Mesothelioma Science News
San Pedro, CA - August 27,
2008
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National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank: a standard based
biospecimen and clinical data resource to enhance
translational research
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2.
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Clinical statistics of outpatients investigated for
asbestos-related lung diseases at a general hospital in
Tokyo
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3.
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Enhanced antitumor therapy by inhibition of p21waf1 in
human malignant mesothelioma
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4.
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Full-thickness pleural biopsy using an
insulation-tipped diathermic knife in a patient with
malignant pleural mesothelioma
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5.
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Successful palliation of malignant ascites from
peritoneal mesothelioma by laparoscopic intraperitoneal
hyperthermic chemotherapy
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6.
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Cancer mortality and asbestosis among workers in an
asbestos plant in Chongqing, China
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7.
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Asbestos clinics and asbestos health examinations:
Findings from a questionnaire of implementing
organizations
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Worthington to address surgeons at IMIG in Amsterdam
Roger has been invited by the
International Mesothelioma Interest Group, the
world's leading body of specialists devoted to
mesothelioma, to discuss the illness from an
advocate's perspective. The annual congress will
take place on September 25. An abstract of his
presentation is below:
Meso clients suffer from a lack of reliable information
about treatment. Thanks to the Internet, patients are
beginning to ask frank questions. The questions provoke
conflicting answers reflected by confusion within the
medical community about mesothelioma. As an advocate,
it is important to be able to provide thumbnail answers
in order to refer clients to the best treaters. A lack
of consensus on research priorities and other issues
are exacerbated by a crippling lack of accessible data.
From an advocate's perspective, without this data
clients cannot make informed decisions about treatment,
which affects the viability of their lawsuit and
ultimate financial compensation. A questionnaire sent
out to the most well known surgeons in the U.S. who
treat mesothelioma patients received a disappointing
response. One way to address this problem is a global
mesothelioma database that would take advantage of the
extraordinary medical data generated by litigation.
Uploading medical records, films, charts,
prescriptions, exposure information, and patient
surveys into a confidential, web-based, multi-lingual
database would help provide critically needed data. The
problem of data accessibility occurs in tandem with
mesothelioma remaining grossly underfunded despite
billions of dollars changing hands in asbestos
litigation. Recent litigation changes have provided
industry with an estimated $60 billion windfall that
has not, and will not, find its way into research
coffers. The U.S. Congress could use money held in
asbestos settlement trust funds for research. The value
of these trusts is between $40 and $60 billion USD, and
a small percentage of those funds dedicated to
mesothelioma research would go a long way to finally
jumpstarting research into prevention and treatment for
an asbestos related cancer known since the late
1940's.
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