Monday, November 2, 2009

New Research Study For Mesothelioma Patients

By Sally Clapper

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in the Carolinas have partnered to study causes and factors related to a rare cancer called mesothelioma. FirstHealth is an acute care, nonprofit hospital that serves as a referral center for a 15 county region in the Carolinas. Wake Forest Baptist operates one of the nation's leading cancer centers, offering more than 200 cancer-related clinical trials.

Jill Ohar, a professor of genealogy from Wake Forest University, is the study's lead investigator. For more than twenty years, Ohar has been researching genetic factors and causes of occupational illnesses, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. She runs clinical trials with the goal of discovering genetic and environmental causes that lead to diseases caused by inhalation of toxic substances. The goal of clinical trials researching mesothelioma is to find alternative and better ways of diagnosing, intervening, treating, and possibly curing this fatal disease. The aim of this clinical trial led by Wake Forest and FirstHealth is to further understand if some individuals are predisposed genetically to developing malignant mesothelioma. If a genetic link could be found that helped to identify patients that were more at risk, diagnosis and intervention methods could occur earlier and more effectively.

Asbestos fibers are naturally occurring and were commonly used in many construction and industrial products before the 1980's. Asbestos exposure was common to occur in mining, milling, automotive, and shipping industries, as well as in construction and fireproofing. Exposure could occur directly to the worker or in families of workers where fibers were brought home on clothing or on the body.

Once exposed, workers or family members may not develop symptoms of the disease until decades after initial contact. The prognosis, once diagnosed, is usually poor. There is currently no cure available. Stopping further exposure is critical.

Mesothelioma is caused when asbestos fibers lodge in the mesothelium, or protective lining surrounding the lungs, heart and abdomen. Early diagnosis is difficult due to the long latency period between exposure and development of symptoms. More than 3000 alone in the United States develop mesothelioma, a particularly painful form of cancer.

Dr. Ohar's aim is to analyze the clinical and genetic differences between those that develop mesothelioma and those that don't in hopes of creating a profile of high-risk individuals. By doing so, the study could improve mesothelioma treatment as well as survival rates, accelerating diagnosis and intervention.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and are interested in the study may contact Dr. Ohar at (866) 487-2344 or FirstHealth Clinical Trials at (910) 715-2200. If you would like more information on other clinical trials or treatment centers or to learn more about how to receive financial compensation to help relieve some of the burden of medical costs, please feel free to call one of our experienced asbestos attorneys who specialize in mesothelioma litigation at (800) 440-4262.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment