Mesothelioma and Asbestos Blog

Scientists are currently researching if there’s a preventative that can be enforced to disable cancerous tumors from invading the body.
Researchers in Australia have reportedly discovered that by injecting substances into tumors, they can assist the immune system in targeting these harmful tumors for destruction.
In doing so, they believe that they may be able to prevent fatal forms of cancer, such as the asbestos induced, mesothelioma, from effecting more people in the future.

Tests Conducted on Mice
Researchers reportedly injected toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, which mimic the response that would occur if an infection existed, into the mesothelioma cells of a mouse.
According to documents, the tumors were completely gone in 40 percent of the mice and the rest of the mice showed a slowing in the progression of the cancer.
“There appears to be multiple layers of suppression used by any given tumor,� explains Andrew Currie, a researcher at the School of Medicine & Pharmacology in Western Australia. “Not only that, the tumors are not passive suppressors, but rather astute manipulators of the immune system.�
The Effects of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a fatal form of cancer that typically affects those who have been exposed to asbestos through inhalation, ingestion or the handling of products containing the substance.
The effects of mesothelioma usually don’t show up for between 15 and 50 years so oftentimes when people are exposed they are not aware of the harm that has been done.

Scientists have yet to find a cure for the illness; however, treatments have been discovered in the last couple of decades that are enabling those who have mesothelioma to live a bit longer.

According to recent statistics, the numbers of mesothelioma cases that are reported in the U.S. annually are somewhat rare, but data shows that the illness has affected more people than ever in the past few decades.

Men are typically more likely to get mesothelioma than women since they are employed at places where there is a potential for asbestos exposure.  

The Survival Rate

The illness is typically caused by asbestos and many people are unaware that they are sick until 15-50 years after their exposure.

After being diagnosed, patients are usually given a five-year survival rate, a prediction that depends on the severity of the case.

This survival rate given by doctors refers to the percent of patients who have been recorded as having lived at least five years after their diagnosis.

However, since more research is being done on the illness, many more patients are proving this five-year survival rate to be only specific to certain cases and not the norm.

Statistics on the Disease

Research shows that each year between 2, 500 and 4,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma.

This number is expected to rise in the next 10 years since so many people have been exposed while at work, school and in their daily routines in the past.

Britain’s healthcare “watchdog� NICE, recently gave doctors clearance to use Eli Lily and Co’s medication Alimta to help treat mesothelioma.
Thus far, a cure for mesothelioma has not been found but using medications such as Alimta has proven to be beneficial for those suffering from the illness, according to
researchers.
Reversal of Decision Regarding Medication
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence was finally issued final clearance for the National Health Service to provide the medication after much debate surrounding the drug.
Alimta has been approved to be used on patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma and aren’t eligible for surgery.
The approval is a reversal of a 2006 NICE decision that the drug, also known as pemetrexed disodium, wasn’t cost-effective for the illness.
Mesothelioma Becoming More Common
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is associated with asbestos exposure and can take from 20-50 years to detect in patients.
People are often exposed to asbestos through the handling of products containing the substance or the inhalation or ingestion of the fibers.