New research from a cancer center in Philadelphia suggests that antioxidants may be an important tool in the fight against malignant mesothelioma.
Consumers know that antioxidants, like beta carotene, dietary supplements may combat oxidative stress at the cellular level. Some beans, blueberries, apples, blueberries, strawberries, cherries and plums are just some of the foods that are rich in antioxidants. But there are also several antioxidant-based drugs that have a similar effect on cells and are currently used to treat conditions such as lung disease, diabetes and malaria.
Now, researchers at the Kimmel Center Thomas Jefferson Cancer Hospital in Philadelphia have found evidence that these drugs may be effective against cancers such as mesothelioma. The team showed that the loss of a tumor suppressor protein known as caveolin-1 leads to tumor growth and is an important predictor of cancer progression. breast cancer patients found to lack the protein caveolin-1 had only a 10 percent chance of surviving for 5 years, while those with the protein had a 75 percent chance of survival.
Loss of caveolin-1 protein leads to oxidative stress in mesothelioma cells, which produce "fuel" for growth of the tumor. Since antioxidants fight stress, and cut off fuel supplies, the researchers theorize that the treatment of patients with mesothelioma with antioxidant drugs could be a way to stop the growth of their tumors. At present, the antioxidants are not normally used to treat mesothelioma and other cancers, as it is believed that could counteract the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs that cause oxidative stress.
"This study provides genetic evidence necessary to reduce oxidative stress in the body decreases tumor growth," said lead researcher Michael P. Lisanti, MD, Ph.D. , Professor of cancer biology at Jefferson Medical College. "Now that we have genetic evidence that mitochondrial oxidative stress is important for promoting tumor growth, we must reconsider the use of antioxidants ... anti-cancer agent."
Some of the drugs have been shown to reduce oxidative stress include diabetes drug metformin, a malaria drug called chloroquine and a third agent called N-acetyl cysteine. In the future could be used as part of a multi-modality approach to treatment for mesothelioma, which is notoriously difficult to treat.
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Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Mesothelioma Risk Among Boiler Workers Exposed to Asbestos
Since 1934, when a U.S. law was enacted to protect all ship components on ocean-going vessels from fire, asbestos has been widely used to insulate boilers in the engine rooms of both commercial and military ships.
Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma
The insulation surrounding boilers and pipes on ships were covered in asbestos jackets or asbestos cement in order to protect them from fire. Due to the close quarters on a ship, when repair or maintenance was necessary asbestos-containing materials were often disturbed, putting anyone on the ship at risk of inhaling the toxic fibers. The development of malignant mesothelioma has been almost exclusively linked with asbestos exposure.
Because asbestos fibers are lightweight, they can remain suspended in the air for long periods of time. Boiler room workers often carried these fibers on their clothing to other parts of the ship, exposing other shipmates to the dust.
For numerous years, asbestos was the primary material from which parts for boilers and other heat-producing units were created. Due to the cutting or manipulation that is often necessary required to properly fit parts inside the boiler, asbestos fibers could be easily released and inhaled or ingested, resulting in risk of disease later in life. Additionally, the sealants that were used to patch their pipes commonly contained asbestos that easily broke down under the extreme heat that boilers produce.
Boilers were not only used in ships, they were often used in commercial buildings as well. Well-made boilers can last decades, continuing to expose boilermakers and engine room workers to the deadly asbestos fibers that insulate them. In fact, thousands of boilers around the country still contain asbestos materials and put the workers that maintain them at serious risk.
Due to the long latency period associated with mesothelioma, symptoms for the disease may not show up until 20 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. As such, boilermakers and boiler room workers should seek regular checkups to test for signs of asbestos-related disease. Catching asbestos-related disease early is important for effective treatment options.
Additional information about mesothelioma and occupational asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma
The insulation surrounding boilers and pipes on ships were covered in asbestos jackets or asbestos cement in order to protect them from fire. Due to the close quarters on a ship, when repair or maintenance was necessary asbestos-containing materials were often disturbed, putting anyone on the ship at risk of inhaling the toxic fibers. The development of malignant mesothelioma has been almost exclusively linked with asbestos exposure.
Because asbestos fibers are lightweight, they can remain suspended in the air for long periods of time. Boiler room workers often carried these fibers on their clothing to other parts of the ship, exposing other shipmates to the dust.
For numerous years, asbestos was the primary material from which parts for boilers and other heat-producing units were created. Due to the cutting or manipulation that is often necessary required to properly fit parts inside the boiler, asbestos fibers could be easily released and inhaled or ingested, resulting in risk of disease later in life. Additionally, the sealants that were used to patch their pipes commonly contained asbestos that easily broke down under the extreme heat that boilers produce.
Boilers were not only used in ships, they were often used in commercial buildings as well. Well-made boilers can last decades, continuing to expose boilermakers and engine room workers to the deadly asbestos fibers that insulate them. In fact, thousands of boilers around the country still contain asbestos materials and put the workers that maintain them at serious risk.
Due to the long latency period associated with mesothelioma, symptoms for the disease may not show up until 20 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. As such, boilermakers and boiler room workers should seek regular checkups to test for signs of asbestos-related disease. Catching asbestos-related disease early is important for effective treatment options.
Additional information about mesothelioma and occupational asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
Power Plants Workers Exposed to Asbestos at High Risk for Mesothelioma
A new German study has confirmed what thousands of power plant workers already know: their exposure to asbestos at work puts them at high risk for malignant mesothelioma.
Due to its heat resistant properties, asbestos was used for many years as an insulator around hot turbine power, cables and other sensitive equipment. Thousands of power plant workers have been in contact with the material on a daily basis, in some cases for decades.
In the latest study on the risk of mesothelioma among workers in the power plant, German researchers monitored 8,632 current or former employees of power plants between 2002 and 2006, he worked with large turbines. The researchers took the dust fibers around the plants and found that 96 percent of the samples contained high levels of chrysotile asbestos, a known risk factor for asbestosis, mesothelioma and other cancers of the lung.
The test results showed that up to 94 percent of study subjects had been exposed to asbestos at work, some up to 20 years, and were at high risk for mesothelioma. The research team analyzed the workers involved in different jobs within the power plant and found that more intense exposure to asbestos occurred during repair or servicing of the turbines. While all workers in the power plant were heavily exposed to asbestos, metalworkers and electricians power plants, those most directly involved with the repair of the turbine, tended to have greater exposure and increased risk for diseases such as mesothelioma.
Most surprising, the study found that while the air inside was clearly toxic plants, 82 percent of German workers had no safety measures in their workplace to protect against mesothelioma. The authors suggest that because of the findings, metalworkers and electricians in the power generation industry should be closely monitored for signs of mesothelioma. Although mesothelioma is fast growing and resistant to traditional therapies, early detection greatly improves the chances of patient survival.
Sources:
Felten, Michael et al, “Retrospective exposure assessment to airborne asbestos among power industry workers”, June 25, 2010. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology.
“Mesothelioma Risk for Power Plant Workers Exposed to Asbestos”, Cancer in the News website, February 10, 2011.
Due to its heat resistant properties, asbestos was used for many years as an insulator around hot turbine power, cables and other sensitive equipment. Thousands of power plant workers have been in contact with the material on a daily basis, in some cases for decades.
In the latest study on the risk of mesothelioma among workers in the power plant, German researchers monitored 8,632 current or former employees of power plants between 2002 and 2006, he worked with large turbines. The researchers took the dust fibers around the plants and found that 96 percent of the samples contained high levels of chrysotile asbestos, a known risk factor for asbestosis, mesothelioma and other cancers of the lung.
The test results showed that up to 94 percent of study subjects had been exposed to asbestos at work, some up to 20 years, and were at high risk for mesothelioma. The research team analyzed the workers involved in different jobs within the power plant and found that more intense exposure to asbestos occurred during repair or servicing of the turbines. While all workers in the power plant were heavily exposed to asbestos, metalworkers and electricians power plants, those most directly involved with the repair of the turbine, tended to have greater exposure and increased risk for diseases such as mesothelioma.
Most surprising, the study found that while the air inside was clearly toxic plants, 82 percent of German workers had no safety measures in their workplace to protect against mesothelioma. The authors suggest that because of the findings, metalworkers and electricians in the power generation industry should be closely monitored for signs of mesothelioma. Although mesothelioma is fast growing and resistant to traditional therapies, early detection greatly improves the chances of patient survival.
Sources:
Felten, Michael et al, “Retrospective exposure assessment to airborne asbestos among power industry workers”, June 25, 2010. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology.
“Mesothelioma Risk for Power Plant Workers Exposed to Asbestos”, Cancer in the News website, February 10, 2011.
DuPont's Mesothelioma Lawsuit Takes a Pause
02/16/2011 / / Chicago, IL USA, / / Attorneys Mesothelioma - Cooney and Conway / / Cooney & Conway
The tragic circumstances of mesothelioma are well known, but certainly the retrial was not.
After a former refinery worker was diagnosed and died of cancer, mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that is almost always linked to his exposure to asbestos in the family sued the company claimed was responsible. When a jury disagreed in 2008, it appeared that the defendant, DuPont de Nemours, had been exonerated.
But the trial judge, was that he disagreed with the jury and dismissed the verdict. Then he accepted the request of lawyers mesothelioma "for a new trial.
A new trial, to be held in Jefferson County, Texas, is temporarily on hold, with the trial judge, Donald Floyd, the issue of a postponement requested by attorneys for the plaintiff.
According to the Southeast Texas Record, mesothelioma lawyers for the family of Willis Whisnant Jr., told the court that the continuance was "not sought for purposes of delay, but so that justice can and will do." The demand for asbestos has been filed by the daughter of Whisnant, Caryl Richardson. Whisnant, a former subcontractor, DuPont, died of mesothelioma in their late 70s, said the law review.
The deadly consequences of asbestos exposure have long been a concern for workers in industry. Asbestos contained in products such as insulation and pipes can be released into the air and be inhaled by anyone nearby. Once asbestos fibers lodge in the lungs, which can trigger mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the protective lining that covers many years, the body organs, even decades later. This explains why so many retired asbestos workers are diagnosed with advanced disease.
However, mesothelioma is not the only disease that has been scientifically linked to asbestos exposure. Lung cancer and asbestosis, a severe respiratory disease, can also be caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.
With asbestos is still present in many factories, homes and schools, even the risk of mesothelioma and other diseases is still very good. They mostly attack people who work with asbestos, but these deadly diseases can also affect those who simply live or study in areas where the material exists.
Survival rates are grim: The World Health Organization estimates that asbestos-related disease kills about 107,000 people worldwide each year. And in the case of mesothelioma, although the diagnosis is catastrophic. There is no known cure, not even a viable long-term treatment.
The only victims of asbestos tend to use the courtroom, where lawyers mesothelioma have succeeded in winning many large multimillion-dollar verdicts, and often. But until researchers succeed in the battle against disease, the consequences of exposure to asbestos will disrupt and devastate thousands of lives and families.
* This news was brought to you by lawyers mesothelioma Cooney and Conway. For over half a century, have brought relief and recovery to those injured by the negligence or harmful actions of others. In the process, we have litigated some of the country's asbestos lawsuits most importantly, helping victims of mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases get answers and justice.
The tragic circumstances of mesothelioma are well known, but certainly the retrial was not.
After a former refinery worker was diagnosed and died of cancer, mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that is almost always linked to his exposure to asbestos in the family sued the company claimed was responsible. When a jury disagreed in 2008, it appeared that the defendant, DuPont de Nemours, had been exonerated.
But the trial judge, was that he disagreed with the jury and dismissed the verdict. Then he accepted the request of lawyers mesothelioma "for a new trial.
A new trial, to be held in Jefferson County, Texas, is temporarily on hold, with the trial judge, Donald Floyd, the issue of a postponement requested by attorneys for the plaintiff.
According to the Southeast Texas Record, mesothelioma lawyers for the family of Willis Whisnant Jr., told the court that the continuance was "not sought for purposes of delay, but so that justice can and will do." The demand for asbestos has been filed by the daughter of Whisnant, Caryl Richardson. Whisnant, a former subcontractor, DuPont, died of mesothelioma in their late 70s, said the law review.
The deadly consequences of asbestos exposure have long been a concern for workers in industry. Asbestos contained in products such as insulation and pipes can be released into the air and be inhaled by anyone nearby. Once asbestos fibers lodge in the lungs, which can trigger mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the protective lining that covers many years, the body organs, even decades later. This explains why so many retired asbestos workers are diagnosed with advanced disease.
However, mesothelioma is not the only disease that has been scientifically linked to asbestos exposure. Lung cancer and asbestosis, a severe respiratory disease, can also be caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.
With asbestos is still present in many factories, homes and schools, even the risk of mesothelioma and other diseases is still very good. They mostly attack people who work with asbestos, but these deadly diseases can also affect those who simply live or study in areas where the material exists.
Survival rates are grim: The World Health Organization estimates that asbestos-related disease kills about 107,000 people worldwide each year. And in the case of mesothelioma, although the diagnosis is catastrophic. There is no known cure, not even a viable long-term treatment.
The only victims of asbestos tend to use the courtroom, where lawyers mesothelioma have succeeded in winning many large multimillion-dollar verdicts, and often. But until researchers succeed in the battle against disease, the consequences of exposure to asbestos will disrupt and devastate thousands of lives and families.
* This news was brought to you by lawyers mesothelioma Cooney and Conway. For over half a century, have brought relief and recovery to those injured by the negligence or harmful actions of others. In the process, we have litigated some of the country's asbestos lawsuits most importantly, helping victims of mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases get answers and justice.
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