International Conference on Asbestos Awareness & Management.
22 to 24 Nov 2015, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
The final conference programme is now online with a fantastic line up of domestic and international speakers in asbestos management, health, advocacy and governance to look at what is best practice in managing the dangers of asbestos in our community and abroad. Registration is still open.
All exhibition packages have now SOLD OUT however advertising opportunities are still available and you can still join us as an event contributor at the conference. If you would like to know more, details and benefits are outlined in the prospectus. You can also get in touch with our events team to find out more.
https://www.asbestossafety.gov.au/programme
I am looking forward to presenting in the concurrent session 'Australian trials and treatments' on day 2.
Very exciting news as my oncologist Dr Allan Zimet will also be presenting on 'An update on key treatment studies in Australia to support people with an asbestos related disease.'
Tanya Segelov is a member of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council and will be the facilitator of this session.
I will be speaking in this session and providing an update on my treatment with Keytruda and also my very important campaign to have Keytruda fast tracked onto the PBS for those living with Mesothelioma.
This session will be held on Tuesday 24 Nov afternoon.
Keytruda update:
No. 11 infusion overnight in hospital last week. Main side effect was fatigue for a few days, this could also be the result of little sleep in the hospital due to noises, being waken up for blood pressure to be taken, patients who are unwell and having to be monitored hourly and just in general NOISE!! Now if I was very unwell this would be okay and the hospital would be the place to rest and be monitored overnight, however as I am well - it is very unsettling to the point of having anxiety feelings most of the time that I spend in the room. Having been in and out of hospitals since 2003, I'd so much rather be able to have my infusion of Keytruda as a day patient and go home to sleep in my own bed.
My petition to fast track Keytruda on the PBS for Mesothelioma and other rare less known cancers will be able to alleviate this stay in hospital and when this happens, I can happily every 3 weeks be a day patient for 2 hours then walk out of the hospital and home! It will be wonderful when this happens for all those living with Mesothelioma!!
The campaign is moving steadily along and I now have a scheduled appointment with the Health Minister, Sussan Ley's Advisor to present the petition, tell my story and also other stories that need to be told of Mesothelioma warriors who are anxiously awaiting Keytruda coming on the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) - where it will cost $6.10 to $35 per infusion instead of the expensive cost that it is now for those who have the lifeline of Keytruda. After meeting with the Health Minister's Advisor, my next goal will be to meet face to face with Sussan Ley!
Keytruda is now on our Australian PBS for Melanoma - which is fantastic and such a huge financial burden lifted for those with Melanoma cancer. It came into effect 1 September 2015.
WE NOW NEED TO GET IT APPROVED FOR MESOTHELIOMA!!
Please continue to sign, comment and share my petition - we are making a difference!
https://www.change.org/p/federal-health-minister-sussan-ley-keytruda-on-pbs-pharmaceutical-benefits-scheme-for-mesothelioma-life-saving-drug?recruiter=55915192&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
(To sign please copy and paste the above link).
Keith's radiation update:
35 doses of radiation daily with weekends off, he now has only 8 to go! 3 years ago Keith had this robotic 4 hour surgery - Robotic prostatectomy is gaining popularity as a less traumatic and minimally invasive prostate cancer treatment. The da Vinci robotic prostatectomy enables surgeons to overcome many of the shortcomings of both open prostatectomy and laparoscopic prostatectomy.
Due to detected traces of cancer in his prostate area, he is now on this trial.
Clinical Trial: PINPOINT
A clinical trial to investigate using
a new imaging test to find where prostate cancer has recurred after
surgery, and; using implanted radiofrequency emitting beacons to
precisely locate and treat recurrences in the prostate bed.
Technical name: Phase II trial harnessing PSMA-PET and Calypso® real-time tracking to precisely locate and treat recurrent prostate cancer.
Principal Investigator: Dr Patrick Bowden (Radiation Oncologist)
Basic Information:
The PINPOINT study is testing a new
way of identifying and treating prostate cancer that has recurred in the
same place where the prostate was removed from during surgery (prostate
bed). There are two parts to the study and not all patients will the
requirements to participate in both of them.
The first part of the research
involves a new way of identifying prostate cancer cells using a Positron
Emission Tomography (PET)/Computed Tomography (CT) Scan sensitive to
the biological marker, Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA).
The second part of the research
involves a new way of treating prostate cancer using very small beacons
called Calypso® beacons, which are inserted into the prostate bed and
emit a radiofrequency (RF) signal. These allow us to locate and track
the prostate bed during radiotherapy.
The aim of this trial is to utilise
PSMA PET scans to more accurately identify men who have no metastatic
disease and only offer those men salvage radiation therapy, using the
Varian Calypso® advanced target localisation technique. This will also
allow for early identification of men who have metastatic disease, and
thus ensure that they receive the appropriate treatment rather than
salvage radiotherapy, which would be futile.
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