Tennessee Mesothelioma

It is a sad time for many residents of Chattanooga, Tennessee, who have witnessed the demolition of the old Central Baptist Church. The church, located at 800 McCallie Avenue, was demolished because of numerous problems including:

• Significant roof damage
• Floor damage making them structurally unsound
• Extensive fire damage from a fire a few years ago
• Extensive presence of lead based paint
• Extensive presence of asbestos

As a result of these numerous problems, experts determined that it would be more cost-effective to tear down the existing structure rather than attempt to repair all of these problems. (more…)

Every year progress is made to find more and more effective treatments for Mesothelioma. Much of this research is made possible thanks to grants. Click here to read about the grants provided by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation in 2009 for a peak into the future of possible cures.

For a large part of the last century, products and buildings in Tennessee have used asbestos exposing many of us to the cancer causing agent putting us at risk for developing mesothelioma.

It takes decades for the symptoms of mesothelioma to become apparent, meaning that many people who do not yet know it, may have been exposed to asbestos and could be at risk for mesothelioma. Some of the most common work sites that used asbestos are:

• Factories
• Powerplants
• Refineries
• Chemical Plants

Asbestos exposure has occurred in at least 57 Tennessee cities. Chattanooga, TN is the Tennessee city with the most asbestos exposure sites at 29. (more…)

The renowned Lung Cancer medical journal recently reported the results of a mesothelioma study investigating the effectiveness of PET and CT scans in determining tumor responsiveness to chemotherapy. This study found that both CT and PET scans used after chemotherapy can help predict the survival rates of pleural mesothelioma patients.

This study adds valuable insight into the treatment of mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos. Because of the nature of mesothelioma progression, this cancer is very difficult to treat. This study aimed to better understand the value of PET and CT scans in revealing tumor response to chemotherapy, thereby predicting the survival of patients with plural mesothelioma. (more…)