Blood test spots 'asbestos cancer'

Asbestos dust remains a major health hazard

A simple blood test could detect early signs of deadly 'asbestos cancer', scientists have claimed.

Patients with mesothelioma - often caused by exposure to asbestos - often die within a few years of diagnosis.

But in a study published in The Lancet, researchers say checking levels of a key protein can identify over 80% of cases at an early stage.

Earlier detection would mean doctors could treat the patient using chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery.

The test can detect the cancer several years before it presents Dr Bruce Robinson, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia

Mesothelioma affects the mesothelial tissue surrounding the lungs.

The aggressive cancer develops decades after asbestos exposure.

But not all those who worked with asbestos go on to develop the cancer, and Australian scientists were looking for a way of identifying who was at risk.

Asbestos exposure

Researchers from the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia, developed a test to assess blood concentrations of soluble mesothelian related (SMR) protein, which has been shown to be an indicator of other cancers.

The scientists believed high levels of SMR might also be seen in asbestos cancer patients.

more ...........

Asbestos cancer victims 'ignored'

Victims often die within a few years of diagnosis

People suffering from a cancer caused by asbestos exposure are being neglected, campaigners say.

Mesothelioma kills 1,800 people a year - more than cervical cancer - but there is no cure and treatment only relieves the symptoms.

A British Lung Foundation conference is due to demand that ministers invest more money into research and improve access to compensation.

The Department of Health said it was reviewing current treatment practices.

People with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer which is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, often die within a year or so of diagnosis.

The disease can take years to develop after exposure to asbestos.

The government needs to take a two-pronged approach towards mesothelioma - improve the current treatments available and offer proper compensation Liz Darlison, of Mesothelioma UK My husband died in months

The number of annual deaths from mesothelioma has been steadily increasing since the early 1960s when a couple of hundred a year died.

The death rate is expected to keep rising until 2015. By 2050 90,000 people are expected to have died from the cancer.

Victims who were exposed to asbestos at their workplace are entitled to compensation from government, while those who were exposed by other means can get money under common law.

British Lung Foundation chief executive Dame Helena Shovelton said she wanted the conference to "put mesothelioma on the map".

"Mesothelioma is a particularly cruel disease because sufferers simply contract it through their choice of job, where they live, who they live with or in some way they could never have known about.

'Not good enough'

"The government needs to make it more of a priority, it was hardly mentioned in the 2000 Cancer Plan and victims are basically told there is nothing that can be done for them.

"This is distressing for those diagnosed with the cancer and simply is not good enough. It would not happen with any other cancer.

"It also needs to be easier for people to access compensation. When you are diagnosed it is not easy or a first priority to go about getting compensation."

And Liz Darlison, of support group Mesothelioma UK, said one of the problems was that not many health professionals were fully aware of the disease.

"The government needs to take a two-pronged approach towards mesothelioma - improve the current treatments available and offer proper compensation."

A Department of Health spokeswoman said ministers had set up a lung cancer advisory group to help improve the delivery of services.

She added: "A subgroup has been set up specially to look at this type of cancer.

"it will recommend what action should be taken to tackle this particular cancer including service organisation, treatment and awareness raising, and will be making an initial report to the wider advisory group in April."

from BBC NEWS 9 March, 2005

Causes of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is nearly always related to Asbestos exposure. Asbestos is an extremely dangerous material and low exposure levels can trigger Mesothelioma. This means that even family members of asbestos workers are at risk because of the asbestos fibers brought into the home on their clothing.

Scientists have known about asbestos's carcinogenic (cancer-causing) properties since the 1930's, but asbestos was a cheap insulator and fire-proofing material. Corporations continued to put workers and their families at risk for decades after its lethality was discovered.

If you or a family member has worked at the following jobs or with the following materials before the 1980's, then you are at risk. Most victims are involved with asbestos product plants, insulation and shipbuilding. Below is a list of industrial sites, occupations, and products related to asbestos. In addition to workers, family members may be at risk and should be tested.

Industrial Sites
Oil Refineries
Power Plant
Railroad
Residents of towns with former asbestos manufacturing plants
Shipyards
Steel Mills

Workers in Old Buildings
Contractors working on an old building can often stir up asbestos fibers that can poison the workers in the building.

Maritime occupations
Longshoremen
Merchant Marines
U.S. Navy Veterans

Construction Trades & Other Occupations
Automotive Mechanics
Boilermakers
Bricklayers
Carpenters
Electricians
Insulators
Iron Workers
Laborers
Maintenance Workers
Millwrights
Plasterers
Plumbers
Sheet metal Workers
Steam Fitters
Tile Setters
Welders

Partial List of Dangerous Products
acoustical panels/plaster
brake linings
fireproof aprons
fire brick
floor tiles
gasket material
glassblower mitts
pipe covering
insulation

Mesothelioma strikes over 3,000 people each year. The disease is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a known toxin that irresponsible companies continued to market for decades in the face of scientific evidence proving its danger. In such terrible circumstances, Mesothelioma victims should seek legal help to make sure they are compensated.