Source: New York Times.Com

The New York Times has an article on the uneven nature of care given to cancer patients across the country. The article details the struggles of Karen Pasqualetto to find the best treatment for the cancer she was diagnosed with at 35. Mrs. Pasqualetto had just given birth to a daughter when her cancer was discovered. The diagnosis was colon cancer, metastatic to the liver. The advanced nature of the disease was surprising for one as young as 35, as colon cancer tends to affect those who are 50 and above. After her diagnosis, Mrs. Pasqualetto entered a maze of uncertain therapies and conflicting treatment regimens. She would discuss her case with one doctor who would recommend a certain treatment regimen and then she would speak with a different doctor who advised a different course. She was given six months to live by one doctor while another told her he would do everything he could for her to live much longer.

Mrs. Pasqualetto's experience is, sadly, the norm for many cancer patients across the United States. While the U.S. certainly possesses the greatest treatment options in the world, many people are not actually given these treatments. Besides the well-publicized conflicts that many patients have with insurance companies, a lesser-known — but equally problematic — issue is that even where treatment guidelines exist, many patients do not receive the care that is recommended. One set of guidelines may recommend adjuvant chemotherapy and a course of surgery, while a patient may only receive chemotherapy or only receive the surgery.

Another problem a patient may run into is not discussing his or her options with another set of doctors. Too often patients begin a treatment regimen with a family physician. While comfort with one's doctor is an important part of any treatment program, one's family doctor will not have the experience with the disease that a specialist would have, so the family doctor may not be aware of the latest research and other cutting-edge treatments.

Cancer treatment is a maze that one is thrown into without a roadmap to follow. Karen Pasqualetto is alive today because of her dedication and her drive to help find the best treatment for her condition. She sought out second and third opinions and has done everything she can to help herself with her treatments. Even though she wasn't given a map, she's made the best possible journey she could have made and her dedication is itself a roadmap of sorts for others in similar shoes.

Labels: cancer

Source: University of Virginia

Researchers from the University of Virginia (UVA) have developed an algorithm that is designed to predict the best possible treatments for a particular tumor-type for individual patients. Dan Theodorescu, M.D., Ph.D., a UVA oncologist and cancer biologist, and Jae Lee, Ph.D., a computational biologist and bioinformatics statistician, have devised an algorithm that compares information on a tumor's molecular characteristics with information on which chemotherapy agents are most effective in treating those characteristics. The researchers found that their "coexpression extrapolation (COXEN) system" can accurately predict chemosensitivity for certain cancers. The researchers used 60 human cancer cell lines from the National Cancer Institute (NCI-60) to develop the algorithm.

Dr. Theodorescu said, "Even though this NCI cell set wasn't an exhaustive encyclopedia of cancer cells, we found we could use the available data to draw conclusions about other cell types we were exploring. The algorithm is a Rosetta stone for translating from the NCI-studied drugs to any other cell line or human tumor....We believe we have found an effective way to personalize cancer therapy."

Dr. Lee is developing a web-based COXEN system (http://www.coxen.org) so researchers and treating physicians can leverage his and Dr.Theodorescu's research in their own work.

Labels: cancer

Belluck & Fox Partner Jordan Fox was quoted in a Newsday.com article entitled, "Officials say no health risks after blast, but NYers have doubts," about the recent steampipe explosion on Manhattan's East Side. The article details the city's assurances that the air around the blast zone is free from asbestos and safe to breathe, while also noting the skepticism that many residents feel towards the city's proclamations regarding air quality. When asked about his position on the city's assurances, Mr. Fox said, "They lied to us on Sept. 11 and thereafter. It's clear they misrepresented exposure after 9/11. A lot of people would ask, 'Why should we trust them now?". He continued, "We're wary of outside air. I don't know anybody here who's going out to lunch.... It's musty out there, it's humid, and the air is kind of thick. That could keep the asbestos entrained in the air."

Mr. Fox's cautionary remarks mirror those of Linda Reinstein, executive director of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, who noted in a July 19th press release, "While it may be true that disease is 'unlikely' to occur from such an episode, it is never correct to characterize any level of asbestos as safe.... We are seeing from the unfortunate residual effects of 9-11, even short term exposure to asbestos can cause significant health problems."

The Newsday.com article can be seen here: Officials say no health risks after blast, but NYers have doubts.

Ms. Reinstein's comments can be found in an ADAO press release that can be seen here:
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Issues Statement of Warning Regarding Asbestos Exposure During July 18 Explosion in New York.

Labels: Firm, Press Releases

Source: LATimes.Com

Officials from the City of New York have announced that while there were small amounts of asbestos found in the debris from last week's steampipe explosion, the amounts were quite small and they did not expect any negative health effects from the explosion. Mayor Bloomberg assured the public that the air around the blast area was free of asbestos and that the risk of exposure from the asbestos on the ground was quite low.

The area around the site remains closed pending clean-up and disposal of the debris.

Labels: asbestos

Source: Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an organization founded by victims and families of asbestos disease, released a statement regarding the possible health effects of the recent steampipe explosion in Midtown Manhattan. ADAO Executive Director Linda Reinstein took issue with the City's characterization that those in the blast area were entirely safe from any asbestos-related disease. Ms. Reinstein said, "While it may be true that disease is 'unlikely' to occur from such an episode, it is never correct to characterize any level of asbestos as safe. It has been well established that there is no safe level of asbestos. We are seeing from the unfortunate residual effects of 9-11, even short term exposure to asbestos can cause significant health problems."

About Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims a united voice to help ensure that their rights are fairly represented and protected, and raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure and the often deadly asbestos related diseases. ADAO is funded through voluntary contributions and staffed by volunteers.
For more information visit http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/.

Labels: asbestos

Source: GlobeandMail.Com

The Canadian Cancer Society has announced its endorsement of a ban on the export of asbestos and is petitioning the Canadian government to stop blocking international efforts to halt asbestos use. While Canadian industry doesn't use asbestos in many products, it is still an export product for the country - most of which goes to developing nations in the East. Last year, along countries such as Iran and Russia, Canada helped blocked asbestos from becoming listed in the UN's "most dangerous substances" index. The Canadian government's official position has been that asbestos, used properly, does not have to be dangerous to work with. The Cancer Society rejects the government's official position.

Labels: asbestos

Source: CancerPage.Com

Researchers have discovered that high concentrations of soluble mesothelin in both pleural and peritoneal effusions strongly correlate with the presence of mesothelioma. Dr. Jenette Creaney, who previously discovered that high levels of soluble mesothelin was present in the blood of people with mesothelioma, has provided another avenue of detection for people with this terrible disease. Effusions are a common symptom in a variety of disorders, so being able to test the makeup of the effusion to return a diagnosis of mesothelioma is a real innovation. The hope is that this research can lead to an earlier diagnosis so people can begin treatment earlier.

Labels: mesothelioma

Source: Molecular Cancer Therapeutics

This abstract describes the development of a potentially new treatment modality for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Tyrosine kinase c-Src has been shown to be have significant effects on the growth of cancer cells, so researchers looked at what effect the inhibition of c-Src would have on these cells and the initial results have been promising. To the extent that the researchers were able to inhibit c-Src, they were able to arrest the cell growth cycle and trigger apoptosis in the cancer cells. They also found that where c-Src was activated and highly expressed, the cancer cells were not only active and growing, but were likely to migrate and metastasize to distant locations. Thus, the researches have concluded that inhibition of c-Src expression could be an important treatment strategy for mesothelioma.

Labels: mesothelioma

Belluck & Fox partner Jordan Fox has been listed among the top Mass Tort Litigation attorneys in New York Magazine's "The New York Area's Best Lawyers." This list reflects lawyers from the New York area who are featured in the 2007 list of The Best Lawyers in America. The Best Lawyers list identifies top attorneys from all fifty states.

Mr. Fox is one of the nation's most experienced product liability litigators and for the past eleven years he has represented and counseled victims of mesothelioma and other forms of asbestos exposure, as well as lead paint exposure and other environmental injuries. Mr. Fox's listing in Best Lawyers confirms his reputation as a dedicated advocate for the rights of the injured. He has prosecuted thousands of asbestos cases and has settled tens of millions of dollars in claims. On two occasions his verdicts were featured as The National Law Journal's Largest Verdicts of the Year.

Mr. Fox is a former homicide and sex crimes/special victims prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. He is a frequent lecturer at national conferences on asbestos and injury law. He is a member of the Product Liability Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, as well as a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the National Crime Victim Bar Association.

Labels: Firm, Press Releases

Belluck & Fox Partner Joseph W. Belluck will co-chair Mealey's National Asbestos SuperConference in Scottsdale, Arizona. The three day superconference, which will be held between September 26 and September 28, features in-depth sessions covering all aspects of asbestos litigation. The format brings together diverse topics that have not previously been offered within a single conference framework. Some of the topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, the current state of medical treatment for asbestos disease, the changing claimant profiles, and the ethical issues involved with asbestos litigation.

Mr. Belluck's co-chairmanship of the conference reflects the high esteem with which he is held by other members of the asbestos litigation community. His practice is focused on consumer, environmental and defective product litigation, especially litigation related to asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. He and his partner Jordan Fox have crafted Belluck & Fox into one of the nation's premier asbestos and mesothelioma litigation firms and have recovered over $100 million in compensation for their clients. Prior to his partnership at Belluck and Fox, Mr. Belluck served as counsel to the New York State Attorney General during the State of New York's litigation against the tobacco industry, where he was instrumental in settling New York State's tobacco lawsuit for $25 billion. Mr. Belluck also served as Director of Attorney Services for Trial Lawyers Care, an organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Information on the conference: Mealey's National Asbestos SuperConference

Labels: Firm, Press Releases

Source: BBC News

The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has reversed course and approved Altima (Pemetrexed) for use in patients with advanced mesothelioma. Citing the expense of the drug, the Institute had previously stated that Altima was only to be used in ongoing or in new clinical trials. However, after an intense lobbying campaign from doctors and mesothelioma victims, the Institue has reversed course and has approved Altima for regular use in England and in Wales. Its use had already been approved in Scotland.

Altima has been used in the United States since the first studies showed a positive benefit to its use. Mesothelioma still has no cure, but patients treated with Altima live months longer than those who have not been administered Altima.

Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sen. Patty Murray has announced that her bill to ban asbestos, known as the "Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007", is progressing through Congress and will have a reading before the Environment and Public Works Committee later this month. This is the first time the bill has reached the markup stage.

Sen. Murray's bill calls for banning the use and importation of asbestos and asbestos-containing products over the next three years. It also allocates $50 million to research treatments to asbestos-related disease and to educate the public on the dangers of asbestos.

Labels: asbestos

Source: Seatle Post-Intelligencer

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer profiles Judy Clauson, a forty-four year-old mother of two who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Ms. Clauson is part of the disturbing trend of the next generation of mesothelioma victims: younger than previous victims and a woman, with no direct exposure to asbestos. Her exposure was from the clothes of her ex-husband, a metal worker, whose work attire was often covered in large amounts of the carcinogenic fibers. This type of exposure, known as para-occupational exposure, is a strong sign of just how toxic asbestos fibers can be to the body.

Ms. Clauson is a strong supporter of Sen. Patty Murray's "Ban Asbestos in American Act of 2007," which seeks to ban the use and the importation of asbestos and asbestos-containing products within the next three years. A previous effort to ban asbestos, attempted in 1989 when the EPA instituted its own ban, was overturned by a federal court after intense lobbying from asbestos industry players. A few years after the federal court's decision, Sen. Murray first introduced legislation banning asbestos. However, that bill was never given a real opportunity to become law. In May of this year, Sen. Murray once again began pushing for passage of legislation banning asbestos and with the Democratic majority in Congress she feels her chances have never been better.

Ms. Clauson hopes that the legislation will pass. She knows the bill will not be able to help her, but she wants to make sure that no one else is ever diagnosed with asbestos-related disease.

Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma