HEALTH ALERT: ABSESTOS SAFETY- call for action worldwide

The recent fire breakout in the premises of a building in Texas (click here for details of news) has caused the emittance of the well-known cancer causing compound-asbestos. Residents are instructed to stay away for the next six months.

This is alarming not just for them, but for the entire nation as the rate of diagnosis of mesothelioma rises.

Asbestos, known for causing a deadly form of cancer-mesothelioma which, if not diagnosed early, proves fatal. It is waterborne as well as airborne and asbestos safety warnings are spreading through media as well as health organizations.

The discovery of the hazardous effects of asbestos in the 1960s caused uproar countrywide and litigations rose against companies who used asbestos-containing products. The heavy fines, however, could not compensate for the resultant numerous deaths, which continue to rise.

Presently, the awareness that the presence of asbestos resulting in mesothelioma cancer, is not only limited to miners and factory workers, but also exposed through household products, toys, building material and chemical products.

Countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have imposed ban on the use of asbestos and citizens’ campaigning has risen to promote asbestos safety.

A major concern that has yet to be voiced is against one country that exports on a massive scale production range from toys to heavy duty machinery throughout the world and legal action could cost them heavily as well the large multinational corporations whose orders are placed with them.

The government, at its discretion, has taken precautionary measures by ordering companies whose products that have tested positive for asbestos after laboratory tests, to take their product off the market.

However, due to this discretion, companies continue to use asbestos and import them to places where the ban is yet to be imposed. The absence of a public message warning people against the use of asbestos containing products is of grave concern.

Advice on asbestos safety measures must be dealt with immediately before its too late!

Alimta®-Platinum Compound for Pleural Mesothelioma treatment

Clinical trials, conducted in Italy, have proved the chemotherapy combination of Alimta® (pemetrexed) with a platinum compound (Platinol® [cisplatin] or Paraplatin® [carboplatin]) respond well for pleural mesothelioma treatment.

The results, presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, confirmed previous findings of the same, which were as follows:

• Chances of survival increased to about 64%.
• Cancer progression decreased by about seven months.
• Anticancer responses were higher by 26.3% for patients who took Alimta/Platinol when compared with 21.6% for those who took Alimta/Paraplatin.
• Blood cells’ level of Alimta/Platinol patients dropped extensively and frequently than Alimta/Paraplatin patients.

An active combination of Alimta/Platinum, i.e. Alimta with Platinol or Alimta with Paraplatin was given to 745 untreated patients who responded well to the pleural mesothelioma treatment.

Pleural mesothelioma, a rare cancer on the tissues of the lungs leading to the chest, is caused most often by exposure to asbestos. Diagnosed only in its last stage, pleural mesothelioma does not respond to the typical cancer treatments.

Mesothelioma patients may consult with their physician prior to the Alimta and platinum compound pleural mesothelioma treatment for risks and benefits, or visit the National Foundation for Cancer Research at their web site http://www.nfcr.org/ .

Source: National Foundation for Cancer Research