Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Mesothelioma Doctors Receive Donation at University of Hawai’i Cancer Center

The University of Hawai’i Cancer Center has received $3.58 million from an anonymous donor to aid its important mesothelioma research work under its director, Dr. Michele Carbone, and her colleagues.

“Mesothelioma is a serious public health problem,” said Dr. Virginia Hinshaw, Chancellor of UH Mānoa. “We’re proud that Dr. Carbone’s team is leading the world in this area of discovery. This gift validates their efforts and will help them remain at the forefront of thoracic oncology research.”

The $3.58 million gift is the second largest one ever given to the UH Cancer Center. Among the work that has recently been completed by Dr. Carbone and researchers at the center were recently released findings relating to the presence of erionite – a material that causes mesothelioma – in rock materials that are used to pave roads in North Dakota.

The center has also conducted studies in Capadoccia, Turkey – a region where nearly 50 percent of the residents die of mesothelioma – and there are currently plans for Dr. Carbone and collaborators to conduct a clinical trial co-sponsored by the Early Detection Research Network of the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the Turkish Ministry of Health. The trial will seek to validate serum biomarkers that were discovered during previous research that may help improve early detection of mesothelioma.

For those receiving mesothelioma treatment who have previously worked in a profession where you were regularly exposed to high amounts of asbestos, there may be reason to speak with a Hawaii mesothelioma attorney regarding a possible lawsuit. Contact us for a free consultation to see if a Hawaii mesothelioma law firm can help to get you a monetary asbestos settlement from a former employer who may be at fault for an asbestos-related illness.