Band Member With Mesothelioma Rejoins Band in a Fundraising Event

For Don Smitley, playing bluegrass has been a big part of his life. Friday when he played with his band, the Dunbar Boys, he was celebrating his life and hoping to make a difference for others. Smitley was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January, and since then he has been focused on getting back on stage with his friends and band members. The band played at the Dunbar Festival over the weekend and used the opportunity to raise money to combat the deadly disease.

Smitley has received aggressive treatment at the New York University Langone Medical Center. Since his diagnosis, according to the Herald-Standard.com, Smitley underwent surgery and has participated in a clinical trial for six vaccine treatments that boost the immune system. In addition, he received chemotherapy and radiation.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos that affects the lining of the lungs and abdomen. The disease is difficult to treat, with limited effective, treatment options. However, clinical trials offer patients options that may not otherwise be available.

Local residents and businesses donated baskets of goodies that were sold during the event. All proceeds are going to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The Meso 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. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation awards grants to the “best and most promising” mesothelioma research projects.

“I just thank the good Lord above for sending us to the right doctors, and with the good friends and the good family that I have who really pulled me through this,” Smitley said.

NIOSH Issues Warning that Erionite May Cause Mesothelioma

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has acknowledged what Michele Carbone, MD, PhD, and his team of researchers announced this summer – exposure to high levels of the mineral erionite can lead to the development of mesothelioma.

NIOSH is calling erionite, a naturally-occurring silicate mineral used in road gravel in several Western states, “an emerging North American Hazard.” In the Nov. 22 article in the NIOSH Science Blog, David Weissman, M.D., and Max Kiefer, MS, CIH, compare the dangers of erionite to asbestos saying, “airborne occupational erionite fiber exposures should be considered at least as hazardous as asbestos fiber exposures and similar preventive measures [should be] used.”

Asbestos is a known carcinogen and has been linked to mesothelioma and lung cancer, as well as to asbestosis and other respiratory diseases. Up until these findings on the hazards of erionite, the only known cause of mesothelioma was through exposure to asbestos.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled they become lodged in the thin membrane that lines and encases the lungs. The fibers settle into the lungs, and decades later, symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain develop. At this late stage of a mesothelioma diagnosis, treatment options are limited and survival is often less than one year.

Carbone, MD, PhD, one of the world’s premiere authorities on mesothelioma and director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, published his findings on erionite in July in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The team began studying erionite exposure in the United States after finding that a region of Central Anatolia in Turkey, where erionite was used to construct houses, was experiencing an epidemic of malignant mesothelioma.

NIOSH states that, like asbestos, erionite fibers only pose a hazard if they are disturbed and become airborne. They are stressing the need to implement precautions to protect workers by limiting the generation and inhalation of dust known or thought to be contaminated with erionite. NIOSH suggests “a reasonable approach based on current information would be to take precautions such as those described in existing guidance for working with asbestos.”

The National Toxicology Program, a government research agency, has designated erionite as a known human carcinogen.

Managing Mesothelioma Symptoms Through Holistic Treatments

Mesothelioma is a serious and rare cancer that occurs in individuals that have either inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers. The fibers then travel through the body becoming lodged, resulting in cancer typically decades later. Currently there is no known cure for mesothelioma, and the prognosis is grim with the average survival time varying from 4 – 18 months after diagnosis.

Often called “asbestos cancer,” mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many current treatments. Patients often face surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, as well as being barraged with prescription medicines to relieve the symptoms of the disease and the side effects of the treatment.

More and more mesothelioma patients are looking for non-traditional ways to beat the cancer and to improve their quality of life. Doctors are becoming more supportive, and even encourage their patients to look for alternative treatments of holistic care and alternative therapies that focus on improving their emotional and physical well-being.

What Is Holistic Medicine?

Holistic medicine is an alternative care approach that treats a patient as a “whole” person as opposed to simply treating the symptoms and illness. Holistic care looks at an individual’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being in an attempt to improve the health and prevent further illness. The concept follows Aristotle’s theory that “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.”

Holistic practitioners believe that there is no limit to the range of diseases that can be treated, although alternative medicine does not specifically focus on a disease. For example, mesothelioma is not treated; rather the body and immune system are strengthened allowing the body’s defense mechanisms to heal the cancer. The approach works on balancing the body, mind, spirit, and emotions while improving the immune system as the entire being begins functioning smoothly. An illness, disease, or disorder is seen as an imbalance in the body’s systems.

Alternative medicine and holistic practice have been around for centuries, but only relatively recently has the modern medical field begun to accept it and begin to integrate it into the health care system and treatment for patients. Holistic therapies tend to emphasize proper nutrition, avoidance of chemical substances, use of homeopathic remedies, and meditation techniques. Holistic care techniques are non-invasive.

Some of the major holistic therapies include ayurveda, chiropractic, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathy, Unani, stress reduction, and reflexology.

Hypnosis for Pain Management

Trying to limit the amount of pills ingested into their system, some mesothelioma patients are turning to hypnosis as a way to manage their pain. Hypnosis is becoming more popular in clinical settings and is used to help people stop smoking, lose weight, and now, deal with pain.

Hypnotherapy, when performed by a trained specialist, has been proven to be a powerful and effective procedure for many people. The hypnotist slowly brings the patient to a state of high concentration allowing him to have a strict focus. The person then “projects” himself to, or envisions himself in, another place or state where he can block pain awareness or substitutes other sensations for the painful ones.

Hypnosis is considered an unconventional therapy and is often used with other holistic treatments including yoga and meditation. Hypnosis is not effective for everyone.

Supplements and Lifestyle Changes

Some mesothelioma patients decide not to embark on the path of standard treatment and opt instead for alternative treatments and lifestyle and dietary changes.

Through radical lifestyle changes and by altering their diet by adding a regimen of vitamins, herbs, amino acids and other immune boosting therapies and supplements, some find without the often debilitating side effects from chemotherapy they can continue to live their lives as they had before their diagnosis.

Focusing on the power of the mind-body connection choosing to be optimistic and positive is also beneficial. By reaffirming a focus in life and the reason living, taking on their emotional healing can bring physical healing.

By choosing to manage their shortened life outside a clinical setting, those that opt for holistic care feel empowered by their choices. Even though they know they will probably not be cured, they believe continuing to live their life as they choose is important for them and their families.

International Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Staging Project Underway

By Nancy Meredith

An international collaboration effort is underway to study and improve the current staging system for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Led by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), and in collaboration with the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG), the Prospective Staging Project in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma was formally initiated at a joint meeting of the IASLC-ISC Mesothelioma Domain and Advisory Committee in September 2010 in Kyoto, Japan, in conjunction with the biennial IMIG meeting.

The current mesothelioma staging system used by the American Joint Committee on Cancer, recognized as the official organization for formulating and publishing systems of classification of cancer, was developed by IMIG in 1995. Their “TNM” staging system is based on the relationship between Tumor size, lymph Node, and Metastasis. This staging system applies to only those tumors that arise from the pleura.

However, now mesothelioma experts believe there are improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma that warrant a revised staging system. Specifically, the IASLC indicates that some of the “T” descriptors in the current staging system are difficult to apply to patients who are managed non-surgically, and the “N” staging is nearly identical to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), even though there are significant differences between the two cancers.

An accurate staging system is critical for determining the prognosis and effective treatment for mesothelioma patients. The treatment options are typically based on the extent of the cancer, which is determined by staging. A localized cancer would be identified as Stage 1, for example, and can involve a surgically removable tumor. Once the cancer cells have spread beyond that original location, and a higher stage level is designated, the mesothelioma is considered advanced and surgery is often no longer an option.

The process of modifying the staging system involves a detailed collection and analysis of mesothelioma patient data and samples leading researchers “to identify and validate additional descriptors for possible inclusion in future revisions to the TNM classification.” The data will be based on subjects that have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma after January 1, 2010. The data will be compiled and stored in a secure, web-based, electronic data capture system provided by Cancer Research and Biostatistics (CRAB) in Seattle, Washington.

Some of the primary members of the committee include renowned mesothelioma experts Harvey Pass, M.D., NYU Langone Medical Center, Hedy Kindler, M.D.,University of Chicago and Jeremy Erasmus, M.D., M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The project leaders expect to submit recommendations for proposals for change regarding the 8th edition of the TNM classification for the staging of malignant pleural mesothelioma in January 2014. The recommendations will be based on data collected prior to December 31, 2012. The group intends to continue to collect prospective data to inform future revisions of the staging guidelines.

For more information see the IASLC website.

Recognizing Allied Health Professionals Who Supports Mesothelioma Care

By Nancy Meredith

The week of November 7^th is National Allied Health Professionals Week and brings to light many of the health care professions in the industry that are distinct from doctors and nurses. Allied health professionals collaborate with physicians and other members of the health care team to deliver patient care services. They also provide support in the prevention, identification and treatment of diseases. Due to the rare and complex nature of mesothelioma, a large number of allied health professionals are needed to provide the appropriate level of support mesothelioma patients require.

Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer typically affecting the lining of the lungs, is highly aggressive and is resistant to many standard cancer treatments, making it a difficult disease to treat effectively. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.

Allied health professionals are either technicians (assistants) or therapists/technologists. Technicians are trained to perform procedures, but are required to work under the supervision of technologists or therapists. Typically, a technologist gets a certificate with 2 years or less of higher education, and includes professions such as physical therapy assistants, medical laboratory technicians, radiological technicians and respiratory therapy technicians.

Therapists or technologists are able to evaluate patients, diagnose conditions, develop treatment plans, and understand the rationale behind various treatments. Therapists or technologists learn to evaluate patients’ responses to therapy and to assist with decisions concerning continued treatment or modification of treatment plans.

Since mesothelioma is such a complex disease, it is important for patients to receive multidisciplinary care from a team of specialists that is not limited to physicians and nurses. Following is a short list of allied health professionals that may be involved in the care of a mesothelioma patient:

Respiratory Therapists. These therapists evaluate, treat and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Highly trained respiratory therapists may assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care for the mesothelioma patient including therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures.
Anesthesiologist Assistants. Under supervision of licensed anesthesiologists (doctors), anesthesiologist assistants can operate anesthesia equipment, monitor patients, and assist in providing patient care before, during and after anesthesia.
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Specialists. These rehab specialists help patients understand and manage their mesothelioma so they can live longer and do more, primarily by making sure the patient understands his condition and his medical regimen.
Clinical Laboratory Science Professionals. While not directly involved in the care of the patient, a medical technologist can discover the presence or absence of mesothelioma. They typically maintain vital data for identifying and treating mesothelioma and other health conditions.
Health Information Manager. These professionals manage and maintain all of the medical information vital to providing care to the patient. The health manager must capture each piece of information that is tracked every time a health care personnel treats the patient including medical history, results of examinations, results of X-rays and laboratory tests, diagnoses, and treatment plans.

According to ExploreHealthCareers.org there are 5 million allied health care providers in the U.S., who work in more than 80 different professions. For a list of Allied Health Professionals see ExploreHealthCareers.org.

Source: ExploreHealthCareers.org

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