A recent article in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology found that there may be a breakthrough procedure to care for pleural mesothelioma.

As it stands, mesothelioma has no known cure. It is a rare form of cancer that takes years and sometimes decades to be diagnosed. It is caused by exposure to asbestos, a once commonly used mineral that provided insulation and was used in floor and ceiling tiles, brake pads, pipe covering and other uses.

Asbestos is ingested and can attach to the lining of major organs, such as the lungs, heart, and abdomen. Pleural mesothelioma is when asbestos builds around the lungs and causes this form of cancer.

Our mesothelioma lawyers are constantly rooting for new information and cures to this fatal illness. Sadly, the median life span after diagnosis is only 12 months, so once a person finds out they have this form of cancer, there is little time left to enjoy life. We hope that new research and new discoveries help people fend off this fatal cancer.

Currently, there are limited treatment options for those with mesothelioma. People can opt for surgery, which sometimes is risky given the areas that are being discussed, chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapy.

But according to the recent article, a technique called the positron emission tomography uses molecule fluorodeoxyglucose to track metabolism as it happens. When combined with a CT scan, doctors can better track how the cancer is moving and can give them a better understanding of how to treat it.

Understanding the progression of the illness in one patient can lead to helping many others if researchers can find patterns that will help generations to come. But for those affected now, using this new technique may be able to stop the cancer from spreading.

The article looked at 44 patients between 2004 and 2008. The study tried different forms of treatment and tracked the disease in the patients through fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. The article’s authors suggest that a full study could help people determine if this can be a useful technique to further study mesothelioma in the future.

Healthcare costs for everyone are skyrocketing. For people dealing with major medical issues such as mesothelioma, they can be extremely high, especially when new techniques are being used. For companies who employed workers in old factories, buildings, on shipyards, in car-parts companies or other places where asbestos was used, they may be liable for the illness and its effects.

Companies should remove asbestos so that it can’t harm people and they should have done it decades ago when they first found out. Many did not and many workers got sick. Stand up for your rights and get help for your medical bills.