Combination Therapy Shows Promise For Rare, Deadly Cancer Caused By Asbestos

Pleural mesothelioma patients who undergo lung-sparing surgery in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) show superior overall survival than patient treated using the conventional therapy of extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) (or en bloc removal of the lung and surrounding tissue) with PDT, indicates new research from the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The research is published in the June 2011 issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

"Unlike patients who receive traditional lung sacrificing surgery for mesothelioma, the patients in our study who underwent lung sparing surgery and photodynamic therapy, a light-based cancer treatment, have experienced unusually long overall survival rates. The median survival for those patients had not been reached at over two years when the results were analyzed. That's unusual in this field, especially when the majority of those patients are older and have advanced cancer," said Joseph Friedberg, MD, co-director of the Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Program and the thoracic surgeon who performed the operations cited in the study. "In addition to the overall survival statistics, the difference between having and not having a lung, both with respect to the risk of surgery and the ability to enjoy a normal life after surgery, is crucial for these patients."

Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive and deadliest forms of cancer and is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos typically precedes development of the cancer by anywhere from 10 - 50 years, but once it occurs, the average survival rate following diagnosis is often only 9-12 months.

Although mesothelioma can occur in other locations like the abdomen, pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease and accounts for roughly 70 percent of cases. This form originates in the pleura - the membrane surrounding the lung and lining the chest - where it starts off as a microscopic sheet of malignant cells that coats the interior of the chest and can grow to be several inches thick. The coating and enveloping nature of the cancer makes it impossible to completely remove it with surgery alone. As a result, the conventional surgery-based approach to treatment involves radical surgery that includes removing the lung, in combination with chemotherapy and whole chest radiation. Even with this aggressive treatment, the disease will recur in almost all patients.

The current study had two goals. The first was to determine if using a new combination of PDT and surgery would allow a less extensive surgical procedure to be used in lieu of an EPP. The second was to determine if, based on previous research from Penn with PDT, the treatment would have any positive effect on survival for patients.

Unlike radiation, which passes through the body, the PDT therapy used in the current study penetrates only a short distance which allows the lung to be preserved. The PDT treatment aims to eradicate the remaining microscopic disease trigger a patient's own immune system to help fight cancer. Penn is one of only two centers in the world where PDT is used to treat pleural mesothelioma.

In the study, 28 patients (19 men, 9 women) underwent surgical resection plus PDT for pleural mesothelioma. Patients were aged from 27 to 81 years. All patients were seen in a multidisciplinary setting and educated about the spectrum of treatment options available, including surgical intervention and its currently investigational status. Of the study group, 14 patients were treated by modified extrapleural pneumonectomy (MEPP) and 14 by radical pleurectomy (RP) and intraoperative PDT. Twenty-two of the 28 patients also received chemotherapy.

Demographics in the MEPP and RP cohorts were similar in age, sex, stage, nodal status, histology, and adjuvant treatments. Stage III/IV disease was present in 12 of 14 patients (86 percent) in both groups. The median overall survival for the patients who received the MEPP treatment was 8.4 months. At a follow-up 2.1 years after the end of treatment, a median survival rate for the patients who received a radical pleurectomy had not yet been reached. The results yielded by the radical pleurectomy and adjuvant PDT were superior to other studies of surgical treatment plans with patients of similar demographics.

"Our primary motivation in attempting the lung sparing surgery was preservation of quality of life, and we were hoping the survival results would at least be similar to the more traditional pneumonectomy approach," said Friedberg. "Although our pneumonectomy results were in line with what is often reported for similar patients having surgery-based treatments, we were completely caught off guard when the analysis revealed a significantly longer survival for the patients who retained both lungs."

Although all patients in the current study received the PDT therapy in combination with a different surgical technique, the researchers further note that the use of intraoperative PDT is the evident difference between the multimodal protocol used in the current study and other standard treatment options presently in use, and it seems worth speculating on any potential direct contributions of the PDT to the overall survival rates.

"Why this is happening is unclear and has emerged as the focus of our continuing research," said Friedberg. The possibility exists that the residual PDT-treated microscopic disease induced an autologous tumor vaccine effect or potentially enhanced the effect of adjuvant treatments.

"This study has limitations, as many mesothelioma studies do, but these results are very encouraging. The findings from our study are particularly notable because many of the patients in this study would often be excluded from surgery-based therapy because of their advanced age or unfavorable oncologic characteristics such as the large bulk of their cancers or the spread to the lymph nodes," said Dr. Friedberg. "Based on these results this lung-sparing technique, combined with photodynamic therapy, has become the backbone of our surgery-based treatment protocols."

A larger study investigating the efficacy of this multimodal approach is currently underway at Penn.

The Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Program is a unique program that consists of a multidisciplinary team of dedicated specialists with a passion and expertise for treating patients with these difficult cancers. The Penn Program offers a true multidisciplinary approach, presenting patients with essentiallyall treatment options offered world wide and a number of treatments offered only at Penn.

Source:
Penn's Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Penn Medicine

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Delivering Cisplatin By Inhaler For Treating Lung Cancer

Lung cancer patients could receive safer and more efficient treatment through a system being developed by researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

The scientists have devised a method for giving drugs by inhalation to patients through a nebuliser, rather than the current approach of intravenous delivery.

The system could administer the treatment far more quickly than existing methods and without the harmful side effects associated with current systems, which can cause kidney damage.

It could also enable health authorities to deliver the drugs in smaller doses without diminution of benefit to patients.

Lung cancer and mesothelioma caused 4,147 deaths in Scotland in 2009, and deaths of women from the disease increased by 12% in the preceding decade, despite a corresponding fall of 20% among men.

Dr Chris Carter, a Senior Lecturer the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, led the research, partnered by Professor Alex Mullen and Dr Valerie Ferro. She said: "Increasing awareness of cancer risks and improvements in treatment do not alter the fact that it remains one of Scotland's biggest killers and lung cancer is its most common form. This means that new, improved treatments are still essential.

"By delivering cisplatin, one of the most widely used drugs for lung cancer, in a vaporised form, we would be able to get it to the cancerous cells and avoid the damage to healthy cells which can be hugely debilitating to patients. It would make the treatment far less onerous for them and we hope it would help them to live longer."

The research is an example of the pioneering work of the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences in developing new medicines for illnesses and conditions including infectious diseases, cancer, heart disease, and schizophrenia. An

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Mystery unraveled: How asbestos causes cancer

ScienceDaily (June 29, 2010) — More than 20 million people in the U.S., and many more worldwide, who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs and abdomen that is resistant to current therapies. Moreover, asbestos exposure increases the risk of lung cancer among smokers. For the past 40 years researchers have tried to understand why asbestos causes cancer.
See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaLung CancerCancerEarth & ClimateEnvironmental PolicyAtmosphereEarth ScienceReferenceMesotheliomaCarcinogenLung cancerAsbestos
The answer appears in a study published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., Drs. Haining Yang and Michele Carbone at the University of Hawai'i Cancer Research Center led a research team that included collaborators at New York University, University of Chicago, University of Pittsburgh, San Raffaele University of Milano, and the Imperial College in London.
These researchers addressed the paradox of how asbestos fibers that kill cells could cause cancer, since a dead cell should not be able to grow and form a tumor. They found that when asbestos kills cells, it does so by inducing a process called "programmed cell necrosis" that leads to the release of a molecule called high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1). HMGB1 starts a particular type of inflammatory reaction that causes the release of mutagens and factors that promote tumor growth. The researchers found that patients exposed to asbestos have elevated levels of HMGB1 in their serum. Therefore, they state that it may be possible to target HMGB1 to prevent or treat mesothelioma and identify asbestos-exposed cohorts by simple HMGB1 serological testing.
In the article, the researchers propose that by interfering with the inflammatory reaction caused by asbestos and HMGB1, it may be possible to decrease cancer incidence among cohorts exposed to asbestos and decrease the rate of tumor growth among those already affected by mesothelioma. Drs. Yang and Carbone, the lead authors, state that to test this hypothesis, they are now planning a clinical trial in a remote area in Cappadocia, Turkey, where over 50% of the population dies of malignant mesothelioma. If the results are positive, the approach will be extended to cohorts of asbestos-exposed individuals in the U.S.
This research emphasizes the role of inflammation in causing different types of cancers and provides novel clinical tools to identify exposed individuals and prevent or decrease tumor growth. The researchers question if it will be possible to prevent mesothelioma, like colon cancer, simply by taking aspirin or similar drugs that stop inflammation. They are about to test this hypothesis.
The article is authored by Haining Yang, Zeyana Rivera, Sandro Jube, Masaki Nasu, Pietro Bertino and Michele Carbone at the University of Hawai'i Cancer Research Center; Harvey I. Pass and Chandra Goparaju at New York University; Thomas Krausz at the University of Chicago; Michael T. Lotze at the University of Pittsburgh; Guido Franzoso at the Imperial College of London, U.K.; and Marco E. Bianchi at the University of San Raffele Milano, Italy. It will be published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. the week of June 28 2010, and later in print. The study was supported by grants from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
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New test detects early-stage, asbestos-related pulmonary cancer

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2011) — Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have investigated a novel protein test to detect early-stage, asbestos-related pulmonary cancer. The test can accurately identify proteins secreted from cancerous tumors caused by asbestos exposure.
See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaLung CancerCancerColon CancerDiseases and ConditionsBreast CancerReferenceMetastasisMesotheliomaOvarian cancerLung cancer
The study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting 2011 on April 4th.
In a blinded test performed under the sponsorship of the National Cancer Institute's Early Detection Research Network Biomarker Discovery Lab, researchers detected 15 of 19 cases of stage 1 or stage 2 malignant pleural mesothelioma. The study shows the test is approximately 80 percent sensitive in identifying disease. In addition, the specificity of the test was 100 percent with no false positives.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive, asbestos-related pulmonary cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs. Each year, the disease causes an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 deaths worldwide. It can be fatal within 14 months following diagnosis because of the advanced stage that it is typically found.
The goal of a new diagnostic test is to find the cancer early enough to effectively treat it, according to Harvey I. Pass, MD, director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology at NYU Langone Medical Center and the NYU Cancer Institute.
"The only patients that seem to benefit from therapy in mesothelioma are those that are found in stage 1, and this is only 10 to 15 percent of patients," said lead researcher Dr. Pass. "Moreover, when found early, the magnitude of the operation necessary to reduce the burden of disease may be less, making the patient better able to cope if the disease recurs and the patient needs more aggressive therapy."
The research team used the "Multiplex SOMAmer Assay" by SomaLogic, Inc. to examine 170 blood samples from 90 patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and 80 participants who were previously exposed to asbestos. The technology uses SOMAmers, chemically modified single-stranded DNA molecules to bind specifically to target proteins , to identify and quantify biomarkers.
According to Dr. Pass, this test measures 19 protein biomarkers for malignant pleural mesothelioma and is able to find and quantify the small amount of proteins secreted by tumor cells. Ongoing studies are refining the test and validating the results in other patient blood samples.
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Exposure to North Dakota road material may increase risk of lung cancer

ScienceDaily (Dec. 9, 2010) — New data shows that people exposed to the mineral erionite found in the gravel of road materials in North Dakota may be at significantly increased risk of developing mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer most often associated with asbestos exposure, according to research presented at the 2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.
See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaLung CancerDiseases and ConditionsCancerLung DiseaseColon CancerReferenceMesotheliomaCarcinogenLung cancerMetastasis
This symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (ISLAC) and The University of Chicago.
Erionite is a mineral that occurs naturally and is often found in volcanic ash that has been altered by weathering and ground water. Erionite forms brittle, wool-like fibrous masses in the hollows of rock formations. Its color varies from white to clear, and it looks like transparent, glass-like fibers.
With similar properties to asbestos, erionite may pose health risks to those who breathe in the fibers. Erionite exposure has been associated with an unprecedented mesothelioma incidence in some Turkish villages in Cappadocia, and it has been widely believed that exposure to erionite was limited to that part of the world.
Erionite deposits are present in several parts of the U.S., including California, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arizona and Nevada. In North Dakota in particular, researchers have found that more than 300 miles of roads were paved with erionite-contaminated gravel over the last 30 years.
In this study, funded through NCI PO-1 "Pathogenesis of Mesothelioma" and a AACR Landon Innovator Award for International Cancer Research, international researchers from the U.S., Italy and Turkey sought to examine the potential health risks for those exposed to erionite by comparing air samples, microchemistry, tissue samples and other data from North Dakota with those found in affected parts of Turkey.
"Based on the results of our study and considering the known latency period for lung disease, there is concern for increased risk of mesothelioma for exposed residents in North Dakota," Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study and director of thoracic oncology at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center in Honolulu, said. "Precautionary measures should be undertaken to reduce exposure of erionite that is occurring in North Dakota and may be occurring in other areas of the U.S. where large deposits of erionite are present if disturbed. Our findings provide an opportunity to implement novel preventive and early detection programs in the U.S., similar to what has been done in Turkey."
The abstract was titled, "Erionite Exposure in North Dakota is Comparable to That Found in Turkish Villages Which Experience a High Incidence of Mesothelioma."
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New agent to manage cancer related effusions

ScienceDaily (Feb. 3, 2010) — In the USA each year, 200,000 cancer patients suffer from a malignant pleural effusion -- development of excessive fluid (pleural effusion) in the chest. Several litres of such fluid can accumulate, and many patients suffer from significant breathlessness and distress. One in four patients with lung cancer, one in every three with breast cancer and most of the patients with mesothelioma will develop a malignant effusion. The current strategy is to induce a pleurodesis (seal the pleural cavity with a chemical agent so no fluid can accumulate). However existing agents are far from perfect, with most producing significant side effects while delivering low success rates.
See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaSkin CancerCancerLung CancerDiseases and ConditionsToday's HealthcareReferenceMesotheliomaLung cancerPneumoniaTumor
A recent issue of Respirology published by Wiley-Blackwell features two papers that propose the use of a new alternative pleurodesing agent, Iodoprovidone. They evaluate iodopovidone as a pleurodesis agent and found that it demonstrated good efficiency and safety, making it a good option in the management of malignant pleural effusion.
"There is not only a need to identify ideal pleurodesis agents, but also to standardize and optimize research tools to evaluate pleurodesis success in malignant effusions. In combination, these papers are complementary and warrant a critical appraisal of the current state of clinical research in malignant pleural effusion," said Andreas H. Diacon in an editorial published in the same issue of Respirology.
Pleurodesis is widely used to manage pleural diseases, such as malignant pleural effusion, by promoting pleural obliteration and preventing accumulation of air or fluid in the pleural space. This process would ideally alleviate shortness of breath, cough and pain associated with the presence of tumor and fluid in the pleural space.
In the paper, "Iodopovidone is as effective as doxycycline in producing pleurodesis in rabbits," researchers used a rabbit model to compare the effectiveness of iodopovidone in causing pleurodesis with that of doxycycline.
The study found that iodopovidone can induce pleurodesis as efficaciously as doxycycline and demonstrated that the desired outcome of pleurodesis can be achieved without prohibitive toxicity with a range of doses applicable to humans.
The other paper "Efficacy and safety of iodopovidone pleurodesis in malignant pleural effusions" is a retrospective analysis of iodopovidone pleurodesis in patients with malignant pleural effusions treated in a tertiary cancer institution.
Lead author Jose D.A. Neto said, "Out of the 61 pleurodesis procedures performed, no mortality was observed and less than 20 per cent presented complications. With the success rate of about 99 percent, iodopovidone appears to be a good option for the recurrent malignant pleural effusion."
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How Asbestos Fibers Trigger Cancer In Human Cells

ScienceDaily (Dec. 18, 2008) — Ohio State University scientists believe they are the first in the world to study the molecular underpinnings of cancer by probing individual bonds between an asbestos fiber and human cells.

See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaLung CancerCancerLymphomaDiseases and ConditionsOvarian CancerReferenceAsbestosMesotheliomaIndoor air qualityCarcinogen

Though any clinical application is years away, the researchers hope their findings could aid in drug development efforts targeting illnesses caused by excessive exposure to asbestos, including the deadly cancer called mesothelioma.

The researchers use atomic force microscopy to observe how a single asbestos fiber binds with a specific receptor protein on cell surfaces. They suspect that at least one of the more lethal forms of asbestos triggers a cascade of events inside cells that eventually lead to illness, sometimes decades later.

The conditions most commonly associated with long-term exposure to airborne asbestos are lung cancer; asbestosis, a chronic respiratory disease; and mesothelioma, a cancer that forms in the membrane lining most internal organs of the body, including the lungs.

Eric Taylor, a doctoral candidate in earth sciences at Ohio State and a coauthor of the study, describes atomic force microscopy as “Braille on a molecular level,” meaning it allows scientists to feel and observe what’s happening on molecular surfaces.

“We’re looking at what molecules are involved in the chain of events when the fiber touches the cell. Does the binding occur over minutes, or hours? And what processes are triggered?” said Taylor, who presented the research at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.

Asbestos comprises six different minerals that naturally occur in both fragment and fibrous forms. Because of its high durability and heat resistance, the fibrous form has been used in many manufacturing products since the late 1800s. Though its use is now highly regulated, asbestos is still present in many materials. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 1.3 million employees face significant asbestos exposure on the job. Environmental exposure is also possible because asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral in soils and exposed bedrock.   

Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, is part of the amphibole group of asbestos minerals, which were banned in most of the Western world by the mid-1980s. Before that, they were used in such products as ceiling tiles and thermal insulation.

Ohio State researchers have focused so far on the crocidolite form of asbestos, but eventually hope to study how all six forms of asbestos interact with certain proteins on cell surfaces. Some forms of asbestos can dissolve in the lungs if they are inhaled, but others are believed to essentially “stick” to cells, especially at high concentrations, and eventually cause lung diseases.

“For the first time, this will give us data on biological activity that should help policymakers determine which forms of asbestos are the most dangerous,” said Steven Lower, associate professor of earth sciences at Ohio State and a coauthor on the study.

“The hypothesis we’re testing is that binding of cell surface receptors to asbestos fibers triggers a signal event, which initiates the cancer,” said Lower, also a faculty member in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. “There seems to be something intrinsic about certain types of asbestos, blue asbestos in particular, that elicits a unique signal, and it triggers inflammation, the formation of pre-malignant cells and, ultimately, cancer.”

The first protein to be studied is epidermal growth factor receptor, which is present on the surface of every human cell. Understanding the intricacies of the binding process between the mineral and one or more proteins will provide an index of the biological activity of a particular type of asbestos, and might lead the researchers to figure out how to prevent or undo that interaction, Lower said.

Taylor said the driving motivation behind the research is the potential to find a way to intervene and prevent illness even after someone is exposed to asbestos. Mesothelioma symptoms don’t typically appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure. After diagnosis, however, the cancer is difficult to control, and there is no cure.

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation.

Taylor and Lower conducted the research with Ann Wylie of the University of Maryland and Brooke Mossman of the University of Vermont.

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New biomarkers discovered for pancreatic cancer and mesothelioma

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2010) — Using a novel aptamer-based proteomics array technology, researchers and collaborators have identified biomarkers and protein signatures that are hallmarks of cancer at an early stage for two of the most aggressive and deadly forms of cancer -- pancreatic and mesothelioma.
See Also:Health & MedicinePancreatic CancerMesotheliomaColon CancerCancerLung CancerBreast CancerReferenceProtein microarrayMetastasisOvarian cancerStomach cancer
This technology would enable better clinical diagnosis at an earlier stage and may provide insight into new therapeutic targets, said Rachel Ostroff, Ph.D., clinical research director of Somalogic Inc.
"Currently these cancers are detected at an advanced stage, where the possibility of cure is minimal," said Ostroff. "Detection of these aggressive cancers at an earlier stage would identify patients for early treatment, which may improve their survival and quality of life."
Ostroff presented results of this ongoing study at the Fourth AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development.
Discovered about 20 years ago, aptamers are nucleic acid molecules that bind to specific proteins. SomaLogic has developed the next generation of aptamers, SOMAmers (Slow Off-rate Modified Aptamers), which have superior affinity and specificity. SOMAmers enable a highly multiplexed proteomic platform used for simultaneous identification and quantification of target proteins in complex biological samples.
The goal of this study was to determine if this proteomics technology could identify blood-based biomarkers for pancreatic cancer or mesothelioma in people diagnosed, but not yet treated, for cancer.
Participants in the control group had symptoms that resembled these cancers, but were benign (i.e. pancreatitis or lung fibrosis).
Ostroff and colleagues tested blood from participants to discover the biomarkers specific to those with cancer, which would then be used to identify these diseases at an early stage, where the potential for effective treatment is much higher than in disease that has progressed.
For both forms of cancer, the researchers discovered biomarkers and developed a signature with high accuracy for detection of each form of cancer. Equally important, they found high specificity, meaning few people without disease will be incorrectly diagnosed and thus avoid unnecessary tests or treatments.
"Validation studies are underway, which we hope will lead to the development of diagnostic tests that hold clinical benefits for patients," Ostroff said.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related pulmonary cancer that causes an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 deaths per year worldwide.
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Pleural mesothelioma: Combination therapy shows promise for rare, deadly cancer caused by asbestos

ScienceDaily (June 2, 2011) — Pleural mesothelioma patients who undergo lung-sparing surgery in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) show superior overall survival than patient treated using the conventional therapy of extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) (or en bloc removal of the lung and surrounding tissue) with PDT, indicates new research from the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The research is published in the June 2011 issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaWounds and HealingLung DiseaseDiseases and ConditionsLung CancerToday's HealthcareReferenceMesotheliomaLung cancerMetastasisGlioma
"Unlike patients who receive traditional lung sacrificing surgery for mesothelioma, the patients in our study who underwent lung sparing surgery and photodynamic therapy, a light-based cancer treatment, have experienced unusually long overall survival rates. The median survival for those patients had not been reached at over two years when the results were analyzed. That's unusual in this field, especially when the majority of those patients are older and have advanced cancer," said Joseph Friedberg, MD, co-director of the Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Program and the thoracic surgeon who performed the operations cited in the study. "In addition to the overall survival statistics, the difference between having and not having a lung, both with respect to the risk of surgery and the ability to enjoy a normal life after surgery, is crucial for these patients."
Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive and deadliest forms of cancer and is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos typically precedes development of the cancer by anywhere from 10 -- 50 years, but once it occurs, the average survival rate following diagnosis is often only 9-12 months.
Although mesothelioma can occur in other locations like the abdomen, pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease and accounts for roughly 70 percent of cases. This form originates in the pleura -- the membrane surrounding the lung and lining the chest -- where it starts off as a microscopic sheet of malignant cells that coats the interior of the chest and can grow to be several inches thick. The coating and enveloping nature of the cancer makes it impossible to completely remove it with surgery alone. As a result, the conventional surgery-based approach to treatment involves radical surgery that includes removing the lung, in combination with chemotherapy and whole chest radiation. Even with this aggressive treatment, the disease will recur in almost all patients.
The current study had two goals. The first was to determine if using a new combination of PDT and surgery would allow a less extensive surgical procedure to be used in lieu of an EPP. The second was to determine if, based on previous research from Penn with PDT, the treatment would have any positive effect on survival for patients.
Unlike radiation, which passes through the body, the PDT therapy used in the current study penetrates only a short distance which allows the lung to be preserved. The PDT treatment aims to eradicate the remaining microscopic disease trigger a patient's own immune system to help fight cancer. Penn is one of only two centers in the world where PDT is used to treat pleural mesothelioma.
In the study, 28 patients (19 men, 9 women) underwent surgical resection plus PDT for pleural mesothelioma. Patients were aged from 27 to 81 years. All patients were seen in a multidisciplinary setting and educated about the spectrum of treatment options available, including surgical intervention and its currently investigational status. Of the study group, 14 patients were treated by modified extrapleural pneumonectomy (MEPP) and 14 by radical pleurectomy (RP) and intraoperative PDT. Twenty-two of the 28 patients also received chemotherapy.
Demographics in the MEPP and RP cohorts were similar in age, sex, stage, nodal status, histology, and adjuvant treatments. Stage III/IV disease was present in 12 of 14 patients (86 percent) in both groups. The median overall survival for the patients who received the MEPP treatment was 8.4 months. At a follow-up 2.1 years after the end of treatment, a median survival rate for the patients who received a radical pleurectomy had not yet been reached. The results yielded by the radical pleurectomy and adjuvant PDT were superior to other studies of surgical treatment plans with patients of similar demographics.
"Our primary motivation in attempting the lung sparing surgery was preservation of quality of life, and we were hoping the survival results would at least be similar to the more traditional pneumonectomy approach," said Friedberg. "Although our pneumonectomy results were in line with what is often reported for similar patients having surgery-based treatments, we were completely caught off guard when the analysis revealed a significantly longer survival for the patients who retained both lungs."
Although all patients in the current study received the PDT therapy in combination with a different surgical technique, the researchers further note that the use of intraoperative PDT is the evident difference between the multimodal protocol used in the current study and other standard treatment options presently in use, and it seems worth speculating on any potential direct contributions of the PDT to the overall survival rates.
"Why this is happening is unclear and has emerged as the focus of our continuing research," said Friedberg. The possibility exists that the residual PDT-treated microscopic disease induced an autologous tumor vaccine effect or potentially enhanced the effect of adjuvant treatments.
"This study has limitations, as many mesothelioma studies do, but these results are very encouraging. The findings from our study are particularly notable because many of the patients in this study would often be excluded from surgery-based therapy because of their advanced age or unfavorable oncologic characteristics such as the large bulk of their cancers or the spread to the lymph nodes," said Dr. Friedberg. "Based on these results this lung-sparing technique, combined with photodynamic therapy, has become the backbone of our surgery-based treatment protocols."
A larger study investigating the efficacy of this multimodal approach is currently underway at Penn.
The Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Program is a unique program that consists of a multidisciplinary team of dedicated specialists with a passion and expertise for treating patients with these difficult cancers. The Penn Program offers a true multidisciplinary approach, presenting patients with essentially all treatment options offered world wide and a number of treatments offered only at Penn.
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Renal cancer drug temsirolimus shows promise against mesothelioma

ScienceDaily (May 1, 2011) — A drug commonly used to treat kidney cancer may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy for mesothelioma, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaLung CancerDiseases and ConditionsColon CancerBreast CancerProstate CancerReferenceMetastasisTumor suppressor geneTumorMesothelioma
Temsirolimus, a kinase inhibitor, blocks the action of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein that regulates cell growth, which can slow tumor growth. It's used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma.
But researchers in Austria have found that temsirolimus also may slow the growth of malignant pleural mesothelioma cells. Mesothelioma, a cancer that is usually caused by exposure to asbestos and may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure, frequently resists chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
The researchers found that temsirolimus strongly blocked mTOR-mediated signals and had a cytostatic, or growth-stopping, effect on all mesothelioma cells. However, mesothelioma cells that were resistant to cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy drug, showed hypersensitivity against temsirolimus.
That suggests that mTOR inhibitors like temsirolimus might be a promising treatment strategy either in combination with chemotherapy or as second-line treatment after chemotherapy failure.
"Malignant mesothelioma is a severe human malignancy characterized by a very bad prognosis, with a mean patient survival time of less than one year," said Professor Walter Berger, PhD, of the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna. "This unacceptable situation is mainly caused by late diagnosis combined with a distinct resistance to all forms of systemic therapy available so far. Mesothelioma is frequently caused by asbestos exposure and unfortunately -- based on the long latency period -- the incidence peak lies, despite the ban on asbestos, still ahead. Consequently, novel therapeutic options for this devastative disease are urgently needed.
"In our preclinical study, published in the JTO, we were able to demonstrate that inhibition of the major oncogene mTOR is active against human mesothelioma especially after development of chemotherapy resistance both in vitro and in vivo," Berger said. "These results suggest the initiation of clinical trials involving mTOR inhibitors as a novel anti-mesothelioma strategy."
The study was supported by the Medical Scientific Fund of the Mayor of the City of Vienna, Initiative Krebsforschung of the Medical University Vienna, and a Wyeth/Pfizer research grant.
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Novel noninvasive tests for early cancer detection

ScienceDaily (May 3, 2011) — Researchers at last month's AACR conference in Orlando demonstrated that they are intensifying their efforts to identify and validate various types of biomarkers that are detectable in readily accessible bodily fluids such as blood and urine, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN). The goal is to detect biosignatures that are more specific and sensitive than existing diagnostic modalities, according to the May 1 issue of GEN .
See Also:Health & MedicineMesotheliomaOvarian CancerDiseases and ConditionsCancerColon CancerToday's HealthcareReferenceOvarian cancerMetastasisNanomedicineMammography
"The molecular diagnostic approach is geared toward finding tumors earlier in the course of disease," says John Sterling, Editor in Chief of GEN. "This could reduce the need for more invasive and costly biopsies and imaging studies and lead to earlier therapeutic intervention."
At the AACR meeting, Harvey Pass, M.D., New York University Langone Medical Center and Cancer Center, discussed his group's experience working in collaboration with SomaLogic to develop an aptamer-based diagnostic to detect malignant mesothelioma in asbestos-exposed individuals. Dr. Pass presented data derived from the application of biomarker subsets to a blinded test set, demonstrating 100% specificity and 80% sensitivity for their ability to distinguish asbestos-exposed controls from mesothelioma cases.
Another presentation pointed out that measurement of CA125 in the blood is the test currently used to monitor ovarian cancer treatment, follow patients for recurrence, and in some cases screen high-risk individuals to detect early-stage disease. In her conference talk, Christine Coticchia, Ph.D., Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, emphasized that CA125 is relatively nonspecific for ovarian cancer and uninformative in a substantial percentage of patients. Dr. Coticchia and colleagues are studying a combination of two matrix metalloproteases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, in urine for their utility as biomarkers to predict the presence of ovarian cancer in women with normal CA125 levels.
Other research projects covered in the GEN article include work at Celera, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Michigan Health System, Gen-Probe, University of California at San Diego Medical Center, Université Laval, Dianon Systems, Aarhus University Hospital, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, and Exiqon.
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Mesothelioma Cancer Is Particularly Deadly And It Is Caused By Coming In Contact With Asbestos

There are quite few words that you never want to hear come out of your doctor's mouth, and mesothelioma cancer is without question, one of the terms at the very top of the list. It is a very lethal form of this disease, which there are no known cures for. Presently, if you happen to catch it, you have a death sentence.

It is caused by coming in contact with a substance called asbestos. This item has been around for quite some time, but it was not until the 20th century that is was used as a component to manufacture many different types of products. The kinds of items it was used in varied greatly, from clothes, to children toys, to all kinds of building products.

It was widely used in the construction industry because it was inexpensive, a fantastic insulator, and it was fire resistant. At the time, it was taught of as some kind of "Wonder Material", because it was so good at almost everything.

However, as it use increased, so did its contact with people. As early as the 1930's, the firms that manufactured asbestos had evidence that it was harming the people that came in contact with it. But, since they were making so much money off of it, they did not reveal their knowledge, and continued to distribute the item to the general public.

Today, if somebody comes down with mesothelioma cancer, almost assuredly they came in contact with asbestos in either an old building or old ship. The problem with the substance, is that if you are not an expert at identifying it, you could easily start handling it without knowing what you were doing to yourself.

Once this happens, your risk of getting mesothelioma cancer is greatly increased. In old buildings asbestos is usually sealed within the walls of the structure. However, if the wall starts to crack, or there is water damage, it becomes very easy for its particles to start leaking into the air.

That is all it takes unfortunately, breathing a few particles of asbestos that were once sealed inside of a wall, and the likelihood that you will catch mesothelioma cancer has gone through the roof. Today, all the doctors can do for you if you catch this disease, is to try and extend your life for a short while, in addition to reducing the pain until that inevitably occurs.

If you know of somebody that has this form of cancer, and you either live or work in the same building that they frequent, this is a huge red flag that you should not take lightly. If this does happen, it is recommended that you immediately contact the local building inspector, or the EPA to have that building thoroughly examined.

Mesothelioma cancer is certainly one of, if not the most deadly forms of cancer. If you suspect that there is asbestos in any building that you regularly visit, you need to develop a plan of action and implement it.

Get all the information you could possibly ever need about Mesothelioma and the deadly Mesothelioma Cancer online at Mesothelioma.us right now.

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Frequent Visits To Old Buildings Can Cause Mesothelioma Cancer

You are probably wondering what in the world do old buildings, and mesothelioma cancer, have to do with each other? Well since you asked, we will be glad to tell you. In many old buildings that were built in the 20th century, there is a material that was used in the construction process, which is called asbestos.

Coming in contact with asbestos, or breathing in the air that contains its particles, is the cause of mesothelioma cancer. If you have never heard of this type of cancer, consider yourself fortunate, because you surely never want to catch it.

Most of us think of liver or lung cancer as the most deadly form of this disease, if so, you would be incorrect. Presently, there is no known cure for mesothelioma cancer. In fact, all the physicians that will treat you can do for you, is to reduce the pain that it will cause, and hopefully allow you to live a little bit longer.

The problem with asbestos is that today there a very few people that have ever worked with the substance. Because of that, when somebody does come in contact with it, they have no idea what it is, or how fatal it can be for them to even touch it one time.

It was widely used to manufacture a ton of different items. When these factory workers would come home, as in most families, their wives would wash their clothes. Asbestos is so toxic, that just washing the clothes of somebody that used it, can cause mesothelioma cancer.

When the wives of the employees that used it in their jobs started dying from mesothelioma cancer, it sent up red flags to the scientific community. This actually turned out to be a good thing, as tragic as that is to say, because its use is now band in virtually every country on earth.

However, like most things in life, there are some unscrupulous business people in certain undeveloped nations that still make products from it. If you happen to know somebody that has come down with mesothelioma cancer, hopefully you do not work or live in the same building that they do.

If so, you have a huge problem on your hand, and you need to take immediate action to protect yourself. Mesothelioma cancer is only caught by coming in contact with asbestos. So, if somebody that frequents the same buildings as you do has it, there is a very good chance that one of those buildings gave it to them.

You should immediately contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or your local building inspector and have your building examined as closely as possible. There is not a charge for this type of service as long as you inform these governmental agencies that somebody that used to visit the building, has contracted mesothelioma cancer. The above warning is not something that you should take lightly, or not be very concerned with. Mesothelioma cancer is a death sentence, and you surely do not want to ever catch it.

Get all the information you could possibly ever need about Mesothelioma and the deadly Mesothelioma Cancer online at Mesothelioma.us right now.

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Maintenance Workers Are Prime Targets For Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma cancer is an extremely fatal form of cancer that is caught by coming in contact with asbestos. This item was widely used to manufacture old buildings. Maintenance workers that are constantly in the inner parts of these buildings can and do come in contact with this substance. When this happens their chances of catching mesothelioma cancer increases drastically.

Most, if not all maintenance workers are not even trained to recognize asbestos, much less know how to properly remove it from a building. The handling of the material is usually only done by specialized firms that are not only highly trained, but are certified to remove it.

Removing asbestos from a building requires all kinds of special equipment and precautions. It is a very expensive and slow process, because if it is not done properly, the employees that are doing the work, are at great risk of contracting mesothelioma cancer.

Pretty much the last thing that a building owner wants to hear is that their building contains asbestos. Almost assuredly, the building will have to be evacuated, while the removal procedure is being completed. Even once it has been finished, the building will have a stigma about it that will decrease its reputation greatly.

Asbestos was used to insulate almost everything, and in old buildings it can be found frequently around water heaters. It was also used in old electrical wiring and cable. It was even used in cement, to make it stronger. This is why when the walls of old buildings start to crack, or get water damage, particles of asbestos often start to filter into the air.

When this occurs, everybody that enters the building is in danger of coming down with mesothelioma cancer. As sad as it is to say, all it takes is inhaling a few particles of the substances, and this form of cancer could start to produce itself in your body.

If you suspect that your building has asbestos in it, you should first contact the management of the structure and ask them to get in touch with either the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or your local building inspector and have the building scrutinized.

If they refuse to do it, then you should call these government agencies and ask them yourself. There are'nt any fees associated with these types of inspections. The reason most building owners do not want to do this, is because if asbestos is found, it will be extremely expensive to get completely removed from the building.

In addition, while all of the demolition work is going on, more than likely everybody will have to totally leave the building. When this happens, of course the building owners lose their rental income.

If you are a maintenance worker that primarily works in old buildings, you really need to educate yourself on asbestos, and be able to immediately recognize the material. Mesothelioma cancer is something that must be taken very seriously, and under no circumstances should you ever touch asbestos, attempt to remove it, or even work anywhere close to it.

Get all the information you could possibly ever need about Mesothelioma and the deadly Mesothelioma Cancer online at Mesothelioma.us right now.

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Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) for Accurate Diagnosis and Staging of Lung Cancer

Accurate diagnosis and staging of lung cancer is essential for implementing an effective treatment strategy. Thanks to a relatively new diagnostic innovation called Endobronchial Ultrasound, or EBUS, physicians are able to precisely assess a patient's lymph nodes to determine if the lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body. With this "staging" information, the cancer care team can create a more effective treatment plan.

Endobronchial Ultrasound is a minimally invasive procedure that enables the physician to sample lung masses and lymph nodes with the assistance of ultrasound guidance. During this procedure, the physician inserts a tube through the patient's mouth or nose and into the large airways leading to his or her lungs. A special ultrasound probe is then used to send sound waves into the structures of the chest, including the lungs. If there are any areas that look suspicious, the physician uses a special ultrasound probe with a thin aspiration needle to take samples for the pathologist to study. The pathologist will then determine if cancer cells are present.

The EBUS procedure allows the surgeon to have a real-time imaging of the lungs, lymph nodes, blood vessels, and airways. Unlike with traditional methods, the surgeon is able to biopsy smaller areas and hard to reach places. Results are received quickly and more samples can be retrieved if required by the pathologist.

EBUS is a useful tool for lung cancer diagnosis because it helps physicians identify the presence of tumors and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the lungs and chest. Once tumors are identified, this technology enables the physician to biopsy the areas in order to have a clear understanding of what stage the cancer is in. This information is important for developing a treatment plan as well as understanding the general outlook for recovery.

Traditionally, accurate staging and diagnosis of lung cancer required invasive diagnostic procedures. With EBUS, the physician is able to avoid incisions into the body to stage the cancer. This technique allows the medical professional to perform a needle biopsy on lymph nodes using a bronchoscope that is inserted through the mouth. Because there is no incision, patients are able to recover quickly and return home the same day. The EBUS procedure can often be completed within half an hour or less.

With proper staging of the cancer, some patients in the early stages of lung cancer are able to avoid extensive surgery that may not be needed. Others with advanced stages of the disease may choose to avoid surgery all together and pursue disease management. This technology allows patients to avoid surgeries that may not be necessary or effective.

Endobronchial Ultrasound is one of the newest diagnostic innovations available to lung cancer patients. Not all cancer centers have access to this cutting edge technology. It may be necessary to do research so that you can find a cancer treatment center in your area that offers this type of diagnostic tool. With proper diagnosis and staging, your physician is able to create a treatment plan that will give you the best chance for a full recovery.

Laura Mims is a writer for FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, which specializes in oncology, cancer care and cancer treatment in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

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How Lung Cancer Support Groups Are Helping Cancer Victims

On Feb. 16, 2009, a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) victim, Karen Parles died of complications from her illness. In her 11 year struggle, Karen courageously searched out means and ways through the establishment of her website for the benefit and information of lung cancer victims and their families. She joined forces with other advocacy and support groups. Before she passed away, her efforts bore fruit and now lung cancer patients, survivors and caregivers have gained a new sense of respect from the worldwide community with all kinds of assistance being provided.

In 1978, Richard A. Bloch decided to fight back after being told that he had only 3 months to live with his stage 4 lung cancer. He fought aggressively and after two years of various treatments, he was declared cancer free. Richard devoted the rest of his life to provide hope for cancer victims to fight back and beat this deadly disease. He and wife Anne wrote two books, Guide to Cancer Supporters and Cancer... There's Hope and Fighting Cancer.

The R.A. Bloch National Cancer Foundation was set up in 1980 to help patients seek prompt, proper and thorough treatment. Their 24/7 hotline provides peer-to-peer counseling by phone that matches patients with a network of nearly 500 cancer survivors with a survivor with the same type of illness. Their head office volunteers answer calls and emails worldwide and provide information, inspiration, encouragement and support to patients who are eager to hear that there is hope of survival. They also give the Bloch books for free except for shipping fees for bulk cases.

Treatment of cancer is expensive. Another support group is CancerCare. For more than 60 years, this organization has provided financial assistance to help victims defray expenses for homecare, childcare and pain medications with their CancerCare Financial Assistance. Their social workers have the knowhow to provide the appropriate assistance. They also have a Co-Payment Assistance Foundation who gives financial help to NSCLC patients who have difficulties in their insurance payments for medications.

CancerCare is also a part of the association of online lung cancer support groups. They serve patients and their families throughout the United States. Their well-trained oncology social workers provide support by phone calls and emails through internet 24/7. They have online support groups for teens from 13-19 years old who have parents with cancer. It is called CancerCare for Kids.

Another online group is the Cancer Survivors Network, a part of the American Cancer Society which facilitates discussion groups and chat rooms for survivors and their loved ones. A free online community for survivors is Gilda'sClub Worldwide. They also have clubhouses nationwide for a person-to-person support. For matching services for one-on-one cancer interaction, the Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) offers the Phone Buddy Program where NSCLC survivors and caregivers are matched with other NSCLC survivors and caregivers. Another matching scheme offered by Cancer Hope Network is the matching of patients with trained volunteers who have undergone the same cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.

Other online groups are the CaringBridge which provides a website where cancer survivors and their loved ones can keep in touch with families and friends, post updates and send notes of support and encouragement to other cancer members. There is also the Lung Cancer Forum which is a source for asking questions and knowing how other cancer survivors are coping with their long illness. More lung cancer support come from the LungCancerOnline Support Group of the Association of Cancer Online Resources Inc., the Lung-Bac, Lung-Nsclc and Lung-Sclc, the Wellness Community and the Cancer Compass.

Lung Cancer support groups can offer unquantifiable benefits when you or a loved one are coping with this dreadful illness. They advise family and friends on how to relate to a family member afflicted with lung cancer when it comes to the use of body language, emotions, words and behavior. Because these volunteers have experienced cancer themselves place them in a position of credibility to inspire and give hope to the families of cancer patients to continue fighting back. The psychosocial needs of patients and their inner circle are very important to help them live out their best. Professional counseling help patients make logical choices while adapting to the effective ways of dealing with lung cancer.

My name is Jet Jones and I research and write about lung cancer stages. Please visit my site at http://lungcancer-stages.com/ to find information about lung cancer stages and treatments that can help you better understand this dreaded disease.

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Lung Cancer Doctors: Key to a Successful Lung Cancer Treatment!

The right lung cancer doctors and the right hospital are your keys toward a bright and successful treatment. Selecting your highly specialized cancer doctor, an oncologist, can be very challenging. The starting point is the doctor who made the diagnosis. He will usually make the initial recommendation or referral to one or two lung cancer specialists you can speak to or consult with. And once you have selected your oncologist, he will usually have a team of other specialists with whom he has worked with on other cancer cases. If you are considering a second opinion, you can ask for referrals from your primary doctor.

It is now a common practice for patients to ask another cancer doctor to evaluate their medical tests and records. You will be surprised to find out that each oncologist may present different treatment approaches. Before you make your final decision, you can seek the advice of other people, a close friend or next of kin. Or you can do your own research or connect to the social network of lung cancer support groups. Usually, they have cancer survivor volunteers with whom you can talk and ask for recommendations. They can also refer you to their oncology social worker in your area with whom you can coordinate with for information on who is the ideal oncology doctor with excellent track record of success.

If there are financial constraints, aside from linking with support groups such as Lung Cancer Alliance and CancerCare, you should also check some websites for additional valuable information on diagnostic procedures and about status of doctors and hospitals near your place. You can make well-informed decisions if you have enough information and education to back you up. When it comes to finding and checking on doctors and hospitals, rankings of the best US lung cancer hospital, elite cancer centers, you can go to NCI's websites and link to cancer hospital report, NCI cancer center listing and E cure me.

If you have no problem with financial resources or your health insurance company can help you out with the best treatment options all the way, some of the top reputable cancer centers you should consider are the John Hopkins, Mayo, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloak-Kettering Cancer Center and the Penn. They have highly professional doctors who are experienced and have success records of cancer patients who were able to undergo their treatments and came out as victors.

When it comes to reputation, Mayo Clinic usually rates as one of the tops. Each year, Mayo pulmonary specialists and oncologists treat more than 1,500 patients and Mayo surgeons do more than 1,000 surgeries. The collaborative effort of their team of oncologists, pathologists, surgeons and radiologists in implementing their latest lung cancer treatments are the main reasons why they have achieved a high record of success. Some of the members of their lung cancer team are Dr Hayostek, Dr. Midthun, Dr. Northfelt, Dr. Schild and Dr. Jaroswezki. Patients are given the opportunity to join Mayo's clinical trials when an experimental lung cancer therapy is proper for their medical condition. Clinical trials may not be curative, but can prolong life or make it more comfortable.

With MDAnderson Center at the University of Texas, their associate professor of thoracic surgery, Dr. David Rice and his medical team are the ones handling lung cancer cases. Treatment is done by a multi-displined team of cancer specialists like a pathologist, radiologist, chemotherapist, surgeon and oncologist. They have success stories of lung cancer survivors which can inspire other lung cancer patients to have faith and hope.

In MemorialSloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the world's oldest and largest cancer center, the medical oncology team is headed by Dr Mark Kris, Dr Kenneth Ng, Dr, David Pfister, Dr. Stephen Veach and Dr. Christopher Azzoli. In 2010, the center trained 1,625 residents and clinical fellows, 521 postdoctoral research studies, 231 PHD candidates, 26 MD/PHD candidates and 391 medical students to prepare them as the next generation of physicians and specialists.

With John Hopskins Hospital in Texas, you can rest assured that their lung cancer doctors are among the very best. The hospital has earned the top spot in annual rankings of more than 4,800 American Hospitals for the 21st consecutive time.

My name is Jet Jones and I research and write about lung cancer cure. Please visit my site at http://lungcancer-stages.com/ to find information about lung cancer stages and treatments that can help you better understand this dreaded disease.

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Effects of Lung Cancer - What Are They?

Effects of Lung Cancer have been devastating families for years, for both the one who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and their loved ones. This destructive cancer effects the families by the pain it causes them from watching the once healthy vivacious person deteriorate. The Effects of Lung Cancer on the sick is pain, and loss of health and sometimes life. This deadly disease has grown to claim more lives than the other cancers combined. However, for being a cancer with such a high death claim, it is slow in the beginning stages. Then the effects of this cancer will grow rapidly as the disease will spread and invade other parts of the body. If one will just let this disease go without any treatment, this horrible cancer will gradually infect the bones and yes the brain. Effects of lung cancer at the beginning stages are a feeling of heaviness in the chest. Also a cough that sticks around regardless of what you take to try to rid yourself of it. This cancer has been known to both spread like wild fire in the body, or just be very slow-growing and spreading. However doctors have been treating it successfully, but it must be caught early enough. Some people will not experience much if any effects of lung cancer at the start. While other people diagnosed with this type of cancer will suffer horribly from the lung cancer effects on their body and health. Let us not forget the effects of the treatments for this specific cancer which, yes are effective in stopping this disease, at the same time have side effects that can make the patient miserable, so say the least.

Effects of Lung Cancer List
Shortness of breathPersistent coughHeavy feeling in chestChest pain or acheUnexplained pain in other areas (possibly from cancer spreading)Blood coughed up (this is known as an early warning sign and the lung cancer may yet be curable.)Wheezing during breathingHoarsenessChronic pneumonia and/or bronchial infectionsExtreme FatigueWeight loss

The majority of all of these cancer cases diagnosed come from tobacco smoke, both first and second-hand. This includes both cigarette and cigar smoking. My personal advice is if you smoke, STOP. If my father would have stopped smoking years ago when they first found the spot on his lungs, he would still be alive today. Do this to extend your life for yourself and mostly for your family. Sure it will be tough, but so what, the best things in life are worked for and are tough to get to. The payoff in the end is worth that small price of a little discomfort. Your chances are a lot better, and in fact you have a chance if you quit. Well, you know what lies ahead of you if you don't. You will be able to live.

It is hard for us to watch family members suffer through the Effects of Lung Cancer and watch them slowly fade away. I know, I have been in those very shoes. Asbestos Poisoning can also lead to lung cancer.

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Stage 4 Lung Cancer Life Expectancy and Treatments

Stage 4 lung cancer is the last stage of lung cancer that is also known as Metastatic Cancer. This is the condition where the cancer cells have affected both lungs and other areas of the body, such as brain, bones, liver and so on. Unfortunately, 40 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer are already in stage 4 when they are first diagnosed. This is not uncommon as earlier stages often misidentified as other less serious health problems. Thanks to medical improvements, a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer does not mean that they cannot prolong their life. The life expectancy of the patient can be improved through certain treatments so the patients can live longer, generally about 7 to 12 months since they are diagnosed, although the cancer itself is incurable. Some people are even able to survive for years, even up to 7 years.

The life expectancy of stage 4 lung cancer therefore varies, depending on many factors, including the physical and mental condition of the patient, the age, the sex, and the current condition of the cancer itself, whether it has developed further or not. Normally, women have higher survival rate than men. In this stage, surgery is no longer possible and chemotherapy is the option to reduce the size of the tumor, slow its growth, terminate the most cancerous cells, improve the symptoms and quality of life and more importantly, prolong the life of the patients. Radiation is often mixed with the chemotherapy. Both methods often cause severe side effects such as abdominal pain, memory loss, bone pain, kidney problems, impotence and many others. In addition, there are other treatments that can help the patient prolong their life, which are target drug treatment and the patient's contribution in clinical experiment. Both methods basically work by targeting the patient's cancer characteristics and treating it. The patients will not experience severe side effects as with chemotherapy and radiation. The medical experiment alone is proven to be successful in improving the survival rate of the patients, mainly because patients engaging in the experiment get all the focus on themselves and if there is a new finding to help improve the survival rate, it will be tested on them. In addition to all the medical treatments above, sometimes patients also look into alternative treatments, although from medical point of view, those treatments do not do the stage 4 lung cancer anything. The treatments include acupuncture, massage therapy, certain diet, natural substances such as baking soda and even taking kerosene as well as certain herbal remedies. They might work in reducing the symptoms of the cancer but are unlikely to cure the cancer itself, but are always worth investigating, as some have a very good history of helping. The outcome of those alternative treatments is always better if the cancer is still in early stages.

By knowing the life expectancy and treatments of stage 4 lung cancer, patients can be more prepared for what they will be going through and their loved ones are also ready to support them throughout the whole process.

Life expectancy and treatment of stage 4 lung cancer is very important information for patients to know about. By taking the treatments, the life expectancy and the quality of life can be improved.

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Common Symptoms of Cancer

Similar to other diseases, cancer can show symptoms that vary from one person to another. The symptoms of cancer depend on the location, the size and the other areas to where the cancer has spread. However, sometimes cancers such as lung cancer do not show any symptoms in its early stages. The symptoms of cancer only become clear in its final stage, resulting in a prognosis than is not necessarily good. This is why many people are very shocked knowing that they are diagnosed with final stage of cancer given that they did not have any symptoms earlier.

Nevertheless, there are some common symptoms of cancer that you can watch out for. Unexplained weight loss is one of the symptoms, although it might also be a symptom of other conditions such as diabetes or depression. However, if you suddenly experience this symptom, it is recommended to see a doctor to find out the cause. Losing a significant amount of weight can possibly be a symptom of lung, stomach or pancreas cancer. Another common symptom is fatigue. The same as with weight loss, fatigue is often associated with other conditions such as infectious or metabolic disorders. However, if you experience severe exhaustion that persists even though you have taken bed rest, it can be an indication of cancer too. Fever is also one symptom of cancer and prolonged fever can be a clear indication that the cancer cells have spread to other areas of the body. Fever can also be an indication of the immune system that is affected by the cancer, such as in leukemia. If you experience either fatigue and fever or both, especially if they persist, getting medical assistance and an examination is highly recommended. Those three common symptoms of cancer are the result of the cancer cells that also need nutrition to live, and therefore the cells consume your body's energy supply. Certain substances of the cancer are also able to change how the body absorbs energy from the food it consumes. The symptoms can also be the outcome of how your immune system fights the cancer cells.

In addition to all the common symptoms of cancer above, persistent and prolonged pain in some part of the body can also be a sign of cancer. A very common pain that people have is headache, which most of the times is associated with other conditions. However, if you experience prolonged and sharp headaches and the pain increases when you tip your head forward, as well as experience with memory loss, it might be a sign of cancer such as a brain tumor. Back pain can also be a sign of cancer including lung cancer. Another symptom that is more obvious is skin changes. For instance, liver cancer often causes yellowish skin and eyes; breast cancer causes reddened, itchy and extracted skin around the breast and so on.

Knowing the most common symptoms of cancer and checking yourself at the doctor if any of those symptoms exist is important. By doing so, cancer can be found earlier and the survival rate will be higher.

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