The Clinical Trials Department of FirstHealth of the Carolinas has partnered with Wake Forest School of Medicine in a research study to investigate the causes and factors related to mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital serves 15 counties in North Carolina as a not for profit acute care hospital and referral center. Wake Forest Baptist offers over 200 clinical trials and is one of the leading medical centers in the nation focusing on cancer research and treatment.
Jill Ohar, a professor of genealogy from Wake Forest University, is the study's lead investigator. For more than twenty years, Ohar has been researching genetic factors and causes of occupational illnesses, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. She runs clinical trials with the goal of discovering genetic and environmental causes that lead to diseases caused by inhalation of toxic substances. The goal of clinical trials researching mesothelioma is to find alternative and better ways of diagnosing, intervening, treating, and possibly curing this fatal disease. The aim of this clinical trial led by Wake Forest and FirstHealth is to further understand if some individuals are predisposed genetically to developing malignant mesothelioma. If a genetic link could be found that helped to identify patients that were more at risk, diagnosis and intervention methods could occur earlier and more effectively.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral used in many industrial and commercial products until the mid 1980's. As such, many workers in the mining, milling, automotive, shipbuilding, and construction industries were likely to have been exposed during their daily job duties. Not only were workers exposed directly, but many family members were also exposed when workers would bring home asbestos particles on their clothing or bodies.
Once exposed, workers or family members may not develop symptoms of the disease until decades after initial contact. The prognosis, once diagnosed, is usually poor. There is currently no cure available. Stopping further exposure is critical.
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer in which cancerous cells form in the mesothelium, or protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Mesothelioma has a long latency period between time of exposure and development of the disease. Asbestos induced mesothelioma is one of the painful asbestos related cancers that affects more than 3,000 workers in the United States alone every year.
Dr. Jill Ohar's aim of the study is to identify the genetic foundations that cause predisposition to mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases, hopefully discovering why certain populations are more at risk. She hopes that by teasing out genetic factors, improvements will occur with diagnosing and treating mesothelioma.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and are interested in the study may contact Dr. Ohar at (866) 487-2344 or FirstHealth Clinical Trials at (910) 715-2200. If you would like more information on other clinical trials or treatment centers or to learn more about how to receive financial compensation to help relieve some of the burden of medical costs, please feel free to call one of our experienced asbestos attorneys who specialize in mesothelioma litigation at (800) 440-4262.
Author Resource:
Sally Clapper represents the law firm of Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason, mesothelioma lawyers that have given legal representation to people with mesothelioma for over 25 years. The firm has several expert asbestos lawyers and is recognized as one of the leading plaintiffs' mesothelioma law firms in the nation.
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