Mesothelioma and Asbestos Blog

We’ve done some research and selected five websites that contain more specialized asbestos exposure information that may be useful for those wondering if they are being, or have been exposed to asbestos in their specific home, workplace, school, or city. (more…)

With all the recent news about how the U.S. Geological Survey found a bunch of naturally occurring asbestos in El Dorado Hills, California playgrounds (see here: http://www.asbestosnews.com/news/asbestos_dangers.html), I thought I’d post some information about precautions people who live near naturally occurring asbestos deposits can take to minimize their chances of inhaling asbestos. These tips will also help you keep your house free of the regular dust that can trigger allergies.

Here are some helpful tips from the California Air Resource Board:

• Pave unpaved roads, walkways, or driveways that contain ultramafic or serpentine rock – A lot of dust is created and kicked up from unpaved surfaces that get a lot of traffic.

• Cover crushed ultramafic or serpentine rock on your property with soil – This will trap dust and fibers that could potentially disperse into the air.

• Use washable area rugs – Wash them from time to time.

• Dust with a wet rag – Dry dusters will simply scatter the dust into the air

• Have guests and family members remove their shoes before entering your home – Asbestos fiber tracking is one of the major asbestos fiber entry routes.

• Keep doors and windows closed on windy days – Especially when nearby asbestos rocks are disturbed, such as during construction.

• Use a vacuum with a high efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) – These filters can remove smaller particles from the air that gets exhausted back into the atmosphere. Regular vacuum cleaners may simply pull asbestos particles out of the carpet and put them in the air.

You should also consider having your home tested by a qualified expert if you are concerned about asbestos in your home. Licensed professionals use special equipment specially designed for asbestos removal. They can also check and see if your house builder used asbestos insulation, or any other asbestos building materials.

You can locate an asbestos removal professional near you in the Blue Book of Building and Construction.
The California Air Resources Board has more information about naturally occurring asbestos.

There are always people and organizations researching the treatment and prevention of all types of cancer, including mesothelioma. Here’s an update on the research. There seem to be some promising treatments on the way.

New Drugs

Chemotherapy drugs have not been as effective against advanced mesothelioma as we have hoped. Several new drugs are being studied. Among them are:

Anti-growth factor drugs – These drugs aim to kill cancer cells by depriving them of blood. A drug of this type that is currently available is Bevacizumab (Avastin). It is approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer, and is being tested for effectiveness in combating mesothelioma.

Anti-angiogenesis drugs – These drugs aim to hinder cancer cells’ production of substances that stimulate their growth. Erlotinib (Tarceva) is one such drug

For information on clinical trials for Avastin and Tarceva for the treatment of mesothelioma, click here.

Belinostat (PXD101) – This drug represents a new “class of anti-cancer therapeutics that target HDAC enzymes that have been shown to: arrest growth of cancer cells (including drug resistant subtypes); induce … programmed cell death; promote differentiation, inhibit angiogenesis; and sensitize cancer cells to overcome drug resistance when used in combination with other anti-cancer agents,” according to the drug maker’s press release.

This drug has showed promising results in preliminary studies and will continue to be tested. More details here.

Gene Therapy – In this approach, special lab-modified viruses are injected into the space between the pleural mesothelioma and the chest cavity lining. The viruses then attack the mesothelioma cells and inject a gene into them that may help the body’s immune system recognize the cells as a threat and attack them.

For information on gene therapy clinical trials, cick here.