Researchers in Barcelona have recently completed a study in which the possible benefits and risks of a new mesothelioma treatment were examined. The drug, Pemetrexed, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, was shown to promote overall disease control rates in individuals that have been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma.
109 individuals who have been with diagnosed peritoneal mesothelioma took part in the survey. All of the participants experienced greater control of the disease without too-high toxicity rates. If adopted, Pemetrexed would be one of the first treatment options other than chemotherapy or surgery offered to individuals afflicted with this rare and fatal disease.
Peritoneal mesothelioma, like all forms of mesothelioma, is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. However, unlike other, more common forms of mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the abdominal cavity and its lining. Sufferers generally begin to notice stomach pain as their first symptom. Swelling in the abdominal region as well as weight loss can be common, later-stage symptoms of the disease.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is highly-dangerous because it cannot be diagnosed at an early stage. It is only later when tumors develop in the abdomen that the disease can be accurately diagnosed. However, for many people, the diagnosis comes too late. Surgery to remove the tumors is possible, though the cancer has frequently spread to other parts of the body prior to accurate diagnosis. Spreading can also be stopped through radiation therapy. Pemetrexed is the first drug that has shown some promise in controlling the disease and prolonging an individual’s life span.
In other mesothelioma news, courts across the U.S. have been showing varying responses to a recent hike in lawsuits filed by family members who suffer from mesothelioma due to second-hand exposure to asbestos. Recent evidence has shown that asbestos fibers can be carried home on the clothing an individual, and, as a result, asbestos particles can infiltrate the air, exposing individuals who share a household. These people may have never been directly exposed to asbestos, though they still can develop mesothelioma later in life.
While many individuals have received millions of dollars in settlements as a result of second-hand exposure to asbestos fibers (a man in Louisiana was awarded $3 million dollars after his wife died from mesothelioma caused by asbestos fibers carried home on his work uniform), individuals suffering from the same predicament in other states have been rejected on the grounds that they were not directly exposed to asbestos to the company that the lawsuit was filed against. The daughter of a Ford employee was denied compensation in Michigan on the grounds that the company wasn’t responsible because she had never set foot on their property.
Many courts claim that the rising number of mesothelioma lawsuits forces them to award settlements only in cases that show the most merit. In fact, many lawyers today won’t even take on an asbestos lawsuit case unless they’re positive that they can prove a company’s responsibility.
