Mesothelioma News - Scientists at Karmanos Center Isolate Cause of Pleural Pain in Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases

Scientists at Karmanos Center Isolate Cause of Pleural Pain in Mesothelioma and other Asbestos Diseases

A study published in July in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health by researchers at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute's National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers (NCVAC) has isolated the probable cause of the unrelenting chest pain experienced by patients suffering with asbestos-related diseases and cancers.

The study, headed by Michael Harbut (M.D., MPH), co-director of the NCVAC and chief of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, affiliated with Wayne State University, uses a radiographic approach developed by Carmen Endress (M.D., FACR), associate professor of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and radiologist at the NCVAC.

This approach, which uses Vitrea ® image-enhancing software from Vital Images to clarify and resolve the images delivered by a high-resolution, 64-slice CT (computer tomography) scan, delivers the sort of resolution which can identify and isolate pleural plaques as they develop.

The technology is expected to aid in earlier diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases, including cancer, and to allow for additional treatment options, including nontraditional methods, to manage the pain without the use of large amounts of narcotics, which are currently the protocol for patients in advanced stages of asbestos disease.

Harbut reported the findings after studying a 55-year-old individual who had been exposed to taconite dust as a child via a father who worked in the taconite mines from 1962 to 1969, and brought dust home on his clothing.

Taconite mining, which occurs primarily on Minnesota's Iron Range, near Duluth, Hibbing, Grand Rapids and Virginia, as well as parts of Michigan, has fallen on hard times with the decline of the United States steel industry, though it is still used in road repair materials.

The debate, whether taconite causes asbestos-type diseases because of the asbestos used in the processes, or because taconite fibers simulate asbestos, is ongoing. Only one thing is certain; mesothelioma occurs at double the expected rate in the Iron Range region.

Dr. Harbut's patient, who has reported experiencing increasing pain on her right side for the last 31 years, as well as persistent cough and wheezing. Using the enhanced imaging process, Harbut showed the progression of pleural plaques from 2005 through 2008. This pain, as well as finding from pulmonary function tests, a physical exam and other symptoms, was consistent with a diagnosis of asbestosis as defined by the American Thoracic Society.

The study shows a documented increase in pleural plaques which created friction on the covering of the ribs and caused erosion on their interior walls. The study also supports earlier human and animal studies that show taconite dust can elicit the same biological response as asbestos fibers.

Harbut describes the erosion as a "biologically plausible and anatomically logical" reason for the constant pain some patients with asbestos-related diseases experience, and notes that the study suggests a re-evaluation of the definition of asbestos, at least for medical and legal purposes, is essential.

Asbestos is the primary cause of asbestosis, some lung and digestive system cancers, and mesothelioma, a disease categorized as a "silent killer" which typically lies dormant for decades before producing symptoms specific enough to permit diagnosis. Once diagnosed, however, patients are seldom given more than a year, or 18 months, to live because the tumor has spread so widely and invaded major organs.

The Detroit-based Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States and serves 6,000 new patients a year. One of the nation's premier cancer centers, the Karmanos currently conducts more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials. The NCVAC is a direct response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's identification of major public asbestos exposure in Michigan, and addresses the need for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment.

Sources: Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Minnesota Public Radio

News

Resources

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here

If you would like to receive a FREE information packet or have questions about mesothelioma, call us at:

Toll-Free 1-877-367-6376