Malignant Mesothelioma Following Treatment for Hodgkin's Disease0

LB Weissmann, JM Corson, AI Neugut and KH Antman

Department of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.

PURPOSE: Asbestos exposure is the major known risk factor for mesothelioma, but several case reports have suggested a link between radiation therapy and subsequent development of malignant mesothelioma. This report explores a possible association between radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease and mesothelioma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four cases of malignant mesothelioma were observed following Hodgkin's disease at the Mesothelioma Clinic of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. A fifth such patient was found after a review of the literature. RESULTS: In all five cases, the mesothelioma arose in the field of prior radiotherapy. No history of asbestos exposure was elicited by careful questioning or by review of chest radiographs. Examination of lung tissue in one patient showed 250 ferruginous bodies per gram of lung tissue, consistent with no significant prior exposure. The mean interval between radiation treatment for Hodgkin's disease and development of mesothelioma was 15 years, which emphasizes the need for continued follow-up and evaluation of these patients and supports a causal relationship. CONCLUSION: Mesothelioma may need to be added to the list of second malignancies that arise following radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease. Further support is given to a causal link between radiation exposure and mesothelioma.

Sourche: Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 14, 2098-2100, Copyright © 1996 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Read More...

Vitamin C helps identify more aggressive or treatment resistant tumours0

CANCER RESEARCH UK scientists have developed a new imaging technique that uses vitamin C to detect cancers likely to be more aggressive or resistant to treatment, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society today.

The most aggressive cancers are those which are able to divide rapidly without levels of oxidative stress - a process which leads to destructive molecules called free radicals building up in the cell and causing DNA damage - becoming high enough to trigger cell death.

Antioxidants like vitamin C are involved in helping to prevent this damage, by mopping up rogue free radicals.

Studies show that boosting the levels of the enzymes involved in the antioxidant action of vitamin C is one way in which cancer cells increase their capacity to withstand oxidative stress.

The vitamin C inside a cell exists in a different form from that in the blood stream, and is converted from one to the other by enzymes found inside the cell.

Looking at lymphoma cancer cells in the lab and then in mice, the researchers were able to develop specially labelled versions of the two vitamin C forms and use these to detect tumours capable of dealing with higher levels of oxidative stress, which may be more resistant to chemotherapy.

Lead researcher Dr Sarah Bohndiek, based at Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute, said: "This is the first time we've been able to show that vitamin C can be used as a marker for imaging regions of high levels of oxidative stress in the body. This not only helps identify tumours more likely to be aggressive or resistant to treatment, it could also provide an accurate means of monitoring treatment response.

"Importantly, oxidative stress is also associated with other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, meaning this technique could also have wider applications. Clinical trials exploring how this new imaging technique can be used in the clinic are already planned for the near future."

This imaging technique was developed in conjunction with GE Healthcare. Jonathan A. Murray, general manager for Metabolic Imaging at GE Healthcare, said: "GE's Metabolic imaging technology continues to enable wonderful biochemical discovery, we are delighted to collaborate with Cambridge."

Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "We know that cancers capable of dealing with higher levels of oxidative stress are more likely to spread and be resistant to chemotherapy, but we don't have an effective way of detecting this before treatment. New imaging techniques like this could help signal early on whether or not a drug is working, allowing doctors to better tailor treatments to a patient's individual cancer."

Source: Cancer Research UK

Read More...

U.S. physicians spend more time, money for interaction with health plans than Canadian doctors0

Physicians in the United States spend nearly four times as much dealing with health insurers and payers compared with doctors in Canada. Most of the difference stems from the fact that Canadian physicians deal with a single payer, in contrast to the multiple payers in the United States.

These findings are published in the August issue of the journal Health Affairs -- the result of a research collaboration among Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University-Ithaca, the University of Toronto, and the Medical Group Management Association.

Administrative costs are high in the United States due to the fact that different payers have different prior authorization requirements, pharmaceutical formularies, and rules for billing and claims payment, the researchers report. Conversely, physicians in Ontario (where the investigators conducted their survey of Canadian physician practices) generally interact with a single payer that offers one product and more standardized procedures for billing and payment, and that does not routinely require prior authorization of medical services for patients.

"The major difference between the United States and Ontario is that non-physician staff members -- nurses, medical assistants and clerical staff -- in the United States spend large amounts of time obtaining prior authorizations and on billing," says lead author Dr. Dante Morra, medical director of the Centre for Innovation in Complex Care and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.

As a result, say the investigators, per capita health spending in the U.S. is 87 percent higher than in Canada -- $7,290 vs. $3,895 annually. Administrative costs incurred by U.S. physicians and staff are estimated to be at least $82,975 per physician each year.

"If U.S. physician practices had administrative costs similar to those in Canada, the total savings for U.S. health spending would be about $27.6 billion per year," says senior author Dr. Lawrence Casalino, chief of the Division of Outcomes and Effectiveness Research in the Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College.

"Many factors contribute to the high cost of health care in the United States, but there is broad consensus that administrative costs are high and could be reduced," Dr. Casalino continues. "Short of adopting a single-payer system, reducing these costs can be achieved by realizing efficiencies, such as by adopting standardized rules for transactions between physicians and health plans and communicating through electronic systems."

The authors provide several specific recommendations, including standardizing transactions as much as possible and conducting them electronically rather than by mail, fax and phone. These measures would not only reduce costs but would also reduce the so-called "hassle factor" of physician and staff interruptions for phone calls that interfere with patient care, say the authors. In addition, the authors cite Affordable Care Act changes such as bundled payments, and the creation of accountable care organizations as potentially decreasing administrative burdens over the long term.

Additional findings from the study, "U.S. Physician Practices Spend Nearly Four Times as Much Money Interacting With Health Plans and Payers Than Do Their Canadian Counterparts":

* On average, U.S. doctors spent 3.4 hours per week interacting with health plans while doctors in Ontario spent about 2.2 hours. Nurses and medical assistants in the U.S. spend 20.6 hours per physician per week on administrative tasks related to health plans, nearly 10 times the time spent by those in Ontario.

* U.S. clerical staff spend 53.1 hours per physician per week on administrative tasks related to insurance, compared with 15.9 hours in Ontario. Most of the difference comes from the time U.S. clerical staff spend on billing (45.5 hours) and obtaining prior authorizations (6.3 hours).

* Senior administrators in the U.S. spend much more time per physician than their Canadian counterparts on overseeing claims and billing tasks: 163.2 hours a year in the U.S. compared with 24.6 hours a year in Ontario.

Source: Weill Cornell Medical College

Read More...

Roadmap to Overcome Obstacles for Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells0

The possibility of developing stem cells from a patient's own skin and using them to treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer has generated tremendous excitement in the stem cell research community in recent years. Such therapies would avoid the controversial need for using stem cells derived from human embryos, and in theory, also bypass immunological problems inherent in using cells from one person to treat another.

However, in the nearly five years since the first article describing the development of stem cells derived from adult cells - so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) - unique problems inherent in their use have surfaced and even their immunological safety has been called into question.

According to Paul S. Knoepfler, UC Davis associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy, finding such obstacles in such a new and novel approach is not surprising and should not dissuade investigators from actively pursuing this avenue of research. A roadmap for finding solutions to the problems identified with iPSCs, written by Knoepfler and Bonnie Barrilleaux, a postdoctoral fellow working in Knoepfler's laboratory, is available online and will be published in the Aug. 5 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell. Their perspective, "Inducing iPSCs to escape the dish," suggests research strategies to advance the field more rapidly toward applications for human diseases.

"iPSCs offer the potential to treat many diseases as an alternative or adjuvant therapy to drugs or surgery," said Knoepfler, who also is a faculty member of the UC Davis Genome Center and UC Davis Cancer Center. "Problems that have been identified with their use likely can be overcome, allowing iPSCs to jump from the laboratory dish to patients who could benefit from them."

iPSCs were first produced in 2006 from mouse cells and in 2007 from human cells. They have many of the same regenerative properties as human embryonic stem cells, but they are derived in a lab from adult cells, such as skin cells, by inducing or forcing them to express specific genes that are normally dormant in that type of cell. In theory, a person's skin cells could be induced to make neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, for example, and be delivered to brain regions where it is lacking in patients with Parkinson's disease. Similarly, cells could be induced to regenerate heart muscle and blood vessels after a heart attack, or neurons following a spinal cord injury. Many labs at UC Davis, including the Knoepfler lab, are producing and studying human iPSCs.

One advantage cited for iPSCs over stem cells derived from embryos is that problems of rejection due to immunological differences between the donor (the embryo) and the patient would be eliminated, because the iPSCs would be derived from each individual patient. A recent study using iPSCs in mice found that tissue rejection may, in fact, occur in some cases. However, Knoepfler believes that particular study was conducted in the context of tumors, which tend to be highly immunogenic and not be applicable for human use. While the ability of human iPSCs to escape immune attention must be investigated further, Knoepfler says that iPSCs remain an attractive potential avenue for stem cell-based medicine, in addition to embryonic stem cells.

Another concern with using either iPSCs or embryonic stem cells is that cells with the ability to turn into many different cell types may grow out of control, producing cancerous tumors. Knoepfler points out those studies involved implanting large numbers of undifferentiated stem cells into mice that were treated with immunosuppressant drugs to reject transplants, making the conditions ideal for cancers to arise. This scenario, he argues, is unlikely to be applicable when treating humans for actual diseases. In such cases, the stem cells would be induced to have a specific function, and the body's natural immune defenses would be present.

The "pluripotent" nature of stem cells, which potentially allow their use to repair almost any tissue, is only beginning to be harnessed for human therapies. Stem cell therapy has already been successfully used for years to treat leukemia and related bone and blood cancers. The use of iPSCs could vastly increase the spectrum of diseases that might be treated with stem cells, without the safety and ethical concerns inherent in using embryonic stem cells.

"Dr. Barrilleaux and I argue for a shift in research priorities," said Knoepfler. "Future studies of iPSCs should increasingly focus on issues most relevant to the eventual clinical use of the cells, offering the fastest pathway to treating patients with this potentially powerful therapeutic tool."

Knoepfler's own research focuses on determining how stem cell behavior is controlled during normal embryonic development as well as during healing and regeneration. He also studies how control systems go awry in developmental disorders and cancer. One key direction for the Knoepfler lab is using leading genomics technology to better understand why stem cells behave the way they do and how to change that behavior for clinical use.

Funding for Knoepfler's article was provided by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Source: University of California - Davis Health System

Read More...

EPO Issues European Patent for Rexahn's Neurotherapeutic compositions0

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: RNN), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted European patent No. EP1212055 entitled "Neurotherapeutic compositions comprising a beta-lactam compound."

This patent covers compounds including clavulanic acid and moxalactam for the treatment of neurological disorders such as depression, anxiety, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as their use and pharmaceutical formulation.

Rick Soni, President of Rexahn, noted, "Obtaining this European patent coverage for clavulanic acid and moxalactam broadens and strengthens our CNS-related portfolio, which includes Serdaxin®, currently in Phase II clinical trials."

Source: Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Read More...

Human Brain Cells Created from Skin Cells: Potential for Alzheimer’s0

By Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

In a medical breakthrough researchers have turned human skin cells into working brain cells, completely bypassing the need for stem cells.

This feat comes a year after researchers at Stanford University performed the same feat in mice, turning cells from the rodents' skin into neurons. The lab-created brain cells act the same as normal human brain cells, the researchers found. These cells have the same ability to send electric signals; they seem to express the same genes in the same ways; and they are able to communicate with other brain cells, as demonstrated in a lab dish and when implanted into mice.

This study could mean newer therapies for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, the researchers said. In addition to transforming skin cells from healthy individuals, the researchers did the same with cells from participants with the hereditary (early-onset) version of Alzheimer's disease. These manufactured brain cells had the genetic signature of Alzheimer's and have some of the same characteristic features of Alzheimer's as cells taken directly from the brain of a patient with the early-onset Alzheimer's gene. Researchers reported several differences between these manufactured Alzheimer's brain cells and the cells of healthy patients, including the way they process and destroy a protein called the amyloid precursor protein (thought to be the main culprit of the disease). They can be used to study the mechanism of Alzheimer's development and test potential treatments, without having to harvest the cells from a living human's brain.

In earlier approaches to generate neurons from skin cells, those adult cells first had to be returned to an embryonic stem cell state. Those cells, called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, are hard to come by – less than one percent of cells are typically reprogrammed successfully. In addition, the entire process is time-consuming, requiring months to coax cells into iPS cells and then stimulate them to become neurons.

This “is fundamentally different from making neurons with iPS technologies,” study researcher Asa Abeliovich, of the Columbia University Medical Center, said in a statement. “You could, in theory, take someone's skin cells and in a couple of weeks have fully functional neurons ready.” The study was published in the journal Cell.

Read More...

Canada Blocks UN Asbestos Resolution0

Members of the Canadian delegation blocked a UN resolution that would list chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous material. The resolution, called the Rotterdam Convention, lists several grades of hazardous materials. The convention rules stated that materials labeled as “Annex III” would compel exporters of toxic chemicals to warn importers of the hazards involved with the material. The resolution would also give countries that import dangerous substances the right to refuse to allow the material into their borders if they did not have adequate safety precautions in place.

Michael Stanley-Jones, a UN spokesman for the meeting, said that Canada and several other countries, including three former Soviet states, would not vote to approve listing “white” asbestos in the hazardous materials list. Mr. Stanley-Jones also said that the listing of asbestos would be tabled until the next meeting of the trade treaty signees in two years.

Labor unions, worker safety organizations and environmental activists have been working for several years to stop Canada’s exportation of asbestos. Only two asbestos mines, both in Quebec, continue to produce the dangerous fibers. Although the mines employ only about thee hundred people in small towns near Montreal, the issue of closing the mines and enforcing stricter safety regulations has created a political firestorm in Canada’s only French-speaking province.

Some pro-asbestos concerns in Quebec paint the argument as a case of English-speakers attempting to enforce their standards on independent-minded Quebec. However, Quebec exports more asbestos than it uses. Both federal and provincial officials have worked to remove the material from schools and government buildings around the country, including the Prime Minister’s residence in Ottawa. Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended the use and exportation of asbestos when he campaigned in Quebec leading up to last May’s general election.

The people who depend on the mines for their incomes believe that chrysotile can be used safely if workers employ the proper precautions. In countries that import asbestos for their shipbuilding industries, such as India, Indonesia and Pakistan, most workers do not have access to breathing masks, special coveralls, or other protective gear. Governments in those countries also either do not have adequate safety regulations in place or do not have the resources to enforce them.

A report from the World Health Organization estimates that more than 90,000 people will die of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disorders this year. Most industrialized nations have either banned or severely restricted the use of asbestos, which was prevalent in the mid-1900s as a source of insulation and fireproofing.

Numerous scientific studies have established that asbestos exposure can lead to a rare form of lung cancer called mesothelioma. As a worker inhales asbestos dust, microscopic fibers work their way through the lung tissue and into the pleural mesothelium, the protective layer around the lungs. The fibers alter the cells and turn them into malignant tumors. The disease can lay dormant for decades, but it is often fatal by the time doctors can diagnose the problem. Most patients rarely live more than two years after they receive their mesothelioma diagnosis.

Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/24/us-un-chemicals-idUSTRE75N46J20110624
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/1014862–canada-s-toxic-asbestos-trade
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/06/23/canada-asbestos-chrysotile-geneva-summit_n_883630.html

Read More...

Erionite in North Dakota roads may increase risk of mesothelioma0

As school buses drive down the gravel roads in Dunn County, North Dakota, they stir up more than dirt. The clouds of dust left in their wake contain such high levels of the mineral erionite that those who breathe in the air every day are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, a type of cancer of the membranes around the lungs, new research shows. Erionite is a natural mineral fiber that shares similar physical similarities with asbestos. When it's disturbed by human activity, fibers can become airborne and lodge themselves in people's lungs. Over time, the embedded fibers can make cells of the lung grow abnormally, leading to mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer most often associated with the related mineral asbestos.

Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center in Honolulu, has previously linked erionite exposure in some Turkish villages to unusually high rates of mesothelioma. Recently, he and colleagues turned their attention to potential erionite exposure in the U.S., where at least 12 states have erionite-containing rock deposits. His research team-which includes scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Environmental Protection Agency, New York University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, and University of Hacettepe-focused their efforts on Dunn County, North Dakota, when they learned that rocks containing erionite have been used to produce gravel for the past 30 years. More than 300 miles of roads are now paved with the gravel. The new study, reported in the July 25, 2011 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is the first to look at the potential hazards associated with erionite exposure in the U.S.

The scientists compared the erionite in North Dakota to erionite from the Turkish villages with high mesothelioma rates. They measured airborne concentrations of the mineral in various settings, studied its chemical composition, and analyzed its biological activity. When mice were injected with the erionite from Dunn County, their lungs showed signs of inflammation and abnormal cell growth, precursors to mesothelioma. Under the microscope, the fiber size of the erionite from North Dakota was similar to that of the Turkish erionite. Overall, the researchers found no chemical differences between the North Dakota erionite and samples of the cancer-causing mineral from Turkey. The airborne levels of erionite in North Dakota were comparable to levels found in Turkish villages with 6-8 percent mortality rates from mesothelioma, the researchers reported.

Read More...

Two-Stage Nanoparticle Improves Chemotherapy Delivery0

A clinical study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that the use of a two-stage nanoparticle drug delivery system was 40 times more effective than a system using a single nanoparticle. The “Stage One” nanoparticle seeks out the tumor cells, and then signals the “Stage Two” portion to deliver the chemotherapy drugs. Researchers tested the delivery system on mice with cancer and found that the two-stage system was more effective in shrinking the tumors than the single-stage method.

Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia, the lead author of the study, and her research team found that the dual-stage method increased the amount of the drug delivered to tumor cells 40 times over the standard procedure. The method also insures that only the tumor cells receive the potentially lethal chemotherapy drugs, without harming the healthy cells surrounding the malignant tumor. When the first-stage particle locates a tumor cell, it sends a signal to the drug-carrying particle for it to deploy its medicine.

“We use the body’s natural amplification processes to get more drug to the target,” Dr. Bhatia said.  She also mentioned that she saw the body’s blood clotting system as inspiration for the dual-stage method.  When an open wound occurs, the body signals the blood clotting system to close off the blood flow. The system involves an enzyme known as Factor XIII, which crosslinks with a protein called fibrin, which starts the clotting process.

Dr. Bhatia and her team coated their drug-delivery nanoparticle in a version of Factor XIII.  When the “scout” particle located a tumor cell, it attacked the tissue and made it bleed. The Factor XIII acted as an attractant to the blood in the tumor cells, thus drawing the drug-delivery particle. The particle then released its payload, with the fibrin clotting the tumor cell and forming a wall to keep the medicine within the tumor site.

This application of nanoparticle technology cold not only lead to more efficient treatments, but also to better tools for early detection. Dr. Francesca Greco, a nanotechnology specialist as the University of Reading in England, said that the dual-stage method, especially the first-stage approach of locating tumor cells, could lead to improvements in early cancer detection. She called the approach “interesting and versatile, with potential applications in tumor diagnostics”.

Despite the early appearances of success behind the dual-stage nanoparticle treatment method, some scientists are still wary of this new development.  One argument against it is the level of complexity involved in the delivery system.  Dr. Omid Farokhzad of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said that the system “is on the right path”, but that the translation of this method from experiments in mice to clinical trials in humans will take “a lot of work”.

Another issue with this method is how it uses the blood-clotting system to signal the delivery of the chemotherapy drugs.  Dr. Anil Sood, an oncology specialist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said that the system should make sure it only triggers blood clots near the tumors and not in more sensitive areas, such as the heart, lungs or brain.  “If you’re going to trigger coagulation, you want to be very selective, so that you don’t cause damage in other parts of the body.”

Sources:

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110619/full/news.2011.374.html
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/June/20061101.asp
http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/scientists-develop-communicating-nanoparticles-that-boost-targeted-drug-delivery-to-tumors/81245326/

Read More...

New potential anti-tumor agents might effectively treat mesothelioma0

Researchers from the lab of Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., the Founder and Director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, have identified new potential anti-tumor agents that might be effective in treating mesothelioma, one of the deadliest cancer tumors.

Scientists tested new pyrazolo [3,4-d ]pyrimidine derivative inhibitors of the SRC kinase, a well-established molecular target in cancer therapy. They found that these SRC inhibitors effectively induced cell death, through apoptosis, in mesothelioma cell lines without affecting the normal mesothelial cells, thus supporting a possible use of these agents as a safe treatment for mesothelioma. Their findings appear in the journal Oncogene.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that the SRC inhibitors induced cell death was accompanied by an increase in the nuclear stability of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27. This is "particularly intriguing considering that the loss of nuclear p27 expression is a well established adverse prognostic factor in mesothelioma and p27 nuclear localization is crucial for its tumor suppressive function." said the leading author of the study, Paola Indovina, Ph.D. of the University of Siena and assistant Professor at the Sbarro Institute.

Read More...

Chemotherapy Drug Shortage Puts Patients At Risk0

A report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHSP) shows a growing number of vital chemotherapy drugs are in short supply. Paclitaxel (brand name: Taxol), a drug used extensively in patients with colon, lung, breast and ovarian cancers, has been added to a list of 196 other major drugs considered to be in short supply. The drugs on the shortage list include anesthetics, antibiotics, pain medications and chemotherapy drugs for leukemia.

Cynthia Reilly, director of the ASHSP’s practice development division, called the shortages a “public health crisis”. “There are cancer patients who will die because of this (shortage),” Reilly said. “This could change their survival.” The shortage also extends to many generic drugs, which offer a cost-effective alternative for patients over the brand-name prescriptions. Some chemotherapy drugs, such as cytarabine and daunorubicin for leukemia, are also in short supply and do not have effective substitutes.

The shortage has forced some hospitals and cancer centers to select which patients have greater need for their life-saving medication. Dr. Michael Link, a pediatric oncologist at Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, said that the shortage in leukemia medication has put him and his staff at risk of making some difficult choices. “We’re hoping to get more so we don’t face that awful crisis. Other practices have.”

The lack of available medications has become a nationwide problem, but the shortages have disproportionately affected smaller facilities. According to Dr. Link, several patients have had to drive to other states to get the medication they need. He noted that larger facilities and hospitals that have access to multiple suppliers tend to have less of an issue with shortages, but smaller treatment centers and oncology practices “tend to operate more on an order-as-needed basis.”

Even the bigger hospitals are not immune to these shortages. The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, one of the largest cancer treatment facilities in the country, reported that their stockpiles of at least four different chemotherapy drugs are at severely depleted levels, with another twenty also in short supply. The Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in nearby San Antonio reported “rationing the use of” paclitaxel.

Some hospitals are taking emergency measures to insure that they have an adequate supply of paclitaxel on hand. The Beaumont Hospital in suburban Detroit is currently paying more than three times its normal rate for paclitaxel. At the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital in New Orleans, doctors work together to move available drugs from one physician’s patient to another’s in greater need. Dr. Jay Brooks, Ochsner’s chairman of oncology, said that he had never seen shortages this severe in his 25-year career in cancer treatment.

A spokesperson with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that some of the makers of generic-label paclitaxel have some of the drug on hand and that the shortage was “not a complete national outage”. One paclitaxel supplier, Bedford Laboratories of Bedford, Ohio, announced that they had numerous backorders for the drug. A spokesman announced that the company hopes to have a supply of the drug ready for market by 1 July.

Sources:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/chemo-drug-taxol-shortage-leaves-doctors-scrambling-cancer/story?id=13906891
http://www.kgoam810.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=116&itemid=29683184
http://cancer.about.com/b/2011/06/23/taxol-shortage-may-affect-ovarian-and-breast-cancer-patients.htm
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/Chemotherapy/27249

Read More...

New NCCN Clinical Practice Guideline on Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma0

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), with the support of the NCCN Foundation, announces the latest addition to the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients™, the NCCN Guidelines for Patients™: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. This resource is a patient-friendly, easy-to-understand translation of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™) for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, which physicians use when determining appropriate cancer treatment. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients™ aim to help people with cancer and their loved ones discuss the best treatment options for them with their physicians.

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients™: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma are supported by Baron & Budd, P.C., attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of people who suffer from cancers like mesothelioma and lung cancer, which are often attributable to environmental toxins.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the mesothelium, or the tissue that covers most organs inside the body, most commonly the lungs. It occurs in about 2,500 people in the United States every year. Although rare, mesothelioma is deadly, with about half of those diagnosed dying within one year. People diagnosed with mesothelioma have usually worked with asbestos approximately 20 to 40 years prior to diagnosis.

"Baron & Budd is committed to helping people affected by asbestos-related cancers understand both their medical and legal options. We are honored to have sponsored this important resource for patients," said Russell Budd, president and managing shareholder of Baron & Budd.

Russell Budd is a member of the Board of the NCCN Foundation and has been a shareholder of Baron & Budd since 1985 and president and managing shareholder since 2002. Over the last decade, Mr. Budd has played a significant role in protecting the rights of people injured by exposure to asbestos.

Read More...

Anonymous donor makes generous gift for mesothelioma research0

The UH Cancer Center has received a $3.58 million gift from an anonymous donor to support the mesothelioma research of Dr. Michele Carbone, director of the UH Cancer Center. Carbone and colleagues, who include Drs. Haining Yang and Giovanni Gaudino, have made a series of recent scientific breakthroughs that will lead to new ways to prevent and treat the disease.

"This generous gift is critical to support our efforts to generate discoveries that will aid in the prevention of mesothelioma and the development of new therapies," said Dr. Carbone. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that line the chest and abdominal cavities. It results in one of the most aggressive types of tumors, and current median survival from diagnosis is just twelve months. Exposure to airborne asbestos or erionite particles increases one's risk of developing mesothelioma.

The gift is the second largest in UH Cancer Center history. "Mesothelioma is a serious public health problem," said Dr. Virginia Hinshaw, Chancellor of UH Mānoa. "We're proud that Dr. Carbone's team is leading the world in this area of discovery. This gift validates their efforts and will help them remain at the forefront of thoracic oncology research."

Dr. Carbone and colleagues have studied mesothelioma for more than a decade. Significant findings have come from studies conducted in the villages of Capadoccia, a region of Turkey. Dubbed "death villages," nearly 50% of the area's residents develop and die of mesothelioma. The epidemic is caused by exposure to a fiber called erionite that is even more potent than asbestos in causing mesothelioma. Erionite is a naturally occurring mineral found in rock formations and homes built of rock material in the region. The team's findings led to a response from the Turkish government that included building the villagers new homes and a regional health center to conduct treatment.

Read More...

Mesothelioma Cause0

At some point in our lives, nearly all of us have been exposed to asbestos in the air we breathe and the water we drink; from natural deposits in the earth, and from the deterioration of asbestos products around us. Most of us, however, do not become ill as a result of our exposure. More commonly, those who at some point are diagnosed with asbestos disease, have worked in jobs where more substantial exposure occurred over longer periods of time. Nevertheless, cases of mesothelioma have been documented as the result of lesser exposure, affecting family members of workers who came into contact with asbestos and brought it home on their clothing, skin or hair, or affecting those who lived in close proximity to asbestos manufacturing facilities. Symptoms of asbestos disease usually are not be apparent until decades after exposure.

Asbestos was used commercially in North America as early as the late 1800s, but its use increased dramatically during the World War II era when shipyards produced massive numbers of ships for the war effort. Since that time, asbestos-containing products were used by the construction and building trades, the automotive industry and the manufacturing industry. All told, more than 5,000 products contained asbestos.

For more than 50 years, products containing asbestos remained unregulated, and the manufacturers of those products continued to prosper, knowing full well that many of the millions of workers who came into contact with their products would ultimately suffer as the result of their actions. Finally, in the late 1970s, the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and artificial ash for gas fireplaces because the fiber could easily be released during use. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency banned all new use of asbestos, but uses established prior to that time were still allowed. Although awareness of the dangers of asbestos and public concern over the issue have led to a decline in domestic consumption over the years, a total ban on asbestos has not come to fruition. Asbestos is still imported, still used and still dangerous.

Although it is suggested that the number of mesothelioma cases in the U.S. has reached its peak and has begun to drop, a forecast released by the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), in April, 2003, projected the total number of American male mesothelioma cases from 2003-2054 to be approximately 71,000. This number, however, does not take into consideration events such as the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001, when millions of New Yorkers were potentially exposed to air filled with carcinogenic asbestos particles. The incidence of mesothelioma cases by state and county are shown in these tables. When the latency period for asbestos disease is factored in, cases of mesothelioma will continue to be diagnosed for years to come. See our page on mesothelioma risk factors.

Does exposure to asbestos always cause mesothelioma? No, less than 10% of people with a history of heavy asbestos exposure develop mesothelioma. But 80% of those with pleural mesothelioma have a demonstrated history of asbestos exposure. There is no doubt that exposure to asbestos fibers increases the risk of mesothelioma. This is why you should mention any history of asbestos exposure to a doctor attempting a diagnosis.

Questions Regarding the Risk Level of Asbestos Exposure

Research data has shown that there is a definite correlation between exposure to asbestos particles and asbestos-related diseases, especially for those that are exposed to the fibers in their workplace. Even though data shows a connection between these factors, there is ongoing debate as to just “how much of a risk is present” in environments where asbestos fibers can be found.

Questions have been raised because some of the factors relating to asbestos exposure can vary considerably sometimes making it difficult to define absolute asbestos-related exposure relationships. Some of these variables include asbestos fiber sizes and types, the type of asbestos-related disease, and the duration and level of exposure to the fibers.

Even with the uncertainty, progress has been made in regards to these variables and their effects on human health over the last 25 years. This information may present an issue for regulating authorities and agencies because it may require a deviation from their current opinions on asbestos exposure and its effects on health.

Differing Characteristics of Asbestos Fibers as They Relate to Health Conditions

People that have inhaled asbestos fibers have been shown to develop health conditions such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. There is confusion as to which asbestos types pose a greater risk of asbestos-related disease and to what degree. Additionally, there are questions regarding which exposure conditions present this risk.

One problem in regards to establishing clear-cut asbestos-related factors may be the use of the term “asbestos”, as a catch-all or general term used to represent various asbestos fibers that have different toxic characteristics and tendencies that cause related diseases.

More than 150 studies of asbestos particles has been used to determine the relationship between incidences of asbestos disease and suspected factors; however, this research has had little value in determining level of risk due to limited data on levels of human exposure, fiber types, and other possible contributing factors (i.e. smoking or other lifestyle practices). Other obstacles that contribute to the limitations of this research include the use of many different fiber types or the lack of defining fiber types used in studies.

Read More...