Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
Targeting Nerves To Stop Mesothelioma Growth
Researchers have spent countless hours searching for an effective way to keep mesothelioma cells from migrating and growing. They have looked at biomarkers within the cells, improved radiation techniques and stronger chemotherapy, with each approach falling short of the breakthrough needed to extend survival. Now, researchers are turning their attention to nerve cells as a target for halting cancer growth.
Researchers from across the globe have begun building on research from the 80s from Johns Hopkins University where alcohol injections were given to ease the pain in pancreatic cancer patients, according to an Oct. 18 article in the New Scientist. In the original research, when advanced-stage pancreatic cancer patients were injected with alcohol in the nerves around the tumors pressing on the spine, not only did the patients find pain relief but they also gained (on average) three more months of life.
At the time, the scientists chalked up the extended survival to the mind-body connection theory that by relieving the pain the patients were in a better mood and were more active allowing them to tolerate and respond to standard treatments better. Research over the years, points instead to the ability of cancer cells to travel along the nervous system and metastasize to other organs and the brain.
Expert Insight
Gustavo Ayala, University of Texas Health Science Center
“If you don’t take care of the nerves, you’re not going to cure cancer “
“It’s not entirely clear why, but we know that nerves release stimulatory molecules such as neurotransmitters,” says Hubert Hondermarck, a cancer neurobiologist at the University of Newcastle in Australia, in a March 27 press release from the University. “Cancer cells receive these and use them for their benefit, growing, multiplying, migrating, invading and creating metastasis – there is therefore a nerve dependence for cancer cells.”
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that can multiply and spread quickly making it impossible to treat. Metastasis, according to the National Cancer Society, is the cause of 90 percent of all cancer deaths. Needless to say, stopping the spread of cancer cells is critical for improving survival in mesothelioma patients.
Although nerves are the target of the research, those targeted must be carefully selected, since destroying any nerve cells can have far-reaching implications such as affecting the heart, digestion or the ability to feel heat and pain.
The involuntary or “autonomic” nervous system’s opposing functions, rest and fight or flight, help drive the target for treatment in cancer or other diseases. For example, targeting nerve receptors involved in fight-or-flight responses can aid heart patients, whereas looking at nerves that relax the body could halt the free flow of cancer cells.
“It’s exciting,” says Claire Magnon, a cancer biologist at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission near Paris. “This is the beginning of a new era in cancer research.”
Further study by Hondermarck, and others looking at additional cancer types, led Hondermarck to conclude that the interaction of the cancer cells and the nerves is “relatively widespread,” indicating the research is beneficial for many types of cancer.
Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. The mesothelioma community always sits up and takes note when a breakthrough of such significant proportions, like this, leads researchers to a different approach for treating cancer.
Read the full study in the March 13 issue of Cancer Cell.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1535610816306055
Sources:
- New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2078806-gentler-attack-on-cancer-may-mean-we-can-live-with-it-for-longer - University of Newcastle in Australia
https://www.newcastle.edu.au/newsroom/featured-news/study-strikes-a-nerve-with-the-spread-of-cancer
Managing Your Emotions When Mesothelioma Puts You in the Hospital During the Holidays
When thinking about the holidays, most people picture themselves celebrating at home surrounded by family and friends. We often have very high expectations for the holidays and put a lot of stress on ourselves in order to make things perfect. A lot of people have traditions involving family, friends, and their comfortable home. When life or illness upsets these rituals it can be upsetting, leaving some people dreading the holidays that they once enjoyed.
For mesothelioma patients undergoing treatment in a distant city, it can be difficult to be away from home during the holiday season. How do mesothelioma patients and families, and anyone else who finds themselves away from home at holidays, cope? Some of the suggestions that other patients have found useful on their own mesothelioma journey may help.
First, acknowledge your feelings: it’s okay to feel sad. Allow yourself to acknowledge that it is difficult. This illness is not something that you can plan for or control. It is a lot to deal with a serious health diagnosis and the holidays all at once.
Reach out and seek support – you do not have to be alone. Often the social worker at the hospital, or the hospitality home that you may be staying at will be aware of others in the same situation. The chaplaincy service might also have ideas on how to celebrate. Planning ahead can make it easier for you. If your loved one is in the hospital, see what is available for the patients there. Hospitals have holiday dinners to offer their guests, and sometimes friends or relatives can join in for a small celebration. If they want to stop by, let them. Even if just for a short visit. Now is not the time to turn away people that genuinely want to help or visit.
Sometimes in situations like these you meet people and form bonds that are unexpected and welcoming during the most difficult time of your life. Be open to sharing your holiday with others that might be on the same journey.
There are no easy answers. Holidays can bring a vast amount of emotions for people. Try to focus on having the best holiday possible!
Support Mesothelioma Charities on #givingtuesday
Each year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the Global Day of Giving. This year, that day falls on November 28. It is a beautiful endeavor inspiring people and businesses to give to a charity or cause of their choice during the holiday season (and before the end of the year).
This year on “#GivingTuesday” consider joining in with countless others and make a donation to something that matters to you. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is a worthy recipient of your gift and would really appreciate your help.
This organization has been a Godsend to my family and the families of others going through life faced with a mesothelioma diagnosis. They promote advocacy and research, as well as provide much needed support to the mesothelioma community, one that is all too often forgotten.
Enjoy this Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and encourage them to take part in this wonderful event with you. May God bless you and yours during this time of charity, hope, and love.
Mesothelioma Patients Can Be Thankful for Enjoying the Comforts of Home on Thanksgiving
Dealing with mesothelioma anytime during the year is challenging, but some patients find managing their illness during the holidays even more stressful. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you are able to be home during the holidays, you may find that simply sitting back and enjoying your own decor and your Thanksgiving Day traditions with friends and family can ease your stress.
The support and joy of family on Thanksgiving “fortifies the spirit” and helps someone battling a serious illness feel less isolated, according to an article from Assisted Home Care, Inc. Having friends and family members stop by for a visit or a meal allows the mesothelioma patient to participate in the festivities along with everyone else.
Other reasons for staying in your own home on Thanksgiving when dealing with cancer include:
- You Get A Break: Taking a break when in your own home is easy. If you are visiting someone else, you could feel like a burden if you have to leave early to rest. At home, however, you can slip away, take a nap, and return to the festivities.
- You Can Educate the Family: The holidays may be the only time of the year you see some of your family members. Instead of trying to hide your illness, use the time as a way to educate them about mesothelioma and the demands it can take on you. This can help everyone better understand your daily struggles and let them better understand how to support you.
- Take the Fear Away from the Youngsters: “Younger family members gain meaningful insight and learn new ways to adjust their own perspective when visiting an ill loved one during the holidays,” according to Assisted Home Care. By visiting you in your home, children will be less afraid of the situation, and can learn about your illness right along with the adults. Seeing how their loved ones are affected by sickness “can inspire compassion and empathy” in the children.
If you are in a mesothelioma treatment program, take advantage of the support services and counseling services offered to help you cope with the holidays. They can give you a healthy perspective on your feelings.
Even if you, or your loved one, are in the hospital over Thanksgiving, taking the time to think of something to be grateful for can lighten the mood. Make sure you let your family members know if you are up for guests. Taking care of yourself is important and knowing when to say “no” is critical to your health and well-being.
Warm wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving from all of us at MesotheliomaHelp.
Mesothelioma Nurse Thanks U.S. Veterans For Their Service
Veterans Day, November 11, 2017, is now in the books. This was the 64th time we have taken the day to honor U.S. Veterans who served our country. Some honored our veterans with memorial services and parades. Businesses and restaurants offered free meals, movies, or other services to show thanks. Countless Americans took the time to say thank you to the people they know for their service.
What many people don’t know is that of the 3,000 Americans who are diagnosed each year with mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer, approximately 33% of them are veterans. Many were exposed to asbestos while serving our country. It can take decades after exposure to asbestos for mesothelioma to develop.
As a country, we owe a debt of gratitude to these fellow citizens who answered the call. We need to reach out to these men and women and listen to their stories. For some, the experience of war and the trauma they experienced was compounded by illnesses developed years later.
How can we help? Listen. The art of listening can be challenging for a lot of people. Active listening involves listening and responding in a way that improves understanding. Day to day we are all busy and we only half listen, distracted, while waiting for our turn to talk. A true listener takes the time to listen and then repeats what he thinks the other person said in their own words. The speaker then is able to understand that they have been heard.
In addition to “thank-you for your service,” maybe this year we could follow up with, “how about a cup of coffee, would like to hear about your service experience, if you would like to talk about it.”
Thank-you to all who have served, and the families that have supported them and sacrificed for all of us.
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