The Abestos Disease Awareness Organization is holding its 7th Annual Asbestos Awareness Conference on April 1-3, 2011. This conference will bring together, leading international experts who will discuss the overall health, economic and environmental impact of asbestos. Among the main supporters of this conference is the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Proceeds will directly benefit the ADAO mission and their important work.
Early registriation ended on December 31, 2010, however normal registration is still open. The registration includes a continental breakfast and also lunch.
The fees are as follows:
Students, Cargivers and Patients: $150
Professionals: $325
* Note: There is a Sunday Unity Brunch with is an addition $25 if you are registered for the conference, or $50 if you are not registered.
For additional information, you can send and email to AAC@AsbestosDiseaseAwareness.org or click on the following link to reach the ADAO website:
http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/
For additional information about Asbestos and Mesothelioma, visit this link:
Mesothelioma Information
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Mesothelioma Information News - Second Treatment Regemin of Pemetrexed-Based Chemo Beneficial to some Patients who Relapse
A study conducted by a group of Italian researchers, tested the overall effectiveness of a second treatment regemin using pemetrexed-based chemotherapy for mesothelioma patients who disease had relapsed.
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Sources:
This study was published in the January 7, 2011 edition of the medical journal, Lung Cancer.
In the study, the researchers documented the treatment responses for 31 patients who received a minimum of one previous round of treatments with pemetrexed chemotherapy and were then treated again using the same chemotherapy agent. The study was conducted during the period of 2004 and 2009. The time period between the first round of treatment and the re-treament, was a minimum of six months for all patients in the study. During this re-treatment, 15 patients were given pemetrexed chemotherapy alone and the remaining 16 patients received a combination of pemetrexed and platinum based chemotherapy agents.
In the study, the researchers documented the treatment responses for 31 patients who received a minimum of one previous round of treatments with pemetrexed chemotherapy and were then treated again using the same chemotherapy agent. The study was conducted during the period of 2004 and 2009. The time period between the first round of treatment and the re-treament, was a minimum of six months for all patients in the study. During this re-treatment, 15 patients were given pemetrexed chemotherapy alone and the remaining 16 patients received a combination of pemetrexed and platinum based chemotherapy agents.
The study indicated that following:
- In 48% of patients, the mesothelioma tumors either completely shrunk, partially shrunk, or stabilized and stopped growing.
- The median survival after the re-treatment was 10.5 months.
- Patients who's tumors stopped growing for at least 12 months after their first treatment rounds with pemetrexed chemo, typically responsded better to the re-treatment. In fact, their survival was improved approximately three months above those whose tumors did not stablize for 12 months after the initial therapy.
- Patients reported the side effects from the pemetrexed based chemotherapy as fairly mild.
Similiar results were obtained in a smally study conducted by Japenese Researchers, which focused on patients who were re-treated after six months of tumor stabilization (no growth).
This research should offer doctors additional options to extend survival time for patients that have relapsed.
For more asbestos and mesothelioma information click the following link:
Mesothelioma Information
This research should offer doctors additional options to extend survival time for patients that have relapsed.
For more asbestos and mesothelioma information click the following link:
Mesothelioma Information
_____________________
Sources:
January 7, 2011, Lung Cancer
October 2010, International Journal of Clinical Oncology, 497-9.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Mesothelioma Information News - Prison for Fraudulent Asbestos Remediation Trainer
On Thursday, December 2, 2010 Rogelio Lowe was sentenced to five months in prison. After his prison term, he will face three months of court ordered home confinement and will also be required to conduct 300 hours of community service. This sentence follows a guilty plea entered by Lowe earlier in 2010.
According to federal prosecutors, Rogelio Lowe pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud. Lowe owns E&D Environmental Safety Training located in Hayward California, and was operating asbestos remediation classes during 2007-2009. Unfortunately for his students, Lowe did not provide the required number of classes and also cut the mandatory class hours from eight hours to 30 minutes. In addition, he provided his students with the answers to examinations that were supposed to be closed-book tests. He also forged the test results in favor of those who did not attend. Upon completion of his inadequate classes, Lowe handed out certificates of training completion to his students and also sent their names to the state agencies knowing full well that they were unprepared and not qualified for asbestos remediation.
In addition to his primary class offering, Lowed offered a fraudulent refresher class which he also conducted. Once again, he submitted names to state authorities on behalf of his students which resulted in Cal/OSHA listing his students as state-approved asbestos remediation workers.
This is a very serious problem, as these workers could have endangered their own lives as well as the lives of others, due to their incomplete training. According to leading Mesothelioma information and research, workers who fail to manage Asbestos properly run the risk of inhaling or even ingesting the dangerous Asbestos fibers. This exposure can lead to Mesothelioma and other forms of lung cancer.
Lowe's asbestos training license has been revoked and apparently there were Nine additional criminal counts that were dismissed as a part of the plea agreement.
For more detail information about Mesothelioma and Asbestos exposure click the following link:
Mesothelioma Information
According to federal prosecutors, Rogelio Lowe pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud. Lowe owns E&D Environmental Safety Training located in Hayward California, and was operating asbestos remediation classes during 2007-2009. Unfortunately for his students, Lowe did not provide the required number of classes and also cut the mandatory class hours from eight hours to 30 minutes. In addition, he provided his students with the answers to examinations that were supposed to be closed-book tests. He also forged the test results in favor of those who did not attend. Upon completion of his inadequate classes, Lowe handed out certificates of training completion to his students and also sent their names to the state agencies knowing full well that they were unprepared and not qualified for asbestos remediation.
In addition to his primary class offering, Lowed offered a fraudulent refresher class which he also conducted. Once again, he submitted names to state authorities on behalf of his students which resulted in Cal/OSHA listing his students as state-approved asbestos remediation workers.
This is a very serious problem, as these workers could have endangered their own lives as well as the lives of others, due to their incomplete training. According to leading Mesothelioma information and research, workers who fail to manage Asbestos properly run the risk of inhaling or even ingesting the dangerous Asbestos fibers. This exposure can lead to Mesothelioma and other forms of lung cancer.
Lowe's asbestos training license has been revoked and apparently there were Nine additional criminal counts that were dismissed as a part of the plea agreement.
For more detail information about Mesothelioma and Asbestos exposure click the following link:
Mesothelioma Information
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Mesothelioma Information News - Study Reveal Mesothelioma Cases are Underreported
According to a new study released by the National Institute of Health publication, Environmental Health Perspectives, Mesothelioma cases are underreported. In fact the study concluded that one out of every five Mesothelioma cases is never reported.
In the study, researchers looked at the relationship between the use of Asbestos between 1920-1970 and deaths from Mesothelioma between 1994-2008. There were 89 countries included in the study and combined, they used over 65 million tons of Asbestos from 1920-1970. Russia, Japan, the Unites States, United Kingdom and Germany were the leaders in Asbestos use.
The study also indicated that the countries that use substantial amounts of Asbestos have the most unreported cases. A few of these countries include China, Kazakhstan and Russia.
The researchers in the study recommended that all countries should ban the use of Asbestos, which would include mining and export of the hazardous material. In addition, they proposed that countries that are more developed should provide Mesothelioma information and help educate developing countries in the diagnosis, treatment and management of Mesothelioma cases.
Mesothelioma Information Source: Environmental Health Perspectives - January, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Mesothelioma Information News - Mineral Found in Roadway Gravel Linked to Mesothelioma
New Mesothelioma information that was presented at the 2010 Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, shows that people who have been exposed to Erionite, may be have a much higher risk of Mesothelioma. Erionite is a volcanic mineral found in gravel that is used for roads. It forms brittle fibrous masses inside the formation of the rocks and its color can be white or clear. It often looks glass-like or transparent.
Erionite has properties that are similar to Asbestos and may be hazardous when he fibers are breathed in. In other areas of the world, such as certain villages in Turkey, exposure to Erionite has been blamed for a significant number of Mesothelioma cases.
Further research has uncovered that Erionite has been found in paved roads in several areas throughout the United States. These roads are located in Oregon, Arizona, California, North Dakota, Nevada and South Dakota.
If fact, In North Dakota alone, over 300 miles of roads are reported to have been paved with gravel containing Erionite. 30 of those contaminated miles happen to be school bus routes.
Unfortunately there are currently no regulations prohibiting the use of Erionite. However, federal and state agencies are reducing their use of the dangerous mineral and looking for ways to deal with existing contaminated gravel.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Mesothelioma Information News - Bristol-Myers Squibb Agrees to Cancer Drug Overcharge Settlement
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), has agreed to pay $19 million to patients and insurance companies for the overcharging of certain cancer drugs.
These drugs were among those used for treating Mesothelioma and many other types of cancer. One of these drugs, Blenoxane, is often used to treat the buildup of fluid between the chest wall and the lining of the lungs. This condition commonly occurs with pleural mesothelioma patients.
Details of the settlement indicate that the reported average wholesale prices reported by BMS, were inflated. BMS has denied fault, but has agreed to settle rather than incur the expense of lengthy litigation.
For more information about this settlement, visit http://bmsawpsettlement.com/
These drugs were among those used for treating Mesothelioma and many other types of cancer. One of these drugs, Blenoxane, is often used to treat the buildup of fluid between the chest wall and the lining of the lungs. This condition commonly occurs with pleural mesothelioma patients.
Details of the settlement indicate that the reported average wholesale prices reported by BMS, were inflated. BMS has denied fault, but has agreed to settle rather than incur the expense of lengthy litigation.
For more information about this settlement, visit http://bmsawpsettlement.com/
Mesothelioma Information News - New Lung Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise
Scientists at the Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, have discovered a promising experimental treatment for lung cancer.
The treatment involves the use a lung cancer vaccine which exposes the body to the same protein that is produced by lung cancer itself. As with other vaccines, the exposure to the protein prompts the bodies immune system to build defenses against the attacking cancer. This vaccine approach to lung cancer shows how the immune system can be triggered to fight against specific types of cancer.
The vaccine is administered in a series of injections during a two year period. As of late December 2010, researchers were still enrolling new patients. The hospital's phone number is (212) 746-5454.
Hopefully as researchers improve their ability to target specific cancers, this same approach might be used to treat Mesothelioma as well.
The treatment involves the use a lung cancer vaccine which exposes the body to the same protein that is produced by lung cancer itself. As with other vaccines, the exposure to the protein prompts the bodies immune system to build defenses against the attacking cancer. This vaccine approach to lung cancer shows how the immune system can be triggered to fight against specific types of cancer.
The vaccine is administered in a series of injections during a two year period. As of late December 2010, researchers were still enrolling new patients. The hospital's phone number is (212) 746-5454.
Hopefully as researchers improve their ability to target specific cancers, this same approach might be used to treat Mesothelioma as well.
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