Mesothelioma Cases Increasing in Australia and United States

The first report of a new national registry of mesothelioma in Australia shows that 27 people per million population are diagnosed with mesothelioma. That is nearly double the incidence of mesothelioma in the United States. Still it likely represents an undercount of mesothelioma cases in Australia due to delays in coding some diagnoses. Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world, according to the report by Safe Work Australia, a government agency that promotes worker safety and health.

According to the report, men accounted for 85 percent of the reported cases of mesothelioma since the new registry became operational in July 2010. Three-fourths of the people with mesothelioma were 65 years or older when diagnosed. The most common diagnosis was malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest cavity. Pleural mesothelioma represented more than nine out of every 10 diagnoses.

The overall rate of mesothelioma has been increasing in Australia since 1982 when data on new cases first became available, according to the report. Similarly, a 2009 report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health indicated that deaths from mesothelioma are still increasing in the United States, based on data from 1998 through 2005. The overall rate in the U.S. is 14 deaths per million population per year. But only a half dozen states in the U.S. have mesothelioma rates of 20 per million population or greater, according to NIOSH.

Building materials containing asbestos and other asbestos products were widely used in Australia just as in the United States in the decades after World War II. As of August 2012, there had been 310 deaths of people diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2011 in Australia. Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer and many people are not diagnosed until the cancer has reached an advanced stage.

Construction workers and people in building trades and electrical trades had the highest likelihood of exposure to asbestos, leading to a mesothelioma diagnosis in Australia. Currently in the United States, an estimated 1.3 million construction workers and general industry workers are potentially being exposed to asbestos, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Historically, Australia has been one of the world’s highest users of asbestos, which was mined down under. Because of the long lag time of 20 years to 50 years between exposure to asbestos and appearance of the disease, the report predicts that incidence of mesothelioma in Australia likely still increasing and has not peaked.

Support Mesothelioma Research on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day

Today, Sept. 26, has been set aside as a day to raise awareness of the relatively unknown form of asbestos-related cancer: mesothelioma. National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, designated as such by Congress, is a day to not only raise the public’s awareness of the deadly disease, but to also encourage all Americans to help raise funds to combat the disease.

Cancer research is expensive and time-consuming, and for research related to a rare disease, such as mesothelioma, the costs can be even higher. Researchers rely on funding from public and private sources to run their clinical trials and to ensure continuous funding throughout the project.

NYU Cancer Institute Dedicated to Defeating Cancer

The NYU Cancer Institute of the NYU Langone Medical Center is one of many cancer centers dedicated to “defeating cancer” and to bringing an end to the suffering it causes. In addition to offering comprehensive cancer care, the Institute offers innovative treatments for mesothelioma and lung cancer patients.

Renowned mesothelioma expert Dr. Harvey Pass, Chief division of Thoracic Surgery NYU Langone Medical Center and Chief Thoracic Oncology NYU Cancer Center, leads the team of thoracic surgeons. Services offered to mesothelioma patients include clinical trials, minimally invasive surgery, state-of-the-art chemotherapy regimens, targeted radiation therapy and radiofrequency ablation and photodynamic therapy.

The NYU Cancer Institute of the NYU Langone Medical Center depends on private donations to further its research efforts, enhance clinical services, and expand its community programs to help more people overcome cancer. To help NYU Langone in its fight against mesothelioma visit the website today.

http://cancer.med.nyu.edu/how-you-can-help

You can also “like” MesotheliomaHelp.org on its Facebook page. For every “like” it receives, Belluck & Fox, a nationally recognized law firm that represents individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims, will donate $1 to the NYU Langone Medical Center.

Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

According to its website, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is a national non-profit dedicated to ending the suffering caused by mesothelioma by funding mesothelioma research, by providing education and support for patients and their families, and by advocating for federal funding of mesothelioma research.

Each year the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation awards grants to the “best and most promising” mesothelioma research projects. The Foundation instituted its grant funding program in 2000 and has since awarded over $7.6 million to critical research, encouraging scientists to devote their life-work to this rare, elusive cancer.

To support the efforts of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation see its Donate Now link.

The above options are suggestions, but there are a vast number of other options available for providing financial support to mesothelioma research. Select the one that calls to you and your family and help make a difference in mesothelioma research.

Quick Facts About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer of the lining of the lung and abdomen closely associated with inhaling microscopic asbestos dust.
Nearly 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year.
About 2,500 to 3,000 Americans die each year of mesothelioma and thousands more die of lung cancer related to asbestos.
The symptoms of the disease can take anywhere from 15-50 years to develop after exposure.
Mesothelioma is entirely preventable, but cannot be cured.

Know more about mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.

Asbestos At Former Naval Base Highlights Health Risk to Navy Vets, Demolition Workers

Demolition work at the former Charleston Naval Base was halted after work safety inspectors found asbestos wrap on steam pipes at the site. Exposure to asbestos causes serious respiratory disease including mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdomen.

Asbestos, a mineral fiber, was widely used in building materials and insulation such as pipe wrap in the decades after World War II. It was used in navy ships, military bases and shipyards such as the Charleston Naval Base, Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York Shipyard and Todd Shipyard. Much asbestos remains in older buildings and houses, posing a health hazard to demolition workers and construction workers during remodeling and demolition projects if the asbestos isn’t handled properly. People who worked in shipyards and served on Navy ships are at elevated risk of developing mesothelioma as a consequence of inhaling asbestos fibers decades ago.

According to The Courier and Post newspaper, South Carolina Health and Environmental Control officials last week visited the work site, a fenced-in yard near the former Charleston Naval Base power plant and found what appeared to be asbestos. They shut down the demolition operation.

The Noisette Company, which currently owns the site, had hired AAA Metal Company to remove obsolete pipes. The company will now need to hire a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to remove asbestos materials and clean up the site.

Since the 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos, according to the National Cancer Institute. The people most likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma are older workers, retired workers or veterans who were exposed to asbestos fibers in the workplace or military service. Mesothelioma typically takes 20 years to 40 years before sufferers notice symptoms such as pain beneath the ribs and difficulty breathing. The cancer often has reached an advanced stage before doctors diagnose it correctly.

Researchers continue to seek more effective treatments for mesothelioma and more accurate diagnostic tools to determine which patients will respond to which treatments,including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

National Mesothelioma Awareness Day is September 26

September 26 has been set aside by Congress as a day to raise the public’s awareness of mesothelioma and to encourage all Americans to help raise funds to combat the deadly disease. Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer of the lining of the lung and abdomen closely associated with inhaling microscopic asbestos dust. About 3,000 Americans die each year of mesothelioma and thousands more die of lung cancer related to asbestos.

Recently, scientists and researchers have made great strides in discovering how genetics play into potential mesothelioma therapies, yet bringing a cure to patients is still years away. The research is expensive, and researchers and universities rely on public donations to support projects.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, a national organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma and the suffering it causes by funding the highest quality mesothelioma research, advocates for mesothelioma patients and conducts, organizes and coordinates fundraising events across the country. The Foundation’s volunteers are critical for organizing Awareness Day events.

Congress recognizes the dangers of asbestos and the need for new, effective treatments for mesothelioma. In 2010, the National Mesothelioma Awareness Day declaration was developed to address the medical needs of mesothelioma patients.

Following is an excerpt from the Congressional Declaration:

Whereas mesothelioma is a terminal, asbestos-related cancer that affects the linings of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testicles;
Whereas workers exposed on a daily basis over a long period of time are most at risk, but even short-term exposures can cause the disease and an exposure to asbestos for as little as one month can result in mesothelioma 20-50 years later;
Whereas the National Institutes of Health reported to Congress in 2006 that mesothelioma is a difficult disease to detect, diagnose, and treat;
Whereas the National Cancer Institute recognizes a clear need for new agents to improve the outlook for patients with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases;
Whereas for decades, the need to develop treatments for mesothelioma was overlooked and today, even the best available treatments usually have only a very limited effect and the expected survival time of those diagnosed with the disease is between 8 and 14 months…

Therefore, be it resolved, that the House of Representatives– (1) supports the goals and ideals of Mesothelioma Awareness Day; and (2) urges the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States, Federal departments and agencies, States, localities, organizations, and media to annually observe a National Mesothelioma Awareness day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is sponsoring the Knowledge is Hope conference to be held in New York City on September 28 to mark National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. For more information on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day and the conference see www.curemeso.org.

Stand Up 2 Cancer Telethon Tonight – Tune In to Donate Funds for Mesothelioma Research

All of the major television networks are standing by to broadcast the Stand Up 2 Cancer (SU2C) Telethon to raise funds for the fight against cancer. The live, one-hour, commercial-free fundraising event will be simulcast at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, E!, Discovery Health, HBO, Showtime, VH1 and other cable channels. The telethon will raise funds that will accelerate innovative cancer research that is critically important for finding a cure for mesothelioma and other incurable cancers.

SU2C announced last week the impressive lineup of actors supporting the event including Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Jessica Biel, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone and SU2C Co-founder Katie Couric. In addition, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Alicia Keys and Tim McGraw will deliver “one-of-a-kind show performances” as they join celebrities from film, television and sports to engage viewers with powerful stories and a moving call-to-action.

100% of the monies raised during the telethon go directly to grants supporting cancer research.

According to SU2C, more than $180 million has been raised for innovative cancer research. Since 2008, SU2C has made grants to seven multidisciplinary “Dream Teams” of researchers as well as to 26 young innovative scientists who are undertaking the fight to end cancer. Eighty-five institutions are currently involved.

One of the ‘dream teams’ funded in 2008, the Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Chip Dream Team, developed a chip to allow physicians to identify the genetic “fingerprint” of a patient’s cancer cells. This discovery promotes the use of targeted and personalized treatments for cancer patients. As personalized treatment gains popularity, mesothelioma patients can benefit greatly as the disease symptoms, and thus the necessary treatment, can differ dramatically across patients.

Mesothelioma Help Cancer News