The School of Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is partnering with the Clinical Trials Department of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in North Carolina to conduct a clinical trial investigating the genetic causes and factors leading to mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Wake Forest is one of the nation’s leading cancer research centers, conducting more than 200 clinical trials investigating cancer. FirstHealth operates as an acute care hospital and referral center for a fifteen county region in the Carolinas.

Jill Ann Ohar, M.D. is the principal investigator of this study. She is a professor of medicine at Wake Forest whose primary interest is in the genetics of occupational diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. The purpose of clinical trials is to research causes and genetic factors leading to disease. Clinical trials also look for novel therapies to treat mesothelioma, including alternative combinations of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Dr. Ohar is hoping to uncover genetic factors that may predispose one to malignant mesothelioma. If done, this could help to identify high risk patients must sooner, which could aid diagnostic and treatment efforts.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring carcinogenic mineral that was routinely added to many construction and industrial materials until government regulations restricting its use were established in the early 1980’s. Until then, most workers in the shipping, automotive, construction, fireproofing, milling and mining industries were likely to be exposed in the course of their daily work. Exposure occurred directly to the worker, but also indirectly to family members when asbestos fibers were carried home on clothing or on the body.

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 rare cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen or chest. The latency period between time of first exposure and development of symptoms is long, making diagnosis difficult. Over 3,000 Americans each year develop mesothelioma, suffering from one of the most painful cancers caused by asbestos exposure.

Dr. Ohar’s aim is to analyze the clinical and genetic differences between those that develop mesothelioma and those that don’t in hopes of creating a profile of high-risk individuals. By doing so, the study could improve mesothelioma treatment as well as survival rates, accelerating diagnosis and intervention.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and would like to participate in this clinical trial, contact FirstHealth at 910-715-2200 or Dr. Ohar at 866-487-2344. To get more information regarding mesothelioma and to learn about getting help financially to cover medical costs of treatments, please contact one of our asbestos lawyers who specialize in representing clients diagnosed with mesothelioma at 800-440-4262.

Sally Clapper is a representative for the law firm of Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason in Sausalito, CA. If you or someone you know is in need of a mesothelioma lawyer, please contact the firm at 1-800-440-4262. As experts in the field of mesothelioma, the firm’s attorneys are recognized as some of the leading plaintiffs’ asbestos lawyers in the nation.