Mesothelioma Empowerment Update - April 8, 2009
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April 8, 2009
Giving Myself a Fighting Chance
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| Sue Huff |
It is been nearly three years since her diagnosis of mesothelioma. A year ago, Sue and Curt Huff discovered the ITL Alternative Cancer Clinic clinic in Freeport, Bahamas.
At the ITL clinic patients are provided a immune therapies to train the patient's own immune system to recognize and destroy tumor tissue. Sue travels to the clinic for two weeks, every four months.
Sue says, "Going to the clinic in the Bahamas has definitely affected my health in a positive way. I feel very strongly that if I wasn't going there I would be back in treatment. (chemo/radiation/surgery) and not feel as well as I do today. I feel like I am doing everything I can to fight this (meso) and by going to the clinic for two weeks, every four months, I am giving myself a fighting chance." More...
Surgery:
Symptomatic and quality of life changes after extrapleural pneumonectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma. (3/9/3009)
Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) for malignant mesothelioma is considered an aggressive procedure, but symptomatic and quality of life changes are unknown. This study concludes that because EPP may rapidly improve symptoms it may also improve quality of life as well. More...
Diagnosis / staging:
Serum mesothelin has a higher diagnostic utility than hyaluronic acid in malignant mesothelioma. (3/18/2009)
When comparing the diagnostic value of two potential mesothelioma markers, hyaluronic acid and serum mesothelin, serum mesothelin has a higher diagnostic utility than hyaluronic acid in malignant mesothelioma. More...
The Clinical Impact and Reliability of Pleural Fluid Mesothelin in Undiagnosed Pleural Effusions. (3/19/2009)
Serum mesothelin is a new biomarker for the diagnosis of mesothelioma. For undiagnosed pleural effusions, mesothelin provides additional diagnostic value over cytological examination. More...
Rosetta Genomics Announces Commercial Availability of Its Third MicroRNA-Based Diagnostic Test: miRview(TM) meso. (12/29/2008)
New mesothelioma test improves diagnosis— miRview™ meso is a microRNA-based molecular diagnostic test that differentiates malignant pleural mesothelioma from other carcinomas in the lung. Currently, there is no single diagnostic test that is entirely conclusive for either malignant mesothelioma or metastatic tumor, which often makes it difficult for physicians to make a complete diagnosis. Rosetta Genomics has already begun distributing the breakthrough test in Israel and Turkey. Through the duration of 2009, Rosetta Genomics expects to conduct about 2,000 miRviewTM meso tests in its laboratory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Rosetta Genomics press release) More...
Dr. Cameron has also commented on it: http://www.phlbi.org/articles/1086/
Chemotherapy:
Morphotek(R), Inc. Announces Initiation of MORAb-009 Phase II Study in First- Line Treatment of Mesothelioma (3/12/2009)
Morphotek(R), Inc. has commenced a multi-centered Phase II study of its MORAb-009 monoclonal antibody in mesothelioma. The study will evaluate MORAb-009, plus the chemotherapy drugs pemetrexed and cisplatinum, as a first-line treatment for patients with mesothelioma. More...
A case of sarcomatoid malignant peritoneal mesothelioma responding to combination chemotherapy of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin and dacarbazine(CYVADIC). (3/2009)
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is known to have a poor prognosis. However, this case study showed remarkable reduction of recurrent tumors after this aggressive chemotherapy regimen. More...
Three-dimensional Evaluation of Chemotherapy Response in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. (3/4/2009)
Measurement of tumor response to chemotherapy in mesothelioma is problematic because of non-spherical tumor growth patterns and difficulty in choosing target lesion. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of tumor volume measurement for evaluating chemotherapy response by using a three-dimensional approach. More...
5th Annual ADAO Asbestos Awareness Day Conference
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| Dr. Robert Cameron |
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization hosted the highly successful 5th Annual Asbestos Awareness Day conference in Manhattan Beach, California, March 27-29, 2009.
The event brought together anti-asbestos advocates from the United States, Germany, England and South Africa in a call to action to prevent, detect, and treat asbestos-related diseases. The meeting featured an international panel of speakers addressing topics including disease prevention through elimination of asbestos in products, homes and workplaces; advances in diagnosis and treatment of asbestos disease; patient and family resources; global advocacy and the continuing asbestos crisis at home and around the world. More...
Rancho Dance Studio Holds Benefit to Fight Cancer
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| Ken Bendix |
With tap, hip-hop and jazz styles, a dance studio showcased their skills March 7 to help fight a rare form of cancer. Students from Dance Dynamics raised $3,195 for mesothelioma research at the Bendix Benefit show, at St. John's Episcopal School in Rancho Santa Margarita, The show was named after Portola Hills resident and Roger G. Worthington client Ken Bendix, the father of Isabella Bendix - a student at the school.
Ken Bendix was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2006. At the show, Ken Bendix spoke briefly about his story and said how proud he was of both of his daughters and all the dancers. "Just keep dancing with as much passion as you did tonight, and you'll bring home lots of first place trophies from your upcoming competitions," Bendix said. More...
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Tens of thousands of Californians have died, and thousands continue to die from asbestos. Yet those who suffer from asbestos poisoning must also endure the fact that the state of California demeans their plight by heralding asbestos ore as its state rock. With so many of the world’s foremost anti-asbestos advocates assembled in California with asbestos disease victims for the 5th Annual Asbestos Disease Awareness Conference, ADAO’s Executive Director, Linda Reinstein, seized upon the opportunity to announce an alliance between ADAO, the Pacific Heart Lung & Blood Institute and the John McNamara Foundation to “Swap the Rock.” These three groups are joining forces to convince California legislators to stop the continuing insult to their constituency by changing the state rock to a non-lethal replacement which better symbolizes the hope and promise which has long been associated with California. More...