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This site is dedicated to providing important information to asbestos disease & mesothelioma patients and their families, so that they will be able to make educated decisions about how to proceed in terms of filing a claim. You may have only ONE CHANCE to do it right, so make sure that you have all of the information about mesothelioma that you need before you do anything else...

Mesothelioma Facts & FAQs

What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs (pleura), or around the abdominal organs (peritoneum).

What does asbestos have to do with mesothelioma?
The only known cause of mesothelioma in the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos manufacturers knew about the hazards of asbestos seventy years ago - but they kept this knowledge to themselves. The first warnings to workers exposed to asbestos were given in the mid-1960s, and they were terribly inadequate. Even today, workers are not always told they are working around asbestos and are at risk for asbestos disease.

What can someone with mesothelioma do?

* Seek out the best and most up-to-date information.
* Seek out the best medical care.
* Early screening for mesothelioma diagnosis.
* Stay in close contact with your doctor.
* Consider whether or not you want to bring a lawsuit because of this asbestos-related injury.
* Remember that resources are available to you through community and medical support groups, asbestos victims' organizations, your place of worship, as well as your family and friends.

Pleural Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer

Pleural mesothelioma is of two kinds: (1) diffuse and malignant (mesothelioma lung cancer), and (2) localized and benign (non-cancerous.)

Benign mesotheliomas can often be removed surgically, are generally not life-threatening, and are not usually related to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma lung cancers, however, are very serious. Fortunately, they are rare - about three thousand people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the U.S. each year.

The remainder of this section is specifically about diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma lung cancer.

Pleural mesothelioma lung cancer attacks the cells that make up the pleura or lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs. Its only known cause in the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos fibers, including chrysotile, amosite or crocidolite. This exposure is likely to have happened twenty or more years before the disease becomes evident, since it takes many years for the disease to "incubate." It is the most common type of mesothelioma, accounting for about 75% of all cases.

Mesothelioma lung cancer is sometimes diagnosed by coincidence, before there are any symptoms. For instance, tumors have been discovered through routine chest x-rays. However, when symptoms occur, they may include shortness of breath, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, chest pains, lower back pains, persistent coughing, difficulty in swallowing, alone or in combination. An initial medical examination often shows a pleural effusion, which means an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space - the area between the lungs and the chest wall.

The first step in detecting pleural mesothelioma lung cancer is, typically, a chest x-ray or CT scan. This is often followed by a bronchoscopy, using a viewing scope to look inside the lungs.

The actual diagnosis of mesothelioma lung cancer usually requires obtaining a piece of tissue through a biopsy. This could be a needle biopsy, an open biopsy, or through a tube with a camera (thoracoscopy or chest scope.) If an abnormality is seen through the camera then a tissue sample can be taken at the same time, using the same tube. This is a hospital procedure that requires anesthesia, but is not usually painful. The tissue sample is tested by a pathologist.

Fluid build-up from the pleural effusion can generally be seen on a chest x-ray and heard during a physical examination, but a firm diagnosis of mesothelioma can only be made through a biopsy and pathological testing. This is important because there are also benign pleural effusions and other tumors that have a similar appearance to mesothelioma. Diagnosing mesothelioma lung cancer can be quite difficult; it requires special lab stains, and much experience in understanding them.

The spread of the tumor over the pleura causes pleural thickening. This can reduce the flexibility of the pleura and encase the lungs in an increasingly restrictive girdle. With the lungs restricted, they get smaller and less functional, and breathing becomes more difficult. At first a person with mesothelioma lung cancer may be breathless only when he or she exercises, but as lung function drops, he or she can become short of breath even while resting.

The tumor spreads by direct invasion of surrounding tissue. As it spreads inward it can compress the lungs. As the tumor spreads outward it can invade the chest wall and ribs, and this can be extremely painful.

Current medical science does not know exactly how and why, at a cellular level, asbestos fibers cause mesothelial cells to become abnormal (malignant or cancerous.) Thus it is not known whether only one fiber causes the tumor or whether it takes many fibers. It seems that asbestos fibers in the pleura can start a tumor as well as promote its growth; the tumor does not depend on any other processes for its development.

There is as yet no known cure for malignant mesothelioma lung cancer. The prognosis depends on various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, the extent of the tumor, the cell type, and whether or not the tumor responds to treatment. The Firm has represented many clients who lived for five to ten years after diagnosis, most of them in good health for a majority of those years. Some mesothelioma victims succumb within a few months; the average survival time is about a year.

The treatment options for people with mesothelioma lung cancer have improved significantly, especially for those whose cancer is diagnosed early and treated vigorously. Many people are treated with a combination of therapies, sometimes known as multimodal therapy.

There are also experimental treatments like gene therapy and immunotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors, and clinical trials for various new treatments and combinations of treatments.

Treatments that reduce pain and improve lung function are becoming more successful (although they cannot cure mesothelioma.) Pain control medications have become easier to administer. Debulking is a surgical process of removing a substantial part of the tumor and reducing the pleural thickening; this can provide significant relief. X-ray therapy has also been successfully used to control the tumor and the pain associated with it for a while.

Further Resources

More information about pleural mesothelioma and treatments:

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Many of the organs in the abdomen are enveloped by a thin membrane of mesothelial cells, known as the peritoneum.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a tumor of this membrane. Its only known cause in the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos, but it can be many years after exposure before the disease appears. Peritoneal mesotheliomas account for about one-fifth of all mesotheliomas.

Like pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma can be either benign or malignant. This discussion is only about malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is sometimes diagnosed by coincidence, before any symptoms have appeared. For example, the tumor is sometimes seen on a routine abdominal x-ray for a check-up or before surgery.

When the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma appear, they typically include abdominal pains, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal swelling. Fluid often accumulates in the peritoneal space, a condition known as ascites. Over time the wasting symptoms can become more and more severe.

The growing tumor can exert increasing pressure on the organs in the abdomen, leading to bowel obstruction and distention. If the tumor presses upward, it can impair breathing capacity. If the tumor pushes against areas with many nerve fibers, and the bowel distends, the amount of pain can increase.

X-rays and CT scans are, typically, the first step towards detecting peritoneal mesothelioma. The actual diagnosis is typically achieved by obtaining a piece of tissue. The medical procedure of looking at the peritoneum is known as a peritoneoscopy. It is a hospital procedure and requires anesthesia. If an abnormality is seen, the doctor will attempt to obtain a tissue sample - this is known as a biopsy. The tissue sample will be examined by a pathologist who makes a diagnosis using microscopic analysis of specialized stains.

There are at least two explanations for how asbestos fibers can get into the peritoneum. The first is that fibers caught by the mucus of the trachea and bronchi end up being swallowed. Some of them lodge in the intestinal tract and from there they can move through the intestinal wall into the peritoneum. The second explanation is that fibers that lodge in the lungs can move into the lymphatic system and be transported to the peritoneum.

Medical science does not know exactly how or why, at a cellular level, a carcinogen like asbestos causes a cell to become malignant (cancerous.) Thus it is not known whether only one fiber can cause a tumor to develop or whether it takes many fibers, or what the exact conditions and predispositions are for this change to happen.

At this time there are treatments, but no known cure, for peritoneal mesothelioma. The prognosis depends on various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, its extent, the cell type, and whether or not the tumor responds to treatment.

However, the options for relief and treatment of people with peritoneal mesothelioma have improved, especially for those whose cancer is diagnosed early and treated vigorously. Many people receive a combination of therapies, sometimes known as multimodal therapy.

Specific types of treatment include:

There are also clinical trials and various experimental treatments like gene therapy and immunotherapy, and antiangiogenesis drugs.

Further Resources

For more information about peritoneal mesothelioma and treatments, please explore this web site or visit:

Other Mesotheliomas

While the great majority of mesotheliomas are in either the pleura or the peritoneum, malignant mesotheliomas sometimes occur in other parts of the body, including the testicles (a variety of peritoneal mesothelioma) and the heart (a variety of pleural mesothelioma.) These are also caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. Benign mesotheliomas occur less frequently than malignant mesotheliomas. They are generally thought to be unrelated to asbestos exposure. Two thirds of benign mesotheliomas occur in females. (Kittle: Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Management, Year Book Medical Publishers, 1987).

Unfortunately, cystic benign mesotheliomas have a high incidence of local recurrence. (Katsube: Cystic Mesothelioma of the Peritoneum; Cancer 1982, 50:1615; Moore: Benign Cystic Mesothelioma; Cancer 1980, 45:2395) A July 1998 article by G.S. Letterie in the journal "Gynecology and Obstetrics" describes therapy with anti-estrogen tamoxifen as a non-surgical option for cases of symptomatic recurrent cystic mesotheliomas.

Malignant Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Screening

The National Cancer Institute's definition of screening for cancer is the examination or testing of people for early signs of certain type of cancer even though they have no symptoms - this is the best way to achieve a mesothelioma diagnosis as early as possible. Early detection and diagnosis is particularly important for people with historical exposure to asbestos due to the latency period (usually 20 or more years) before which symptoms of malignant mesothelioma cancer may become apparent.

Early Signs Aid in Mesothelioma Diagnosis:

Recognizing early symptoms of malignant mesothelioma may aid in diagnosis. Symptoms include difficulty in breathing (dyspnea) and/or chest pains, fever, nausea or anemia; other signals are hoarseness, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), or coughing up blood (hemoptysis). For many suffering from pleural mesothelioma, there may be pain in the chest or lower back. Those people with peritoneal mesothelioma may experience an expanding waist size or abdominal pain resulting from the growth of cancer cells in the abdomen.

Since many of these symptoms are also caused by less serious illnesses, it can be difficult to recognize asbestos-related diseases in the early stages. Due to this difficulty of early asbestos cancer and mesothelioma diagnosis, the best way to determine your health risk is to consult a doctor for an initial examination, which may include a pulmonary function test (PFT) and x-rays.

Screening Methods to Identify Asbestos-Related Disease:

After a preliminary physical examination, the doctor may need to look inside your chest cavity with a thorascope for accurate diagnosis. During this thoracoscopy procedure, a cut will be made in your chest and a small piece of tissue (biopsy) may removed for examination. While you may feel some pressure, there is usually no pain.

Another special tool that may be used for mesothelioma diagnosis is the peritoneoscope, which allows for examination inside your abdomen. This instrument is inserted into an opening made in the abdomen, and a biopsy specimen may also be taken.

If the presence of fluid is indicated by either of these procedures, the doctor may drain it by inserting a needle into the affected area. Removal of chest fluid is called thoracentesis; removal of abdominal fluid is call paracentesis.

Other screening methods for diagnosis of asbestos-related disease include various imaging tests. In addition to X-rays, methods include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET). A more recent and promising screening method is the computed tomography (CT) scan.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis through Computed Tomagraphy / CT Scan:

Computed tomagraphy, or spiral CT scan, is a special radiographic technique that produces a clear cross-sectional image that allows a radiologist to see distinct aspects of the lung or pleura that are not readily apparent from the standard X-ray image. Recent studies (CHEST 2002;122:15-20 and MAYO CLIN PROC 2002;77:329-333) support the use of annual chest computed tomography (CT scans) exams as a valuable screening tool for people with a high risk of developing lung cancer, including mesothelioma cancer. There does appear to be conflicting assessment as to the cost-effectiveness of CT screening. A 2003 study by Johns Hopkins raises this concern about the cost-effectiveness of CT scans and states, "There is a downside to this, including high costs and possible harm to individuals who may unnecessarily get invasive procedures if the scan detects a benign lung nodule." A more recent study in Chest, 2003:124:614-621 comes to a different conclusion: "A baseline low-dose CT scan for lung cancer screening is potentially highly cost-effective and compares favorably to the cost-effectiveness ratios of other screening programs."

Further Resources

Multimodal treatment of mesothelioma

Doctors specializing in mesothelioma treatment frequently adopt a multimodal approach: they treat a patient with a combination of therapies. Due to the relative lack of effectiveness of single-modality treatment in affecting patient survival, the multimodal combination of treatments holds more promise for survival of malignant mesothelioma patients. For an over view of single-mode and multimodal treatment regimens, see the abstract of "Treatment of Malignant Mesothelioma" by M.T. Jaklitsch, S.C. Grondin, and D.J. Sugarbaker and published in the World Journal of Surgery in 2001.

The December 1999 issue of the medical journal, Chest, published a clinical case presentation that illustrates a fairly typical multimodal treatment. The patient was a 52-year-old man with an early diagnosis of Stage I pleural mesothelioma. Doctors performed a pleurectomy (i.e. surgery) and then delivered intrapleural doses of chemotherapy drugs. Then he received additional localized radiation and chemotherapy. Two years after the surgery he did not show evidence of the tumor.

The author concluded that "Aggressive trimodality therapy for mesothelioma is presented as a successful treatment option." (R. Buono - "Mesothelioma Clinical Presentation", Chest 1999; 116:444S-445S).

In recent years, there has been some progress made in the management of malignant mesothelioma, particularly in the area of combination of agents and treatment methods used. More details can be found in this interview with mesothelioma medical expert, Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang: "New Directions for the Treatment of Mesothelioma: An Expert Interview" (Oncology 6(1), 2003).

The following discussion of mesothelioma treatments is organized into separate sections (surgery, photodynamic therapy, radiation, etc.) so that each component of a combination of treatments (multimodality therapy) can be better understood.

Further Information:

"Multimodality Treatments for Mesothelioma?" by W. Eberhardt, (27th Annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology).

Two presentations evaluating multimodal treatment of mesothelioma were part of the program of the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, May 12-15, 2001 (San Francisco). The first study, by M. Keohan, et al., used an agressive regimen for their phase II study of trimodal therapy for peritoneal mesothelioma. The second study, by J.V. Juturi, et al., investigated intracavitary paclitaxel in a multimodality management of malignant pleural mesothelioma; two earlier cooperative group studies using this treatment method yielded response rates of 0% and 9%, respectively, in patients with mesothelioma. For information about obtaining ASCO asbstracts, check their webpage.

A.M. Boylan - "Mesothelioma: new concepts in diagnosis and management" in Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, March 2000; 6(2):157-163. An interesting discussion about the difficulties of diagnosing mesothelioma; the controversies about staging mesothelioma; and whether the improved survival rates of some new treatments indicate that these treatments are more effective or are explained by patient selection.

D. H. Sterman, MD, et. al. - "Advances in the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma" in Chest 1999; 116:504-520; (see abstract) This article discusses the roles of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and combined modality approaches in the treatment of pleural mesotheliomas. Promising new avenues may modify the therapeutic nihilism that is rampant among clinicians dealing with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Surgery

There are two main types of surgical treatment for pleural mesothelioma: extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and pleurectomy/decortication.

EPP involves the removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and the whole lung involved with the tumor. Pleurectomy/decortication involves the removal of the pleura without removing the entire lung.

Which treatment is recommended depends on many factors, including the stage of the tumor. (The NCI has a detailed description of mesothelioma stages.) However, it is unclear if EPP provides significantly greater benefits than pleurectomy/decortication, and indeed if either is significantly more effective than non-surgical options.

A recent study followed about 400 mesothelioma patients who, between 1983 and 1998, had pleurectomy/decortication, or extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP), or thoracotomy. The results indicate that no one type of surgery was more effective than another in extending the survival rate. Rather, other factors seemed to determine how long people survived. These factors included the stage and cell type of the tumor, the gender of the patient, and the type of treatment(s) given together with the surgery. Click here for the text of this study.

Surgery can provide symptomatic relief and sometimes the bulk of the tumor can be removed. Surgery is often used in combination with other treatments (known as multi-modal treatments), but its value is very limited if the tumor is near any vital organs.

Both EPP and pleurectomy/decortication are complex surgeries, not performed frequently by most surgeons. They require referral to centers dedicated to such treatments. Many of these centers also specialize in other forms of mesothelioma treatment, either alone or in combination (multi-modal therapy.) You should discuss referrals with your doctor. See also: "The effect of extent of local resection on patients on patterns of disease progression in malignant pleural mesothelioma," by D.J. Stewart, et al in Ann. Thorac Surg., July 2004; 78(1):245-252.
Further Resources

* Medical article from Cancer Control, Journal of Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, about surgical options for people with mesothelioma, including multimodal treatments.
* "Peritoneal mesothelioma treated by induction chemotherapy, cytoreductive surgery, and intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion," by Deraco, M., et al., in Journal of Surgical Oncology, July 2003; 83(3):147-53.
* "Surgical Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Review," by Van Ruth, S., et al., in Chest; 123:551-561.
* "Palliative surgical debulking in malignant mesothelioma - Predictors of survival and symptom control," by Martin-Uncar, A.E., et al., in European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, December 2001; 20(6):1117-21.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Radiation Therapy

This treatment involves the localized use of high-dose radiation (like x-rays) on malignant tumors. Usually, it is not a primary treatment but is used in conjunction with other therapies such as surgical resection and chemotherapy. It is generally used to reduce the size of the symptomatic tumor and help relieve symptoms like pain and shortness of breath.

Factors which can limit the application of this treatment include the volume of the tumor and how near it is to vital organs.

Further Resources

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Drug Therapy (including chemotherapy)

Traditional Chemotherapy:

This traditional approach uses special anti-cancer (cytotoxic) medicines and chemicals to try to kill the malignant cells. Often, it is offered as an additional therapy alongside radical surgery and/or in combination with radiation therapy or immunotherapy, particularly when the cancer has spread beyond an operable area. Many drugs have been tried; however all have met with only limited success against malignant mesothelioma.

The chemotherapeutic agents can be administered either systemically (in the blood stream) or intrapleurally (in the pleural cavity itself.) These cytotoxic drugs are very potent and can have many severe side effects which you should discuss with your doctor.

Further Resources

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment method often used in combination with other treatments, such as drugs or surgery. PDT uses light to kill cancerous cells. Photodynamic therapy is still in an experimental stage for treatment of mesothelioma.

Initially, the patient receives a photosensitizer which collects in cancerous cells but not in healthy cells. (A photosensitizer is a drug which makes malignant cells vulnerable (sensitive) to light of specific wavelengths.) After the cells have been sensitized, fiberoptic cables are placed in the body (usually through open-chest surgery) in order to focus light of just the right frequency on the tumor. This causes the photosensitizer to produce a toxic oxygen molecule which kills the cell.

See also article, "Intraoperative Photodynamic Therapy after pleuropneumonectomy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma," by H. Schouwink et al, Chest, 2001;120:1167-1174 and response to article (Chest, 2002;122:1866-1867).

Further Resources

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Gene Therapy

Oncolink has an excellent summary of the different aspects of gene therapy for lay people.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options: Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is used in several ways to fight cancer. It can be used to boost the immune system and improve the body's natural ability to fight cancer. Gene therapy has also been used to try to make the cancer cells more sensitive to conventional treatments, such as radiation, chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Gene therapy may have the potential to replace missing or non-functioning genes. Gene therapy can create "suicide genes" that can enter cancer cells and cause them to self-destruct. Cancers require a blood supply to grow and survive, and they form their own blood vessels to accomplish this. Genes can be used to prevent these blood vessels from forming, starving the tumor to death (also called antiogenesis). Combinations of techniques called multimodality therapy, including conventional therapy (chemo- and radiotherapy, surgery) with gene therapy may be our best weapon in the fight against mesothelioma.

This a new treatment which is currently in clinical trials. Using an adenovirus for delivery, a "suicide gene" is inserted directly into the tumor. This gene makes the cells sensitive to a normally ineffective drug, such as glanciclovir. Treatment with the drug then destroys those cells that are rapidly dividing - which are the cancer cells - leaving the healthy cells unharmed.

In theory, this mesothelioma treatment option targets the tumor specifically, as opposed to treatments such as chemotherapy which also kill healthy cells. Mesothelioma may be particularly well suited for gene therapy treatment because of its accessibility, allowing both intrapleural and intratumoral gene delivery.

Four different gene therapy trials have been carried out in mesothelioma patients, using different vector systems (adenovirus, vaccinia virus, irradiated tumor cells), and different transgenes (herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) combined with ganciclovir, IL-2, IFN-beta). Although small in scale, these trials have shown much promise. (Cancer Gene Ther. 2006 Oct;13(10):897-904) [abstract].

Gene therapy for mesothelioma treatment is being researched at the University of Pennsylvania, at the Thoracic Oncology Research Laboratory. This treatment is not without risk, as became apparent in the death of Jesse Gelsinger, a University of Pennsylvania gene therapy trial participant. (Note that Mr. Gelsinger was not a participant in the mesothelioma trial.) There may also be a risk of a secondary cancer developing as well.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options: Cytokines - Interferons (IFN) and Interleukins (IL):

Cytokines are small proteins that occur naturally in the human body. They are similar to hormones and have specific effects on the behavior of other cells.

In 1976 Dr. Robert Gallo (later head of the National Cancer Institute, and famous for his work on HIV) isolated a cytokine protein molecule called interleukin-2 (IL2) which is capable of stimulating the growth of immune system cells called T-cells. T-cells are sometimes called "killer cells" because they search out malignant or virally infected cells and kill them. Use of IL2 as a pleural mesothelioma treatment option is still in the experimental stages, but researchers hope that injecting IL2 intrapleurally will promote a significant anti-tumor response.

Interferons are also naturally occuring cytokine proteins, but they inhibit the growth of malignant cells as well as enhance the immune system. Like interleukins, these immune system promoters are being tested to see if they help increase the body's response to what is often an extremely resistant malignancy, mesothelioma.

A recent study phase 1 dose escalation study evaluated the safety and feasibility of single-dose intrapleural IFN-beta gene transfer using an adenoviral vector (Ad.IFN-beta) in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (Clin Cancer Res. 2007 Aug 1;13(15 Pt 1):4456-66) [abstract].

There were positive results, with anti tumor immune responses in 7 of the 10 patients and four of 10 patients showed meaningful clinical responses.

Further Resources

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Unconventional Therapies

A number of mesothelioma treatments are outside the mainstream of both established and experimental therapies. As lawyers, not doctors, we are not qualified to judge the value of such unconventional or unproven treatments. In our experience, most doctors disapprove of these treatments, and there is no clear, non-anecdotal evidence of the success of any of these treatments. However, we believe you have the right to all the information available so that you can discuss all possibilities with your physician and make an informed decision about your options.

Antineoplastons:

Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski has been working on antineoplastons as a treatment for cancer since 1967. Antineoplastons are naturally occurring peptides which Dr. Burzynski claims can "reprogram" cancerous cells to behave like "normal" cells again. The success of antineoplaston treatments has been highly controversial, however. The American Cancer Society reports that they have no reliable evidence of the objective benefits of antineoplastons. Dr. Burzynski was also charged in 1995 with fraud and violation of Federal Drug Administration regulations. The Burzynski Research Institute is currently conducting clinical trials of antineoplastons.

Further Information:

Cancell (also called Entelev or Cantron):

Cancell is a chemical mixture which is intended to deprive cancerous cells of their ability to get energy. Developed by chemist James Sheridan, proponents claim that Cancell has successfully treated people and animals for cancer for over 30 years without serious side effects. However, supporters of Cancell also recommend avoiding certain vitamins and claim that chemotherapy negates the effect of Cancell. The National Cancer Institute has found no evidence of a biological effect. The American Cancer Society strongly urges against using Cancell as a treatment method.

Further Information:

Foreign Clinics:

There are numerous clinics, usually located outside of the United States, which claim to use innovative and allegedly successful techniques to cure cancer. Most of these clinics are expensive, and none of them have proven to be effective.

Further Information:

Immuno-Augmentive Therapy (IAT) Centre, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island:

Treatment at the IAT Centre consists of the daily administration of a specially-prepared blood serum which is claimed to boost the immune system and reverse the cancer process.

Lawrence Burton (he has a Ph.D. rather than an M.D.) developed the treatment and is its main advocate. It is disallowed in most of the United States, and the FDA imposed an import ban in 1986. In 1985 the clinic was closed by the Bahamian government due to evidence of HIV, bacterial and hepatitis-B contamination in IAT products. It was reopened the next year when IAT acquired HIV-testing equipment, but since the products are not tested regularly by an independent laboratory, the current risk of biologic contamination is not known.

The benefits of immuno-augmentative therapy remain unverified, although there are numerous testimonials to its effectiveness. In fact, no independent clinical trial of IAT's products has ever been performed, despite direct attempts by the NCI and the Office of Technology Assessment. The American Cancer Society advises against immuno-augmentative therapy. In addition to significant treatment fees, patients must pay for room and board.

Further Information

American Biologics-Mexico SA Medical Center, Tijuana, Mexico:

The first mesothelioma patient to be treated at this clinic was the actor, Steve McQueen. Since then, there have been anecdotal reports of the success of their treatment , but no conclusive evidence. Treatment consists of an "individualized approach" to "metabolic therapy", consisting of diet, vitamins, exercise, and other techniques. They claim to "control" cancer and numerous other diseases rather than "cure" them. The AB-Mexico clinic is associated with the Bradford Research Institute.

Further Information:

Gerson Therapy: Center for Integrative Medicine at Centro Hospitalario Internacional Pacifico (CHIPSA), and Hospital Meridian de Playas de Tijuana, Mexico:

There are two clinics in Tijuana, Mexico, which provide treatment based on Gerson Therapy: the Center for Integrative Medicine at Centro Hospitalario Internacional Pacifico (CHIPSA) and Hospital Meridian de Playas de Tijuana. The therapy was developed by Dr. Max Gerson in 1945, and his daughter, Charlotte Gerson Strauss, has continued the therapy since his death in 1959.

Using diet (fresh, raw juices consumed continuously for 13 hours a day ), enemas (including coffee enemas) and other therapies, the Gerson Therapy clinics claim to detoxify the body and restore its natural cancer-fighting abilities.

According to the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Gerson's methods were reviewed and no convincing evidence of effectiveness against cancer was found. No other independent studies have found that Gerson Therapy is effective against cancer. Until 1989, the dietary regimen included raw calf liver juice, and the use of this juice was associated with several infections due to contamination. Coffee enemas have also been associated with serious side effects such as fluid and electrolyte abnormalities.

CHIPSA combines Gerson Therapy with treatment methods devised by Dr. Josef Issels. They call it Issels-Gerson Combination Therapy.

Further Information:

Alivizatos Greek Cancer Cure:

The Greek Cancer Cure was developed thirty years ago by a microbiologist, Dr. Hariton-Tzannis Alivizatos. His treatment consisted of a blood test which supposedly diagnosed the location and extent of the cancer, followed by injections of a serum which were meant to boost the immune system and "dissolve" the tumor. Before his death in 1991, Dr. Alivizatos had his license to practice medicine revoked by the Greek government several times due to his use of the serum. He never responded to the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society's request for information on his treatment. He never published his results or allowed an independent review of his claims. When a Seattle doctor posing as a patient discovered that the serum was a mixture of niacin (a B-vitamin) and water, his clinic was closed by the Greek government.

Today, some North American clinics claim to offer the same treatment which is marketed under the names METBAL and Cellbal. The FDA has banned the importation of METBAL.

Information on Treatments

British Columbia Cancer Agency: Unconventional Therapies - Greek Cancer Cure

Quackwatch: Alivizatos Greek Cancer Cure

Further Resources

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Shark Cartilage & Cancer

According to I. William Lane, author of "Sharks Don't Get Cancer" and a leading proponent of shark cartilage as an effective cancer treatment, ingestion of shark cartilage inhibits angiogenesis. In lay terms, what this means is that cartilage apparently reduces the creation of a network of blood vessels around a tumor, and therefore prevents it from growing or spreading.

A number of websites (including those owned by William Lane and his son, Andrew Lane) and health food stores sell shark cartilage pills and claim that they are effective cancer (and/or arthritis) therapies.

Potential consumers, however, should be aware that the effectiveness of shark cartilage has not been demonstrated scientifically. They should also know that although I. William Lane is popularly known as "Dr. Lane", he has a Ph.D. in agricultural biochemistry rather than a M.D. Also, he was a vice-president at W.R. Grace, which is an important defendant in many asbestos cancer lawsuits.

Potential consumers should also be aware that, in December 1999, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Lane Labs-USA and Andrew Lane (its president and the son of I. William Lane) in the U.S District Court for the District of New Jersey. The FDA sought to stop them from marketing shark cartilage with claims that it is an effective cancer therapy.

Cartilage is a type of tissue found in the skeleton. Interestingly, the skeletons of sharks are almost entirely cartiliginous and, as far as we know, the cancer rate in sharks for certain types of tumors appears to be low. Shark and bovine cartilage, and possibly other types, contain angiogenic inhibitors - compounds that halt the creation of blood vessels. This combination of facts means that shark and other types of cartilage are of considerable interest to medical researchers.

However there is, at this time, no clinical evidence that swallowing powdered shark cartilage is an effective cancer treatment or that it inhibits angiogenesis. The cartilage is digested by the body's gastric system, rather than absorbed (with its antiangiogenic inhibitors) into the bloodstream.

Although there are several antiangiogenesis clinical trials in progress they are all in very early stages of testing. These drugs are not administered orally.

Before anyone with mesothelioma takes shark cartilage he/she should discuss this matter with his/her treating physician. There are a number of reasons to do this, including the need to ensure that he/she obtains only clinical-grade cartilage and the possibility of side-effects.

Further Resources

Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Treatment Centers

There are a number of medical centers in the U.S. and elsewhere that specialize in one or more types of mesothelioma treatment. Some of the experts at these medical centers include:

This is by no means a complete list of mesothelioma surgeons or doctors. There may well be other specialists closer to where you live, and you should always speak with your doctor about referrals.

What are Asbestos-related Diseases?

There are several different kinds of diseases that are related to previous exposure to asbestos fibers, and they can be categorized in various ways:

Some are malignant (or cancerous), such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. Others are benign (non-malignant or non-cancerous), such as asbestosis, pleural plaques, diffuse pleural fibrosis, and benign pleural effusions.

Some are increasingly and severely disabling, often leading to death, like mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer; and others are less so, such as pleural plaques and thickening, which rarely produce symptoms or disability.

Some are very clearly and directly attributable to exposure to asbestos, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. For others, such as gastro-intestinal tract cancers, the causal connection to asbestos exposure is one that appears probable but has not yet been proven with certainty.

The diseases for which asbestos exposure is a generally accepted cause are mesothelioma, asbestosis, small airway fibrosis, scarring, pleural plaques, pleural fibrosis, pleural effusion, and many lung cancers. Diseases for which asbestos exposure is not at this time generally accepted as the cause, include cancers of the kidney, GI tract and ovary.

Each of these asbestos-related diseases can only be diagnosed through medical examinations and tests. If you were exposed to asbestos it does not mean that you therefore must have, or will have, an asbestos-caused disease. But it does mean that you should:

  • be vigilant about your health,
  • receive regular medical care and check-ups, and
  • tell your doctor about your asbestos exposure.

Asbestos-related Diseases - Asbestosis

Asbestosis is, as its name suggests, caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers. It is not a cancerous lung disease.

The underlying disease process of asbestosis is not yet fully understood, but it appears that asbestos fibers in the lungs cause irritation and inflammation. The body attempts to neutralize these foreign fibers in various complex ways, and some or all of these processes lead to further inflammation and cell damage. Eventually a fibrosis or scar tissue develops in the interstitial spaces around the small airways and alveoli. This thickening and scarring prevents oxygen and carbon dioxide from traveling between the alveoli and the blood cells, so breathing becomes much less efficient.

Asbestosis often exists without any symptoms, and is then detected only by x-ray findings. However, the symptoms of asbestosis typically include shortness of breath and coughing. As the disease progresses, the symptoms can worsen. It can be a progressive disease, meaning that it continues to progress even after exposure to asbestos has stopped. In unusual cases it can be fatal.

The scarring and thickening can be seen on x-rays and CT scans. Also, if it reduces the functioning of the lungs, asbestosis can be detected by a breathing or pulmonary function test (PFT.)

Diagnosis can be made only when there is a history of asbestos exposure and positive results from a clinical exam, chest x-rays, CT scans, and/or a pulmonary function test (PFT.) It can also be conclusively identified through a biopsy.

Asbestosis affects both lungs (it is bilateral) and, although it is mainly in the lower fields of the lungs, it is usually widespread (diffuse.)

Serious asbestosis is usually caused by heavy exposure to asbestos, such as sustained exposure over a period of years (e.g. a longtime worker at an asbestos textile plant) and/or intense exposure during a shorter period (e.g. a worker in the boiler and engine rooms of ships under construction in the Second World War.)

This does not mean that everyone who was heavily exposed to asbestos gets asbestosis, only that everyone who gets asbestosis was exposed to large quantities of asbestos fibers.

The specific type of asbestos fiber to which the worker was exposed does not seem to be significant in the development of asbestosis.

At the moment there is no cure or effective treatment for asbestosis. People with asbestosis are also at high risk of developing lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer

Lung cancer refers to any type of malignant tumor that originates in the lung itself (unlike mesothelioma, which is in the pleural lining around the lung.)

Some lung cancers are caused by asbestos exposure, but the nature of this relationship is not yet fully understood. What is certain is that the risk of developing lung cancer is much greater for those with significant occupational exposure to asbestos, as compared to the general population who have background exposure (see "Asbestos Exposure & Your Job") Also, the greater the exposure, the greater the risk.

There is also a long incubation (latency) period between asbestos exposure and the development of lung cancer. In fact, incidence of cancer appears to peak as long as thirty years after first exposure.

Adding to the complexity of understanding the relationship between lung cancer and asbestos exposure is the issue of smoking. There is a synergistic relationship between asbestos exposure and smoking. What this means is that although workers who have been exposed to asbestos have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, it is also well known that smokers have a higher risk of developing lung cancer; but the cancer risk of workers who were exposed to asbestos and who smoked is not simply the sum of these two separate risks. Rather, these risks are multiplied. The combined cancer risk is therefore very much higher - as high as 50 to 90 times the risk faced by the general population.

The most important conclusion to be drawn from this, for anyone who has been exposed to asbestos and who smokes, is to quit smoking now.

Asbestos-related diseases - Benign pleural diseases

There is much confusion about the different types of benign (or non-cancerous) pleural diseases, mainly because different researchers and doctors use different words to describe the same things, or the same words to describe different things.

This is a discussion about pleural diseases that are related to asbestos exposure, are not malignant (like mesothelioma), and exist only in the pleura. They can be divided into three groups: plaques, thickening, and effusions.

Pleural plaques are small, hard, plate-like surfaces on the pleura, similar to arteriosclerosis in coronary arteries. They are caused by asbestos fibers that invade the pleura from the lungs. Medical researchers do not fully understand the underlying processes of why asbestos fibers cause plaques to develop.

Plaques rarely make breathing difficult and by themselves are seldom disabling. Rather, they are "markers" that indicate previous exposure to asbestos: they can help to confirm the cause of other diseases that might otherwise not be understood to be asbestos-related. However, a person who has plaques should be vigilant about his or her health. He or she may be at higher risk for developing other asbestos-related diseases and should therefore advise his or her doctor about this asbestos exposure.

Pleural thickening is a diffuse fibrosis in the pleura. Asbestos fibers that move from the lung to the pleura cause the pleura to thicken and a widespread fibrosis can develop. Researchers do not understand the underlying processes by which asbestos fibers cause fibrosis.

This thickening can restrict the lungs' ability to expand and contract, and therefore make breathing difficult. Like plaques, thickening is evidence of exposure to asbestos and it places people at higher risk of developing other more serious chest diseases.

An asbestos-related benign pleural effusion refers to a build-up of fluid in the pleural space of a person who was exposed to asbestos and who does not have any other disease that might cause a pleural effusion (such as mesothelioma.) Some effusions cause chest pains, but many do not cause any symptoms. This type of benign pleural effusion is treatable, and it should also alert the person to be especially vigilant about his or her respiratory health.

Most people with pleural plaques, effusions and/or thickening do not have any symptoms. They can be diagnosed using chest x-rays and CT scans.

Asbestos-related diseases - SV 40 - Does this virus cause mesothelioma?

In early 1999 a debate about a virus called SV 40 and its presence in certain tumors, briefly garnered media coverage.

Simian virus 40 (or SV 40) is a virus of monkey origin. It was a contaminant of polio vaccines in the late 1950's and early 1960's because the vaccines were grown on monkey kidneys and some of these monkeys were carriers of SV 40.

SV 40 has been identified in mesothelioma tumors as well as in brain and bone cancers, which led to theories about a possible relationship between exposure to the virus and later development of mesotheliomas and other cancers.

For example, in one study hamsters were injected intra-pleurally with a type of SV 40. Over 50% developed mesothelioma and all of them developed tumors. (American Journal of Pathology: 142:5 1524-1533 by Cicala, et al.)

However, a recent study (Thorax: 1999;54 (60-61) by Mulatero, Surentheran, et al.) of stored mesothelioma tumor samples did not support the hypothesis that SV 40 was related to increasing incidences of mesothelioma. And birth cohort studies in both the U.S. and Sweden show no increase in risk of cancer associated with exposure to the SV 40 contaminated polio vaccine.

Yet other studies suggest that the presence of SV 40 might lead to the development of new therapies for cancer. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute: 91(2):169-75 1999)

As our knowledge of genetics and tumor biology grows, we will develop new treatments for mesothelioma, but at the moment the possible role of SV 40 in either triggering or treating mesothelioma is far from clear.

Regarding contamination of polio vaccines, the World Health Organization issued an informative statement.

Asbestos and The Lungs - What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers. The fibers are strong, durable, and resistant to heat and fire. They are also long, thin and flexible, so that they can even be woven into cloth.

Because of these qualities, asbestos has been used in thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific and building products. During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings in the United States.

There are several types of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for commercial applications: (1) Chrysotile, or white asbestos, comes mainly from Canada, and has been very widely used in the US. It is white-gray in color and found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos, comes from southern Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes from southern Africa and Australia.

Amosite and crocidolite are called amphiboles. This term refers to the nature of their geologic formation.

Other asbestos fibers that have not been used commercially are tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite, although they are sometimes contaminants in asbestos-containing products. It should be noted that there are non-fibrous, or non-asbestiform, variants of tremolite, anthophylite and actinolite, which do not have the adverse health consequences that result from exposure to commercial forms of asbestos.

Here are some additional "Facts About Asbestos".

What are asbestos-containing products?

What is common to many asbestos-containing products is that they were (are) used to contain heat (i.e. thermal insulation.) It is impossible to list all of the products that have, at one time or another, contained asbestos. Some of the more common asbestos-containing products are pipe-covering, insulating cement, insulating block, asbestos cloth, gaskets, packing materials, thermal seals, refractory and boiler insulation materials, transite board, asbestos cement pipe, fireproofing spray, joint compound, vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile, mastics, adhesives, coatings, acoustical textures, duct insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, roofing products, insulated electrical wire and panels, and brake and clutch assemblies.

Some of these products contained a very high proportion of asbestos, while others contained small amounts.

Why is asbestos still a problem?

Asbestos is still a problem because a great deal of it has been used in the United States and elsewhere, because many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can become airborne, and because of the serious human health hazards of inhaling asbestos fibers.

Many Americans believe that use of asbestos in products was banned years ago. The fact is that asbestos-containing products are still being imported and sold in this country, continuing to endanger people who may come in contact with such products. A majority of these products are imported from Canada and Mexico, two countries where asbestos is still used; further, not all imported asbestos-containing products are clearly labeled with proper content information. (Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2003)

In an August 2003 report, the EPA's Office of Inspector General reiterates that asbestos is still a product very much around us: a survey in the mid-1980s found that, on average, 20% of all buildings in the United States contain asbestos. Further, this latest report confirms that asbestos containing material is still allowed in pipeline wrap, asbestos-cement corrugated sheet, asbestos-cement flat sheet, roofing felt, millboard, vinyl-asbestos floor tile, asbestos-cement shingle, and roof coatings. (Rept. #2003-P-00012).

A 2004 report by the Environmental Working Group provides a timely evaluation of the asbestos-related disease epidemic in America - a "public health tragedy caused by asbestos." This report documents the history of asbestos use and provides analysis and statistics to inform the political debate currently being waged to resolve the problem.

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