Peritoneal mesothelioma in a woman who has survived for seven years: a case report

IntroductionMalignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer with poor patient survival. Female gender has been identified as a positive prognostic factor.

Recently, it has been suggested that the expression of estrogen receptor in malignant mesothelioma leads to tumor suppression and a better prognosis.Case presentationWe report the case of a 48-year-old Caucasian woman who is alive and disease-free seven years after the initial diagnosis and treatment of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. 

Conclusion: This patient's long survival may be attributable to a combination of factors, including minimal disease, complete cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy plus the estrogen receptor beta positivity of the tumor

Mesothelioma risk not known to auto mechanics

Due to asbestos exposure, several thousands of auto mechanics might be at a risk of mesothelioma and they do not even know about it.

Asbestos has been used in car manufacturing for many car manufacturing needs asbestos and this is due to its high heat resistance and strength. Various engine parts, gaskets, underside of car hoods, apart from brake drums and clutches use asbestos.

Various health problems can take place due to inhalation of asbestos fibers like cancer being caused in the lining around lungs, pleural mesothelioma, cancer of the abdomen lining and peritoneal mesothelioma are some of the most serious illnesses caused by asbestos exposure.

To figure out how brake parts that contained asbestos were handled by workers, many reporters visited more than about 70 gas stations and shops that repair cars. This was done as part of a frequently-cited 4-month study.

It was disturbing to see that few or no precautions were taken by mechanics to protect themselves from risks despite government warnings about the health dangers of invisible asbestos fibers.

Standard treatment can not treat mesothelioma that can take from 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure to develop and it spreads very quickly after developing.

Mesothelioma Cancer: What Causes This Rare Disease?

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer primarily caused by asbestos exposure and is found in the mesothelial lining of the heart, lungs and abdomen. Due to the extensive use of asbestos in various industries and shipbuilding during the mid-1950s, cases of mesothelioma are expected to peak around 2020.

There are four different types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common and develops in the lining of the lungs, known as the pleura. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen, known as the peritoneum. Pericardial mesothelioma develops in the membrane surrounding the heart, known as the pericardium. Testicular mesothelioma affects the lining surrounding the testicles and is the rarest form of mesothelioma.

Every year approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in the United States due to asbestos exposure. This cancer occurs about four times more frequently in men than in women and all forms of mesothelioma, except benign mesothelioma, are terminal since no cure has been discovered.

Symptoms usually do not begin until 20 to 50 years after the initial exposure to asbestos has occurred. The life expectancy of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma is generally less than one year following diagnosis. However, the prognosis can be affected by how early the disease is found in the patient.

Asbestos was widely used in the insulation of many industrial plants and also widely used in the insulation of U.S. Navy ships during the Second World War. Pleural mesothelioma is caused by the direct inhalation of the fibers in asbestos into the lungs, while peritoneal mesothelioma is caused by the swallowing of asbestos fibers.

However, today asbestos use is widely controlled and the applications in insulation and other products are very limited and have been government regulated since the 1970s and 1980s. Asbestos is a naturally-mined mineral and deposits can be found in mountainous regions around the world. It is widely used due to its durable qualities and heat resistance. Asbestos is commonly found in insulation and other industrial and household materials, and is also used in products such as car parts and adhesives.

Due to asbestos' innate resistance to fire and heat, it once was a useful mineral widely used in industrial and domestic products. However, the shape of the fibers reacts negatively with human tissues and biological processes. When inhaled or swallowed, asbestos fibers become lodged in the linings of many organs, specifically the lungs and digestive system, eventually causing inflammation that leads to a variety of terminal diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Additional information about mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.

Court finds last employer responsible for asbestos liability in multiple employer cases

James McAllister, a shipyard carpenter, died of mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body's major cavities and organs, as a result of exposure to asbestos while working for three shipyard employers: Willamette Iron & Steel Co., Albina Engine & Machine and Lockheed Shipbuilding. McAllister likely inhaled airborne asbestos fibers that are known to cause pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, which affect the lining of the lungs and abdomen respectively.

After her husband's death, Karen McAllister sought restitution, and a judge decided that Lockheed was liable. Shortly after, the benefits Review Board reversed the decision and held Albina liable for benefits payment.

The Board explained that "Each employer bears the same burden of providing that the claimant was not exposed to injurious stimuli at that employer in sufficient quantities to cause his disease, or that the claimant was exposed to injurious stimuli while working for a subsequent covered employer. If no employer manages to persuade the ALJ that its evidence is 'entitled to greater weight,' then the ALJ should assign liability to the claimant's last employer."

In yet another twist, Willamette Iron & Steel Co. admitted that McAllister was exposed to asbestos while working, but because McAllister had worked for Albina after working for Willamette, Albina was still considered liable.

In the end, California's Ninth Circuit Court in San Francisco has made the final call. According to the court, the last employer is liable for asbestos exposure when unable to rebut with substantial evidence the presumption that it is responsible for occupational diseases. Therefore, the court found Lockheed was the last responsible employer and liable for the payment of benefits, as the company was McAllister's last employer and did not rebut the evidence that he had been exposed to asbestos while working.