Category: Family
Light Therapy May Ease Fatigue, Depression in Mesothelioma Patients
When being treated for mesothelioma, patients are often faced with a myriad of side effects that come along with the benefits of the cancer-fighting medicines. Fatigue, insomnia, and depression are some of the effects that often linger even after treatments are complete. Now, researchers report that light therapy may help to ease these side effects for some cancer survivors.
In a clinical trial being conducted by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the researchers are trying to determine whether regular exposure to “bright white light” can help reduce fatigue and depression in cancer patients, according to an April 11 Wall Street Journal article.
“We know that cancer patients are light-deprived,” says William Redd, a Mount Sinai psychologist and professor of medicine and a lead researcher in the trial. “You feel lousy, you stay at home, you feel even worse.” However, light therapy, he says, “has had a major impact on cancer patients with fatigue and depression.”
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 33% of all cancer survivors deal with significant emotional distress, including depression. Patients treated for mesothelioma, a terminal asbestos-caused cancer, are faced with limited treatment options and use of highly toxic doses of drugs that leave them both physically and emotionally drained. Helping to ease this stress and feelings of overwhelm can bring patients a better quality of life.
While light therapy, often called systematic light exposure, has been used for another form of depression, SAD or seasonal affective disorder, brought on by the absence of sunlight, this study is the first to assess the effects on cancer patients.
In the clinical trial, those patients who were exposed to the white light “had significant improvements in relieving symptoms of depression” compared to the group who were exposed to a dim red light. Those in the red-light group, in fact, saw no difference in their condition.
Although the researchers are still trying to uncover the reason of why the white light is effective, they believe it affects the patients’ circadian rhythms, known to influence sleep patterns and mood. According to the researchers, cancer patients often have disrupted circadian rhythms.
Like every treatment, not everyone will benefit, particularly patients with severe depression, and patients may still need some traditional medication. However, Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego who is working with the Mount Sinai team, says that the light therapy does offer “the potential to improve quality of life in cancer patients.”
Next, Mt. Sinai and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center will combine resources in a five-year study of light therapy that will focus on fatigue, depression, sleep problems, and circadian rhythms in cancer patients. Funded by a $3.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, the researchers hope to recruit 200 cancer patients.
“There is medication, there is cognitive behavior therapy, but this is so simple,” says Katherine DuHamel, the Sloan Kettering psychologist involved in the study.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. The disease is highly aggressive and is resistant to many standard cancer treatments making it a difficult disease to treat effectively. While many factors determine survival for a patient, such as treatment plan, age, overall health and fitness of the patient and the extent of the disease, physicians also believe that a positive outlook can result in the improvement in a mesothelioma patient’s health.
Photo Credit: Kalfatermann
Birthday Wishes to My Dad
April 25 would have been my Dad’s 60th birthday. As I sit and ponder, I imagine what this day would have been like if mesothelioma hadn’t robbed us of him. It’s kind of difficult to think about, but my mind wanders there nonetheless.
When Dad turned 50, we had a huge surprise party for him. It was a night filled with music (provided by his band, of course), family, friends, and fellowship. I will never forget the beaming smile that he carried throughout the gathering; it was even more glowing than usual. Dad was so happy to be surrounded by those he loved, and touched that they took the time to be with him.
My father deserved to be celebrated every day, even though he never would have agreed with my sentiments. He was a humble man who felt that he was just doing what he was supposed to do. This meant helping others, seeing the best in every situation, and most of all, being true to his faith. There was not a fake bone in Dad’s body; with him, what you saw was truly what you got.
It is honestly heartbreaking to think that my Dad won’t be here to celebrate such a milestone with us here. I do, however, take comfort in knowing that whatever he’s doing up in Heaven pales in comparison with anything we could plan on earth. Happy birthday, Dad. We love and miss you, and we know that you’re having a beautiful celebration that will last for eternity.
Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.
Worker’s Memorial Day Is a Sad Reminder About the Dangers of Asbestos
April 28 is recognized as Worker’s Memorial Day. It is a day to remember those who have died or who have become ill because of their job, and is a time to look toward the future in building and requiring safer working environments for all.
You always hear on the news about tragic accidents that take employees’ lives far too soon. Unfortunately, as the mesothelioma community knows all too well, the workplace is not always the most harmless place to be. Many people who have been victims of mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos in the workplace. My Dad, Don Smitley, passed away at the age of 57 from mesothelioma. This disease is a direct consequence of exposure to asbestos.
Maybe this day is a good time to renew our commitment as well. By recommitting ourselves to the cause of removing all traces of asbestos from our lives, be it at work, at home, or at play, we can make a difference. The mesothelioma community has a goal to make this toxic substance illegal. Taking this on can be a key step in helping to eradicate mesothelioma.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have lost a loved one in or because of an unsafe work space. Banding together, we can be the catalyst to make a change for the better.
During Asbestos Awareness Week Daughter of Mesothelioma Victim Reaffirms Commitment to Educating Others About Asbestos
“You worry too much about asbestos.” That’s what I’ve been told. To hear that I worry too much about the presence of the substance that killed my father is insensitive, cold, and inherently wrong. There is not enough concern about asbestos, which is why mesothelioma is a problem in the first place. Speaking these words to someone who has felt the snare of this disease is like pouring salt in a wound. It is painfully indescribable.
How can I explain the hurtfulness of their words? I can’t see a way, because they don’t know how I feel. They don’t feel the overwhelming sadness when I look at my daughter, knowing that her grandfather never got a chance to meet her; or the burden I carry silently to make sure that she knows everything about him that she possibly can.
They haven’t seen the countless times I’ve cried when no one was looking, just because I heard a song that brought back a treasured memory. They never picked up the phone to call my Dad to tell him something that would make him so proud, only to realize that no one is going to pick up. They haven’t noticed all the times I’ve needed them, but they just weren’t there.
They don’t understand my commitment to the mesothelioma community, and how many stories that have been shared with me, causing me to need to do more. These kinds of comments break me, but motivate me at the same time; it’s an odd juxtaposition.
No matter what, mesothelioma and its root cause will always be on my mind and the minds of those who have been impacted by this torturous cancer. We’ll pick up the slack of worrying for now…but we hope and pray that you’ll learn to care, too.
Mesothelioma Patients Encouraged to Take Time to Smell the Roses
Spring is quickly approaching, a time where new life and new beginnings are all around us. If you are a mesothelioma patient, caregiver, family or friend, now is the perfect time for a fresh start.
When you are presented with a mesothelioma diagnosis, it is easy to become detached and want to keep to yourself. Spring is a great time to change that. Why not get out and enjoy all the beauty that this world has to share. Take a walk, sit outside, visit a friend. As the old adage says, “take some time to smell the roses!”
My Dad always believed that it was the simplest things that mattered most; that the littlest nuance could make the biggest impact. Every new day is full of promise so take advantage of the time that God has blessed you with and let others bless you, too! Look around you and take notice of things that you would usually take for granted. The sunshine and beauty of springtime could be just the medicine you need!
Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.
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.
Download Now