mesothelioma

We’ve mentioned “chemobrain” on this blog before. That was on the occasion of a study seeming to confirm the existence of the loss of cognitive function that many chemotherapy patients report. Now two studies presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting case doubt. An Australian researcher found that “chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment was infrequent” in his work with breast cancer patients on chemotherapy. A Michigan State study found chemo patients performed only marginally worse on memory tests than similar people without cancer.

Paul Ehrlich won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1908. He was a very influential and visionary scientist, who coined the word chemotherapy. He also came up with the idea of a “magic bullet” - a chemical or physical substance introduced to the body that would attack the disease and only the disease, leaving the healthy tissue alone. Chemotherapy has been unfortunately not specific over the past decades. The new research into “targeted therapy” may get us closer to Ehrlich’s dream.

I just learned there was a move about Ehrlich made in 1940, starring Edward G. Robinson. Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet.

The New York Times looks at the types of cancer and how much the National Cancer Institute spends on each. Of course, much NCI funding is for general cancer research or non-specific research, but if you look at the dollars per case, there is a good deal of variance. The Times found the NCI spent $2,596 per breast cancer case and only $1,318 per prostate cancer case. Both of these types have high survival rates, and the funding per death was over $10K for each, while the funding for lung cancer (which kills more people than any other type of cancer) was only $1,630/death. It’s well known that breast cancer raises more money in private charity fund-raising in proportion to its incidence compared to other types of cancer.

The Miniing Safety and Health Administration finally lowered the limit for exposure to 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter. That’s a 95% reduction from the previous 2 fibers per cc limit. The new regulation goes into effect in late April.

Here is the “final rule” as published by the MSHA (22 pages, PDF). MSHA’s sister Labor Department agency, OSHA, has had a 0.1 fibers/cc limit for over a decade. This is the limit for most workers for a long time, but miners were for some reason stuck with more explicitly dirty air. This is an example of government failure - where the science, and even most of the work world, are ahead of the mining industry.

Hmmm, this is disappointing. After two years of decline, the number of people who died from cancer rose in 2005, per an account by the American Cancer Society. Associated Press story here. Over half a million Americans a year die from cancer.

The federal Dept of Veterans Affairs put out a press release noting their leadership in providing hospice care for veterans: “Nearly 9,000 veterans were treated in designated hospice beds at VA facilities in 2007, and thousands of other veterans were referred to community hospices to receive care in their homes.” Care for veterans should be one of our nation’s highest priorities, and the veterans affairs department, through their network of veteran service officers, helps provide that care.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery has an article about peptides in pleural effusions from mesothelioma patients. The level of soluble mesothelin-related peptide (SMRP) in the fluid appears to correlate well with mesothelioma presence. Given the difficulty in diagnosing mesothelioma, any effective markers are welcome.

OSHA put out a press release on their enforcement activities in 2007, boasting of over 39,300 inspections against a goal of 37,700. They report 88,846 violations in 2007. The 2006 injury numbers are in, and workplace fatality rates were the lowest since records have been kept, down to 3.9 deaths for every 100,000 employees.

Good news, but the fatality numbers apply to immediate or short-term deaths. Diseases caused by long-term occupational exposure (such as to asbestos) are not counted in this number.

Andrew Vickers of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has a disturbing essay in the New York Times today. Apparently researchers are relucatant to share their cancer study data. Because of concerns that their studies might be criticized, because it is proprietary business data, and out of concerns for patient privacy. Vickers is a statistician and has encountered personal rejection when asking for information, and he knows enough about the industry to say this is a common practice.

It’s unfortunate that such attitudes exist in the scientific community, especially in the Internet age when communication is easier than ever. For the good of millions of patients, I hope scientists do not horde their data, but instead share it.

Story from the BBC about the closing of Ordsall Hall, a 12th Century building near Manchester. Buildings that old typically have been through many additions, renovations, and rebuilds. Somewhere along the way asbestos was apparently put into the boiler room. Records were not always kept in the old days. Now the Salford City Council has closed the building until the asbestos can be removed. The council is trying to make Ordsall Hall, which is designated as a historic Grade 1 building, into a visitor attraction.