With the success of recent research in the area of genetics, doctors have been looking forward to bringing personalized treatment to their mesothelioma patients. By identifying specific genetic mutations, or biomarkers, within tumors doctors can target treatment according to the patient’s unique characteristics. For example, crizotinib has been found to be an effective drug for treating non-small cell lung cancer patients with tumors that express the abnormal anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. However, according to researchers in Great Britain, treatment based on genetic markers could fail due to genetic diversity within each tumor.
Personalized care has been touted as offering treatment options that might not otherwise have been considered. Personalized care also optimizes the potential for success of the treatment. Mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer, currently has limited treatment options, but genetic science has promised to allow physicians to tailor treatment to individual patients based on their genetic makeup.
According to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), though, genetic tests can be misleading. Depending on where on a tumor a biopsy is conducted, or whether it is from the primary or secondary tumor, the results could lead a physician down an incorrect path.
The researchers from the London Research Institute report that most often only one biopsy sample is taken to drive the course of treatment. But after they mapped the “genetic changes or faults in different regions of the same tumor” they believe physicians could miss the gene they had hoped to find to guide the patient’s treatment with just a single test.
The researchers analyzed kidney cancer tumors with samples taken from different regions of the primary tumor as well as biopsies from organs where the cancer had metastasized. They found that nearly 70% of the biomarkers differed across samples. This led them to conclude that these differences “may present major challenges to personalized-medicine and biomarker development.”
“We’ve known for some time that tumors are a patchwork of faults, but this is the first time we’ve been able to use cutting-edge genome sequencing technology to map out the genetic landscape of a tumor in such exquisite detail,” said Charles Swanton of University College London’s cancer institute who led the study.
In an editorial responding to the article, Dan Longo, MD, Deputy Editor of the NEJM, suggested the findings are a stark difference to the “overoptimism” in the field. He added that the drive toward personalized medicine may be more difficult than previously thought.
The researchers do not want the study to dampen enthusiasm for using genetically targeted therapies, however, they point out the focused treatment could become more costly. Mesothelioma advocates, although disappointed in the fact that personalized medicine may be more challenging, are encouraged that the findings now suggest physicians conduct multiple tests prior to subscribing to a particular treatment.
New York, NY, March 02, 2012 — New York mesothelioma lawyer Joseph W. Belluck today said a controversial abandoned asbestos mine in Vermont should be cleaned up under the federal Superfund program.
According to a recent Vermont Public Radio report, residents of Lowell and Eden will vote this month on whether to have the Belvidere Mountain asbestos mine declared a Superfund hazardous waste site.
“The health hazards of the lingering asbestos exposure risk posed by the Belvidere Mountain Asbestos mine are such that cleanup under the Superfund program should be approved and begun as soon as possible,” said Belluck, a partner in Belluck & Fox LLP, a New York City law firm that focuses in mesothelioma and other asbestos-disease cases.
“This is a matter of public health and safety that should take priority over costs and local concerns about image,” Belluck said.
The Belvidere Mountain asbestos mine was one of the most productive asbestos sources in the nation for several decades before it was closed in 1993.
Asbestos is a fire- and heat-resistant fiber that was used in a variety of industrial and consumer products during most of the 20th century despite knowledge that it could cause respiratory diseases like mesothelioma, a usually fatal cancer of the lungs and abdomen. Federal laws adopted in the 1970s curtailed most uses of asbestos.
Local residents are considering whether to ask for Superfund assistance to pay an estimated $250 million to clean up the mine, according to Vermont’s WCAX TV. Those opposed to the request say the mine no longer poses a hazard and that a Superfund listing will harm property values, the station said.
“We’ve assisted hundreds of mesothelioma victims as they’ve struggled with this terrible disease, many of whom first showed signs of the disease decades after their exposure to asbestos,” Belluck said.
Belluck’s firm prosecutes personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of mesothelioma victims and their survivors. The Belluck & Fox law firm has won more than $450 million in judgments for New York plaintiffs in lawsuits pertaining to mesothelioma and other illness caused by asbestos exposure.
“The attorneys of Belluck & Fox will always support those who suffer from mesothelioma and other effects of asbestos exposure, including the families of those who have died from the disease,” Belluck said.
“We hope a cleanup of the Belvidere Mountain mine will help ensure there are fewer victims of asbestos exposure.”
According to WCAX TV, residents of Eden and Lowell are to vote on Vermont’s Town Meeting Day, the first Tuesday in March, to decide whether to request that the state seek Superfund listing for the site.
About Belluck & Fox, LLP
Belluck & Fox, LLP, is a nationally recognized law firm that represents individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims, as well as victims of crime, motorcycle crashes, lead paint and other serious injuries. The firm provides personalized and professional representation and has won over $400 million in compensation for clients and their families.
Partner Joseph W. Belluck is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in Best Lawyers in America, New York Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in the New York Area” and in Super Lawyers. Mr. Belluck has won numerous cases involving injuries from asbestos, defective medical products, tobacco and lead paint.
Partner Jordan Fox is a well-known asbestos and mesothelioma attorney who has been named to the Best Lawyers in America, New York Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in the New York Area” and to Super Lawyers. On two separate occasions his verdicts were featured as the National Law Journal’s Largest Verdict of the Year.
In September, Belluck & Fox, LLP, won a coveted spot on a list of America’s best law firms, which was published jointly by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers magazine. The listing showcased 8,782 different law firms ranked in one or more of 81 major practice areas.
For more information, contact the firm at (877) 637-6843 or through the online contact form.