ago. I just want to thank all the doctors and nurses at all the hospitals who have helped me.”

Robert attends a monthly support group where he heard about the HSE’s asbestos awareness campaign and was asked if he would like to participate.

“I was asked if I would like to take part and I said yes. If it prevents someone else going through what I have gone through, I’m willing to do anything,” he said.

With thousands upon thousands of workplaces still considered hazardous in the UK, the HSE’s Greg Haywood is working hard to raise awareness and save people’s lives. The situation is similar in the United States.

“The most simple, but important advice,” Greg says, “is that if you are not 100 per cent certain there is no asbestos where you are working, then don’t start work. It’s not worth the risk.”

Sources: HSE national statistics reports “MESOTHELIOMA OCCUPATION STATISTICS: MALE AND FEMALE DEATHS AGED 16-74 IN GREAT BRITAIN 1980 – 2000″, Department of Transport “ROAD CASUALTIES GREAT BRITAIN 2007: ANNUAL REPORT”, The Falkirk Herald http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/features/Asbestos-The-Hidden-Killer.5839108.jp

For seven years Dr. Malcolm Feigen, an Austin Health Centre Radiation Oncologist, has been researching and developing new mesothelioma treatment techniques which make use of high dose radiotherapy. So far, thirteen patients have been involved in the trial procedures. Dr. Feigan reports that advances in technology and available equipment have allowed the team at the Austin Health Centre to safely increase radiotherapy doses in their mesothelioma patients, and with impressive results.

“… we’ve been very impressed that in most cases there’s a considerable improvement in the activity of the tumour masses that we’ve given high doses of radiotherapy;” Dr. Feigan said, “and most patients have got through the course of treatment with no major side effects and some have had long-term benefits.”

The doctor continued to say that most patients treated exclusively with radiotherapy tend to realize short term benefits before the cancer becomes active again.

“But with radiotherapy it doesn’t come back in the same area and if we find patients early enough we may be able to stop any further developments of their disease,” he added.

Most of the patients involved in the trial treatment had surgery to remove cancerous tumors prior to radiotherapy, which seems to drastically improve the results. Dr. Feigan believes the new radiotherapy treatment in conjunction with other treatments shows plenty of promise, and on average can already give patients another two years to live.

“Some patients go on to have a number of good years before sometimes the tumour comes back in areas that we haven’t been able to give radiotherapy to,” he said.

“Some have had chemotherapy before they see us or afterwards and that does provide an additional benefit, but not always, and we think that most of the symptoms are relieved more effectively by high doses of radiotherapy than these other alternatives.”

A national oncology conference will receive Dr. Feigan next week to present his findings. The doctor hopes to gain some support for his research and encourage other cancer centres to help further his work.

The new treatment has already created somewhat of a stir which has been received by the medical community excitedly, if with some reservation. Professor Ian Olver, the CEO of the Cancer Council of Australia, welcomes further research in this direction and says that the findings to date are promising.

“I think it’s an important finding that radiation has a useful role along with other therapies, not so much on its own, so they’ve really found the niche for radiotherapy in this disease,” Professor Ian Olver said.

This short film was produced to raise awareness of the issues surrounding mesothelioma. It includes interviews with people who have the disease. Although the participants of this film live in the U.K. the stories are no different than those of victims and families suffering here in the United States. The disease mesothelioma knows no borders.