There are many institutions whose objective is to treat and cure cancers such as mesothelioma.  Over the years of representing clients with asbestos-related illnesses, the law firm of Galiher DeRobertis Ono has come to recognize institutions that have offered exceptional care to our clients.

The City of Hope is among these outstanding cancer treatment and research facilities where patients diagnosed with mesothelioma can find excellent treatment.  City of Hope has remained steadfast in its commitment to provide patients with quality care for nearly 100 years, and it is listed as one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

The City of Hope states that “Compassion drives our innovation.”  It aims to “give patients the chance to live longer, better and more fully.”  Many great institutions like the City of Hope understand that the quality of a patient’s life is as important as preserving life itself, especially when treating a disease like mesothelioma.  Institutions like City of Hope have dedicated themselves to providing their patients with state-of-the-art treatments and well-rounded patient support for the mind, body, and soul.

Patient Support at City of Hope

The Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center helps to fulfill the City of Hope’s mission to “care for the whole person.”  This resource facility aims to be a model of compassionate care similar to other facilities around the nation.

Here you will find volunteers and professionals offering services that range from psychological consults to palliative care.  Pain management specialists, spiritual care providers, peer support groups, nutrition education, and social workers are all available to patients and their families at the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center.  The focus here is “strength, resilience, and hope.”

Services Offered At The City of Hope

• Patient Navigators at The City of Hope

These professionals are available to patients throughout their stay.  They help patients and family members get through complicated health care systems and help patients make use of the services available to them.  The patient navigators can help patients find interpreters, social workers, and financial counselors.  A patient navigator will likely contact a patient before his or her second visit to a City of Hope physician.

• Healing Arts Program

Many times, patients can find it therapeutic to take part in art classes, writing workshops, or music therapy.  These services are offered through the Biller Resource Center and are taught by specially trained artists and therapists.

• Positive Image Center

The way you look on the outside often affects the way you feel on the inside, and it can often be difficult for cancer patients as certain treatments can result in hair loss, and skin and nail discoloration.  At the Positive Image Center, makeup, skin care products and advice are offered along with hats, scarves and wigs for hair loss.  The goal here is to improve one’s self-image and self-confidence.

• Nutrition Education

Anyone who has been on a diet knows that nutrition can be a complicated subject.  Often times, patients experience a loss of appetite or difference in taste, and others may just want to eat healthier.  Here, dietitians help minimize treatment side-effects and help you create nutrition plans after treatment.

• Counseling and Support

Feelings of anxiety and depression often surface after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.  The City of Hope screens patients who may benefit from counseling.  Psychologists, psychiatrists, and clinical social workers can help patients cope with these feelings that have a lot to do with a patient’s overall health.  These services can also help with pain and the common feeling of isolation that so many mesothelioma patients experience.

In addition to these counseling services, the City of Hope offers patient peer pals.  This allows patients to be matched with other patients who have gone through an experience with cancer.  Sometimes the most comforting feeling comes from listening to someone who has been in your position before.

Galiher DeRobertis Ono Continues to Support Facilities That Provide Comprehensive Care to Victims of Asbestos-Related Illnesses

Over the years of representing many individuals with asbestos-related illnesses, we have created strong bonds with our clients and their families.  We know how devastating a diagnosis of mesothelioma can be.  As attorney Gary Galiher says, “We have been greatly moved by the courage our clients display, and we are truly thankful for institutions like the City of Hope that strive to enhance and encourage their patients’ commitment to live longer, healthier, fuller lives.”

The fact that asbestos exposure can cause malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases is well established.  However, despite years of research, the actual mechanisms by which asbestos fibers cause disease on a cellular level remain unclear.  The International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) research team at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston continues to investigate the role of asbestos in the development of mesothelioma.  They hope these studies will improve mesothelioma patient treatment and recovery leading to the ultimate goal of finding a cure for this deadly tumor.

Focusing on Asbestos Fibers

Researchers such as John Godleski, M.D. at the International Mesothelioma Program want to answer three basic questions about asbestos in the body and its relationship to mesothelioma.  They want to know what kinds of asbestos fiber are present, how much is there and where those fibers are located.  Using various scientific equipment and innovative techniques including confocal microscopy, chemiluminescence on in vivo or live tissue, and scanning electron microscopy, they are able to answer some of these questions.

Confocal microscopy captures images that are cross-sections of tissue samples.  These two-dimensional slices can be combined to create a three-dimensional volume or model which helps researchers visualize the precise locations of the asbestos fibers in the tissue.  Knowing where the asbestos fibers are located is key to understanding the mechanism of translocation, which is the way asbestos fibers deposited in the lungs are transported to the pleura or lining in the lungs and abdomen.

The amount of reactive oxygenation species or ROS present in a tissue sample can be measured using in vivo chemiluminescence techniques.  High levels of ROS can damage DNA and may be linked to the development of cancers such as mesothelioma.  The IMP research team uses chemiluminescence to determine the timing and location of this important process.

Lastly, when asbestos fibers are identified accurately, the amount of asbestos fibers or fiber burden can be estimated with electron microscopes.  The type of fiber may be compared with the patient’s asbestos exposure history to correlate certain fiber types with the development of mesothelioma.

Possible Implications for Mesothelioma Treatment and Prognosis

One approach to prevent the development of mesothelioma is to try to block, disrupt or alter the process of translocation of asbestos fibers from the lungs to the pleura.  As noted earlier, in vivo chemiluminescence can identify susceptible regions like the lymphatic system involved in the translocation process.  This information could be used to slow down the movement or allow removal of the fibers before they are able to develop mesothelioma in the pleura.

The IMP investigators observed that pleural malignant mesothelioma patients with lower asbestos burdens have a higher survival rate than those patients with the highest burdens.  They discovered an association between asbestos fiber burden and degree of tumor suppressor gene silencing.  Higher asbestos burden corresponded to an increase in epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes in mesothelioma.  This may explain why patients with lower asbestos fiber burden are predicted to have better clinical outcomes.

Need for Asbestos Research Remains

The use of asbestos through the 1980s and later in the United States and long latency means that mesothelioma will affect a significant number of exposed individuals for the foreseeable future.  Gary Galiher, a lawyer who has represented mesothelioma patients for more than 30 years, agrees with the International Mesothelioma Program researchers that “additional studies of the role of asbestos in the development of mesothelioma are necessary and will help improve treatment and prognosis of this deadly cancer.”

When patients receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma, it is important that they immediately investigate and evaluate the many outstanding mesothelioma treatment centers located throughout the country.  The law firm of Galiher DeRobertis Ono has been helping victims of mesothelioma and other illnesses caused by exposure to asbestos for over 30 years.  Over this time, we have observed an evolution of treatment for mesothelioma patients and have come to see that there are many excellent institutions and cancer centers that have made great progress in advancing treatments.  Attorney Gary Galiher remarked, “These facilities have helped many of our mesothelioma clients live longer, healthier lives, and they are continually conducting research to help bring us closer to a cure.”  Too numerous to name all of them, below is a small sampling of the many mesothelioma treatment centers that patients should consider.

City of Hope

The state-of-the-art City of Hope facilities are located in Duarte, California, in acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.  At the City of Hope, compassionate patient care is the objective.  Here, ideas and breakthrough discoveries turn into emerging new therapies of tomorrow.  The City of Hope is one of the 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

M. D. Anderson is also one of the 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.  Its slogan is “Making Cancer History.”  M. D. Anderson sits in the middle of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.  It has treated over 800,000 patients since 1944, using a multidisciplinary approach that includes immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.  Because its experts focus in the treatment of cancer, M. D. Anderson is well-known for the ability to treat all types of cancer, including rare and uncommon cancers such as mesothelioma.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has a team of specialists, including surgeons, medical oncologists, scientists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists, who aim to provide “experienced, up-to-date, and thoughtful care” of mesothelioma patients.

Sloan-Kettering offers its patients and their families a wide base of support ranging from clinical trials, to symptom management and even cosmetic education that help patients cope with the effects of mesothelioma.  Sloan-Kettering is one of the 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

The International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

The International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) is located in Boston at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which together  with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has combined resources to provide comprehensive care to mesothelioma patients.

Dr. David Sugarbaker, M.D., is the founder and director of the International Mesothelioma Program (IMP)  and is the Chief of Thoracic Surgery.  The IMP focuses on the treatment and cure of mesothelioma, and it currently consults with over 300 mesothelioma patients annually and treats over 180 of these patients.   It is the largest program of its kind.

Dana-Farber is another of the 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.  It has been dedicated to helping cancer patients since 1947.  It specializes exclusively in cancer research, care and treatment.  It aims to provide its patients with compassionate care while advancing the diagnosis, treatments, and prevention of cancer and related diseases.  Outpatient care of mesothelioma patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital usually takes place at Dana-Farber.

Mayo Clinic

For decades, the Mayo Clinic has been dedicated to the treatment of complex illnesses, such as those caused by asbestos exposure.  It is one of the 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.  Mayo Clinic employs over 3,000 physicians, scientists and researchers, and offers hospital services in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

Many patients with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are treated at the Mayo Clinic.  The Mayo Clinic’s philosophy is “the needs of the patient come first.”

Galiher DeRobertis Ono Supports Treatment for Mesothelioma Patients

Over the many years of representing mesothelioma patients, we have forged strong bonds with our clients and their families.  We are aware of the devastating physical, emotional and financial consequences this disease has for patients and their friends and families.  Through our work, we have had the opportunity to interact with the researchers and the treating medical professionals of these great institutions, and we are encouraged by their dedication and unwavering commitment to helping their patients and our clients live richer and longer lives.  These professionals and outstanding treatment and research facilities continue to provide us with hope that one day we will find a cure for mesothelioma.

Although the disease malignant pleural mesothelioma has been known and treated for decades, especially among shipyard workers and U. S. Navy veterans, pleural mesothelioma practice guidelines were first presented only recently, in March 2010, by Dr. Lee Krug, director of the Mesothelioma Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering at the annual meeting of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).  The Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma practice guidelines encompass diagnosis and evaluation, treatment for the various stages of mesothelioma, chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy.  These guidelines serve as a practical outline for physicians faced with diagnosing and treating a patient with pleural mesothelioma.  The guidelines were developed through the collaborative effort of the NCCN Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma panel members.  The National Comprehensive Cancer Network is a nonprofit alliance comprised of more than 20 of the leading cancer treatment centers across the country.

Mesothelioma Surgery as a Viable Option

Dr. Krug in his presentation discussed surgery as an option for treating malignant pleural mesothelioma.  There are two types of surgeries; one is the decortication or pleurectomy and the other is the more aggressive approach which is the extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP).  The extrapleural pneumonectomy involves resecting the pleura, the lung and the diaphragm.  This is a major surgery and should be performed by skilled surgeons, he remarked.  Dr. Krug indicated that the extrapleural pneumonectomy should be considered for patients with early stage mesothelioma.  He indicated there is a fair amount of controversy in the medical community about its use.

At the International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, one of the member institutions of the NCCN, Dr. David Sugarbaker regularly and skillfully performs both surgeries with some remarkable results.

Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Necessary for Mesothelioma

The guidelines indicate that the first line chemotherapy regimen is pemetrexed (Alimta) combined with Cisplatin.  Even with surgery, both chemotherapy and radiation therapy are recommended.  Carboplatin can also be used in place of Cisplatin.  Use of other drugs such as Gemcitabine and Vinorelbine can be prescribed as well.  Chemotherapy and radiation are necessary to prevent relapse and to treat the cancer cells that are microscopic and are present even after surgery.

Mesothelioma Guidelines Will Improve Treatment

The oncology practice guidelines are a result of evidence based research and are the consensus of the malignant mesothelioma panel of NCCN.  Thirty-five oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and hematology oncologists participated on the panel and worked on the guidelines.  The guidelines are now available for practicing physicians, but of course each physician will use his or her best independent medical judgment to decide how to treat and care for a mesothelioma patient.

These unprecedented malignant pleural mesothelioma guidelines take medical care a big step forward in standardizing and improving the treatment, prognosis and quality of life for a person being diagnosed with mesothelioma today.  Attorney Gary Galiher, who has represented mesothelioma clients for over 30 years, applauds and commends the work of the many physicians and scientists in their clinics, hospitals and laboratories, “It is their hard work and years of experience that enabled the NCCN to develop these new clinical practice guidelines for malignant pleural mesothelioma.”

When faced with a life-threatening diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, the patient and his or her loved ones will certainly seek the most advanced medical care to ensure the best possible outcome.  Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is at the forefront of such cutting-edge medical research and care for mesothelioma patients.  Dr. Lee M. Krug, a thoracic oncologist, is the Director of the Mesothelioma Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).  With its main campus and inpatient hospital located in Upper East Side Manhattan, Memorial Sloan-Kettering also has about a dozen outpatient clinics in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey where mesothelioma patients can receive their chemotherapy and radiation treatments at these community-based locales.

Multi-Disciplinary Team Serves Mesothelioma Patients

If you decide to contact Sloan-Kettering, you may want to consider the option of entering one of several mesothelioma clinical trials for treatment and care.  This consideration will be carefully discussed with a physician or nurse clinician at Sloan-Kettering who is part of a multi-disciplinary team.  This team of specialists will be there to serve you and meet your medical needs, as well as your emotional and other needs, as you go forward with your treatment and care for mesothelioma.

Consider Entering A Mesothelioma Clinical Trial

Under Dr. Krug’s leadership, there are presently at least three open mesothelioma clinical trials being conducted at Sloan-Kettering.  One trial utilizes an investigational drug known an CBP 501, a stable peptide, which is an enzyme that works on cancer cell division.  Along with CBP 501, the standard mesothelioma therapy of Alimta and Cisplatin is used.  In order to participate in this particular study, the mesothelioma tumor must be unresectable and untreated.  The mesothelioma patient must also be able to be up and about for half of his waking hours.

Another clinical trial involves the use of Everolimus (RAD 001).  Everolimus inhibits the molecule mTOR which helps cancer cells grow.  Even if a mesothelioma patient has had prior chemotherapy treatment, he or she can still participate in this study.  The patient will need to have adequate pulmonary function however.

Finally, another trial is a toxicity study utilizing chemotherapy followed by Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which is targeted radiation.  To participate, the mesothelioma patient must have an unresectable tumor and not have had any prior chemotherapy or radiation treatment.  Usually standard radiation therapy does not work well for mesothelioma patients.  Some radiation oncologists liken it to attempting radiation on the apple peel without radiating the apple itself.  IMRT obviates this problem of standard radiation therapy.

Of course eligibility for any of these mesothelioma clinical trials will be decided in close consultation with the multi-disciplinary team who will review each individual mesothelioma patient’s medical records, test results and situation very carefully.

Be Proactive – Explore Sloan-Kettering’s Mesothelioma Program

As you can see, if you intend to explore the possibility of participating in any of these mesothelioma clinical trials, the sooner you contact the Sloan-Kettering Mesothelioma Program, the better it is for you.  More options may be available.

Attorney Gary Galiher, who has represented many mesothelioma clients over the last 32 years, remarks that, “from a scientific point of view, what is happening at Memorial Sloan-Kettering is exciting and encouraging.  But more importantly, from seeing what my clients and their families have gone through over the years, I encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma to be proactive and explore what is available at leading cancer centers such as Sloan-Kettering.”