Mesothelioma Breakthrough Prompts Unusual Partnership
DALLAS, Texas – An announcement of a breakthrough in diagnosing mesothelioma by doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has prompted some unusual support and partnerships in a usually contentious arena.
Last week, researchers in the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s announced the results of a study that used new DNA sequencing technology to identify genetic mutations in the genes of four patients with mesothelioma. They believe that their research points in the direction of individualizing medication and treatment plans to suit the unique characteristics of individual tumors in patients with mesothelioma and other cancers.
Mesothelioma, a rare cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos, is diagnosed in over 3,000 people each year. The cancer is debilitating and devastating, both physically and financially. Mesothelioma is incurable. The aggressive cancer is often not discovered until it has progressed to the latter stages when tumors are inoperable and medication and other treatments offer only palliative options. Because the cancer is so rare, there are few companies willing to invest in research for medication and treatments to combat the aggressive killer. Many of the most promising treatments are still in the experimental stage, which means, in many cases, that the cost of treatment is not covered by insurance.
Because of the history of asbestos use in this country, hundreds of thousands of people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions have brought lawsuits against the companies that mined, processed and distributed asbestos and asbestos-containing products. While plaintiffs and defendants face off in the courtroom, projects like the IMP at Brigham and Women’s Hospital which offers new hope for those with mesothelioma have provided a common ground where all agree – finding new treatments and a possible cure for the scourge of the industrial age is of utmost importance.
The research findings that were published in the February 25, 2008 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The new technique can analyze a tumor in a month, which allows individualized treatments to be developed rapidly. It is still an expensive proposition, though, and more research could bring the cost down significantly, making it an affordable and effective option for treatment of the so-called ‘working man’s disease’.
The International Mesothelioma Project has been largely funded through corporate contributions, but one of the oldest and largest asbestos litigation firms in the country, Baron & Budd, have sat on its Advisory Board since 2004, and made a commitment of $3 million to support their research.
Many other organizations devoted to the funding of research to eradicate mesothelioma are the product of family members of mesothelioma victims. Like those family members, trial lawyers who work intimately with those who have been affected by this devastating disease have an emotional stake in the development of new treatments for mesothelioma.
