Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
It’s the Little Things That Make the Holiday Special for Mesothelioma Patients
This weekend, people around the world will be celebrating the holidays with family and friends. Mesothelioma patients and their families are more than likely taking a little extra time to appreciate the little things that make their time together special. Whether it is enjoying the lights of the season, a light snow falling, a football game on TV, a fire in the fireplace or the bite of a delicious cookie, taking the time to sit back and enjoy the simple pleasures of life can ease some of the stress of the season.
Unfortunately, treatments, doctors’ appointments, and the pain of the disease don’t stop during the holiday season. But patients who take the time to forget about their disease, if for just one day, will feel a little more relaxed when they return for their next appointment.
If you have a friend or a loved one suffering from a serious illness, consider taking the time to send a hand-written card, deliver a homemade treat or simply stop by for a short visit to let them know you are thinking of them.
While many factors determine survival for a mesothelioma patient, such as treatment plan and overall health and fitness of the patient, physicians also believe that a positive outlook and affirming thoughts can result in the improvement in a patient’s health. Mesothelioma patients should try to use the holiday cheer to help raise their mood and lower their anxiety level to help them feel better. Maybe those feelings will carry into the next day, week and month.
Warm wishes from all of us at MesotheliomaHelp.
Automatic Drug Delivery System Can Increase Effectiveness of Mesothelioma Treatments
Mesothelioma patients are often faced with a cocktail of drugs including anti-cancer, anti-nausea, and antibiotics when undergoing treatments. This involves countless, and sometimes lengthy, medical appointments to receive chemotherapy infusions and other injections. Now, a new implantable drug delivery device may revolutionize the way cancer patients receive their medications.
Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), in partnership with Houston Methodist Research Institute began researching a safer, more effective way to deliver medications to chronically ill patients since precision dosing is needed for maximum effectiveness. When patients are put in charge of their own medications they may forget to take them or, on the other hand, they may inadvertently take too much of a drug, leading to sometimes devastating side effects. For chemotherapy drugs and other infusions, a visit to a medical center is required. These trips can be hard on extremely ill patients, often leaving them exhausted.
Led by Lyle Hood, study lead and assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UTSA, the research team developed a tiny implantable capsule that can deliver medicinal doses for several days or a few weeks, according to a Dec. 2 article in Science Daily. The mechanism can be used for illnesses requiring a localized drug delivery over an extended period of time, such as cancer where the drug can be released directly in the tumor, or for HIV.
The researchers are hopeful that the “new device could revolutionize the delivery of medicine to treat cancer,” and other illnesses. Hood plans to pursue using the device for immunotherapy treatments for cancer patients.
“It’s an implantable capsule, filled with medicinal fluid that uses about 5000 nanochannels to regulate the rate of release of the medicine,” said Hood. “This way, we have the proper amount of drugs in a person’s system to be effective, but not so much that they’ll harm that person.”
While many mesothelioma patients are familiar with a port that is temporarily implanted for chemotherapy treatments, this device is injected under the skin and actually carries the medicine itself. The team hopes to have a fully biodegradable unit available in the future that can be swallowed.
Mesothelioma is an asbestos-caused cancer of the lungs, abdomen or heart that is very aggressive. The cancer requires an equally aggressive treatment, however, sometimes the dosing given in one visit can be too toxic for many patients. This type of delivery system that can give a steady amount of drugs over a period of time could help avoid this issue, while allowing the patient to remain at home.
Mesothelioma is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year. There is no cure for the cancer.
Feeding Tubes as Part of Mesothelioma Care
During a patient’s journey with mesothelioma, or any cancer, nutrition plays a vital role. Research has shown us how important proper nutrition is in the healing process. It is a building block of recovery, especially one that includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Some patients who are having treatment for mesothelioma have a complication that involves inserting a feeding tube. Often, this is a temporary measure until the patient is stronger and is able to maintain their nutritional status on their own.
The thought of a tube being inserted into your body, and feedings going through them is a difficult concept for many patients and their families.
There is a lot of misinformation regarding the insertion of a feeding tube and the role of tube feedings in treatment of patients. Insertion of a feeding tube and initiation of tube feedings are always done after careful consultation with the patient’s medical team and the patient. There are a lot of different scenarios for why a feeding tube might be recommended for a patient.
Feeding tubes can be placed in the nose or abdomen. For patients who are going to need them for more than a few days, it is usually the abdomen. Patients who are going to a rehab facility after their hospitalization usually have the feeding tube placed in their abdomen. The tubes themselves can be temporary and can be removed when they are no longer needed.
There are different kinds of feeding tubes and different reasons for placing the tubes where they are being placed. A nasogastric tube is placed through the nose, and the tube ends up in the stomach. This tube is good for patients who require feeding for a short amount of time.
A direct method to the stomach is a gastrostomy tube- which is placed into the stomach with the tube coming through the abdomen. A percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, PEG tube, is a technique for placing a gastrostomy through the skin to the stomach. A jejunostomy tube, J-tube, is placed directly to the intestine instead of through the stomach. There is also a percutaneous route to insert this tube called a PEJ tube. There are also tubes that have a gastric portion and a jejunal portion. The location of the tube is decided based on the individual patient‘s situation.
The whole issue of feeding tubes and the actual tube feedings can be overwhelming. There are resources available on the internet for support and questions. See the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation and www.shieldhealthcare.com for more information.
From my experience with mesothelioma patients, when feeding tubes are inserted and tube feedings begin it is usually a temporary measure allowing patients to heal over time. We have seen patients regain their strength quickly and no longer need the tube.
All patients and their mesothelioma care are unique. Ask questions of your team. Reach out for information as you, your family and your medical care team all work toward the best possible care.
Psilocybin Can Have “Profound” Impact on Managing Anxiety and Depression in Mesothelioma Patients
Many mesothelioma patients face a bleak prognosis, with survival often less than 18 months. They often become overwhelmed and depressed as they fight to improve their survival, but are forced to face their mortality at the same time. Now, researchers say the use of psilocybin, an hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms, may help improve a cancer patient’s outlook and can lead to “profound and enduring mental health benefits.”
The Journal of Psychopharmacology announced in an editorial of its special December issue that two of the “most rigorous controlled trials to date using the psychedelic drug psilocybin” found one “psychedelic experience” could bring significant relief to cancer patients suffering from anxiety and depression. In an overwhelmingly positive response to the studies by countless psychiatric organizations, the consensus is, “it’s time to take psychedelic treatments in psychiatry and oncology seriously, as we did in the 1950s and 1960s, which means we need to go back to the future,” according to the editorial by David Nutt, Imperial College London.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted a trial in 51 cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. They found that patients who received a “high-dose” of psilocybin had “large” drops in feelings of depression and anxiety as well in death anxiety. In addition, they saw an increase in their quality of life and optimism. Nearly 80% of the patients reported a “moderately or greater increased well-being/life satisfaction.”
CNN reports in a Dec. 1 article that one patient who was suffering from metastatic endometrial cancer participated in the Johns Hopkins trial. After receiving a single dose of psilocybin during the study, she said, “it was kind of magic. As I took it, the cloud of doom seemed to just lift. From then on, I was fine.” The woman had seen little to no improvement in her depression when taking prescription anti-depressants prior to the trial.
Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart caused by past exposure to asbestos. Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the cancer each year. Research has shown that patients who focus on the power of the mind-body connection and choose to be optimistic and positive will realize a higher quality of life and may respond better to treatments. However, some patients need an effective medicine to lift their spirits when depression has taken hold.
In the second study led by the New York University School of Medicine, the team took a group of 29 patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression. After just a single-dose of psilocybin, the patients experienced “immediate, substantial, and sustained improvements in anxiety and depression,” as well an increase in their spiritual wellbeing and their quality of life. After 6.5 months, the patients had “sustained benefits in existential distress and quality of life, as well as improved attitudes towards death.”
Various studies have been conducted that show positive thinking results in the improvement in a patient’s health. Many physicians believe that when there is an improvement in a patient’s mood and outlook on the illness the patient can recover more quickly from surgery and other treatments. When feeling better emotionally, mesothelioma patients may see an improvement in their energy levels, mental acuity, sleep patterns and breathing even while undergoing treatments.
The results led researchers to conclude that, along with psychotherapy, psilocybin may be a quick, effective and lasting treatment for patients with cancer-related psychological distress.
It is important to note that these studies were conducted in medical settings and the treatment was highly controlled. More research needs to be conducted, and, according to the researchers, this type of treatment will more than likely always be given in a medical facility and not released to patients.
“Hopefully, the positive findings that they report will act to spur on other researchers in the field of psychopharmacology, particularly in relation to depression, anxiety and addiction,” said Nutt.
Sources:
- Journal of Psychopharmacology
http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1163.full.pdf+html - Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1181.abstract - CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/23/health/veterans-dying-health-care-delays - New York University School of Medicine
http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1165.abstract
Steps you Need to Follow If You Have Been Exposed to Asbestos
Whether you are a Navy veteran who frequently worked around asbestos in a shipyard or a former factory worker tasked with making asbestos products, you should be vigilant in monitoring the dangerous effects this exposure could have on your health as you age.
Mesothelioma, a deadly cancer whose only known cause is asbestos, can develop up to 60 years after a person was exposed to the toxic material.
If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos, use this infographic to determine the steps you should take to get the help you need.
Contact an Experienced Mesothelioma Attorney to Discuss Your Options for Filing an Asbestos Claim.
Because asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with this debilitating cancer, you may be entitled to compensation from the asbestos companies that put you in harm’s way.
Contact us today to learn more about your legal options for pursuing compensation.
Free Mesothelioma Patient & Treatment Guide
We’d like to offer you our in-depth guide, “A Patient’s Guide to Mesothelioma,” absolutely free of charge.
It contains a wealth of information and resources to help you better understand the condition, choose (and afford) appropriate treatment, and exercise your legal right to compensation.
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