The proposals are a result of years of campaigning by advocates, who have fought for better treatment, support and compensation for victims and their families even after the 2007 legal setback.

Included in the measures are:

• The creation of an Employers’ Liability Tracing Office, which helps victims track down a company’s insurer (at the time of exposure).  Since many manufacturers of asbestos products are no longer in business, finding their insurers from a given period has been extremely difficult.

• The creation of an Employers’ Liability Bureau which will act as a fund of last resort in the event the insurer cannot be found.  Victims will receive compensation from this fund, if necessary.

• Increased upfront payments for mesothelioma victims.

• A series of payments of £5,000 for people who had begun, but not yet resolved a legal claim for compensation at the time of the 2007 ruling.

• A pledge to increase funding for mesothelioma research.

A local coroner, William Armstrong, supports the plans.  He told the Norwich Evening News,  “I deal with a substantial number of inquests into people who have died from asbestos-related diseases and the numbers seem to be growing.

“There are unfortunately people who have been exposed to asbestos many years before the condition manifests itself and many of them die in very distressing circumstances.

“Anything that can be done to help their relatives and loved ones claim the compensation to which they are entitled is very much to be welcomed.”

Ministers have also vowed to set up a working group consisting of mesothelioma lawyers, unions, insurers, the judiciary and civil servants to review asbestos law practices and procedures for obtaining compensation.  They also hope to streamline the process in order to reduce the time it takes for cases to conclude.

Click here for the full article.

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

Given that 1.3 million people worldwide die of lung cancer each year according to the World Health Organization, this could have widespread impact on the patients themselves and the healthcare systems.

With each new study I am hopeful we are coming closer to earlier detection/diagnosis and better treatment for lung cancer patients.

Read more about the study – Breathalyzer test detects lung cancer: study

Read the complete article from BCC:  “Better” test for asbestos cancer

As a provider, I find myself hopeful when reading about new research and diagnostic tools for mesothelioma and other cancers.  I feel we are getting closer to better diagnostic tools, more effective treatments, higher quality of life, and my clients living longer.  I look forward to hearing more about this new test and the implications for the mesothelioma community.

Read more:  Rosetta Genomics and Warnex Medical Laboratories Announce Exclusive Distribution Agreement for Rosetta’s microRNA-based Assays in Canada

Read the full article: Tests help lung cancer drugs reach right patients

Researchers are predicting that a new therapeutic vaccine for non-small cell lung cancer could be available in one to three years.  These vaccines are now in late phase clinical trails.  The vaccines may be used with other traditional treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.  Using the vaccines in combination with other modes of treatment may increase a patients’ quality of life, may increase life expectancy, and could decrease side effects and amounts of chemotherapy or radiation needed.  These findings were reported by ECRI Institute (an independent, non-profit organization that researches methods for improvements in patient care).

This research is important to the mesothelioma and lung cancer community because patients suffering from these diseases often have limited treatment options and poor prognosis (depending on stage of disease).  Research in the area of mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease is poorly funded and needs more attention.  This new research could mean increased advancements in treating mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers.

More information at www.medicalnewstoday.com.  Also check out this interesting article about research funding from a mesothelioma victim’s trust fund:  June Hancock: Ray of hope in cancer treatment.

Read the article here: “Blood Test May Diagnose Lung Cancer, Company Says”