Asbestos in schools has been a long-standing concern.  In 2015, there were 131,000 public and private schools running in the United States, and one-third of them were thought to have contained asbestos.  Everything from ceiling tiles to insulation and heating ducts has caused asbestos exposure in schools, putting both teachers and students at risk of developing asbestos diseases like mesothelioma. 

February 2nd, 2019 will mark 13 years since my life-saving surgery done by the late Dr. David Sugarbaker.  13 years was not even something I thought I could achieve all those years ago when I was told I had just 15 months to live.  Over the last 13 years, I have had so much to be thankful and grateful for.  All I have to do is look at my daughter, who was just a tiny, serious baby when I was diagnosed, and now she is taller than I am – a fact she is all too happy to point out at every moment possible!  13 years of scanxiety, 13 years of advocacy, and 13 years of living for today. 

An early-phase clinical trial through the National Cancer Institute found promising results for a new immunotherapy drug, avelumab, in the treatment of unresectable pleural mesothelioma.  The study tested the safety and efficacy of the drug on 53 mesothelioma patients who had previously been treated with chemotherapy and seen disease progression. 

Scientists at the University of Queensland in Australia have been working to find a cancer test that will detect cancer sooner, allowing patients to begin treatment earlier and improve their prognosis.  This is particularly influential for rare cancers like malignant mesothelioma that are difficult to detect.  Early detection is the best way to improve mesothelioma prognosis, stressing the need to find better diagnostic tools. 

The holidays can be magical and stressful, make you thankful or hate everything.  But when you add in a cancer diagnosis, treatment, or a hospital stay, or any illness to the season, you end up dealing with so much more.  The season comes with some pretty high expectations and along with that, equal disappointment.  I learned LONG ago to tamper expectations and try not to get carried away, but it isn’t always that easy. 

Mesothelioma is often treated with a multimodal therapy of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.  Though these treatments are considered the standards of care, as curative and palliative options, researchers have debated the exact role of radiation for mesothelioma over the years.  Some studies have suggested the therapy is not effective and mesothelioma tumors may be resistant to the treatment overall.  Others have claimed that the treatment is best used palliatively to shrink tumors and help alleviate symptoms. 

Researchers of a phase 2 clinical trial for malignant pleural mesothelioma testing immunotherapy drug durvalumab with the standard first-line chemotherapy treatment, pemetrexed and cisplatin, have seen encouraging results that suggest the new combination could be a treatment option for patients. 

In October, Canada’s government followed through on a promise it made in 2016 to eventually ban asbestos use.  On December 30, the Prohibition of Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos Regulations will prevent the sale and use of asbestos, but will also target the sale, importation, and use of asbestos-containing products. 

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation recently held its International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma in New York City, the second of two events scheduled for 2018.  Doctors, nurses, patients, and caregivers met in Manhattan to discuss the disease, current treatments, and cutting-edge tactics aimed at helping mesothelioma patients live longer, better lives. 

In September, Duro Dyne National Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid rising asbestos claims.  Now the company is facing pressure from the Department of Justice because of who the company appointed to handle its future asbestos trust fund claims. 

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