Thursday, June 25, 2009

Cure for Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, an asbestos-linked cancer, has always been considered a death sentence because it takes so long to develop that it’s usually too late by the time it’s been diagnosed. For one man in Australia it has not been a death sentence.

An article in The Daily Telegraph reports that Stephen Bolon is the first Australian to be cured of mesothelioma. The break-through of this treatment of cancer has provided some new early detection tests and Stephen was one of the earliest people to take advantage of the tests. Lung biopsy showed no cancer but the soluble mesothelin-related peptide that measured raised levels in his body told doctors otherwise.

Stephen underwent surgery to remove his right lung, part of his diaphragm, part of his pericardium and his pleura, the thin covering that protects the lungs. That was followed by radiotherapy and two years later he is fit , healthy and cancer-free.

Respiratory physician Deborah Yates, of Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital, said mesothelioma had an incubation period of 20-40 years so once it was discovered it was too late for meaningful treatment. “We are very cautiously excited,” said Dr Yates. “We see so many people dying from mesothelioma, it would be wonderful if this works, it really would.”

Because Australia has the the highest incidence rates of asbestos-related disease in the world, it is at the forefront of research into mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung.

Doctors hope to make early detection even easier and are working under a grant to develop a simple breath test for that purpose.

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