Category: Featured News
Emotional Stress Of Mesothelioma Diagnosis Could Lead to PTSD
MesotheliomaHelp has reported time and again about the stress mesothelioma patients face. Trying to handle treatments in the midst of managing bills, insurance, appointments and communication with friends and family can take its toll. Now, researchers report the emotional impact of dealing with a cancer diagnosis is even more serious than previously reported.
A team of Malaysian researchers report that nearly one-fifth of cancer patients are likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) after their diagnosis, according to a Nov. 20 article in MedPage Today. In their study of just over 200 patients, they found that more than 20% of cancer patients had symptoms of PTSD a month after diagnosis. About 33% of those patients were still struggling with PTSD four years later.
“Our data underscore the risk of developing persistent PTSD even years after mesothelioma cancer diagnosis and treatment,” said Lei Hum Wee, PhD, of the National University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
The team from Kuala Lumpur is not the first to identify PTSD in cancer patients, however, they are the first to use gold-standard clinical interviews and to follow a cohort for as long as four years. With the cancer diagnosis being the traumatic exposure, to be diagnosed with PTSD a patient must also have had “at least one recurring symptom, three avoidance/numbing symptoms, and two arousal symptoms, all persisting for more than a month and resulting in significant distress or functional impairment.” For subsyndromal PTSD the patient’s response must lead to distress or functional impairment persisting more than a month, associated with the presence of at least six symptoms from three of four categories (recurring, avoidance/numbing, hyperarousal, and duration), according to the researchers.
Numerous studies have shown that if after a terminal cancer diagnosis a patient does not receive proper support managing the vast number of issues they are faced with, such as financial issues, transportation needs, personal care and family management, the stress can lead to depression, anxiety and failing health. In fact, according to a 2007 breakthrough study conducted by the Institute of Medicine, physicians should also monitor the social and emotional health, or psychosocial needs, of patients to lessen their suffering and to “support their return to health.” The IOM report stressed that, “Psychosocial issues in cancer are palpable, important, and potentially crippling.”
The researchers in the current PTSD study reported that for the patients in their study, a cognitive behavioral therapy had “significant improvement in anxiety and distress associated with fear of cancer recurrence.” Mesothelioma patients should discuss treatment options for their mental health with their oncologist. Treating the emotional aspect of mesothelioma should not be ignored.
“This [study] highlights a need to monitor PTSD among long-term cancer survivors, especially because many of the symptoms of PTSD, such as avoidance and cognitive difficulties (as well as psychological distress), are enduring, which may potentially impact adherence to treatment,” said Dr. Lei Hum Wee.
Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
Targeting Nerves To Stop Mesothelioma Growth
Researchers have spent countless hours searching for an effective way to keep mesothelioma cells from migrating and growing. They have looked at biomarkers within the cells, improved radiation techniques and stronger chemotherapy, with each approach falling short of the breakthrough needed to extend survival. Now, researchers are turning their attention to nerve cells as a target for halting cancer growth.
Researchers from across the globe have begun building on research from the 80s from Johns Hopkins University where alcohol injections were given to ease the pain in pancreatic cancer patients, according to an Oct. 18 article in the New Scientist. In the original research, when advanced-stage pancreatic cancer patients were injected with alcohol in the nerves around the tumors pressing on the spine, not only did the patients find pain relief but they also gained (on average) three more months of life.
At the time, the scientists chalked up the extended survival to the mind-body connection theory that by relieving the pain the patients were in a better mood and were more active allowing them to tolerate and respond to standard treatments better. Research over the years, points instead to the ability of cancer cells to travel along the nervous system and metastasize to other organs and the brain.
Expert Insight
Gustavo Ayala, University of Texas Health Science Center
“If you don’t take care of the nerves, you’re not going to cure cancer “
“It’s not entirely clear why, but we know that nerves release stimulatory molecules such as neurotransmitters,” says Hubert Hondermarck, a cancer neurobiologist at the University of Newcastle in Australia, in a March 27 press release from the University. “Cancer cells receive these and use them for their benefit, growing, multiplying, migrating, invading and creating metastasis – there is therefore a nerve dependence for cancer cells.”
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that can multiply and spread quickly making it impossible to treat. Metastasis, according to the National Cancer Society, is the cause of 90 percent of all cancer deaths. Needless to say, stopping the spread of cancer cells is critical for improving survival in mesothelioma patients.
Although nerves are the target of the research, those targeted must be carefully selected, since destroying any nerve cells can have far-reaching implications such as affecting the heart, digestion or the ability to feel heat and pain.
The involuntary or “autonomic” nervous system’s opposing functions, rest and fight or flight, help drive the target for treatment in cancer or other diseases. For example, targeting nerve receptors involved in fight-or-flight responses can aid heart patients, whereas looking at nerves that relax the body could halt the free flow of cancer cells.
“It’s exciting,” says Claire Magnon, a cancer biologist at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission near Paris. “This is the beginning of a new era in cancer research.”
Further study by Hondermarck, and others looking at additional cancer types, led Hondermarck to conclude that the interaction of the cancer cells and the nerves is “relatively widespread,” indicating the research is beneficial for many types of cancer.
Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. The mesothelioma community always sits up and takes note when a breakthrough of such significant proportions, like this, leads researchers to a different approach for treating cancer.
Read the full study in the March 13 issue of Cancer Cell.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1535610816306055
Sources:
- New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2078806-gentler-attack-on-cancer-may-mean-we-can-live-with-it-for-longer - University of Newcastle in Australia
https://www.newcastle.edu.au/newsroom/featured-news/study-strikes-a-nerve-with-the-spread-of-cancer
Mesothelioma Patients Can Be Thankful for Enjoying the Comforts of Home on Thanksgiving
Dealing with mesothelioma anytime during the year is challenging, but some patients find managing their illness during the holidays even more stressful. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you are able to be home during the holidays, you may find that simply sitting back and enjoying your own decor and your Thanksgiving Day traditions with friends and family can ease your stress.
The support and joy of family on Thanksgiving “fortifies the spirit” and helps someone battling a serious illness feel less isolated, according to an article from Assisted Home Care, Inc. Having friends and family members stop by for a visit or a meal allows the mesothelioma patient to participate in the festivities along with everyone else.
Other reasons for staying in your own home on Thanksgiving when dealing with cancer include:
- You Get A Break: Taking a break when in your own home is easy. If you are visiting someone else, you could feel like a burden if you have to leave early to rest. At home, however, you can slip away, take a nap, and return to the festivities.
- You Can Educate the Family: The holidays may be the only time of the year you see some of your family members. Instead of trying to hide your illness, use the time as a way to educate them about mesothelioma and the demands it can take on you. This can help everyone better understand your daily struggles and let them better understand how to support you.
- Take the Fear Away from the Youngsters: “Younger family members gain meaningful insight and learn new ways to adjust their own perspective when visiting an ill loved one during the holidays,” according to Assisted Home Care. By visiting you in your home, children will be less afraid of the situation, and can learn about your illness right along with the adults. Seeing how their loved ones are affected by sickness “can inspire compassion and empathy” in the children.
If you are in a mesothelioma treatment program, take advantage of the support services and counseling services offered to help you cope with the holidays. They can give you a healthy perspective on your feelings.
Even if you, or your loved one, are in the hospital over Thanksgiving, taking the time to think of something to be grateful for can lighten the mood. Make sure you let your family members know if you are up for guests. Taking care of yourself is important and knowing when to say “no” is critical to your health and well-being.
Warm wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving from all of us at MesotheliomaHelp.
Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2017 Introduced in Senate
Linda Reinstein, co-founder and President/CEO of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, scored a victory in her fight for an asbestos ban when a group of senators introduced the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN) of 2017 early this month. Named for Reinstein’s husband who lost his life in 2006 to mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer, the bill aims to have asbestos “taken off the market once and for all.”
Asbestos is a human carcinogen and exposure to the mineral is known to cause mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers. There is as yet no known cure and researchers are seeking more effective treatments to manage the disease. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
“It’s outrageous that in the year 2017, asbestos is still allowed in the United States,” said Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), one of the sponsors. “It’s time for us to catch up to the rest of the developed world, and ban this dangerous public health threat once and for all.”
Many people erroneously believe asbestos use has been banned in the U.S., but a ruling in 1989 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was overruled. Initially, the EPA issued a final rule included in Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) banning most asbestos-containing products. However, in 1991, most of the original ban on the manufacture, importation, processing, or distribution in commerce for the majority of the asbestos-containing products originally covered in the 1989 rule was overturned, according to the EPA.
Expert Insight
Linda Reinstein, ADAO
“It’s time to make asbestos a thing of the past in this nation once and for all.”
“ADAO is extremely thankful to Senator Merkley for championing the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN) of 2017,” said Reinstein in the Nov. 2 press release from Senator Diane Feinstein announcing the bill.
Reinstein has been a tireless advocate for the mesothelioma community, spending countless hours talking to government officials pleading for changes to the antiquated asbestos laws in the U.S. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to education, advocacy, and community, with an end goal of banning asbestos in the U.S. ADAO is the largest independent organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases.
See a PSA video about the hazards of asbestos released by ADAO earlier this year.
According to the press release, the highlights of ARBAN include:
- Amend TSCA to require the EPA to identify and assess known uses of, and exposures to all forms of asbestos.
- Require that, within 18 months of enactment, the EPA must impose restrictions on the use of asbestos necessary to eliminate human or environmental exposure to all forms of asbestos.
- Within one year, disallow the manufacturing, processing, use or distribution of commerce asbestos other than described in EPA’s rule.
“We can no longer afford to wait, Congress must ban asbestos now,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Visit the ADAO website for more information and to find out how you can support the effort to ban asbestos.
Sources:
- EPA
http://www2.epa.gov/asbestos - ADAO website
http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/archives/19485 - Senator Diane Feinstein
https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=A3B14AFF-7679-4CAA-84EE-D5B26914E956
Mesothelioma Researchers Urged To Apply For Fellowship Award For The Early Detection Of Lung Cancer
Many of the articles from MesotheliomaHelp report on the latest breakthroughs in research. But each breakthrough takes a lot of time and a lot of money. Last month, two organizations focused on bringing effective treatments to lung cancer patients announced a partnership for a fellowship award for the early detection of lung cancer. Lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma, and all cancers, detected in the early stages brings increased survival to patients.
Free ME From Lung Cancer (FMFLC) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) joined forces in offering the first-ever $200,000 Joint Fellowship Award for the Early Detection of Lung Cancer. According to an Oct. 10 press release, the award supports novel, innovative and translational research with the potential of having a high clinical impact on the early detection of lung cancer.
“This first joint award between FMFLC and the IASLC funds research that will positively impact lung cancer patients,” said Deb Violette, President and Founder of FMFLC. “We are thrilled to be working with the IASLC to help change the lives of lung cancer patients.”
The treatment protocol for pleural mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, is nearly identical to lung cancer. Funding offered to bring a new, effective treatment to lung cancer patients is a benefit to pleural mesothelioma patients as well. A focus on early detection brings even more hope to the mesothelioma community that future patients will enjoy a longer survival.
Patients with pleural mesothelioma do not exhibit many symptoms until the disease is at an advanced, incurable stage. Currently, there are no screening tests for lung cancer or mesothelioma like those available for breast and prostate cancer.
Pleural mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments, leading researchers throughout the world to spend countless hours searching for better ways to treat the incurable cancer. They rely on funding from public and private sources to run their clinical trials and to ensure continuous funding throughout the projects.
“Fellowships like this foster groundbreaking and collaborative research worldwide,” said IASLC Foundation Director, AnnMarie Estrada.
The National Cancer Institute reports that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women with an estimated 222,500 new diagnoses and 155,870 deaths in the U.S. in 2017. Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
Free ME from Lung Cancer is the only nonprofit based in Maine dedicated solely to raising money for lung cancer research and offering early lung cancer screening for high risk patients who do not have insurance.
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies.
The money is awarded over two years with $100,000 given each year. Applications will be accepted until December 31. The award winner will be notified on March 15, 2018.
Visit the IASLC website to learn more.
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