Department of Defense Provides $16 Million For Mesothelioma Research in Massachusetts

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers are happy that more money is being dedicated to this important research. While mesothelioma in Massachusetts doesn't get nearly as much exposure as other forms of cancer, such as lung, prostate or breast, that makes it all the more dangerous.

Obviously, those forms of cancer and others like it are more common than mesothelioma, but the lack of press means that many people may have the symptoms of mesothelioma, but don't do anything to get themselves checked. And that's how mesothelioma becomes so dangerous.

Mesothelioma is able to mask itself because the most common symptoms are chest pain, trouble breathing, heavy coughing and fluid build-up, which can be symptoms of other types of ailments. And if a person doesn't realize that these symptoms aren't the result of smoking or old age, they can be further damaged.

Thankfully, though, the current Department of Defense budget includes $16 million for the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program to research certain cancers. Researchers looking for a portion of the research money can submit applications to study the following forms of cancer:

• Mesothelioma

• Blood cancers

• Colorectal cancer

• Genetic cancer research

• Kidney cancer

• Listeria vaccine for cancer

• Melanoma and other skin cancers

• Pancreatic cancer

• Pediatric cancers

• Radiation protection utilizing nanotechnology

All of these forms of cancer are important to research because little is known about many of them and treatment options must be established. It's fitting that mesothelioma is one of the potential research topics since many military veterans who served years ago are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma because of exposure on ships or on military bases when the military used asbestos.
Our Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers hope that this dedicated money goes toward finding a cure for mesothelioma or at least early indications so that the disease may be cut off before it becomes deadly.

FDA Grants "Orphan Status" to Drug That Could Treat Malignant Mesothelioma in Boston

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers believe that the more research that is done on this fatal form of cancer, the better. Right now, some is known about this cancer, but not nearly enough.







Some of what we do know:

• Mesothelioma is an incurable form of cancer

• It is caused by exposure to asbestos, a natural mineral

• Asbestos was used in the United States from the early 20th Century to roughly 1991

• It was primarily used in insulation and coating products to resist fire

• When ingested, it attaches to major organs, causing the fatal cancer

• A person can be exposed to asbestos and not feel symptoms for three to four decades

• The median lifespan after diagnosis is 12 months

Unfortunately, what we don't know right now is a cure. And because mesothelioma is generally diagnosed decades after exposure, the cancer is typically deeply rooted in a person by then, which means operations are highly dangerous. Many patients, too, are older, meaning that a major surgery increases risks as well.
But as pharmabiz.com reports, the FDA's granting of orphan status to a Japanese drug company may soon help mesothelioma patients. Orphan status is designed to reward companies that are researching a drug that won't be mass produced and used by millions of people. It gives the companies breaks on costs in order to use their money to do the research.

In this case, CBP501, a drug made by CanBas Co., a bio-pharmaceutical company in Japan, is designed to be used for treatment of patients with mesothelioma. The company reports it is in its late phase II development of the drug. It is designed to be used as a first-time treatment for patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma who can't have surgery.

While all drugs in testing aren't ready for use, this is certainly encouraging news for mesothelioma patients throughout New England. They know that there are few treatment options that are available and work well in their fight against mesothelioma. A drug that can potentially cure this illness or fight back against it, making a person's life longer, is certainly a lofty and well-placed goal.

Another $500,000 Dedicated to Finding a Cure For Mesothelioma in New England

This is good news for those who have seen how devastating mesothelioma can be to a person. This incurable form of cancer strikes in its advanced ages, years after a person has been exposed to asbestos.
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In many cases, our Boston mesothelioma lawyers have seen, people were exposed to asbestos decades earlier without feeling any symptoms. It's not until the cancer is in its later stages that people begin feeling the common symptoms of chest pain, trouble breathing and others that indicate something is wrong.

Sadly, research has shown that once a person gets the diagnosis of mesothelioma, they usually only live another 12 months. Because these tumors can stay largely hidden inside a person's body for so long without symptoms, the slow-moving cancer can cause a quick death.

The projects went through a peer-review process, being reviewed by member of the foundation's board. They looked at what the proposed projects would do, what techniques and form of science they would use and what the stated goal is.

Among the projects that will be completed:

A study trying to combine genomic data of 10 mesothelioma tumors to look at molecular characteristics and defining how defective genes impact malignant cells. This project looks to study which genes are meaningful in disease treatment.

An investigation into how the immune system proteins regulate the response of chemotherapy cell death in mesothelioma cells. Previous work has shown that patients who had low or no levels of a certain protein in their tumor cells had longer time without the disease.

The foundation has now provided $7.6 million in grant money to research this form of cancer. The five new grants bring the total to 76 that have been funded by the efforts of this foundation. Everyone wants to see a cancer-free world. For those with mesothelioma and their families, this research means a lot. Mesothelioma hasn't gotten the type of attention other cancers have, so any money available to research it is important.

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers Hail UK Victims' Victory

Our Boston mesothelioma attorneys have been closely following the news from across the pond, where the nation's supreme court ruled that the insurance liability was induced at the time that the individual was exposed - not when the disease was first discovered.

This is crucial in mesothelioma cases because, as we've discussed on our Boston Mesothelioma Lawyer's Blog, this is a cancer that often doesn't reveal itself for years - usually decades - after the initial exposure. By that time, it is often too late for individuals to seek any kind of effective treatment. In fact, patients usually have less than a year to live.

That leaves their loved ones to pick up the pieces.

In this case, medical insurance companies in England took a gamble by filing the case in the first place, asking the court to make a decision. The companies argued that they shouldn't have to cover someone from the time they were exposed to the asbestos that caused the cancer, but rather from the time the symptoms first began to appear. Of course, that is the difference between a years-worth of coverage and a few decades-worth.

Attorneys for the victims were quoted by CNN as saying they were overjoyed with the court's decision, adding that it will provide comfort to victims and their families, as well as clarity and consistency for individuals who will discover the cancer in the future. That's going to equal financial security for the families of those affected by this awful - and preventable - illness.

In Britain, disease resulting from asbestos exposure is said to be by far the biggest killer in the workplace. In fact, some 5,000 people die of it in England annually. The numbers continue to rise there, as more people discover they have been impacted. It's expected to peak by 2015.

Boston Mesothelioma: Red Wine May Hold Key to Treatment

As of yet, there is no known cure for a patient dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis. However, there is encouraging research that was recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine recently, suggesting that red wine - of all things - may actually hold the key to treatment.

It seems somewhat far-fetched, and of course, we're a long way from any sort of a cure. But we're happy that research is ongoing, and that scientists continue to explore the possibilities, as mesothelioma is an acute and fatal disease and a diagnosis is a death sentence. Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers work tirelessly to fight for justice on behalf of those who were sickened by asbestos exposure that resulted from the negligence of corporations that produced this material, long after the impacts to health were widely-known.

Here's what we know of this research so far:

While the health benefits of drinking red wine have long been touted, researchers have discovered that an element called resveratrol could suppress high levels of the Sp1 protein and has shown to kill mesothelioma cancer cells.

The experiment was conducted on laboratory mice in Korea at the Soonchunhyant University.

Resveratrol, which is an antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes, has been shown in previous studies to reduce high cholesterol and halt damage to blood vessels. It's an organic compound, and it's well-known to have other health benefits.

And while it may seem a shot in the dark, it's not uncommon that mesothelioma patients are willing to try almost anything, given the bleak prognosis for their condition. In most cases, the condition is treated with some combination of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. In most cases, the sooner the cancer is caught, the more effective those treatments will be.

Yet, as there is no cure, many patients view it as a prolonging of the inevitable.

Often, doctors will encourage their mesothelioma patients to try alternative treatments, particularly if the side effects are expected to be minimal. In this case, it seems patients require little convincing to try it. 

New England Mesothelioma Appeals Verdict Questioned in Gallagher v. Nat'l Grid USA/Narragansett Elec.

That was the issue in Gallagher v. Nat'l Grid USA/Narragansett Electric, in which the Rhode Island Supreme Court affirmed the decision handed down by the Workers' Compensation Court Appellate Division.

Some have alleged that when plaintiffs claim more than one defendant in a mesothelioma case, that shows some type of fraud. The fact of the matter, however, is that numerous employers and manufacturers used and sold asbestos-laden products without regard for the cancer it would later cause to workers and consumers.

Such was the case here, and at issue was who should ultimately have to pay.

Dennis Gallagher lived in Rhode Island and that's where this case was decided. However, the basic facts are still applicable here in Massachusetts.

His case begins like so many others. He started his professional career as a welder, where he worked for a boat company in Connecticut between 1965 and 1971. He reportedly worked on submarines that were "loaded" with asbestos. Prior to his death, he testified that workers were constantly moving it in and out of his work space. The pipes at his work place were insulated with asbestos, which meant it then became airborne. This airborne exposure has been proven to cause mesothelioma.

Additionally during this time, the air filters were loaded with asbestos and he also was given asbestos gloves and asbestos blankets.

Then in the decade between 1974 and 1984, Gallagher was a supervisor, planner and welder at a boat yard in Rhode Island. During his time there, he reportedly worked with heater covers that were covered with asbestos. Additionally, he was given gloves made of asbestos to handle the hot metal, as well as blankets made of asbestos, which he used to cover himself or an area to insulate from fire or potential burns. At this location, some areas were ventilated, others not. He himself was never given a personal ventilator for use.

Then in 1984, Gallagher started working as a mechanic technician welder at a plant in Providence. There, asbestos covered the pipes inside the boilers. At least once annually, the asbestos was stripped, put into bags and either replaced or mixed and reused. These were done in the same area where he worked, and he sometimes helped out - without ventilation.

Then in 1995, another company was hired to come in and remove the asbestos. Three years later, another company, USGEN, purchased his company.

He was asked whether he believed he was exposed to the substance between then and 2004, when he was diagnosed. He said he believed so because old parts still remained in the structure.

The Supreme Court confirmed this. While it's encouraging from the standpoint that his widow was still compensated, we certainly maintain that the later asbestos exposure could have contributed to his disease and subsequent death.

New Mesothelioma Studies Offer Encouraging Results for New Englanders

Boston mesothelioma lawyers know how incredibly devastating this disease is, having seen firsthand how it destroys families by claiming a member's life far too soon. Because there is no cure, sufferers often decline fairly rapidly and family members are left to pick up the pieces.

We remain dedicated to holding the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products accountable, and to aggressively fighting for a judgment or settlement that is in your favor.

That's why we feel it important to note anytime new research emerges indicating we might be one step closer to a cure. It's not to give you false hope, but rather an understanding of what is being done to work toward eradication of this awful disease.

Even though a large number of manufacturers no longer use asbestos, the compound that is responsible for mesothelioma, the ones who did years ago are only just now being held accountable. That's because those who are sickened are only just now finding out because the latency period is often decades.

In the first of the two most recent studies, scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, reportedly added a new drug to the cocktail normally prescribed to mesothelioma patients to help prolong their lives. The new drug is called bevacizumab.

The study analyzed results in 52 patients, who were not considered candidates for surgery and who had not been treated prior to the research.

Then there was a second study by doctors in Egypt that was set to determine whether mesothelioma patients who underwent chemotherapy might have better results if they were first infused with a drug called methotrexate into the cancerous areas prior to treatment. This was a relatively small study - only five patients - but doctors did count lower levels of the cancer in those areas where patients had received the injection, even weeks later.

We know that it will be difficult because this cancer is relatively rare - about 3,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. That doesn't make for especially large study samples. However, research in the arena of lung cancer may potentially lead to breakthroughs for mesothelioma patients.