FirstWatch of the Carolinas is partnering with Wake Forest School of Medicine to conduct a research study on the progression of asbestos-related cancers and lung diseases, including the rare cancer mesothelioma.
According to FirstWatch, a non-profit health care network, the study “examines the associated environmental factors and genetic markers of people diagnosed with mesothelioma, basically identifying how frequently encountered environmental pollutants affect the body and determining the genetic factors that make some families more susceptible than others to mesothelioma and other forms of cancer.”
mesothelioma patients are encouraged to contact FirstHealth Clinical Trials to participate in the study.
“The FirstHealth Clinical Trials staff is excited about this opportunity to assist one of our state’s medical research institutions further the knowledge about this deadly disease and the factors that cause it,” said Chris Miller, Director of Clinical Trials at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital. “Working together is part of our mission at FirstHealth, and this opportunity is a perfect example of trying to fulfill that mission.”
The principal investigator of the study, Dr. Jill Ohar, has been studying mesothelioma and the causes of the cancer for more than 20 years.
“Families have been devastated by this disease,” said Dr. Ohar, “but what is surprising is that despite the strong association of asbestos exposure to mesothelioma, only a small number of people exposed to asbestos actually develop mesothelioma.”
“Over years of research, we have determined that there is a strong tendency for mesothelioma to run in families and it tends to be associated with a family history of cancer, which suggests a genetic susceptibility,” Dr. Ohar explained.
mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer typically linked to asbestos exposure. The cancer develops when asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested into the body where they can become lodged in organs, causing inflammation or infection. Overtime, scars and tumors can develop, resulting in decreased lung function and difficulty breathing for many patients.
Unfortunately decades often pass between the initial exposure to asbestos and the demonstration of symptoms of mesothelioma, allowing the cancer to progress to later developmental stages. Though a cure does not exist, many patients elect to undergo mesothelioma treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation to combat the cancer.
Additional information about mesothelioma may be found though the mesothelioma Center.