The findings of a new study indicate that the breast cancer drug Aromasin may also be an effective treatment against mesothelioma.

Researchers from Italy’s Regina Elena National Cancer Institute published their findings in the March 2014 issue of the medical journal Molecular Cancer.  The study suggests that based on how Aromasin stunts the growth and spread of mesothelioma mucus, it could be used as an effective mesothelioma treatment.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer which develops specifically in the lung cavity after the body inhales asbestos fibers. For the development of mesothelioma to occur, the disease typically needs 10 to 20 years to accumulate after exposure. So, by the time of diagnosis, the cancer is often too advanced to be treated. Most commonly, the victims of mesothelioma had a job in construction or manufacturing.

Based on the data the researchers gathered from testing mice, they say that Aromasin could reduce the disease’s growth rate, and slow it before it reaches its advanced stages. The findings showed significant reduction in cell proliferation, survival, migration and blocking of the mesothelioma cells.

When the scientists combined Aromasin with Alimta, a common mesothelioma treatment drug, the researchers reported that the tumors shrunk so significantly that they had trouble collecting samples. Overall, the project was so successful that the researchers are calling for further studies involving human clinical trials.

Overview of Asbestos Complications

Even though asbestos has been banned for more than 30 years, new cases of mesothelioma continue to surface because of the disease’s long development period. Asbestos use reached its peak in 1973, so the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has said more mesothelioma cases are likely to be reported. The asbestos litigation process has been the longest-running mass tort litigation in the history of the United States, with more than 600,000 people filing lawsuits against more than 6,000 companies.

Additionally, the number of second-hand asbestos exposure lawsuits has also risen because the fibers could be carried on clothes. Cases have been brought by individuals who were exposed to asbestos as young children or infants, when their parents would hold them after returning home from work. Generally, any of the following materials installed before 1981 are presumed to contain asbestos; this includes, but is not limited to:

• Sprayed on fire proofing and insulation in buildings
• Insulation for pipes and boilers
• Wall and ceiling insulation
• Ceiling tiles
• Floor tiles
• Putties, caulks, and cements (such as in chemical carrying cement pipes)
• Roofing shingles
• Siding shingles on old residential buildings
• Wall and ceiling texture in older buildings and homes
• Joint compound in older buildings and homes
• Plasters
• Brake linings and clutch pads

Mesothelioma patients who were exposed to asbestos may be able eligible for compensation. In fact, millions of dollars in mesothelioma settlements and mesothelioma class action settlements have been awarded to victims and their families.