There was bad news for mesothelioma suffers when anew study from the University of Western Australia discovered that statin drugs did not appear to help in the fight against malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Statins are drugs that are usually used to lower high cholesterol by blocking a substance the body needs to make cholesterol. They had been found to induce the death of mesothelioma cells and evidence has suggested that people on statins have a lower incidence of cancer.
Therefore, researchers at Australia’s National Center for Asbestos Related Diseases thought that statin drugs might be used to delay the progress of mesothelioma in patients who have it, and possibly even prevent the development of the disease in those who had been exposed to asbestos.
However their research showed that there was no connection between statin use and lower mesothelioma incidence or longer survival rates and the authors concluded that statins had no effect on the development of the disease.
It can take 10 to 50 years for mesothelioma symptoms to develop following exposure to asbestos and researchers are constantly searching for something which can delay or stop the development of the disease before it takes hold. Once symptoms develop, most patients do not survive for more than a year.
If you have been exposed to asbestos, and have developed an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP at (800) 598-0314 immediately. Or contact us online for a free consultation.
