Month: June 2013

Do-It-Yourself Home Renovators Urged to be Cautious Around Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos

• Nancy Meredith
• For Your Family

The National Safety Council has designated June National Home Safety Month. The organization offers the safety month as a time “to educate and influence behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.” This year’s theme, “Safety Starts with Me,” is especially pertinent for do-it-yourselfers who are at risk for exposure to asbestos. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said, “Asbestos is a human carcinogen with no safe level of exposure.”

Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other respiratory diseases. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are entirely preventable by eliminating unsafe asbestos-handling practices. Although most home products today do not contain asbestos, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in home construction contained asbestos. So it’s not uncommon for older houses to have some asbestos.

Common products include steam pipes and furnace ducts insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape, vinyl asbestos floor tiles, soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls or ceilings, and asbestos cement roofing shingles.

When asbestos is present in structures it often does not present a hazard unless it is disturbed, causing the fibers to become airborne. When the fibers are breathed into the lungs, they then become lodged in the thin membrane that lines and encases the lungs, leading to respiratory diseases. As a result, it is important for homeowners to be educated about asbestos and to know where to look for information.

The British Lung Foundation (BLF) offers the following questions to ask yourself to avoid exposure to asbestos before beginning any DIY project:

• What is asbestos?
• Where and when was asbestos used?
• What does asbestos look like?
• What if I find asbestos in my home?
• Where can I get all the facts?

Answers to all of these questions can be found on the BLF website.

http://www.blf.org.uk/Home

In 2011, researchers in Australia reported there is an increase in the number of mesothelioma diagnoses and other asbestos-related diseases among do-it-yourself (DIY) home renovators. However, DIYers can take steps to avoid potentially dangerous exposure.

When planning on making renovations or changes to a house that could cause asbestos fibers to be released into the air, it is essential to have a trained professional either encapsulate or remove the asbestos materials first. Asbestos professionals can conduct home inspections, take samples of suspected asbestos material, and design corrective action plans for homeowners.

Close to 3,000 Americans die from the cancer yearly, and just as many are diagnosed with the disease. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

To find out more about National Home Safety Month visit the National Safety Council’s website.

Sources:

• National Home Safety Month
  http://www.nsc.org/act/events/Pages/national-safety-month.aspx
• (2011, researchers in) Australia
  https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2011/195/5/increasing-incidence-malignant-mesothelioma-after-exposure-asbestos-during-home

European Commission Grants Orphan Status to Mesothelioma Drug

• Nancy Meredith
• Treatments

Once again the European Union has taken the lead in medical care by granting orphan status to a drug touted as bringing a new treatment option to patients with mesothelioma. On June 13, Verastem, Inc. announced its investigational drug VS-6063 received orphan medicinal product designation from the European Commission for use in mesothelioma.

Last year, the European Commission was applauded for bringing a new era to medicine in the Western world by approving gene therapy for the treatment of certain rare disorders. This approval paved the way for breakthrough treatments for diseases with a very high unmet medical need, such as mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare, highly aggressive cancer that develops over decades after exposure to asbestos. Designated a rare, or orphan, disease in both the United States and Europe, mesothelioma is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans and nearly 2,400 Brits each year. Britain has more deaths from asbestos-related diseases than any other country. Treatment for the disease is limited and currently, there is no cure for the disease.

Verastem, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by the targeted killing of cancer stem cells. VS-6063 is indicated for use in mesothelioma patients that are lacking the Merlin protein. Merlin is believed to play a role in controlling cell shape, cell movement, and communication between cells. Merlin also functions as a tumor suppressor protein, which prevents cells from growing and dividing too fast or in an uncontrolled way.

According to Verastem, approximately 40-50% of mesothelioma patients lack Merlin. Studies by Verastem and others have shown that Merlin-low mesothelioma cells and tumors appear to be particularly sensitive to focal adhesion kinase inhibition, or FAK, which VS-6063 addresses.

Verastem held a mesothelioma briefing session with Dr. Dean Fennell at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting held in early June. According to the company’s press release, the discussion focused on the role of cancer stem cells and the tumor suppressor Merlin in mesothelioma progression. Verastem noted that the current mesothelioma treatments fall short when it comes to killing the cancer cells because they do not get to the heart of the cancer cells, the cancer stem cells, which VS-6063 targets. Various studies have shown that cancer stem cells can survive the effects of anti-cancer drugs and continue to grow and divide causing the cancer to metastasize.

“Mesothelioma is a devastating disease with limited treatment options,” said Dr. Joanna Horobin, Verastem Chief Medical Officer. “We are moving quickly to bring new treatment options to patients with mesothelioma.”

Verastem is working in conjunction with LabCorp to develop a biomarker test to identify those mesothelioma patients low in Merlin. In addition to the upcoming mesothelioma study, VS-6063 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/1b trial in combination with paclitaxel in patients with ovarian cancer.

Sources

• Verastem, Inc
  http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=250749&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1829497&highlight=
• American Society of Clinical
  http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/mesothelioma/statistics

Caregiver of a Mesothelioma Patient Takes “Me Time” to Be at Her Best

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Uncategorized

When becoming a caregiver in any capacity for a loved one who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it’s easy to get caught up in your duties and forget to take some time for yourself.  Remember, to be an effective “nurse,” listener, or friend, you have to be rested and centered. It’s important to give yourself some “me time.”

Even though I help Dad with his battle against mesothelioma, I make sure to take some time for myself. I spend a lot of time walking. It clears my head, allows me to relax, and exercise is always a way to make yourself feel good.  My husband, Mike, and our dog, Gus, often join me, and Mike and I tend to talk a lot on our walks about anything and everything.  It’s a great way to spend time together, laugh and just BE.

Now that the weather is turning warmer, I find myself on our porch swing quite a bit. To me, it’s simply relaxing. Since I was little, I’ve loved to just sit there and let my mind wander. That hasn’t changed.

Getting a massage every now and then is also something that helps me relax. It’s a more literal way of relaxation, getting all the tension out of your muscles. Yoga and Pilates are also some physical ways that help me to relax. Remember the importance of good nutrition as well.

Something else that I really enjoy that helps me on a much deeper level is attending Mass and events at our Church. God has brought us through and it’s important to keep an emphasis on your faith, no matter what. These activities help me to find clarity and peace, even when I’m at my most stressed.

In short, find something that you enjoy and do it. Read a book, go out to dinner, or watch a movie! Your loved one understands that you need some time to do things that you love. Include them if they’d like! Also, remember that there are support groups and counseling if you want to talk with others who are in your same situation. You are never alone.

Taking care of yourself will make being a caregiver easier. Also, make sure that you’re getting enough rest. Your relationship will be better (we all know how sometimes we can lose our temper when we’re tired or overworked) and your time together will be more enjoyable. Life is a gift meant to be lived and shared with others. Enjoy all aspects of it! God bless you all!

Mesothelioma Attorney Joseph Belluck Honored by New Yorkers for Patient & Family Empowerment

• Nancy Meredith
• Featured News, Mesothelioma

Joseph W. Belluck was one of the honorees of New Yorkers for Patient & Family Empowerment at its spring reception entitled, “Making Law Work for Health Consumers.” The event held on June 5 was hosted by Mark Green, a nationally known consumer rights advocate/author, and former NYC Public Advocate and Consumer Affairs Commissioner.

Belluck, a founding partner of the Belluck & Fox law firm, LLP, a nationally recognized law firm with attorneys who represent individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims, was honored for his legal work against tobacco and asbestos companies and for advocating for patient rights on a State Medicaid Redesign Team work group. Governor Cuomo established the Medicaid Redesign Team to bring together stakeholders and experts from throughout the state to work cooperatively to reform the system and reduce costs.

According to its website, New Yorkers for Patient & Family Empowerment, Inc (also known as “Patient & Family”), a not-for-profit organization, was formed to focus greater attention on patient safety and to counteract the factors that make it harder for patients and their loved ones to achieve greater safety in healthcare. The organization seeks to:

• Empower patients and their loved ones in interacting with the healthcare system;
• Strengthen public access to information on patient safety; and
• Improve the quality and safety of healthcare in New York.

The other honorees Wednesday night were:

• Elisabeth Benjamin – Community Service Society’s Vice President of Health Programs and founder of the Legal Aid Society’s Health Law Unit
• Janet Foley – Director of Health & Safety at CSEA Local 1000 AFSCME; advocate for safe lifting & moving in healthcare (“Safe Patient Handling”)

Belluck is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in Best Lawyers in America, New York Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in the New York Area” and in Super Lawyers.

Mesothelioma Survivor Weighs in on Being Her Own Advocate

• Lisa Hyde-Barrett
• For Your Family

During my long journey of battling mesothelioma I have had to be my own advocate on many occasions. I had to first find a specialist who would help me deal with my war against mesothelioma, and then I had to decide if this was the treatment path to follow.

In an ideal world, it would be wonderful to have a team of specialists behind you, giving you the advice you need to make that informed decision about what to do next. It seems though, that while some doctors want to take full lead on treatment paths, others do not. It also seems apparent that while the older generation believes they should do what the doctor says, the younger generation questions more about what the treatments can offer. In some cases, doctors do step back and allow the patient to take more control over what treatment they wish to take, and they will help them through their journey no matter where it takes them.

Having mesothelioma is not only mentally tiring to the patient but also to their families. I have discovered through friends that are dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis, if a man is the patient, it is often his wife and daughters who are searching the internet and asking the questions on forums to find out what treatments are available, and where the specialists are. Hence, they sometimes take the role of lead decider or advocate.

When it is the woman fighting, in my opinion, we seem to want to take total control. We also ask the questions that maybe we don’t always want to hear the answers to.

It can be daunting taking control of how you will fight a cancer that you know will ultimately win, but seeking as much information as you can about all treatments should always be the first step. Take time to consider the options given.

Taking control of your destiny in illness is extremely hard. Many times I have gone back over things and wondered what if I had done this first or tried that. Whatever we have done or tried, we can’t turn the clock back and we have to face our decisions full on. I have found I still question some of the options I have taken, and all I can do is hope they were the right ones for me.

There are no easy answers in how to deal with treatment or how we control our own destiny when fighting the mesothelioma war, all we can do is hope the choices we make or the direction given by our specialist is right for us.