Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

In the fight against mesothelioma, any tool that scientist can bring to bear on this deadly asbestos cancer is appreciated.  One of the most important tools is simply information about the disease itself- how it is caused, how it spreads, and how it affects the body. 

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a single repository for information on mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma registries do exist but they are often regional in nature and communication between them is limited at best. 

This leaves mesothelioma doctors, specialists and researchers in other regions and countries starting from scratch when it comes to experimenting with new technologies and methods for diagnosing, treating, and potentially preventing this deadly asbestos cancer.  Some even question whether or not these registries are even worth the effort or if the data they contain is accurate and reliable.

However, one recent study found that not only are these registries helpful, they are essential.  The study comes from Quebec, Canada, one of the few western countries that has yet to outlaw the mining, use, and exportation of asbestos. 

Researchers called into question the validity of tumor registries in general and specifically the Quebec Tumor Registry (QTR).  Questions arose as to the validity of the data contained within the registry when researchers discovered that less than one quarter of reported mesothelioma cases have been compensated through workers compensation claims.  They proposed that perhaps this discrepancy was because the actual number of mesothelioma cases had been over-reported or that the data in the QTR was flawed somehow.

A detailed medical chart review was designed to confirm that newly registered cases in the QTR (dating from 2001 and 2002) were actual cases of mesothelioma.  The goal was to confirm that these newly registered cases were valid instances and not multiple records of the same patient or misdiagnosed cases of other diseases. 

Researchers dug in deep and for every single case they requested clinical data, medical imaging and pathology information.  And, when available, they also requested additional immunohistochemistry staining indicating mesothelioma.

The researchers called in three mesothelioma/cancer experts including a chest physician, radiologist, and pathologist to examine the available data to determine the validity of each individual case.  These experts then used a specific number grading system to create a level of certainty assigned to each mesothelioma case.

The results confirmed that the Quebec Tumor Registry data was indeed indicative of valid mesothelioma cases and did not contain overly large amount of misdiagnosed patients or over-reported cases. 

Specifically, after examining each of the 190 cases reported during the time period in question, the experts graded 81% of them as 'certain/probable' or 'possible' mesotheliomas.  Only 8% were graded as 'unlikely to be a mesothelioma,' while 11% were viewed as 'not a mesothelioma.' However, researchers discarded grading from medical histories that were deemed too incomplete to be of real value and brought the ‘certain/probable’ and ‘possible’ cases up to 87%. 

While the investigation did discover a significant number of discrepancies, the overall conclusion was that the mesothelioma registry was doing just what it was designed to do – accumulate information on the deadly cancer and serve as a repository for raw data that scientists and researchers can readily use in the fight against this disease.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact one of our asbestos attorneys today at 1-800-440-4262 for a no-cost consultation to see how we can help you and your family.