MesotheliomaHelp.org-Awards-4-Students-5000-Scholarships

MesotheliomaHelp.org Awards 4 Students with $5,000 Total in Scholarships

As one of the top resources for mesothelioma patients across the United States, MesotheliomaHelp.org is proud to support ambitious college students in their efforts to raise awareness of this asbestos mesothelioma cancer.

Recently, the cancer organization awarded four scholarships worth a total of $5,000 to bright young people who shared their stories as part of the organization’s annual essay contest.

The Jan Egerton & Don Smitley Mesothelioma Scholarships are awarded each year to deserving students in colleges and universities across the United States. The scholarship contest is named after two much-admired mesothelioma warriors who put up a brave fight against the deadly asbestos cancer.

Out of dozens of heartfelt and well-researched essay entries, these four students took home the top prizes:

1st Place ─ $2,500

Winner: Sally Whelan, Creighton University or Laramie County Community College, Wyoming

2nd Place ─ $1,250

Winner: Kelley Ann McGill, Albany State University, Georgia

3rd Place ─ $750

Winner: Devin Marsh, Northland Pioneer College, Arizona

4th Place ─ $500

Winner: Sheri Sanford, Normandale Community College, Minnesota

Each student’s prize money will go toward college tuition, with the scholarships generously funded by the nationally respected mesothelioma law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP.

“We are proud to support these deserving college students in their mission to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and its long-term health effects,” Belluck & Fox managing partner Joseph Belluck explained. “As a law firm focused on fighting for those harmed by asbestos, we know how important it is to warn people about exposure, and we appreciate these students for sharing their personal stories and insights.”

About 3,000 people are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma each year in the United States. The only known cause of this devastating cancer is exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used in countless industrial, building, and household products until the 1980s. Despite its known health effects, asbestos has still not been banned in the United States.

Exposure to asbestos often occurred on the job or during military service. Some people were also exposed to the deadly mineral in their homes. Mesothelioma can develop decades after a person was initially exposed to asbestos.

About Mesothelioma Help Cancer Organization

Mesothelioma Help Cancer Organization is a comprehensive resource for individuals and families who are coping with a mesothelioma diagnosis. The site connects patients and caregivers with specialized medical providers, recognized legal professionals and the most up-to-date information on treatment developments.

Get directions to Mesothelioma Help now to learn more about the mesothelioma cancer and leave a 5 star review if you’ve found the information helpful.

The Results of Mesothelioma Research are Worth The Wait

Blood Test in Study for Predicting Lung Cancer Recurrence Could Also Help Guide Mesothelioma Treatment

In January, MesotheliomaHelp reported on the use of a Biocept, Inc. blood test as a possible early detection tool for mesothelioma. Now, the company reports it is testing the same tool to determine if it can help predict disease recurrence in lung cancer patients.

According to a July 23 press release from Biocept, Inc., the company is partnering with UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center with two clinical studies – one to predict cancer recurrence and another to predict treatment response. The studies will use Biocept’s Target Selector liquid biopsy assays to detect circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA. To determine accuracy of the tests, the results will be compared with findings from CT or PET scans.

Even though there have been advances in the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation, the two organizations note the risk for “post-resection [after surgery] disease recurrence” in stage II or stage III cancers remains “unacceptably high.” The teams collaborating on the clinical studies are looking at lung, breast and colon cancer patients with Stage II or III recurrent cancer. They hope to find a way to predict disease recurrence in high risk patients via a blood sample, using biomarkers as a guide.

“The current standard of care to assess disease recurrence is CT imaging, which may only detect recurrence after significant organ damage has occurred,” said Razelle Kurzrock, M.D., Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Clinical Trials Office director, Moores Cancer at UC San Diego Health. “Detecting disease recurrence in these patients with a blood sample may enable more rapid and comprehensive treatment options.”

When surgeons operate on cancer patients, it is with a goal to remove as much of the malignancy as possible, and to achieve a macroscopically-complete resection, which refers to the removal of all visible tumor cells. However, it is the microscopic cells that may be left behind that can thrive and spread, leading to recurrence.

Mesothelioma, an unusual form of cancer caused by the dangerous asbestos. Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, often has a complex growth pattern making complete surgical removal a very difficult task. Use of a simple blood test that could predict a mesothelioma patient’s potential for recurrence and response to treatments could mean extended survival.

“We believe that clinical results from our patented technologies can provide physicians with important information to better predict a patient’s response to therapy and monitor their disease progress and recurrence, which can lead to better patient outcomes,” said Biocept’s President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Nall.

Although mesothelioma and lung cancer are distinct cancers, the treatment protocol is similar. The mesothelioma community closely follows lung cancer research in the hopes that the results translate to pleural mesothelioma care. The results of these studies will be followed closely. Approximately 3,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with the terminal cancer.

Discounting the Dangers of Asbestos Discounts the Value of My Father’s Life

The dangers of asbestos, even one exposure, are so frightening to me that I am paralyzed at the thought of someone coming in contact with it. Even the potential that you could be exposed is enough to bring tears to my eyes and cause serious anxiety. This applies to anyone, even a stranger, but what do you do when someone you care about doesn’t take these dangers seriously?

It is so painful when someone you love, someone who has walked this horrible mesothelioma road along with you, fails to take into account the possible ramifications of what could be caused by their negligence. My heart breaks for anyone who may come into contact with them who could also be exposed, and therefore, at risk. I am angered by their utter disregard for the memory of my father who lost his life to mesothelioma; it almost feels like they’re saying he died in vain.

It hurts when you try to explain to someone why you are concerned and they brush it off, simply saying, “It’s fine, I was careful!” or, even worse, “You’re just being ridiculous.” Is it fine that I’m left without a father, my mother without a husband, and my daughter without her grandfather? Is it ridiculous that I want to spare others from what my family had to endure? I don’t think so.

Some may say that this is overreacting, but to me, it feels like underreacting (if that’s a real thing). Families are torn apart each and every day by this cancer that could have been prevented by the elimination and proper removal of asbestos. If human lives were put in front of the dollar, we would be in a different situation right now with the continued spread of mesothelioma.

Sure, my words might cause some dissension, but I’m not afraid or ashamed to stand up for a cause that I believe in, one that is so real to me… too real. So, please, don’t be afraid to fight. Fight to be heard, fight to have your concerns addressed in a real way. Fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Summer Camps for Mesothelioma Patients?

Being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma can be an isolating experience. Due to the rarity of the disease it can be difficult to cope with having a deadly disease and to remain positive. Coping for many can be difficult, despite support groups, counselors, and family support. Although they all have the best intentions, sometimes just talking with someone who is also on a mesothelioma journey can be helpful.

Summer is a special time of year. Routines are broken and life can slow down a bit. Memories that last a lifetime can be made. For many people summer is the time for camps. Many adults have fond memories of attending camps when they were children. Relationships are formed there, and some last a lifetime.

Camps for kids with cancer are available to help support them through this difficult time. The goals of the camps are to help them feel accepted and as “normal” as possible. There are many different camps nationwide to help children cope with cancer. And now, adults with cancer can turn to camp to learn how to cope with the disease. The camp experience can give a person and their family a chance to form lasting relationships with others who might be on the same journey.

When you Google “adult summer camps for adults with cancer” many options come up. There are a wide variety of camps with different focuses. Camps for women only who are at any point in their cancer journey, whether recently diagnosed or long term survivors. There are camps that conduct retreats and include recreational programs for adults with cancer. Camps for families and caregivers of patients with cancer. Camps to improve the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Some of the benefits of camps for adults include the ability to form relationships, finding new support groups or individuals, or strengthening the relationship that the patient might already have. Another benefit cited is fighting loneliness.

Families and patients with malignant mesothelioma might find that going to summer camp is just what the doctor ordered! Consider trying one out to see if you find a fun way to cope and to make memories that are truly priceless!

Tracking the Spread of Mesothelioma With a Computer Program

Ubiquitous computing can no longer be ignored in the medical field. With nearly every patient and doctor connected and constantly available, mobile apps and personal medical devices are beginning to play a role in cancer care. Doctors can monitor a mesothelioma patient’s vital signs, side effects and symptoms through a cell phone. Now, researchers report they are taking the “power of computing” one step further by tracking cancer metastasis, or the spread of cancer, through a computer program.

In an effort to understand what drives metastasis, hoping to then uncover new therapies to stop cancer from spreading, researchers from Princeton University report they have devised an algorithm that can track migration patterns of metastatic cancer cells, according to a June 29 press release. The algorithm, named “metastatic and clonal history integrative analysis,” or MACHINA, integrates DNA sequence data with information that points to where cells are located in the body. The algorithm can help them simplify data to better determine how metastatic tumors are seeded through the cancer cell migrations.

Finding a way to halt the spread of deadly cancer cells is critical for improving survival in mesothelioma patients. Mesothelioma, caused by past exposure to asbestos, is an aggressive cancer that resists most anti-cancer drugs, allowing the cancer cells to continue to divide and spread throughout the body. According to the American Cancer Society, “With upwards of 90% of all cancer suffering and death associated with metastasis, it is the single most significant challenge to management of the disease.”

Ben Raphael, a professor of computer science at Princeton and the senior author of the new research, and his team, believe their model offers a “clearer picture of cancer migration histories” than other studies because of their combination approach to tracking the cells. They also include computations that look at tumor cells that travel in “clusters” to other parts of the body. Other studies, he says, rely solely on the DNA sequencing, and reported complex patterns. However, Raphael says the complex migration patterns did not “reflect current knowledge of cancer biology.”

“The data sets we get these days are very complex, but complex data sets don’t always require complex explanations,” said Raphael. “Our algorithm enables researchers to infer the past process of metastasis from DNA sequence data obtained at the present time.”

Raphael and the team report MACHINA found that metastatic disease “could result from fewer cellular migrations than previously thought.” This means that MACHINA can help reveal key mutations that cause cancer cells to break free and spread.

The team concluded, “MACHINA’s rigorous analysis of migration histories will aid in studies of the drivers of metastasis.”

Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Finding an effective way to stop the cancer from spreading in the first place, as opposed to treating the cancer after it has spread, brings hope to the mesothelioma community. Patients and their families are being educated about this through various summer camps for mesothelioma patients.

Read the full study in the May issue of Nature Genetics.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0106-z

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