He was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer associated with asbestos exposure, in 2009 and had undergone chemotherapy treatment.  He passed away at a medical facility outside of Los Angeles, California.

Last year, Olsen filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against NBC Universal, 20th Century Fox and other companies, claiming his cancer was from negligent exposure to asbestos according to The Washington Post.

Olsen starred at Utah State University before going on to play professional football for the Los Angeles Rams, winning numerous awards and never missing a game.   He played in 14 consecutive Pro Bowls and was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1982.  While playing for the Rams he earned a master’s degree in economics from Utah State.

After his playing career was over, Olsen made a seamless transition to television, spending 16 years as a broadcaster for NBC’s football coverage.  His colleagues praised him for his attention to detail and intelligent and insightful commentary.

“He was so thoroughly prepared, he should have been a lawyer,” his longtime NBC broadcast partner Dick Enberg told the Los Angeles Times in 2006.

He then became a television actor.  He was best known for his roles on the popular shows Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy.

Olsen is survived by his wife of 47 years, Susan Olsen, three children, three brothers, five sisters and four grandchildren.

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Some basic information:

Alternative Medicine

• Typically used in place of conventional medicine
• Often these methods are unproven
• Can be invasive
• Are potentially harmful (safety and effectiveness have not been studied)
• Examples include megavitamins, herbs, and homeopathic teas

Complementary Medicine

• Typically used together with conventional medicine
• May be helpful in supporting the patient during treatment
• Can decrease patients side effects and discomfort while undergoing treatment
• Have data to support their effectiveness
• Examples include Tai Chi, massage, mind-body techniques, and counseling

As more patients are looking into alternative and complementary therapy, medical providers have asked for increased research in these areas.  Some sources say up to 50% of patients explore or participate in these types of therapies.  As medical providers learn more they are incorporating these methods into their practices.  Integrative medicine – combining complementary treatments with conventional care is being more common as these therapies prove to be effective.

More information can be found at the Mayo Clinic – Complementary and alternative medicine:  What is it?

According to a 2009, study conducted by investigators McCoy, et al. and published in Tissue Antigens, chemoimmunotherapy has become the most recent strategy for the treatment of cancerous mesothelioma.  Chemoimmunotherapy is a treatment strategy that combines chemotherapy, which uses different drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells with immunotherapy, which uses treatments to restore the ability of the immune system to fight cancer.

This recent study has revealed the fact that a cancer such as mesothelioma has been found to effectively interact with the immune system and this makes it a good candidate for immunotherapy.   Several immunotherapies have been investigated to date and the investigators have determined that immunotherapy should be combined with conventional chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy as a treatment method that is proving itself, although modestly, to be effective.

The investigators are gearing up to begin a Phase I clinical trial using immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy as it is becomes more and more clear that careful drug selection, dosing and scheduling will be significant when designing a chemoimmunotherapy for mesothelioma.

This study is important because it suggests maintenance therapy as a regular practice and highlights the important of histology in choosing treatment options for nonsquamous NSCLC patients.  Maintenance therapy is used with other types of cancer, but is not standard practice for non-small cell lung cancer.  Histologies refer to the various tumor types which fall under the NSCLC category.

Read the about the study:  Significant Survival Benefit for Patients Facing Deadly Form of Lung Cancer

There are a small number of doctors and treatment facilities across the US that specialize in mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases.  My clients often tell a whole different story after they have met and been treated by an MD who has experience treating this rare disease.

Anne Tsao, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology at M.D. Anderson, talks about her experience with mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment in this interview with Cancer Newsline.

Dr. Harbut and his team were recently in the news for using this technology to determine a likely reason for chronic chest pain in some patients with asbestos-related diseases and cancers.  He reports they were able to diagnose and improve treatment decisions with this sophisticated approach.

This new approach could mean earlier detection of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases as well as increasing treatment options.  It’s an example of how research can improve the treatment and quality of life for patients suffering as a result of asbestos exposure and disease.  I look forward to hearing more about this new process and the implication for the mesothelioma community.

Read more about Dr. Harbut and the new imaging technology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute website.

Alternative Medicine That Can Ease Symptoms           

• Massages
• Mind-Body Techniques- Includes meditation, hypnosis, different relaxation    techniques, behavioral therapy, bio feedback , and guided imagery.
• Ginger Capsules- Used to work against nausea brought on by chemotherapy.
• Yoga and Tai Chi
• Music and Art Therapy
• Acupuncture- Deals with certain types of nausea, pain, dry mouth and hotflashes.

 Alternative Options That Do Not Help And Could Cause Harm

•  High doses of vitamin E, A, and possibly C
• Laetrile
• Chaparral
• Shark Cartilage
• Pau D’arco
• PC-SPES- a herbal concoction for prostate health

Alternative Options That Offer a Risk of Drug or Hormone Interaction

• St. John’s Wort- Lowers the effectiveness of many medications.
•  Fish oil, garlic, ginger,gingko, and feverfew- All bring on the risk of bleeding.
• Magnesium and thiazide- Does not react well with cisplastin and similar cancer drugs.
• Red clover, dong quai, licorice- Offer a hormonal risk for women.
• Folic Acid- Interferes with the cancer drug methotrexate.

 All of the above information came from SignOnSanDiego.Com, Society for Integrative Oncology, American Dietetic Association, various federal agency Web sites, and AP interviews.

Learn more about mesothelioma treatment.

Debbie was told by doctors that she had between six and nine months to live. So, she traveled to Frankfurt, Germany for treatment after hearing of an experimental process being carried out by Professor Thomas Vogl. The treatment is known as chemoembolization and is more commonly used to fight liver cancer. It introduces chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumor area through a catheter into the lung.

Each session costs Debbie £3,500 and she uses her mesothelioma compensation from a recent settlement to pay for six sessions at the clinic. She will travel to Germany in three months as her progress is being monitored by Prof Vogl, who is trialing the treatment on mesothelioma patients. Prof Vogl says he treats about 500 patients a year using the localized chemotherapy.

Learn more about mesothelioma treatment.

The study will be focused on MORAb-009 being used in addition to chemotherapy drugs that are currently the standard form of  mesothelioma treatment. The objective is to show that MORAb-009 is an effective treatment based on progression-free survival in patients with locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma. 

Beyond that, secondary objectives will be the safety and anti-tumor activity of the drug. Ideally MORAb-009 will block the function of mesothelin, a cell surface protein on mesothelioma, stopping further growth of any mesothelioma tumors.

Morphotek plans to enroll 86 patients in the study, with locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma, who have not been previously treated for the disease.

Learn more about mesothelioma treatment.

In a survey conducted by The American Cancer Society and The Kaiser Family Foundation 20% of people with health insurance can’t afford the necessary treatment for their cancer. With insurance providers placing limits on insurance benefits and policies, the cost to the patient goes up. 

Take 10-year old Taylor Wilhite for example. She has been battling Leukemia since last March and is already reaching the $1 million life time limit of coverage under her father’s health insurance. Or look at 58-year old Jamie Drzewicki, her breast cancer has gone in to remission after treatment and surgery but her $100,000 policy has already ran out with more bills to still be paid.

“I can’t go on with the fear that I’m gonna get cancer again, and have this stress every day, and I have to let it go, and try to pay what I can,” she said.  

John Sefferin, leader of the American Cancer Society for 17 years feels that cancer is a problem that based on what we can do through science and medicine can be handled but it just isn’t affordable.

The survey conducted was partially based on requests for financial aid concerning cancer treatment received by the American Cancer Society. It found several consistent problems facing those who had medical insurance; high cost sharing, limits on insurance coverage that are substantially lower than the cost of treatment, and limitations on policies when and employee becomes to sick to work anymore. 

The report on the survey didn’t offer any recommendations, but according to Sefferin the study should underscore a need for healthcare reform.