Coping With Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Dealing with a mesothelioma or lung cancer diagnosis is one of the hardest things imaginable. Not only does one have to wrestle with their own mortality and get their affairs in order, they also have to help family members and loved ones cope with the news. Family members often feel helpless because they believe there is nothing they can do to help. One thing we can all do to help is try to raise awareness regarding the science behind trying to find a cure. The number of studies and clinical trials on mesothelioma is rapidly growing. One interesting study is called, “Plasma lipid peroxides among workers exposed to silica or asbestos dusts.” By Kamal AA, Gomaa A, el Khafif M, Hammad AS. - Environ Res. 1989 Aug;49(2):173-80. - Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Ein Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.


Here is an excerpt: “Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) (an indicator of lipid peroxidation) was determined in random samples of workers (age range 25-60 years) exposed to silica dust (n = 31, mean exposure duration 21.3 +/- 8.3 years) or asbestos dust (n = 59, mean exposure duration 15.6 +/- 4.5 years) and in 52 age-matched healthy male controls. MDA levels of both exposed groups were significantly higher than that of the controls and were significantly higher among workers exposed to asbestos than among those exposed to silica dusts. Neither age nor smoking was related to MDA levels among both controls and exposed workers; among the latter group MDA was not significantly correlated with duration of exposure. Mean MDA levels of exposed workers with radiographic signs of lung fibrosis or pleural thickening and of those without such signs were not significantly different, except in the case of asbestos-exposed workers where it was significantly less than that of those without such signs. Differences between mean durations of dust exposure of workers with radiographic signs of lung fibrosis and those without such signs were statistically insignificant. The results suggest the possible involvement of lipid peroxidation on exposure to silica or asbestos dusts in humans and possible development of antioxidant mechanism(s) on prolonged dust exposure and support the opinion that development of pneumoconiosis depends on susceptibility factor(s).”


A second study worth looking at is called, “Surface charge and asbestos toxicity” by


W. G. LIGHT & E. T. WEI - Nature 265, 537 - 539 (10 February 1977); doi:10.1038/265537a0 - Department of Biomedical and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720.


Here is an excerpt: “Asbestos is a serious occupational and environmental hazard because of its fibrogenic and carcinogenic actions on the lung. Asbestos fibres exist in various physical forms, all of which are toxic. It is not known, however, which form is the most hazardous or which fibre property is the most important for inducing the toxic effects. It is thus important to examine relationships between the structure of the fibres and their biological activity. We have investigated the relationship between the surface charge and the haemolytic activity (ability to rupture the erythrocyte membrane) of asbestos. We report here that different forms of asbestos can be activated or inactivated by surface charge alterations.”


If you found either of these excerpts interesting, please read the studies in their entirety and urge others to do so as well.