วันจันทร์ที่ 25 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2551
Mesothelioma Cancer Health Information
Mesothelioma cancer has been tied to asbestos exposure in a number of studies. The forms of mesothelioma cancer include pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma. The different types of mesothelioma cancer are named based upon where the cancer cells are found: pleural mesothelioma is the form of mesothelioma cancer in the chest cavity, while peritoneal cancer involves cancerous growths in the abdominal cavity lining.
Asbestos Abatement Work Finished at Connecticut High School
Asbestos abatement work continued at Bethel High School last week while students and staff were on Christmas vacation.
First Selectman Robert Burke said that Eagle Environment, the company that's doing the abatement, came in on Tuesday and finished Friday. However, they might go back and do some more work in the spring.
Mr. Burke pointed out that there's about an hour and a half's worth of work left. Although there is some asbestos left, it does not pose a danger.
"It's still encapsulated," Mr. Burke said. "It will be handled in the next go-round."
He noted that the work that was done last week took place in the basement of the school. Work had been done in the school over the summer. That included classrooms, cafeteria, media center and administrative areas, and the work concluded Aug. 25. Testing was done in May, which was when professionals discovered the asbestos. Eagle Environmental has been managing the job, and HAZMAT Pros is doing the abatement.
The Rest of the Story
First Selectman Robert Burke said that Eagle Environment, the company that's doing the abatement, came in on Tuesday and finished Friday. However, they might go back and do some more work in the spring.
Mr. Burke pointed out that there's about an hour and a half's worth of work left. Although there is some asbestos left, it does not pose a danger.
"It's still encapsulated," Mr. Burke said. "It will be handled in the next go-round."
He noted that the work that was done last week took place in the basement of the school. Work had been done in the school over the summer. That included classrooms, cafeteria, media center and administrative areas, and the work concluded Aug. 25. Testing was done in May, which was when professionals discovered the asbestos. Eagle Environmental has been managing the job, and HAZMAT Pros is doing the abatement.
The Rest of the Story
Montgomery, Alabama, Paying State Environmental Fines
Montgomery has forked over thousands to Alabama for violating state environmental regulations, including a $7,500 fine that a city official attributed to "simple miscommunication."
Local taxpayers have spent $87,500 in fines and expenses levied by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in the past two years, the agency's records state.
The bulk of the money -- $80,000 -- went to ADEM for an air-pollution violation in 2004. The watchdog agency caught city employees burning tree stumps without state permission in a large, weekend-long fire at a municipal landfill. It levied a $5,000 fine and ordered the city to clean up illegal dumps. The cleanup costs totaled $75,000.
The most recent fine was $7,500 for improper control and removal of asbestos from Jasmine Garden Apartments, a vacant Midtown complex razed in the fall.
ADEM cited the city for failing to protect neighbors and even its own employees from potentially dangerous asbestos fibers. If inhaled while airborne, the tiny fibers can embed in the lungs and cause cancer.
Local taxpayers have spent $87,500 in fines and expenses levied by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in the past two years, the agency's records state.
The bulk of the money -- $80,000 -- went to ADEM for an air-pollution violation in 2004. The watchdog agency caught city employees burning tree stumps without state permission in a large, weekend-long fire at a municipal landfill. It levied a $5,000 fine and ordered the city to clean up illegal dumps. The cleanup costs totaled $75,000.
The most recent fine was $7,500 for improper control and removal of asbestos from Jasmine Garden Apartments, a vacant Midtown complex razed in the fall.
ADEM cited the city for failing to protect neighbors and even its own employees from potentially dangerous asbestos fibers. If inhaled while airborne, the tiny fibers can embed in the lungs and cause cancer.
Asbestos Scare Closes Police Station Room
LEOMINSTER -- Officials closed off a room in the police station Friday after becoming concerned that there might have been asbestos inside tiles that a maintenance worker was replacing, according to Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella.
"We don't even know if it is asbestos," the mayor said Friday.
The worker replaced the tiles in a room where officers write their reports.
Workers are fixing-up parts of the station as part of an overall effort to refurbish it, Mazzarella said.
Police Chief Peter Roddy told the worker to stop what he was doing after somebody mentioned that there could be asbestos in the tiles, the mayor said.
"We don't even know if it is asbestos," the mayor said Friday.
The worker replaced the tiles in a room where officers write their reports.
Workers are fixing-up parts of the station as part of an overall effort to refurbish it, Mazzarella said.
Police Chief Peter Roddy told the worker to stop what he was doing after somebody mentioned that there could be asbestos in the tiles, the mayor said.
Library of Congress Receives
The Library of Congress (LoC) failed to initially monitor employees' exposure to airborne asbestos and did not keep work surfaces free from material containing asbestos, according to citations filed by the Office of Compliance (OoC).
In two citations filed on Dec. 13, 2006, the OoC said that floor tiles in the LoC's Jefferson Building, which were damaged by heavy book carts, contained "very high concentrations of chrysotile asbestos."
Although the Architect of the Capitol (AoC) was quick "to remove dust, debris and loose material and to cover the floor surfaces," the OoC citation says that "the extremely high concentrations of asbestos in the floor tile, the extensive damage of these tiles, and the volume of cart and people traffic through the area, it is reasonable to believe that exposure levels might have exceeded the permissible exposure limit."
The LoC violated asbestos-sampling requirements because it failed to initially monitor the air and did so only after actions had been taken, the citation states.
In two citations filed on Dec. 13, 2006, the OoC said that floor tiles in the LoC's Jefferson Building, which were damaged by heavy book carts, contained "very high concentrations of chrysotile asbestos."
Although the Architect of the Capitol (AoC) was quick "to remove dust, debris and loose material and to cover the floor surfaces," the OoC citation says that "the extremely high concentrations of asbestos in the floor tile, the extensive damage of these tiles, and the volume of cart and people traffic through the area, it is reasonable to believe that exposure levels might have exceeded the permissible exposure limit."
The LoC violated asbestos-sampling requirements because it failed to initially monitor the air and did so only after actions had been taken, the citation states.
School board fined for asbestos incident
VANCOUVER - WorkSafe BC has blasted the New Westminster school board and fined it $75,000 for recklessly allowing asbestos to be released among staff and students during a demolition project at its only high school in 2005.
In a written decision, the agency says the board exposed its employees to a high risk of serious illness when it ordered the removal of flooring in a school known to contain significant levels of asbestos. The students were not mentioned because the agency is responsible for worker safety only.
The use of sledgehammers and chisels to lift the floor in the New Westminster secondary school classroom created ''a large plume of dust which wafted down the corridors of the school and into various classrooms,'' review officer Anand Banerjee says, noting some classes were in session at the time.
In a written decision, the agency says the board exposed its employees to a high risk of serious illness when it ordered the removal of flooring in a school known to contain significant levels of asbestos. The students were not mentioned because the agency is responsible for worker safety only.
The use of sledgehammers and chisels to lift the floor in the New Westminster secondary school classroom created ''a large plume of dust which wafted down the corridors of the school and into various classrooms,'' review officer Anand Banerjee says, noting some classes were in session at the time.
An asbestos scare in high school aired in Jackson
JACKSON — They've dubbed it the "Cancer Wing," and students say the air there smells different than the other hallways at Jackson Memorial High School.
Then there were the handful of teachers who a few months ago were wearing masks in school, fueling speculation that asbestos was on the loose, students say.
Then, about two weeks ago, a student found EPA documents in the teachers lounge, which included a variety of citations detailing lapses in asbestos removal protocol at the school.
"I found them myself. I was shocked and appalled. These documents scare the crap out of all of us," said junior Tom Ranzweiler, who's part of a group of students de-manding more information from district administrators.
At Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, Jackson Memorial teachers and students shared their worries regarding an asbestos scare stemming from an ongoing renovation project at the school. During the meeting, administrators sought to assure the school community that conditions at the school are safe.
Then there were the handful of teachers who a few months ago were wearing masks in school, fueling speculation that asbestos was on the loose, students say.
Then, about two weeks ago, a student found EPA documents in the teachers lounge, which included a variety of citations detailing lapses in asbestos removal protocol at the school.
"I found them myself. I was shocked and appalled. These documents scare the crap out of all of us," said junior Tom Ranzweiler, who's part of a group of students de-manding more information from district administrators.
At Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, Jackson Memorial teachers and students shared their worries regarding an asbestos scare stemming from an ongoing renovation project at the school. During the meeting, administrators sought to assure the school community that conditions at the school are safe.
Asbestos Victim Feels Cheated by Legal Loophole
A dying asbestos victim says he feels cheated by a legal loophole which could rob him and his family of £100,000 compensation
Terry Henderson, 72, was diagnosed with the killer industrial disease mesothelioma a year ago after being exposed to asbestos in shipyards like Readheads in South Shields decades ago.
Although originally awarded a six-figure sum, Mr Henderson's family could receive nothing due to a Court of Appeal ruling last March.
Mr Henderson, of Summerhill Road, Harton, South Shields, said: "I feel I have been cheated because I wanted to leave my wife Beryl financially secure.
"The insurers for Readheads initially agreed to pay up, but now the law has changed, and my wife may not get anything after I'm gone. We are not destitute by any means, but this makes me angry."
Terry Henderson, 72, was diagnosed with the killer industrial disease mesothelioma a year ago after being exposed to asbestos in shipyards like Readheads in South Shields decades ago.
Although originally awarded a six-figure sum, Mr Henderson's family could receive nothing due to a Court of Appeal ruling last March.
Mr Henderson, of Summerhill Road, Harton, South Shields, said: "I feel I have been cheated because I wanted to leave my wife Beryl financially secure.
"The insurers for Readheads initially agreed to pay up, but now the law has changed, and my wife may not get anything after I'm gone. We are not destitute by any means, but this makes me angry."
Asbestos to Blame for Death
Asbestos to Blame for DeathA former factory worker died as a result of exposure to asbestos while he worked in Workington, an inquest heard.
Allan McFarland of Broadacres in Harrington, died at home in October, aged 70.
He was diagnosed with the industrial disease mesothelioma in 2004, and fibres of asbestos were found in his lung tissue during a post mortem.
Mr McFarland was born in Workington, the youngest of nine children, and grew up in Great Clifton.
He left school at 17, and started an apprenticeship at High Duty Alloys in Workington – on the site of what is now Alcan Pechiney.
Allan McFarland of Broadacres in Harrington, died at home in October, aged 70.
He was diagnosed with the industrial disease mesothelioma in 2004, and fibres of asbestos were found in his lung tissue during a post mortem.
Mr McFarland was born in Workington, the youngest of nine children, and grew up in Great Clifton.
He left school at 17, and started an apprenticeship at High Duty Alloys in Workington – on the site of what is now Alcan Pechiney.
Texas Man Sentenced For Illegal Asbestos Dumping
(DALLAS) A federal judge in Dallas has sentenced a man to 15 months in prison over illegal dumping of asbestos-containing floor tiles.
The 2002 investigation found that the tiles from a demolished building were cast off in an industrial area, instead of safe disposal using Clean Air Act guidelines.
Fifty-three-year-old Melvin Eugene Riecke II of Palmer was convicted August 24th on:
two counts of failing to comply with federal work practice standards on demolition of a building containing asbestos and disposing of the waste
one count of making false statements to the Texas Department of Health's Toxic Waste Control Division
and one count of mail fraud.
Riecke, who must report to prison on February 20th, could have been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.
He was general manager of Ellis County-based National Converting and Fulfillment.
The 2002 investigation found that the tiles from a demolished building were cast off in an industrial area, instead of safe disposal using Clean Air Act guidelines.
Fifty-three-year-old Melvin Eugene Riecke II of Palmer was convicted August 24th on:
two counts of failing to comply with federal work practice standards on demolition of a building containing asbestos and disposing of the waste
one count of making false statements to the Texas Department of Health's Toxic Waste Control Division
and one count of mail fraud.
Riecke, who must report to prison on February 20th, could have been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.
He was general manager of Ellis County-based National Converting and Fulfillment.
Scottish Parliament Asked To Support Asbestos Laws
Members of the Scottish Parliament were urged to back new laws aimed at helping sufferers of asbestos-related cancer and their families to claim compensation.
Mesothelioma victims are forced to choose between claiming damages for themselves or waiting so that relatives can claim more after their death.
Justice minister Cathy Jamieson outlined the new Damages Bill which will allow mesothelioma sufferers to claim full compensation and their families to claim for their own grief and suffering.
Mesothelioma victims are forced to choose between claiming damages for themselves or waiting so that relatives can claim more after their death.
Justice minister Cathy Jamieson outlined the new Damages Bill which will allow mesothelioma sufferers to claim full compensation and their families to claim for their own grief and suffering.
Accident Causes Asbestos Scare for Yorkshire Students
Students at a Harrogate School in Yorkshire had to be decontaminated after being showered by asbestos.
Six students, one member of staff and an ambulance service worker were affected after a student punched a hole in the ceiling at Harrogate High School on Wednesday.
They were kept in isolation while they changed clothes and showered.
Another 14 students who were nearby were also asked to change their clothes, which were checked for asbestos fibres.
Crews from Yorkshire Ambulance Service and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service director of operations Vince Larvin said no-one was injured in the incident.
He said: "We were in the fortunate position that our crews are extremely well trained around the area of contamination.
"We were able to contain the area and minimise the impact and any further contamination, along with our colleagues in the fire service."
Consultant head teacher Paul Lowry said the clothes of the 14 students had been checked as an extra precaution.
He said: "The rules are nowadays that even if it is low grade asbestos, these youngsters have to go through decontamination which actually means that they change clothes and have a shower."
Six students, one member of staff and an ambulance service worker were affected after a student punched a hole in the ceiling at Harrogate High School on Wednesday.
They were kept in isolation while they changed clothes and showered.
Another 14 students who were nearby were also asked to change their clothes, which were checked for asbestos fibres.
Crews from Yorkshire Ambulance Service and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service director of operations Vince Larvin said no-one was injured in the incident.
He said: "We were in the fortunate position that our crews are extremely well trained around the area of contamination.
"We were able to contain the area and minimise the impact and any further contamination, along with our colleagues in the fire service."
Consultant head teacher Paul Lowry said the clothes of the 14 students had been checked as an extra precaution.
He said: "The rules are nowadays that even if it is low grade asbestos, these youngsters have to go through decontamination which actually means that they change clothes and have a shower."
Asbestos Contributes to UK Man's DeathThe health of a former Barrow shipyard manager suffered after exposure to asbestos at work.
The health of a former Barrow shipyard manager suffered after exposure to asbestos at work.
George William Septimus Hall, of Empress Drive, Walney, died at Furness General Hospital in October.
On Monday an inquest into his death concluded he died from a heart attack, although fibres of asbestos were found in his lungs.
Pathologist at FGH, Dr Marek Witkowski, said that while he could not state the presence of asbestos fibres were the actual reason for the 78-year-old’s death, it was a contributory factor.
The inquest, held at Barrow Town Hall, heard it was during his working life that Mr Hall came into contact with both blue, white and brown varieties of asbestos.
He started an apprenticeship at Vickers at the age of 16 and worked as a mechanical fitter.
Mr Hall then completed National Service, spent a number of years with the merchant navy and was employed by various shipping companies.
He later went back to work at Vickers and after another 20 years completed his career as manager of the Devonshire Dock Hall Machine Shop.
His son, William Hall, said: “He will be sadly missed by his family and many friends. He was another of the many people exposed to asbestos and the consequences that brings.”
Recording his verdict, South Cumbria and Furness coroner, Ian Smith, said Mr Hall died of natural causes, but that his condition was made worse by exposure to asbestos, although on its own it did not kill him.
He said: “Mr Hall died from natural causes made worse by industrial disease.
“It was not on its own a cause of death but a contributory factor to the underlying heart disease. Both factors come into play. Each one makes the other worse and the outcome is often fatal.”
George William Septimus Hall, of Empress Drive, Walney, died at Furness General Hospital in October.
On Monday an inquest into his death concluded he died from a heart attack, although fibres of asbestos were found in his lungs.
Pathologist at FGH, Dr Marek Witkowski, said that while he could not state the presence of asbestos fibres were the actual reason for the 78-year-old’s death, it was a contributory factor.
The inquest, held at Barrow Town Hall, heard it was during his working life that Mr Hall came into contact with both blue, white and brown varieties of asbestos.
He started an apprenticeship at Vickers at the age of 16 and worked as a mechanical fitter.
Mr Hall then completed National Service, spent a number of years with the merchant navy and was employed by various shipping companies.
He later went back to work at Vickers and after another 20 years completed his career as manager of the Devonshire Dock Hall Machine Shop.
His son, William Hall, said: “He will be sadly missed by his family and many friends. He was another of the many people exposed to asbestos and the consequences that brings.”
Recording his verdict, South Cumbria and Furness coroner, Ian Smith, said Mr Hall died of natural causes, but that his condition was made worse by exposure to asbestos, although on its own it did not kill him.
He said: “Mr Hall died from natural causes made worse by industrial disease.
“It was not on its own a cause of death but a contributory factor to the underlying heart disease. Both factors come into play. Each one makes the other worse and the outcome is often fatal.”
Japanese Study Shows Boysenberries May Prevent Mesothelioma
Rats fed food containing boysenberries were found to be less likely to develop symptoms of asbestos-induced mesothelioma than rats that did not consume the fruit, according to a research group at Sagami Women's University in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Boysenberries--native to the United States and also grown in New Zealand--can be eaten raw and are made into jam.
Shuichi Adachi, an assistant professor at the university, and head of the research group, believes that the polyphenol in boysenberries prevents the development of mesothelioma. The group is conducting further experiments to confirm the results.
According to the group, 40 rats were injected with 10 milligrams of asbestos and then divided into two groups. One group ate food containing 2 percent boysenberry powder, and the others ate ordinary food. After a year, 14 rats from the non-boysenberry group manifested symptoms of mesothelioma, but only seven rats from the boysenberry group developed symptoms.
Symptoms first developed in a rat from the boysenberry group two months after the first signs were spotted among the non-boysenberry group.
Active oxygen is thought to be connected to mesothelioma, and according to Adachi, the antioxidant effects of the polyphenol in boysenberries may counteract the disease. Blueberries and raspberries also contain antioxidants, but boysenberries are said to have large concentrations of them.
Boysenberries--native to the United States and also grown in New Zealand--can be eaten raw and are made into jam.
Shuichi Adachi, an assistant professor at the university, and head of the research group, believes that the polyphenol in boysenberries prevents the development of mesothelioma. The group is conducting further experiments to confirm the results.
According to the group, 40 rats were injected with 10 milligrams of asbestos and then divided into two groups. One group ate food containing 2 percent boysenberry powder, and the others ate ordinary food. After a year, 14 rats from the non-boysenberry group manifested symptoms of mesothelioma, but only seven rats from the boysenberry group developed symptoms.
Symptoms first developed in a rat from the boysenberry group two months after the first signs were spotted among the non-boysenberry group.
Active oxygen is thought to be connected to mesothelioma, and according to Adachi, the antioxidant effects of the polyphenol in boysenberries may counteract the disease. Blueberries and raspberries also contain antioxidants, but boysenberries are said to have large concentrations of them.
Congressman's Widow Urges Senate to Ban Asbestos
The widow of a congressman who died from asbestos-related cancer has urged Congress to pass legislation that would ban the substance.
Sue Vento told a Senate panel last week about the battle waged by her late husband, Bruce Vento, against malignant mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Vento, a Democratic congressman from Minnesota, died of the disease in 2000.
"Your bill will bring hope to all of us whose lives have been touched by this disease,'' Vento told the Senate Health Committee's employment and workplace safety subcommittee. "It will prohibit the use of asbestos and will correct the mistaken belief held by so many that asbestos was banned decades ago.''
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral commonly used until the mid-1970s in insulation and fireproofing material. Its tiny fibers can cause cancer and other ailments when inhaled. The diseases often take decades to develop.
Most American automakers stopped using asbestos in brakes in the 1990s, but some imported brakes still use the material.
Sue Vento told a Senate panel last week about the battle waged by her late husband, Bruce Vento, against malignant mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Vento, a Democratic congressman from Minnesota, died of the disease in 2000.
"Your bill will bring hope to all of us whose lives have been touched by this disease,'' Vento told the Senate Health Committee's employment and workplace safety subcommittee. "It will prohibit the use of asbestos and will correct the mistaken belief held by so many that asbestos was banned decades ago.''
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral commonly used until the mid-1970s in insulation and fireproofing material. Its tiny fibers can cause cancer and other ailments when inhaled. The diseases often take decades to develop.
Most American automakers stopped using asbestos in brakes in the 1990s, but some imported brakes still use the material.
Canadian Minister: Give Mesothelioma Patients Hope
VANCOUVER - Chuck Strahl, his rare form of lung cancer apparently at bay, said Saturday that hope is one of the best tonics specialists focused on the ailment can prescribe to patients.
The federal agriculture minister made the remarks to open a symposium on malignant mesothelioma held at the B.C. Cancer Research Centre.
Strahl, 50, cracked up the room by joking he couldn't even pronounce the cancer, which attacks the membrane around the lungs, when first diagnosed in 2005.
But as specialists looked on intently, the MP for the B.C. riding of Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon offered a more philosophical message.
"My unfortunate experience in the cancer-fighting industry is that what patients are also looking for from you ... is some hope," he said.
Strahl said it was comforting to know specialists were working to beat the cancer, which has been found in only a few hundred Canadians.
"(Patients) don't need you to cry at their bedside," Strahl said, speaking to an audience that included Deb, his wife of 32 years.
"They don't need you to hold their hands and walk through things moment by moment. But what they do need is some sense of hope. They need a sense that somebody cares about this enough to research this."
Mesothelioma specialists from across Canada were on hand to open a national dialogue on clinical research and set some research directions.
Strahl noted several times that he would leave the scientific details to experts.
"While you're going through the molecular levels, and you're going through the chemotherapy treatments, and talking about surgical procedures, and you're going through all that, know that through all that, patients, even though they don't understand it all, take great hope in what you're doing," he said.
Strahl, also the senior federal minister for B.C., said in an interview that his cancer has not changed since his diagnosis, allowing him to carry on "despite being more busy than I have ever been in my life."
"It's staying where it was when they did the first CAT scan. That's very unusual with this type of cancer.
"It's usually very aggressive. So far, so good."
Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure. Strahl, calling his situation a "classic case," has linked his own illness to open asbestos used when he worked in road construction and logging as a young man.
"I just think of the dust. The dust would be so thick. The asbestos dust, you would be wiping it off your face," he said, following the speech.
"You look back on how careless we were. How can you regret it? Nobody knew."
The father of four - and grandfather of six - said his strong Christian faith has helped him cope, largely because it was a fixture of his life before his diagnosis.
"The foxhole is a tough time to start thinking through the big issues of life, and, for me and for our family, you don't like the news," he said.
"But the fact that myself and all of our family have a strong Christian faith means you kind of roll with the punches."
The federal agriculture minister made the remarks to open a symposium on malignant mesothelioma held at the B.C. Cancer Research Centre.
Strahl, 50, cracked up the room by joking he couldn't even pronounce the cancer, which attacks the membrane around the lungs, when first diagnosed in 2005.
But as specialists looked on intently, the MP for the B.C. riding of Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon offered a more philosophical message.
"My unfortunate experience in the cancer-fighting industry is that what patients are also looking for from you ... is some hope," he said.
Strahl said it was comforting to know specialists were working to beat the cancer, which has been found in only a few hundred Canadians.
"(Patients) don't need you to cry at their bedside," Strahl said, speaking to an audience that included Deb, his wife of 32 years.
"They don't need you to hold their hands and walk through things moment by moment. But what they do need is some sense of hope. They need a sense that somebody cares about this enough to research this."
Mesothelioma specialists from across Canada were on hand to open a national dialogue on clinical research and set some research directions.
Strahl noted several times that he would leave the scientific details to experts.
"While you're going through the molecular levels, and you're going through the chemotherapy treatments, and talking about surgical procedures, and you're going through all that, know that through all that, patients, even though they don't understand it all, take great hope in what you're doing," he said.
Strahl, also the senior federal minister for B.C., said in an interview that his cancer has not changed since his diagnosis, allowing him to carry on "despite being more busy than I have ever been in my life."
"It's staying where it was when they did the first CAT scan. That's very unusual with this type of cancer.
"It's usually very aggressive. So far, so good."
Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure. Strahl, calling his situation a "classic case," has linked his own illness to open asbestos used when he worked in road construction and logging as a young man.
"I just think of the dust. The dust would be so thick. The asbestos dust, you would be wiping it off your face," he said, following the speech.
"You look back on how careless we were. How can you regret it? Nobody knew."
The father of four - and grandfather of six - said his strong Christian faith has helped him cope, largely because it was a fixture of his life before his diagnosis.
"The foxhole is a tough time to start thinking through the big issues of life, and, for me and for our family, you don't like the news," he said.
"But the fact that myself and all of our family have a strong Christian faith means you kind of roll with the punches."
Widow Awarded $5.5 Million for Husband's Asbestos Death
The widow of a former shipyard worker who died from exposure to asbestos while building Navy aircraft carriers was awarded $5.55 million by a Circuit Court jury in Virginia.
The seven jurors determined hat Kay Oney should receive the damages from two suppliers to the shipbuilding industry — John Crane Inc. and Garlock Sealing Technologies — for their role in the death of her husband of 43 years, Vaughn Oney. Jurors deliberated for two days.
The Newport News Shipbuilding worker died in November after developing mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer triggered by breathing asbestos fibers decades earlier.
Jurors actually awarded $9.25 million to Kay Oney. Sixty percent of the total — or $5.55 million — is to be paid by John Crane Inc., a multinational company that manufactured gaskets and sealants made with asbestos.
Garlock Sealing Technologies, a Palmyra, N.Y., company that competed with John Crane in making the same products, had already settled for an undisclosed amount with Oney before the case went to trial.
Archibald Wallace, a Richmond attorney who represented John Crane Inc., could not immediately be reached last Thursday.
The company is expected to appeal the jury verdict.
Attorneys for the Oney family said between 1963 and 1973, Vaughn Oney was sometimes in contact with asbestos daily. He retired in 1994, in his early fifties and, according to attorneys representing the family, in good health.
But mesothelioma can remain latent in the body for 40 years. He was diagnosed in 2004.
"He needed an incredible amount of narcotics to endure the pain every day,'' said Robert Hatten, who represented Oney. "The last six weeks of his life, he was in horrific condition.''
The verdict comes less than one year after the court awarded $10.4 million to the family of Buddy Jones, another Newport News shipyard worker who died of the disease.
"The asbestos industry knew that asbestos fibers could kill you,'' Hatten said. "They knew how to prevent it, they knew how to test for it, they knew how to educate and they knew how to warn — but that was not in their financial interest.''
The seven jurors determined hat Kay Oney should receive the damages from two suppliers to the shipbuilding industry — John Crane Inc. and Garlock Sealing Technologies — for their role in the death of her husband of 43 years, Vaughn Oney. Jurors deliberated for two days.
The Newport News Shipbuilding worker died in November after developing mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer triggered by breathing asbestos fibers decades earlier.
Jurors actually awarded $9.25 million to Kay Oney. Sixty percent of the total — or $5.55 million — is to be paid by John Crane Inc., a multinational company that manufactured gaskets and sealants made with asbestos.
Garlock Sealing Technologies, a Palmyra, N.Y., company that competed with John Crane in making the same products, had already settled for an undisclosed amount with Oney before the case went to trial.
Archibald Wallace, a Richmond attorney who represented John Crane Inc., could not immediately be reached last Thursday.
The company is expected to appeal the jury verdict.
Attorneys for the Oney family said between 1963 and 1973, Vaughn Oney was sometimes in contact with asbestos daily. He retired in 1994, in his early fifties and, according to attorneys representing the family, in good health.
But mesothelioma can remain latent in the body for 40 years. He was diagnosed in 2004.
"He needed an incredible amount of narcotics to endure the pain every day,'' said Robert Hatten, who represented Oney. "The last six weeks of his life, he was in horrific condition.''
The verdict comes less than one year after the court awarded $10.4 million to the family of Buddy Jones, another Newport News shipyard worker who died of the disease.
"The asbestos industry knew that asbestos fibers could kill you,'' Hatten said. "They knew how to prevent it, they knew how to test for it, they knew how to educate and they knew how to warn — but that was not in their financial interest.''
UK Mesothelioma Victim Launches Support Web Site
BBC
A Devon woman who developed lung cancer from contact with her dockyard worker father has launched a website to offer support to other sufferers.
Debbie Brewer was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung, last December.
Her website, Mesothelioma and Me, provides information and advice for sufferers and their families.
The site also includes an online diary of her own experience of learning about and living with the illness.
'A missed cancer'
Earlier this year the Ministry of Defence agreed to compensate 47-year-old Mrs Brewer, from Plymouth, because she developed the disease from hugging her father, Philip Northmore, an asbestos lagger at Devonport Dockyard, when she was a child.
Although it can lie dormant for 40 years, when the symptoms of mesothelioma do manifest themselves, it is usually fatal within about two years.
Mr Northmore died of asbestos-related lung cancer last year aged 68.
Mrs Brewer said she hoped the website, which has been created by her daughter, would be a "positive" thing to come out of her situation.
"I hope anyone who has recently been diagnosed or their families will be able to get information and support from the site," she said.
"I think sometimes people can relate better to someone else's personal experience.
"It needs to be highlighted, it is something that's not really in the public domain.
"It's a very missed cancer and there needs to be more awareness."
A Devon woman who developed lung cancer from contact with her dockyard worker father has launched a website to offer support to other sufferers.
Debbie Brewer was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung, last December.
Her website, Mesothelioma and Me, provides information and advice for sufferers and their families.
The site also includes an online diary of her own experience of learning about and living with the illness.
'A missed cancer'
Earlier this year the Ministry of Defence agreed to compensate 47-year-old Mrs Brewer, from Plymouth, because she developed the disease from hugging her father, Philip Northmore, an asbestos lagger at Devonport Dockyard, when she was a child.
Although it can lie dormant for 40 years, when the symptoms of mesothelioma do manifest themselves, it is usually fatal within about two years.
Mr Northmore died of asbestos-related lung cancer last year aged 68.
Mrs Brewer said she hoped the website, which has been created by her daughter, would be a "positive" thing to come out of her situation.
"I hope anyone who has recently been diagnosed or their families will be able to get information and support from the site," she said.
"I think sometimes people can relate better to someone else's personal experience.
"It needs to be highlighted, it is something that's not really in the public domain.
"It's a very missed cancer and there needs to be more awareness."
Asbestos Law Change Sought in UK
A CAMPAIGN will be launched today to win justice for asbestos victims across the UK.
Under current law, families in England and Wales who lose relatives to the lung disease receive thousands of pounds less than victims in Scotland.
Compensation is set at £10,000 in England while in Scotland widows can get anything up to £50,000.
Ian McFall, of law firm Thompsons, which is leading the campaign, said: "The law must be changed to ensure families are treated the same."
Britain has the highest rate of mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, in the world.
Under current law, families in England and Wales who lose relatives to the lung disease receive thousands of pounds less than victims in Scotland.
Compensation is set at £10,000 in England while in Scotland widows can get anything up to £50,000.
Ian McFall, of law firm Thompsons, which is leading the campaign, said: "The law must be changed to ensure families are treated the same."
Britain has the highest rate of mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, in the world.
Early Mesothelima Detection Test Under Development
Rosetta Genomics, Ltd. announced that it has partnered with NYU Medical Center with the aim of developing a line of early detection diagnostic products for lung, and Mesothelioma cancers.
The early detection test will mainly target over 45 million Americans who are at an increased risk of lung cancer due to smoking, as well as those who have been exposed to asbestos fibers. The test will utilize Rosetta Genomics' proprietary protocol to extract microRNAs from a simple blood draw.
"A test that will be able to detect cancer at an early stage using a simple blood draw will have far reaching implications on the fight against cancer," noted Dr. Harvey Pass, Professor and Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology at NYU Medical Center. "MicroRNAs have been shown to hold great potential as effective biomarkers for various cancers, and I believe that NYU Medical Center's vast experience with lung cancer and Mesothelioma, coupled with Rosetta Genomics' expertise in the microRNA field, will allow us to successfully advance this much needed test forward."
The early detection test will mainly target over 45 million Americans who are at an increased risk of lung cancer due to smoking, as well as those who have been exposed to asbestos fibers. The test will utilize Rosetta Genomics' proprietary protocol to extract microRNAs from a simple blood draw.
"A test that will be able to detect cancer at an early stage using a simple blood draw will have far reaching implications on the fight against cancer," noted Dr. Harvey Pass, Professor and Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology at NYU Medical Center. "MicroRNAs have been shown to hold great potential as effective biomarkers for various cancers, and I believe that NYU Medical Center's vast experience with lung cancer and Mesothelioma, coupled with Rosetta Genomics' expertise in the microRNA field, will allow us to successfully advance this much needed test forward."
Minnesota Legislature Calls for Mesothelioma Study
ST. PAUL — Thirty-five new cases of mesothelioma on the Range have prompted a joint committee of the House of Representatives to call on experts for a better understanding of the issue.
Testimony on Tuesday morning outlined a 25-year history of attempts to address questions about mining occupations and respiratory diseases, questions that still remain today. In addition, the Minnesota Department of Health presented its proposals for two new studies to better answer questions of whether mineral fragments and asbestos-like fibers in taconite dust are to blame for the otherwise rare fatal cancer, or if occupational asbestos exposure is strictly to blame. The joint committee was chaired by Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, and Rep. Karen Clark, DFL-Minneapolis.
The first proposed study would evaluate exposure to taconite dust and asbestos in the 52 cases. The study would also use a control, comparing mine workers with the disease to mine workers without the disease. The study requires $750,000 or more per year, according to Mary Manning from the Department of Health, who said the department is applying for federal funding, and feels they have a “compelling” case.
The second study would use existing information provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to assess risks from taconite dust. The study would consider data on the effect of different minerals on lab animals and then tailor this information to estimate the risk to humans at each mining site given its unique taconite dust composition. This research would take about one year after receipt of information from the MPCA, according to Bob Stein of the Department of Health, and could be paid for out of existing state sources.
Cleveland Cliffs is executing its own private health study of its Babbitt and Silver Bay operations to examine health risks of mining. Committee testimony and a 2003 Department of Health report outline a legacy of failed funding initiatives in the study of mining and mortality on the Range.
In the mid 1980s, a radiologist from Virginia showed an abnormally high number of thickenings on the lungs of his patients, which were further analyzed and not determined to be a community-wide health problem. However, in 1989, Range Studies Advisory Committee presented recommendations for a statewide cancer surveillance program and planning for a study of fibrous properties of minerals on the Iron Range. The department of health could not obtain funding for the Range study.
The 2003 study of 17 mesothelioma cases was part of the Occupational Respiratory Disease Information System. ORDIS used information from another research study funded by the Iron Range Resources Board, which collected the mortality information of 72,000 mining industry workers from 1930-1982. The planned mortality follow-up study could not be conducted when available resources were exhausted, according to the department.
What was to be an initial study establishing whether commercial asbestos exposure could explain the 17 reported cases of mesothelioma in the mortality data was barely finished in 2003 after $250,000 funding a year for ORDIS was cut in 2002. The study concluded that asbestos exposure could explain the 17 cases, but was only meant to be one in a sequence of steps that ultimately never developed to further target the source, according to Alan Bender of the Department of Health.
That conclusion was questioned in March, when the department re-evaluated the group of workers in the mortality study and found an additional 35 cases may not be fully explained by asbestos exposure, leading some to renew a call to further investigate taconite dust and what occupations may be most at risk.
Bender claimed the department had gathered detailed occupational history for those next steps in 2003. “If we had had the continued funding I think it’s fair to say we would have the answer to the question now.”
Committee members questioned why the relatively small funding request could not be found, and did not receive a conclusive answer. Rukavina did criticize early mining companies from out east for not contributing to health studies.
“‘Robber Barons, we used to call them early on’ don’t give anything back to the community. So if you think they are going to give money for a study that is unbiased I think you are sadly mistaken.”
Bob Bratulich who represents United Steel District 11, said the union was aware of the study’s shortcomings from the beginning, and was disappointed that taconite dust was not effectively addressed. Bratulich also said a lack of occupational history included in the study limited its usefulness.
A question of why there has been no reported rise in asbestosis or asbestos-related lung cancers was raised by Dr. Vincent Garry, professor emeritus of the University of Minnesota medical school in the department of lab medicine pathology.
“Why is that absent, or is there information that needs to be developed?” asked Gary, “If not, we have a relatively unique situation where we have an asbestos form fiber which is capable of producing, we think, mesothelioma. To find out more about that is the question we have.”
Chair Clark suggested that the joint committee visit the Range over the interim to further familiarize themselves with the stakeholders and the mines. While there is discussion in committee to include occupational information in the state’s cancer registry, no legislation currently addresses the issue.
Testimony on Tuesday morning outlined a 25-year history of attempts to address questions about mining occupations and respiratory diseases, questions that still remain today. In addition, the Minnesota Department of Health presented its proposals for two new studies to better answer questions of whether mineral fragments and asbestos-like fibers in taconite dust are to blame for the otherwise rare fatal cancer, or if occupational asbestos exposure is strictly to blame. The joint committee was chaired by Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, and Rep. Karen Clark, DFL-Minneapolis.
The first proposed study would evaluate exposure to taconite dust and asbestos in the 52 cases. The study would also use a control, comparing mine workers with the disease to mine workers without the disease. The study requires $750,000 or more per year, according to Mary Manning from the Department of Health, who said the department is applying for federal funding, and feels they have a “compelling” case.
The second study would use existing information provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to assess risks from taconite dust. The study would consider data on the effect of different minerals on lab animals and then tailor this information to estimate the risk to humans at each mining site given its unique taconite dust composition. This research would take about one year after receipt of information from the MPCA, according to Bob Stein of the Department of Health, and could be paid for out of existing state sources.
Cleveland Cliffs is executing its own private health study of its Babbitt and Silver Bay operations to examine health risks of mining. Committee testimony and a 2003 Department of Health report outline a legacy of failed funding initiatives in the study of mining and mortality on the Range.
In the mid 1980s, a radiologist from Virginia showed an abnormally high number of thickenings on the lungs of his patients, which were further analyzed and not determined to be a community-wide health problem. However, in 1989, Range Studies Advisory Committee presented recommendations for a statewide cancer surveillance program and planning for a study of fibrous properties of minerals on the Iron Range. The department of health could not obtain funding for the Range study.
The 2003 study of 17 mesothelioma cases was part of the Occupational Respiratory Disease Information System. ORDIS used information from another research study funded by the Iron Range Resources Board, which collected the mortality information of 72,000 mining industry workers from 1930-1982. The planned mortality follow-up study could not be conducted when available resources were exhausted, according to the department.
What was to be an initial study establishing whether commercial asbestos exposure could explain the 17 reported cases of mesothelioma in the mortality data was barely finished in 2003 after $250,000 funding a year for ORDIS was cut in 2002. The study concluded that asbestos exposure could explain the 17 cases, but was only meant to be one in a sequence of steps that ultimately never developed to further target the source, according to Alan Bender of the Department of Health.
That conclusion was questioned in March, when the department re-evaluated the group of workers in the mortality study and found an additional 35 cases may not be fully explained by asbestos exposure, leading some to renew a call to further investigate taconite dust and what occupations may be most at risk.
Bender claimed the department had gathered detailed occupational history for those next steps in 2003. “If we had had the continued funding I think it’s fair to say we would have the answer to the question now.”
Committee members questioned why the relatively small funding request could not be found, and did not receive a conclusive answer. Rukavina did criticize early mining companies from out east for not contributing to health studies.
“‘Robber Barons, we used to call them early on’ don’t give anything back to the community. So if you think they are going to give money for a study that is unbiased I think you are sadly mistaken.”
Bob Bratulich who represents United Steel District 11, said the union was aware of the study’s shortcomings from the beginning, and was disappointed that taconite dust was not effectively addressed. Bratulich also said a lack of occupational history included in the study limited its usefulness.
A question of why there has been no reported rise in asbestosis or asbestos-related lung cancers was raised by Dr. Vincent Garry, professor emeritus of the University of Minnesota medical school in the department of lab medicine pathology.
“Why is that absent, or is there information that needs to be developed?” asked Gary, “If not, we have a relatively unique situation where we have an asbestos form fiber which is capable of producing, we think, mesothelioma. To find out more about that is the question we have.”
Chair Clark suggested that the joint committee visit the Range over the interim to further familiarize themselves with the stakeholders and the mines. While there is discussion in committee to include occupational information in the state’s cancer registry, no legislation currently addresses the issue.
Research Could Lead to New Mesothelioma Treatment
DETROIT, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute today announced significant scientific findings that could lead to better treatment and therapies for cancer patients suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Karmanos scientists presented their research at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Los Angeles, CA.
"We are getting closer and closer to making an impact on this insidious disease," said Anil Wali, Ph.D., an associate professor with Karmanos who led a group of cross-collaborative researchers in studying the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic (UPP) pathway regulatory proteins.
Their study demonstrated that protein ubiquitination and degradation are critical players in the spread of mesothelioma. After studying 241 genes involved in the UPP pathway, Wali's group determined 33 genes were differentially expressed among epithelioid and biphasic histotypes.
"We have already reported earlier detection biomarkers that can be utilized in assessing the high risk groups of patients," Dr. Wali said. "Now, if we can develop a therapy to target this pathway, we will be one step closer to halting this disease."
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive, asbestos-related thoracic cancer affecting about 3,000 new patients in the United States annually. Despite advances in cancer treatment, the average survival rate remains low and the majority of patients die within two years of diagnosis. Currently there is no cure.
The Karmanos Cancer Institute has a long history of mesothelioma education and treatment. In 2004, the Institute joined with Wayne State University's Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine to create the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos Related Cancers.
It addresses the need for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment for those afflicted with asbestos-related diseases. John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., president and chief executive officer of KCI, co-directs the center in conjunction with Michael R. Harbut, M.D., M.P.H., F.C.C.P., an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of environmental and workplace diseases. Dr. Ruckdeschel, an internationally recognized figure in both lung cancer research and treatment, contributed to the research and authorship of today's presentation.
This study received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Based in midtown Detroit, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is committed to a future free of cancer. The Institute is one of 39 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for more than 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $216 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 faculty members, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, the Institute strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D. is the Institute's president and CEO.
Karmanos scientists presented their research at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Los Angeles, CA.
"We are getting closer and closer to making an impact on this insidious disease," said Anil Wali, Ph.D., an associate professor with Karmanos who led a group of cross-collaborative researchers in studying the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic (UPP) pathway regulatory proteins.
Their study demonstrated that protein ubiquitination and degradation are critical players in the spread of mesothelioma. After studying 241 genes involved in the UPP pathway, Wali's group determined 33 genes were differentially expressed among epithelioid and biphasic histotypes.
"We have already reported earlier detection biomarkers that can be utilized in assessing the high risk groups of patients," Dr. Wali said. "Now, if we can develop a therapy to target this pathway, we will be one step closer to halting this disease."
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive, asbestos-related thoracic cancer affecting about 3,000 new patients in the United States annually. Despite advances in cancer treatment, the average survival rate remains low and the majority of patients die within two years of diagnosis. Currently there is no cure.
The Karmanos Cancer Institute has a long history of mesothelioma education and treatment. In 2004, the Institute joined with Wayne State University's Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine to create the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos Related Cancers.
It addresses the need for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment for those afflicted with asbestos-related diseases. John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., president and chief executive officer of KCI, co-directs the center in conjunction with Michael R. Harbut, M.D., M.P.H., F.C.C.P., an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of environmental and workplace diseases. Dr. Ruckdeschel, an internationally recognized figure in both lung cancer research and treatment, contributed to the research and authorship of today's presentation.
This study received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Based in midtown Detroit, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is committed to a future free of cancer. The Institute is one of 39 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for more than 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $216 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 faculty members, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, the Institute strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D. is the Institute's president and CEO.
Australia to Face More Mesothelioma Cases
A deadly cancer sparked by exposure to asbestos will strike far more Australians and peak years later than first predicted, a new report shows.
The study into the impact of the fatal asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, offers a new and much grimmer picture for the future of the disease.
Researchers at the Australian National University say their results are based on increased estimates of asbestos exposure and have "important implications" for asbestos-related disease liability schemes.
A previous model developed by the auditing firm KPMG estimated that the number of mesothelioma cases would keep rising until 2010, when they would start to drop off.
It predicted 3,530 cases among NSW men between 2006 and 2060.
But the new analysis by Dr Mark Clements, from the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, predicts that 6,430 cases of the fatal disease would be recorded over that period, and it won't peak until as late as 2017.
"This has far reaching consequences for actuarial predictions, where the number of cases out to 2060 may be in excess of 35 per cent higher than the number predicted by KPMG's model," Dr Clements said.
The increase was based on changes on exposure levels and would therefore have implications for other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural disorders.
He said it was unclear why the two models give different results, but it might be that the earlier picture was influenced by the common belief that peak incidence would be in 2010.
The diseases have been the subject of a large-scale compensation deal involving the building company James Hardie.
The researcher said the new prediction will have implications for liability claims, but there are several steps between predicting mesothelioma incidence and calculating liability.
"I can't speculate as to the revised level of liability," Dr Clements said.
"However based on our modelling of future mesothelioma incidence, its worrying that the liability may have been underestimated."
The results were presented at an accident compensation seminar in Melbourne on Monday.
International research released last month found that Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related disease in the world, largely due to enthusiastic post-war uptake of the building materials, banned Australia-wide in 2003.
The study into the impact of the fatal asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, offers a new and much grimmer picture for the future of the disease.
Researchers at the Australian National University say their results are based on increased estimates of asbestos exposure and have "important implications" for asbestos-related disease liability schemes.
A previous model developed by the auditing firm KPMG estimated that the number of mesothelioma cases would keep rising until 2010, when they would start to drop off.
It predicted 3,530 cases among NSW men between 2006 and 2060.
But the new analysis by Dr Mark Clements, from the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, predicts that 6,430 cases of the fatal disease would be recorded over that period, and it won't peak until as late as 2017.
"This has far reaching consequences for actuarial predictions, where the number of cases out to 2060 may be in excess of 35 per cent higher than the number predicted by KPMG's model," Dr Clements said.
The increase was based on changes on exposure levels and would therefore have implications for other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural disorders.
He said it was unclear why the two models give different results, but it might be that the earlier picture was influenced by the common belief that peak incidence would be in 2010.
The diseases have been the subject of a large-scale compensation deal involving the building company James Hardie.
The researcher said the new prediction will have implications for liability claims, but there are several steps between predicting mesothelioma incidence and calculating liability.
"I can't speculate as to the revised level of liability," Dr Clements said.
"However based on our modelling of future mesothelioma incidence, its worrying that the liability may have been underestimated."
The results were presented at an accident compensation seminar in Melbourne on Monday.
International research released last month found that Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related disease in the world, largely due to enthusiastic post-war uptake of the building materials, banned Australia-wide in 2003.
New York Court Rules Mesothelioma Case To Go To Trial
PR Web News Release
New York, NY (PRWEB) April 30, 2007 -- A New York Supreme Court Justice has ruled that the asbestos exposure lawsuit of a former Elizabeth, New Jersey resident will move to trial in New York City. Leonard Shafer died at the age of 73 from mesothelioma, a rare and incurable asbestos-related cancer. Mr. Shafer's wife Evelyn, now a Manhattan resident, is continuing the lawsuit which is based upon Mr. Shafer's exposure to asbestos at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the 1950s. Mr. Shafer is represented by mesothelioma trial attorneys from the New York and New Jersey offices of Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP in the case, 03/108297, filed in New York County.
In an opinion dated April 5, 2007, Judge Helen Freedman, who presides over the New York City Asbestos Litigation, denied a motion for summary judgment filed by a cable manufacturer, The Okonite Company. Mr. Shafer was exposed to asbestos-containing Okonite cable while working as an electrician at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Evidence submitted by Shafer's 03/108297 [mesothelioma trial attorneys to the Court proves that, as early as January 10, 1941, Okonite was approved to sell asbestos-containing armored cable to the Navy. At the time of the approvals in 1941, cable manufacturers were required, under Navy Specifications, to include asbestos in heat and flame resistant, armored cable. However, military records establish that, in September 1941, cable manufacturers were given a choice whether to use asbestos or glass fiber.
Despite the asbestos hazards to health, Okonite continued to sell to the Navy asbestos-containing armored cable.
Documentary evidence submitted by the mesothelioma trial attorneys suggested that Okonite continued to sell asbestos containing cable and continued to use asbestos material in conjunction with their shipboard cable, at least up through 1956 when Mr. Shafer left the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Indeed, Plaintiff attorneys submitted overwhelming evidence of Okonite's continued use of asbestos in their product, notwithstanding the option of using a glass fiber. Further documentary evidence of Okonite's continued use of asbestos appears in Okonite's own company documents.
Okonite did not produce any evidence that they implemented the use of glass as opposed to asbestos. To the contrary, the evidence Plaintiff submitted, including Mr. Shafer's deposition testimony, as well as archived Naval records and testimony from Okonite former employees, reflects that Okonite continued to use asbestos in its cable through the time period in which Mr. Shafer served in the Navy.
As an additional ground for denying Okonite's summary judgment motion, Judge Freedman noted that the Okonite cables were packed in asbestos containing packing material, which caused additional exposure to Mr. Shafer. The Shafer asbestos exposure lawsuit is scheduled for trial in June 2007 against defendants Okonite and John Crane, the manufacturer of the asbestos packing material used with the cable. In a similar asbestos exposure lawsuit in 2002, a New York County jury returned a $13.5 million dollar verdict in favor of plaintiff John Matteson who was exposed to Okonite Navy cable in the WWII era on ships at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Importantly, the Shafer case paves the way for litigants to proceed against Okonite for asbestos exposures into the 1950's.
New York, NY (PRWEB) April 30, 2007 -- A New York Supreme Court Justice has ruled that the asbestos exposure lawsuit of a former Elizabeth, New Jersey resident will move to trial in New York City. Leonard Shafer died at the age of 73 from mesothelioma, a rare and incurable asbestos-related cancer. Mr. Shafer's wife Evelyn, now a Manhattan resident, is continuing the lawsuit which is based upon Mr. Shafer's exposure to asbestos at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the 1950s. Mr. Shafer is represented by mesothelioma trial attorneys from the New York and New Jersey offices of Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP in the case, 03/108297, filed in New York County.
In an opinion dated April 5, 2007, Judge Helen Freedman, who presides over the New York City Asbestos Litigation, denied a motion for summary judgment filed by a cable manufacturer, The Okonite Company. Mr. Shafer was exposed to asbestos-containing Okonite cable while working as an electrician at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Evidence submitted by Shafer's 03/108297 [mesothelioma trial attorneys to the Court proves that, as early as January 10, 1941, Okonite was approved to sell asbestos-containing armored cable to the Navy. At the time of the approvals in 1941, cable manufacturers were required, under Navy Specifications, to include asbestos in heat and flame resistant, armored cable. However, military records establish that, in September 1941, cable manufacturers were given a choice whether to use asbestos or glass fiber.
Despite the asbestos hazards to health, Okonite continued to sell to the Navy asbestos-containing armored cable.
Documentary evidence submitted by the mesothelioma trial attorneys suggested that Okonite continued to sell asbestos containing cable and continued to use asbestos material in conjunction with their shipboard cable, at least up through 1956 when Mr. Shafer left the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Indeed, Plaintiff attorneys submitted overwhelming evidence of Okonite's continued use of asbestos in their product, notwithstanding the option of using a glass fiber. Further documentary evidence of Okonite's continued use of asbestos appears in Okonite's own company documents.
Okonite did not produce any evidence that they implemented the use of glass as opposed to asbestos. To the contrary, the evidence Plaintiff submitted, including Mr. Shafer's deposition testimony, as well as archived Naval records and testimony from Okonite former employees, reflects that Okonite continued to use asbestos in its cable through the time period in which Mr. Shafer served in the Navy.
As an additional ground for denying Okonite's summary judgment motion, Judge Freedman noted that the Okonite cables were packed in asbestos containing packing material, which caused additional exposure to Mr. Shafer. The Shafer asbestos exposure lawsuit is scheduled for trial in June 2007 against defendants Okonite and John Crane, the manufacturer of the asbestos packing material used with the cable. In a similar asbestos exposure lawsuit in 2002, a New York County jury returned a $13.5 million dollar verdict in favor of plaintiff John Matteson who was exposed to Okonite Navy cable in the WWII era on ships at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Importantly, the Shafer case paves the way for litigants to proceed against Okonite for asbestos exposures into the 1950's.
The World Health Organisation - WHO -is targeting workplace asbestos, mesothelioma
news-medical.net
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 200,000 people die each year from cancers related to their workplaces, mainly from inhaling asbestos fibers and second-hand tobacco smoke.
The WHO says about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos at work and every 10th lung cancer death is related to occupational hazards, which amount to at least 90,000 deaths each year.
The United Nations health agency marked World Day for Safety and Health at Work by highlighting the many preventable deaths caused by exposure to carcinogens and have called for the removal of dangerous substances from job sites and says the risks for occupational cancer are preventable.
Among the most common types of occupational cancers are lung cancer, mesothelioma and bladder cancer.
Thousands more die from leukemia caused by workplace exposure to benzene, an organic compound used in rubbers, dyes, drugs, and pesticides, which is widely used in chemical and diamond industries.
Those exposed to second-hand smoke at work have twice the risk of lung cancer than those in a smoke-free environment.
Maria Neira, the WHO director of public health and environment states that known and preventable exposures are responsible for hundreds of thousands of excess cancer cases each year.
Neira says in the interests of protecting public health, an approach rooted in primary prevention must be adopted and workplaces made free from carcinogenic risks.
The WHO lays the blame for the majority of the cancer deaths from occupational risk factors, squarely on the wide use of carcinogenic substances such as blue asbestos, 2-naphthylamine and benzene 20 to 30 years ago.
The WHO warns that if the current unregulated use of carcinogens continues a significant increase in occupational cancer can be expected in the coming decades.
The agency is urging governments and industry to ensure that workplaces are equipped with adequate measures to meet health and safety standards and that they are free from dangerous pollutants.
It has called for a halt in the use of asbestos, the introduction of benzene-free organic solvents and technologies that convert the carcinogenic chromium into a non-carcinogenic form.
Who also recommends the banning of tobacco use at the workplace, and the provision of protective clothing for people working in the sun.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 200,000 people die each year from cancers related to their workplaces, mainly from inhaling asbestos fibers and second-hand tobacco smoke.
The WHO says about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos at work and every 10th lung cancer death is related to occupational hazards, which amount to at least 90,000 deaths each year.
The United Nations health agency marked World Day for Safety and Health at Work by highlighting the many preventable deaths caused by exposure to carcinogens and have called for the removal of dangerous substances from job sites and says the risks for occupational cancer are preventable.
Among the most common types of occupational cancers are lung cancer, mesothelioma and bladder cancer.
Thousands more die from leukemia caused by workplace exposure to benzene, an organic compound used in rubbers, dyes, drugs, and pesticides, which is widely used in chemical and diamond industries.
Those exposed to second-hand smoke at work have twice the risk of lung cancer than those in a smoke-free environment.
Maria Neira, the WHO director of public health and environment states that known and preventable exposures are responsible for hundreds of thousands of excess cancer cases each year.
Neira says in the interests of protecting public health, an approach rooted in primary prevention must be adopted and workplaces made free from carcinogenic risks.
The WHO lays the blame for the majority of the cancer deaths from occupational risk factors, squarely on the wide use of carcinogenic substances such as blue asbestos, 2-naphthylamine and benzene 20 to 30 years ago.
The WHO warns that if the current unregulated use of carcinogens continues a significant increase in occupational cancer can be expected in the coming decades.
The agency is urging governments and industry to ensure that workplaces are equipped with adequate measures to meet health and safety standards and that they are free from dangerous pollutants.
It has called for a halt in the use of asbestos, the introduction of benzene-free organic solvents and technologies that convert the carcinogenic chromium into a non-carcinogenic form.
Who also recommends the banning of tobacco use at the workplace, and the provision of protective clothing for people working in the sun.
Widow Sues UK Hospital Over Mesothelioma Death
Newbury Today
A Kingsclere woman is suing a hospital trust over the death of her husband.
Patricia Couchman has launched a legal battle for £150,000 in compensation from the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital Foundation Trust after her husband James died from asbestos-related cancer.
Mr Couchman died from malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissues surrounding his lungs or abdomen, according to a writ issued in London’s High Court.
Mrs Couchman, of Thorneley Road, believes he was exposed to deadly asbestos dust and fibres when he worked at Basingstoke Hospital between 1966 and 1997.
She accuses the trust which runs the hospital of negligence and claims they were in breach of statutory duty.
Mesothelioma is a terminal and progressive cancer, almost invariably linked to exposure to asbestos at work.
Her claim is the latest in a series of legal actions brought by cancer victims, or their relatives, from all over the country.
A Kingsclere woman is suing a hospital trust over the death of her husband.
Patricia Couchman has launched a legal battle for £150,000 in compensation from the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital Foundation Trust after her husband James died from asbestos-related cancer.
Mr Couchman died from malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissues surrounding his lungs or abdomen, according to a writ issued in London’s High Court.
Mrs Couchman, of Thorneley Road, believes he was exposed to deadly asbestos dust and fibres when he worked at Basingstoke Hospital between 1966 and 1997.
She accuses the trust which runs the hospital of negligence and claims they were in breach of statutory duty.
Mesothelioma is a terminal and progressive cancer, almost invariably linked to exposure to asbestos at work.
Her claim is the latest in a series of legal actions brought by cancer victims, or their relatives, from all over the country.
Alimta Withdrawal Threatens UK Mesothelioma Patients
The Observer
Former workers suffering from asbestos-related cancer are facing medical bills of £24,000 and the prospect of having to remortgage their homes, pending a final decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) to withdraw approval from the only drug licensed to help sufferers.
Every year about 2,000 people die of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung that arises from exposure to asbestos, which is nearly always terminal. The numbers are expected to peak between 2011 and 2015.
Nice denied approval for the life-extending chemotherapy drug Alimta in June last year, subject to consultation which closed last month. Final guidance is due for publication in September. The uncertainty over NHS funding for chemotherapy treatment (which is still available in parts of the country, including Manchester, Liverpool and certain London boroughs) comes at a time when campaigners are increasingly concerned about the financial security of families blighted by the disease, despite new government proposals for fast-tracking financial support for those diagnosed with the devastating illness.
'No amount of money will ever make up for the suffering and loss to individuals and families caused by mesothelioma,' John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said last month. 'But no one should have to worry that they, or their family, will have to wait years before they see a penny of compensation; especially as in many of those cases people don't have years to wait.'
On average, sufferers die within 12 to 18 months of diagnosis. Hutton has promised everyone should get a state benefit within six weeks of making a claim, rather than just those exposed at work, as was once the case.
Ministers had been forced to step in and overrule a judgment by the law lords in the case of Sylvia Barker (reported in The Observer last May), the latest in a series of attempts by insurers to evade liability by deploying technical legal arguments. Five years ago, they attempted to strike out thousands of claims from sufferers by arguing that responsibility couldn't be shared if more than one employer exposed a worker. The Lords overruled that judgment. But last summer insurers did a U-turn, successfully arguing in the Barker case that if there was more than one employer, compensation should be split between them all. As some have now gone out of business or are impossible to track down, this would have meant some families missing out on part or all of their compensation.
Alarmed at this prospect, ministers stepped in to protect ex-workers by amending the Compensation Bill, which was then going through parliament. The new law is now on the statute books and makes negligent employers 'jointly and severally liable', so sufferers can recover full compensation from any employer or insurer. However, the non-availability of Alimta on the NHS seriously compounds the financial problems of sufferers already anxious about challenges over modest levels of compensation paid out. The treatment is available privately at a cost of around £24,000 for the entire course, including hospital costs, although some sufferers have been quoted double that amount.
'People have been contacting us who have remortgaged or sold their homes to pay,' reports Chris Knighton, founder of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund. Her husband died of the disease in 2001, aged 60, after exposure to asbestos while serving in the Royal Navy. He died seven months after diagnosis. 'When I heard that there was a drug being licensed that would give people a better quality of life for longer, I thought it was a lifeline. There was nothing for my husband,' she says.
The charity is funding a study at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research to find out which patients will benefit most from Alimta. 'For a condition where there's no cure, it's so important that it's offered. It's so devastating and cruel for it to be denied,' adds Knighton.
Nick Thatcher, professor of oncology at the Christie Hospital NHS Trust and Wythenshawe Hospital, describes Nice's decision as 'crazy'. 'It's the only proven licensed treatment and isn't that expensive [for the NHS] - only £7,000 for the complete treatment course.'
Nice insists that Alimta is not 'superior to other, far less costly treatment regimens', but Thatcher disagrees. He believes the treatment significantly increases life expectancy, alleviates pain which cannot be lessened by opiates, and helps with breathlessness. 'One in four people on Almita survive two years and more, and generally have a good quality of life,' he says. 'They wouldn't have that with other chemotherapy that's cheaper and not as effective. In terms of social justice, to not treat an industrial disease is extraordinary, especially when the cost is pretty minimal.' Alimta is widely available throughout the EU.
The trade union law firm Thompsons has launched a campaign to highlight the difference in the treatment of mesothelioma sufferers north and south of the border. In England and Wales, the level of bereavement compensation is fixed at £10,000 under the Fatal Accidents Act. In Scotland, payments of up to £30,000 have been made to widows by the courts, plus payments of between £10,000 and £15,000 to other family members.
Former workers suffering from asbestos-related cancer are facing medical bills of £24,000 and the prospect of having to remortgage their homes, pending a final decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) to withdraw approval from the only drug licensed to help sufferers.
Every year about 2,000 people die of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung that arises from exposure to asbestos, which is nearly always terminal. The numbers are expected to peak between 2011 and 2015.
Nice denied approval for the life-extending chemotherapy drug Alimta in June last year, subject to consultation which closed last month. Final guidance is due for publication in September. The uncertainty over NHS funding for chemotherapy treatment (which is still available in parts of the country, including Manchester, Liverpool and certain London boroughs) comes at a time when campaigners are increasingly concerned about the financial security of families blighted by the disease, despite new government proposals for fast-tracking financial support for those diagnosed with the devastating illness.
'No amount of money will ever make up for the suffering and loss to individuals and families caused by mesothelioma,' John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said last month. 'But no one should have to worry that they, or their family, will have to wait years before they see a penny of compensation; especially as in many of those cases people don't have years to wait.'
On average, sufferers die within 12 to 18 months of diagnosis. Hutton has promised everyone should get a state benefit within six weeks of making a claim, rather than just those exposed at work, as was once the case.
Ministers had been forced to step in and overrule a judgment by the law lords in the case of Sylvia Barker (reported in The Observer last May), the latest in a series of attempts by insurers to evade liability by deploying technical legal arguments. Five years ago, they attempted to strike out thousands of claims from sufferers by arguing that responsibility couldn't be shared if more than one employer exposed a worker. The Lords overruled that judgment. But last summer insurers did a U-turn, successfully arguing in the Barker case that if there was more than one employer, compensation should be split between them all. As some have now gone out of business or are impossible to track down, this would have meant some families missing out on part or all of their compensation.
Alarmed at this prospect, ministers stepped in to protect ex-workers by amending the Compensation Bill, which was then going through parliament. The new law is now on the statute books and makes negligent employers 'jointly and severally liable', so sufferers can recover full compensation from any employer or insurer. However, the non-availability of Alimta on the NHS seriously compounds the financial problems of sufferers already anxious about challenges over modest levels of compensation paid out. The treatment is available privately at a cost of around £24,000 for the entire course, including hospital costs, although some sufferers have been quoted double that amount.
'People have been contacting us who have remortgaged or sold their homes to pay,' reports Chris Knighton, founder of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund. Her husband died of the disease in 2001, aged 60, after exposure to asbestos while serving in the Royal Navy. He died seven months after diagnosis. 'When I heard that there was a drug being licensed that would give people a better quality of life for longer, I thought it was a lifeline. There was nothing for my husband,' she says.
The charity is funding a study at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research to find out which patients will benefit most from Alimta. 'For a condition where there's no cure, it's so important that it's offered. It's so devastating and cruel for it to be denied,' adds Knighton.
Nick Thatcher, professor of oncology at the Christie Hospital NHS Trust and Wythenshawe Hospital, describes Nice's decision as 'crazy'. 'It's the only proven licensed treatment and isn't that expensive [for the NHS] - only £7,000 for the complete treatment course.'
Nice insists that Alimta is not 'superior to other, far less costly treatment regimens', but Thatcher disagrees. He believes the treatment significantly increases life expectancy, alleviates pain which cannot be lessened by opiates, and helps with breathlessness. 'One in four people on Almita survive two years and more, and generally have a good quality of life,' he says. 'They wouldn't have that with other chemotherapy that's cheaper and not as effective. In terms of social justice, to not treat an industrial disease is extraordinary, especially when the cost is pretty minimal.' Alimta is widely available throughout the EU.
The trade union law firm Thompsons has launched a campaign to highlight the difference in the treatment of mesothelioma sufferers north and south of the border. In England and Wales, the level of bereavement compensation is fixed at £10,000 under the Fatal Accidents Act. In Scotland, payments of up to £30,000 have been made to widows by the courts, plus payments of between £10,000 and £15,000 to other family members.
Mesothelioma Death Settled for Two Million Dollars
Business Journal
The family of a Santa Clara man who died as a result of his workplace exposure to asbestos reached a $2.3 million settlement with several companies, the family's attorney said Friday.
Charlie Piazza, an electrician, was exposed to asbestos products made by companies that included San Carlos-based Kelly-Moore Paint Co. Inc., said attorney Eric Brown of Baron & Budd law firm.
Piazza was an electrician and construction subcontractor in the Santa Clara area for more than 40 years, Brown said.
In March 2005, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. He died in May 2005 at the age of 62, less than six weeks after his diagnosis.
The family of a Santa Clara man who died as a result of his workplace exposure to asbestos reached a $2.3 million settlement with several companies, the family's attorney said Friday.
Charlie Piazza, an electrician, was exposed to asbestos products made by companies that included San Carlos-based Kelly-Moore Paint Co. Inc., said attorney Eric Brown of Baron & Budd law firm.
Piazza was an electrician and construction subcontractor in the Santa Clara area for more than 40 years, Brown said.
In March 2005, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. He died in May 2005 at the age of 62, less than six weeks after his diagnosis.
Mesothelioma Death From Washing Clothes Contaminated with Asbestos
Eastbourne Today
A WOMAN who died from lung cancer may have been exposed to deadly asbestos while washing her husband's work clothes.
A post mortem examination into the death of Hazel Lea, 60, of Martello Road, showed she had multiple tumour deposits in the right lung.
The cause of death was given as bronchopneumonia due to mesothelioma.
Mrs Lea's widower, Anthony Lea, said his wife had worked in various jobs including as a roller for Birdseye, in a warehouse and for Ladbrokes.
A barrister on behalf of Spray Finishing Limited, where Mr Lea worked for a period of time, questioned whether she may have come into contact with asbestos during her own employment.
The inquest heard how Mr Lea, who was married to his wife for 41 years, often came home from one of his jobs 'covered in dust'" after he had been cutting asbestos sheets.
He said, "I used to take my clothes off and she would shake them and wash them.
"The dust from the clothes was like a fog."
He was asked by a barrister on behalf of Spray Finishing Limited, which was based in Eastbourne between 1960 and 1992, if there was any other employment where he used to come home covered in dust.
Mr Lea, who suffers from respiratory problems, said as far as he knew he hadn't been, although he had come into contact with mud on building sites.
Coroner Alan Craze recorded a narrative verdict and said, "Exposure to asbestos may have been from washing her husband's work clothes."
Speaking after the hearing Roger Hiorns, a barrister on behalf of the family, said a civil claim was likely to take place.
A WOMAN who died from lung cancer may have been exposed to deadly asbestos while washing her husband's work clothes.
A post mortem examination into the death of Hazel Lea, 60, of Martello Road, showed she had multiple tumour deposits in the right lung.
The cause of death was given as bronchopneumonia due to mesothelioma.
Mrs Lea's widower, Anthony Lea, said his wife had worked in various jobs including as a roller for Birdseye, in a warehouse and for Ladbrokes.
A barrister on behalf of Spray Finishing Limited, where Mr Lea worked for a period of time, questioned whether she may have come into contact with asbestos during her own employment.
The inquest heard how Mr Lea, who was married to his wife for 41 years, often came home from one of his jobs 'covered in dust'" after he had been cutting asbestos sheets.
He said, "I used to take my clothes off and she would shake them and wash them.
"The dust from the clothes was like a fog."
He was asked by a barrister on behalf of Spray Finishing Limited, which was based in Eastbourne between 1960 and 1992, if there was any other employment where he used to come home covered in dust.
Mr Lea, who suffers from respiratory problems, said as far as he knew he hadn't been, although he had come into contact with mud on building sites.
Coroner Alan Craze recorded a narrative verdict and said, "Exposure to asbestos may have been from washing her husband's work clothes."
Speaking after the hearing Roger Hiorns, a barrister on behalf of the family, said a civil claim was likely to take place.
Oklahoma Woman Files Asbestos, Mesothelioma Lawsuit in Illinois
Madison County Record
An Oklahoma woman who suffers from mesothelioma filed an asbestos suit against 84 defendant corporations in Madison County Circuit Court May 10, alleging she was exposed to airborne asbestos fibers from her father's and husband's clothing.
Lisa Rawlings claims her husband, Luke, was employed as a welder at various locations across the country including McCombe, Ill.
Her father, Harold Winton, worked as a mechanic.
"Dust created by working with and around asbestos and asbestos-containing products would permeate the person and clothing of the plaintiff's family members," the complaint states. "This dust contained asbestos fiber."
Rawlings claims her father and husband would carry the asbestos dust on their clothing home with him where it would again become airborne.
"The plaintiff would be repeatedly exposed to this asbestos dust from her family members' person and clothing," the complaint states.
Rawlings was employed as a postal worker and teacher at various locations including Illinois.
She claims she was also exposed to asbestos during non-occupational work projects including home and automotive repairs, maintenance and remodeling.
Rawlings was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Feb. 21, and subsequently became aware that her illness was wrongfully caused, the suit claims.
The complaint alleges that defendants failed to require and advise their employees of hygiene practices designed to reduce or prevent carrying asbestos fibers home.
As a result of the alleged negligence, Rawlings claims she was exposed to fibers containing asbestos, and developed a disease caused only by asbestos which has disabled and disfigured her.
She also claims that she has sought, but has been unable to obtain, full disclosure of relevant documents and information from the defendants leading her to believe the defendants destroyed documents related to asbestos.
"It was foreseeable to a reasonable person/entity in the respective positions of defendants, that said documents and information constituted evidence, which was material to potential civil litigation-namely asbestos litigation," the complaint states.
Rawlings claims that as a result of each defendant breaching its duty to preserve material evidence by destroying documents and information she has been prejudiced and impaired in proving claims against all potential parties.
"Plaintiff has been caused to suffer damages in the form of impaired ability to recover against defendants and lost or reduced compensation from other potentially liable parties in this litigation," the complaint states.
Represented by Nicholas Angelides, John Barnerd, Perry Browder, Tim Thompson and Richard Saville of SimmonsCooper in East Alton, Rawlings is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $300,000, plus punitive damages.
"An award of punitive damages is appropriate and necessary in order to punish defendants for their willful, wanton, intentional and/or reckless misconduct and to deter defendants and others from engaging in like misconduct in the future," the complaint states.
An Oklahoma woman who suffers from mesothelioma filed an asbestos suit against 84 defendant corporations in Madison County Circuit Court May 10, alleging she was exposed to airborne asbestos fibers from her father's and husband's clothing.
Lisa Rawlings claims her husband, Luke, was employed as a welder at various locations across the country including McCombe, Ill.
Her father, Harold Winton, worked as a mechanic.
"Dust created by working with and around asbestos and asbestos-containing products would permeate the person and clothing of the plaintiff's family members," the complaint states. "This dust contained asbestos fiber."
Rawlings claims her father and husband would carry the asbestos dust on their clothing home with him where it would again become airborne.
"The plaintiff would be repeatedly exposed to this asbestos dust from her family members' person and clothing," the complaint states.
Rawlings was employed as a postal worker and teacher at various locations including Illinois.
She claims she was also exposed to asbestos during non-occupational work projects including home and automotive repairs, maintenance and remodeling.
Rawlings was diagnosed with mesothelioma on Feb. 21, and subsequently became aware that her illness was wrongfully caused, the suit claims.
The complaint alleges that defendants failed to require and advise their employees of hygiene practices designed to reduce or prevent carrying asbestos fibers home.
As a result of the alleged negligence, Rawlings claims she was exposed to fibers containing asbestos, and developed a disease caused only by asbestos which has disabled and disfigured her.
She also claims that she has sought, but has been unable to obtain, full disclosure of relevant documents and information from the defendants leading her to believe the defendants destroyed documents related to asbestos.
"It was foreseeable to a reasonable person/entity in the respective positions of defendants, that said documents and information constituted evidence, which was material to potential civil litigation-namely asbestos litigation," the complaint states.
Rawlings claims that as a result of each defendant breaching its duty to preserve material evidence by destroying documents and information she has been prejudiced and impaired in proving claims against all potential parties.
"Plaintiff has been caused to suffer damages in the form of impaired ability to recover against defendants and lost or reduced compensation from other potentially liable parties in this litigation," the complaint states.
Represented by Nicholas Angelides, John Barnerd, Perry Browder, Tim Thompson and Richard Saville of SimmonsCooper in East Alton, Rawlings is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $300,000, plus punitive damages.
"An award of punitive damages is appropriate and necessary in order to punish defendants for their willful, wanton, intentional and/or reckless misconduct and to deter defendants and others from engaging in like misconduct in the future," the complaint states.
Mesothelioma Victims Uncompensated in Canada, Says Study
The Globe and Mail
Mesothelioma is a rare and usually fatal cancer that signifies a person has been exposed to asbestos - the only known cause.
That is why mesothelioma is considered a special illness by the Ontario government. Contracting it is supposed to mean being placed on a fast track for compensation from the province's workplace insurance plan, since there is a presumption that the asbestos exposure came from being on the job.
Yet almost 1,000 of the 1,500 people who developed that cancer between 1980 and 2002 weren't compensated, according to a new research paper, which says this allowed the province's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to shortchange victims of the disease, and taxpayers, out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The paper, published in the current issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, provides some of the first estimates of the human and financial toll in Canada caused by exposure to asbestos, a mineral fibre widely used before the 1980s as an insulating material in construction and other industries.
Canada, unlike many developed countries, doesn't compile statistics on asbestos illnesses. Asbestos-caused diseases are continuing to show up now because many have a 20-to 50-year latency period.
The paper, written by a research team headed by Jim Brophy, one of Canada's top occupational health experts, said Ontario taxpayers have been covering huge medical bills for people with mesothelioma and thousands of other asbestos-caused cancers - costs that should have been covered by fees the WSIB charges employers to cover workplace diseases.
"In Ontario, the WSIB is legally obliged to reimburse the provincial health-care system for costs related to compensable diseases," the paper said. "Therefore the failure to recognize the work-relatedness of many mesothelioma cases has resulted in an economic loss to the provincial Ministry of Health."
The WSIB said in a statement to The Globe and Mail that most people with the disease don't apply for compensation and, out of those who do, about 90 per cent are compensated.
In an interview, Dr. Brophy, director of the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers in Sarnia, said doctors in Ontario are not required to notify the WSIB that they are dealing with mesothelioma cases. He said some of those who contracted mesothelioma lived with people who brought traces of asbestos home on their work clothes, and the WSIB refuses to compensate them. Others are having difficulty proving they worked with asbestos for two years or more.
Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the lining of the chest wall, and because of its poor prognosis, almost all of the nearly 1,000 people who were not compensated are probably dead.
The incidence and compensation figures are based on data recently released by Cancer Care Ontario and the WSIB, which found from 1980 to 2002 nearly 1,500 men in Ontario were diagnosed with mesothelioma - but only about 550 claims were filed for the illness with the WSIB.
"It is an alarming statistic, and for the first time, reveals to the public the tragic consequences of poorly regulated and controlled asbestos exposures," the paper said.
Although asbestos also causes lung, head, neck and gastrointestinal cancers, mesothelioma is the most feared because the disease has few treatments and is almost always fatal, typically within four to 18 months of the diagnosis.
In Ontario, it is among only three occupational diseases - the others being asbestosis and a rare nasal cancer - for which those who contract it are assumed to have had a workplace exposure to a hazardous substance.
Canada continues to mine large quantities of asbestos, but the paper said about 95 per cent of the output is exported, mainly to poor, developing countries. This week, the Canadian Cancer Society called for the elimination of these exports, which have been heavily promoted by the federal government.
Mesothelioma is a rare and usually fatal cancer that signifies a person has been exposed to asbestos - the only known cause.
That is why mesothelioma is considered a special illness by the Ontario government. Contracting it is supposed to mean being placed on a fast track for compensation from the province's workplace insurance plan, since there is a presumption that the asbestos exposure came from being on the job.
Yet almost 1,000 of the 1,500 people who developed that cancer between 1980 and 2002 weren't compensated, according to a new research paper, which says this allowed the province's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to shortchange victims of the disease, and taxpayers, out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The paper, published in the current issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, provides some of the first estimates of the human and financial toll in Canada caused by exposure to asbestos, a mineral fibre widely used before the 1980s as an insulating material in construction and other industries.
Canada, unlike many developed countries, doesn't compile statistics on asbestos illnesses. Asbestos-caused diseases are continuing to show up now because many have a 20-to 50-year latency period.
The paper, written by a research team headed by Jim Brophy, one of Canada's top occupational health experts, said Ontario taxpayers have been covering huge medical bills for people with mesothelioma and thousands of other asbestos-caused cancers - costs that should have been covered by fees the WSIB charges employers to cover workplace diseases.
"In Ontario, the WSIB is legally obliged to reimburse the provincial health-care system for costs related to compensable diseases," the paper said. "Therefore the failure to recognize the work-relatedness of many mesothelioma cases has resulted in an economic loss to the provincial Ministry of Health."
The WSIB said in a statement to The Globe and Mail that most people with the disease don't apply for compensation and, out of those who do, about 90 per cent are compensated.
In an interview, Dr. Brophy, director of the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers in Sarnia, said doctors in Ontario are not required to notify the WSIB that they are dealing with mesothelioma cases. He said some of those who contracted mesothelioma lived with people who brought traces of asbestos home on their work clothes, and the WSIB refuses to compensate them. Others are having difficulty proving they worked with asbestos for two years or more.
Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the lining of the chest wall, and because of its poor prognosis, almost all of the nearly 1,000 people who were not compensated are probably dead.
The incidence and compensation figures are based on data recently released by Cancer Care Ontario and the WSIB, which found from 1980 to 2002 nearly 1,500 men in Ontario were diagnosed with mesothelioma - but only about 550 claims were filed for the illness with the WSIB.
"It is an alarming statistic, and for the first time, reveals to the public the tragic consequences of poorly regulated and controlled asbestos exposures," the paper said.
Although asbestos also causes lung, head, neck and gastrointestinal cancers, mesothelioma is the most feared because the disease has few treatments and is almost always fatal, typically within four to 18 months of the diagnosis.
In Ontario, it is among only three occupational diseases - the others being asbestosis and a rare nasal cancer - for which those who contract it are assumed to have had a workplace exposure to a hazardous substance.
Canada continues to mine large quantities of asbestos, but the paper said about 95 per cent of the output is exported, mainly to poor, developing countries. This week, the Canadian Cancer Society called for the elimination of these exports, which have been heavily promoted by the federal government.
Canadian Cancer Society Seeks Asbestos Ban
The Globe and Mail
The Canadian Cancer Society will announce as early as today that it endorses a ban on the export of asbestos and believes the federal government should stop blocking international efforts to curb the trade in the dangerous mineral.
Although asbestos is internationally recognized as one of the worst cancer-causing materials ever to have been in widespread use, the society's decision was controversial because it undermines Ottawa's long-standing contention asbestos can be used safely and should be promoted.
Most industrialized countries, including Canada, no longer use much asbestos because of health concerns and worries over legal liabilities.
But 95 per cent of Canada's production, from several mines in Quebec, is exported, virtually all of it to developing countries, where it is used to make cheap building materials.
Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Thailand, are the major export markets for Canadian asbestos.
Substitutes for the mineral are readily available in virtually all of its uses.
The cancer society had initially considered an asbestos policy that would have largely backed the federal government's position that it can be safely used provided those importing it are informed of its health risks, according to a draft of the policy viewed by The Globe and Mail.
But the positions in the draft caused an outcry among occupational health groups and anti-cancer advocates, who argued the society would damage its credibility by accepting the government's stand.
In recognition that calling for a ban is politically sensitive, the society is expected to say instead that it believes the use of asbestos should be eliminated, which is tantamount to a call for a ban.
The World Health Organization estimates that 90,000 to 100,000 people around the world die annually from asbestos-related conditions, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma and gastrointestinal cancers.
Health Canada, unlike health authorities in many other Western countries, does not keep national statistics on the domestic toll of asbestos-related diseases, but a paper issued last month in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health estimated there have been thousands of premature deaths in Ontario alone since 1980 from mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Despite the well-known health risks, the federal government has been a strong backer of asbestos.
It has spent about $19.2-million from 1984 to 2007, including regular funding of the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute, to promote asbestos use.
Canadian Cancer Society Seeks Asbestos Ban
The Globe and Mail
The Canadian Cancer Society will announce as early as today that it endorses a ban on the export of asbestos and believes the federal government should stop blocking international efforts to curb the trade in the dangerous mineral.
Although asbestos is internationally recognized as one of the worst cancer-causing materials ever to have been in widespread use, the society's decision was controversial because it undermines Ottawa's long-standing contention asbestos can be used safely and should be promoted.
Most industrialized countries, including Canada, no longer use much asbestos because of health concerns and worries over legal liabilities.
But 95 per cent of Canada's production, from several mines in Quebec, is exported, virtually all of it to developing countries, where it is used to make cheap building materials.
Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Thailand, are the major export markets for Canadian asbestos.
Substitutes for the mineral are readily available in virtually all of its uses.
The cancer society had initially considered an asbestos policy that would have largely backed the federal government's position that it can be safely used provided those importing it are informed of its health risks, according to a draft of the policy viewed by The Globe and Mail.
But the positions in the draft caused an outcry among occupational health groups and anti-cancer advocates, who argued the society would damage its credibility by accepting the government's stand.
In recognition that calling for a ban is politically sensitive, the society is expected to say instead that it believes the use of asbestos should be eliminated, which is tantamount to a call for a ban.
The World Health Organization estimates that 90,000 to 100,000 people around the world die annually from asbestos-related conditions, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma and gastrointestinal cancers.
Health Canada, unlike health authorities in many other Western countries, does not keep national statistics on the domestic toll of asbestos-related diseases, but a paper issued last month in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health estimated there have been thousands of premature deaths in Ontario alone since 1980 from mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Despite the well-known health risks, the federal government has been a strong backer of asbestos.
It has spent about $19.2-million from 1984 to 2007, including regular funding of the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute, to promote asbestos use.
Although many countries have banned asbestos, Canada continues to allow it in children's toys and building materials, among other products.
The cancer society will also recommend that the federal government stop trying to block efforts by the Rotterdam Convention, a UN-organized body, at its meeting in 2008, to place the variety of asbestos mined in Canada on the list of the world's most dangerous substances.
Last year, Canada, along with countries such as Iran and Russia, were instrumental in blocking the listing, which would have required countries buying asbestos to give their consent to imports before any shipments would be allowed.
The cancer society also wants communities and individuals affected by strategies to cut asbestos use to be given financial resources to help cope with the consequences of reduced use of the material.
The Canadian Cancer Society will announce as early as today that it endorses a ban on the export of asbestos and believes the federal government should stop blocking international efforts to curb the trade in the dangerous mineral.
Although asbestos is internationally recognized as one of the worst cancer-causing materials ever to have been in widespread use, the society's decision was controversial because it undermines Ottawa's long-standing contention asbestos can be used safely and should be promoted.
Most industrialized countries, including Canada, no longer use much asbestos because of health concerns and worries over legal liabilities.
But 95 per cent of Canada's production, from several mines in Quebec, is exported, virtually all of it to developing countries, where it is used to make cheap building materials.
Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Thailand, are the major export markets for Canadian asbestos.
Substitutes for the mineral are readily available in virtually all of its uses.
The cancer society had initially considered an asbestos policy that would have largely backed the federal government's position that it can be safely used provided those importing it are informed of its health risks, according to a draft of the policy viewed by The Globe and Mail.
But the positions in the draft caused an outcry among occupational health groups and anti-cancer advocates, who argued the society would damage its credibility by accepting the government's stand.
In recognition that calling for a ban is politically sensitive, the society is expected to say instead that it believes the use of asbestos should be eliminated, which is tantamount to a call for a ban.
The World Health Organization estimates that 90,000 to 100,000 people around the world die annually from asbestos-related conditions, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma and gastrointestinal cancers.
Health Canada, unlike health authorities in many other Western countries, does not keep national statistics on the domestic toll of asbestos-related diseases, but a paper issued last month in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health estimated there have been thousands of premature deaths in Ontario alone since 1980 from mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Despite the well-known health risks, the federal government has been a strong backer of asbestos.
It has spent about $19.2-million from 1984 to 2007, including regular funding of the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute, to promote asbestos use.
Canadian Cancer Society Seeks Asbestos Ban
The Globe and Mail
The Canadian Cancer Society will announce as early as today that it endorses a ban on the export of asbestos and believes the federal government should stop blocking international efforts to curb the trade in the dangerous mineral.
Although asbestos is internationally recognized as one of the worst cancer-causing materials ever to have been in widespread use, the society's decision was controversial because it undermines Ottawa's long-standing contention asbestos can be used safely and should be promoted.
Most industrialized countries, including Canada, no longer use much asbestos because of health concerns and worries over legal liabilities.
But 95 per cent of Canada's production, from several mines in Quebec, is exported, virtually all of it to developing countries, where it is used to make cheap building materials.
Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Thailand, are the major export markets for Canadian asbestos.
Substitutes for the mineral are readily available in virtually all of its uses.
The cancer society had initially considered an asbestos policy that would have largely backed the federal government's position that it can be safely used provided those importing it are informed of its health risks, according to a draft of the policy viewed by The Globe and Mail.
But the positions in the draft caused an outcry among occupational health groups and anti-cancer advocates, who argued the society would damage its credibility by accepting the government's stand.
In recognition that calling for a ban is politically sensitive, the society is expected to say instead that it believes the use of asbestos should be eliminated, which is tantamount to a call for a ban.
The World Health Organization estimates that 90,000 to 100,000 people around the world die annually from asbestos-related conditions, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma and gastrointestinal cancers.
Health Canada, unlike health authorities in many other Western countries, does not keep national statistics on the domestic toll of asbestos-related diseases, but a paper issued last month in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health estimated there have been thousands of premature deaths in Ontario alone since 1980 from mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Despite the well-known health risks, the federal government has been a strong backer of asbestos.
It has spent about $19.2-million from 1984 to 2007, including regular funding of the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute, to promote asbestos use.
Although many countries have banned asbestos, Canada continues to allow it in children's toys and building materials, among other products.
The cancer society will also recommend that the federal government stop trying to block efforts by the Rotterdam Convention, a UN-organized body, at its meeting in 2008, to place the variety of asbestos mined in Canada on the list of the world's most dangerous substances.
Last year, Canada, along with countries such as Iran and Russia, were instrumental in blocking the listing, which would have required countries buying asbestos to give their consent to imports before any shipments would be allowed.
The cancer society also wants communities and individuals affected by strategies to cut asbestos use to be given financial resources to help cope with the consequences of reduced use of the material.
NHS to Allow Alimta Use in Advanced Mesothelioma Cases in UK
BBC News
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence had said Alimta (pemetrexed disodium) should be used only in new or ongoing clinical trials.
But manufacturers Eli Lilly appealed against the guidance, covering England and Wales, and a new NICE draft says it can be used for advanced mesothelioma.
Campaigners say they are delighted. Final guidance is due in September.
About 4,000 people a year develop the cancer, mainly among populations who were in manufacturing industries.
The cancer is nearly always terminal, but the drug can help extend patients lives.
NICE originally said Alimta should only be recommended for use in new or ongoing clinical trials. But under the revised guidance, Alimta is recommended for patients who are able to carry out day-to-day tasks but whose cancer is advanced and where surgery is inappropriate.
The drug is used to treat mesothelioma, a type of cancer which most often affects the lining of the lungs and is mainly linked to asbestos exposure.
If there are no appeals against the new guidance, it will be issued to the NHS in the next few months.
Benefit
Dr Mick Peake, a consultant physician and vice chairman of Mesothelioma UK, said "This is absolutely excellent news for all those patients suffering from this dreadful disease.
"Pemetrexed is one of the very few treatments for which there is good evidence of benefit."
NICE said during the consultation it emerged that costs could be reduced by shorter treatment cycles and lower doses.
Dr Gillian Leng, NICE implementation director and executive lead for the guidance, said: "Our initial review of the evidence available on pemetrexed disodium suggested that it was insufficient to demonstrate that the drug was better than other, far less costly medicines
"However, a number of significant factors have become apparent, which, taken together, have enabled the independent appraisal committee to recommend pemetrexed disodium as a treatment option for the majority of people with the cancer."
Dame Helena Shovelton, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: "The UK is facing an epidemic of mesothelioma in 2011 - 2015 as people exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are diagnosed with the disease.
"Already more than 2,000 cases are identified each year. We strongly believe that everyone with this deadly chest cancer should be able to benefit from the widest possible range of treatment options and drug therapies."
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence had said Alimta (pemetrexed disodium) should be used only in new or ongoing clinical trials.
But manufacturers Eli Lilly appealed against the guidance, covering England and Wales, and a new NICE draft says it can be used for advanced mesothelioma.
Campaigners say they are delighted. Final guidance is due in September.
About 4,000 people a year develop the cancer, mainly among populations who were in manufacturing industries.
The cancer is nearly always terminal, but the drug can help extend patients lives.
NICE originally said Alimta should only be recommended for use in new or ongoing clinical trials. But under the revised guidance, Alimta is recommended for patients who are able to carry out day-to-day tasks but whose cancer is advanced and where surgery is inappropriate.
The drug is used to treat mesothelioma, a type of cancer which most often affects the lining of the lungs and is mainly linked to asbestos exposure.
If there are no appeals against the new guidance, it will be issued to the NHS in the next few months.
Benefit
Dr Mick Peake, a consultant physician and vice chairman of Mesothelioma UK, said "This is absolutely excellent news for all those patients suffering from this dreadful disease.
"Pemetrexed is one of the very few treatments for which there is good evidence of benefit."
NICE said during the consultation it emerged that costs could be reduced by shorter treatment cycles and lower doses.
Dr Gillian Leng, NICE implementation director and executive lead for the guidance, said: "Our initial review of the evidence available on pemetrexed disodium suggested that it was insufficient to demonstrate that the drug was better than other, far less costly medicines
"However, a number of significant factors have become apparent, which, taken together, have enabled the independent appraisal committee to recommend pemetrexed disodium as a treatment option for the majority of people with the cancer."
Dame Helena Shovelton, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: "The UK is facing an epidemic of mesothelioma in 2011 - 2015 as people exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are diagnosed with the disease.
"Already more than 2,000 cases are identified each year. We strongly believe that everyone with this deadly chest cancer should be able to benefit from the widest possible range of treatment options and drug therapies."
Minnesota Mines to be Tested for Asbestos
ST. PAUL — Two Iron Range lawmakers had a “very good” meeting this week with University of Minnesota officials on the life-and-death concerns for miners because of the asbestos-related cancer — mesothelioma.
“We’re going to get going on this right away. Testing on ore and dust at all the mines will start immediately. We’re not waiting until next year like the governor wants,” said state Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia.
Rukavina and state Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, traveled to the Twin Cities for the meeting. The next meeting on the issue, which will be attended by representatives of the state Health Department and Department of Natural Resources, will be Aug. 8 on the Range, Rukavina said. “We’ll have everybody at the table.”
On July 13, Gov. Tim Pawlenty directed Health Department officials to spend $100,000 to work with the U of M to develop three studies regarding mining-related health issues. But the governor said “protocols” would have to be developed between now and February 2008 when the Legislature convenes and funding could be approved for the studies.
However, Rukavina said there is already about $1 million available — $700,000 from the U of M and $200,000 to $300,000 from the Natural Resources Research Institute.
“By the end of the year we will have a handle on ore and the makeup of ore and the possible dust makeup in different plants and different parts of the mines,” Rukavina said.
Pawlenty’s directive came in response to a letter from the Iron Range legislative delegation last month calling for an independent study of the incidence of mesothelioma in Iron Range miners. That followed media reports that the Health Department had withheld public information on 35 more cases of miners with the disease. The department had the information since March 2006, but Commissioner Dianne Mandernach said she wanted to wait on releasing the data until funding could be secured and more studies done. The department then announced it knew of six more cases. Those 41 cases in area miners bring the total of known so far to 58.
“We not only need to know how this disease has affected retired miners, but it’s critical and urgent that we find out whether miners now working in the mines are vulnerable,” Rukavina said. “I’m excited about the way the university has taken the bull by the horns to get moving on this.”
“We’re going to get going on this right away. Testing on ore and dust at all the mines will start immediately. We’re not waiting until next year like the governor wants,” said state Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia.
Rukavina and state Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, traveled to the Twin Cities for the meeting. The next meeting on the issue, which will be attended by representatives of the state Health Department and Department of Natural Resources, will be Aug. 8 on the Range, Rukavina said. “We’ll have everybody at the table.”
On July 13, Gov. Tim Pawlenty directed Health Department officials to spend $100,000 to work with the U of M to develop three studies regarding mining-related health issues. But the governor said “protocols” would have to be developed between now and February 2008 when the Legislature convenes and funding could be approved for the studies.
However, Rukavina said there is already about $1 million available — $700,000 from the U of M and $200,000 to $300,000 from the Natural Resources Research Institute.
“By the end of the year we will have a handle on ore and the makeup of ore and the possible dust makeup in different plants and different parts of the mines,” Rukavina said.
Pawlenty’s directive came in response to a letter from the Iron Range legislative delegation last month calling for an independent study of the incidence of mesothelioma in Iron Range miners. That followed media reports that the Health Department had withheld public information on 35 more cases of miners with the disease. The department had the information since March 2006, but Commissioner Dianne Mandernach said she wanted to wait on releasing the data until funding could be secured and more studies done. The department then announced it knew of six more cases. Those 41 cases in area miners bring the total of known so far to 58.
“We not only need to know how this disease has affected retired miners, but it’s critical and urgent that we find out whether miners now working in the mines are vulnerable,” Rukavina said. “I’m excited about the way the university has taken the bull by the horns to get moving on this.”
Former Judge Still Fighting for Minnesota Workers in Asbestos Cases
His hair, combed straight back, is whiter and sparser now, and the creases in his face are more pronounced.
But Miles Lord hasn't lost any of his old fire.
At 87, he's still going after Minnesota's steel and taconite industry, just as he did 33 years ago when, as a federal judge, he issued a landmark environmental ruling against the old Reserve Mining Co.
For the better part of a decade, he has pressed authorities about taconite-related health problems and cancer deaths on the Mesabi Iron Range. In telephone calls to reporters, in testimony and talks with state agencies and officials and even in a letter to Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislators, he's found plenty to fault.
He has accused the state Health Department of mishandling an investigation into those deaths, criticized the mining and highway industries for using taconite tailings in roadbeds and blamed legislators and state officials for not aggressively seeking answers.
In a highly publicized flurry last month, politicians and state officials traded accusations and apologies over a state Health Department decision to withhold data about 35 more recent asbestos-related cancer cases.
In some ways, they're just catching up with Lord, who has long harbored questions about the work that's been done and who refuses to go away or stay quiet.
"I'm suggesting," Lord said recently, "it's a deliberate evasion of the truth."
But Miles Lord hasn't lost any of his old fire.
At 87, he's still going after Minnesota's steel and taconite industry, just as he did 33 years ago when, as a federal judge, he issued a landmark environmental ruling against the old Reserve Mining Co.
For the better part of a decade, he has pressed authorities about taconite-related health problems and cancer deaths on the Mesabi Iron Range. In telephone calls to reporters, in testimony and talks with state agencies and officials and even in a letter to Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislators, he's found plenty to fault.
He has accused the state Health Department of mishandling an investigation into those deaths, criticized the mining and highway industries for using taconite tailings in roadbeds and blamed legislators and state officials for not aggressively seeking answers.
In a highly publicized flurry last month, politicians and state officials traded accusations and apologies over a state Health Department decision to withhold data about 35 more recent asbestos-related cancer cases.
In some ways, they're just catching up with Lord, who has long harbored questions about the work that's been done and who refuses to go away or stay quiet.
"I'm suggesting," Lord said recently, "it's a deliberate evasion of the truth."
Source of Asbestos Not Proven in Woman's Death
An open verdict has been recorded on the death of a retired teacher from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.
Deputy Gloucestershire coroner David Dooley ruled there was no conclusive proof that Gwen Valentin, 63, of Uley, had ever come into contact with the deadly mineral in her working environment.
The inquest in Gloucester heard that in 1968/69 she was working as a French teacher in a Leicester school, where major building works were being carried out and staff and pupils were exposed to dust from it.
But the coroner said the evidence did not show whether any of the dust was from asbestos.
"There is no definite confirmation that asbestos was part of the material being used in that particular school at that time," he said.
And even if it was there is no proof that it was released into the atmosphere and breathed in by Mrs Valentin.
"Clearly, there has been some asbestos exposure but when and where this occurred or whether it came from ordinary background levels I don't know."
Thanking Mrs Valentin's husband, David, for his own exhaustive researches into his wife's working history and her exposure to building dust in the late Sixties, the deputy coroner said he was forced to record an open verdict.
The inquest heard that Mrs Valentin, of The Street, had been fit and healthy throughout her life until she fell ill with breathing difficulties and was admitted to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in December 2005.
Malignant mesothelioma, a terminal cancer, was diagnosed and she died after being taken back into hospital as an emergency on February 10 this year.
Tests showed she had 91,304 fibres of asbestos per gram of dry lung tissue but the deputy coroner said this was not a great deal higher than the norm of around 80,000 for people who were naturally exposed to asbestos in the atmosphere.
Pathologist Prof Neil Shepherd, who confirmed death was due to mesothelioma, said "If we did a test on all the workers in Shire Hall we would find quite a few with higher levels than this lady and they will be perfectly healthy."
He was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that she died from exposure to asbestos - but how that happened he could not say, he added.
Deputy Gloucestershire coroner David Dooley ruled there was no conclusive proof that Gwen Valentin, 63, of Uley, had ever come into contact with the deadly mineral in her working environment.
The inquest in Gloucester heard that in 1968/69 she was working as a French teacher in a Leicester school, where major building works were being carried out and staff and pupils were exposed to dust from it.
But the coroner said the evidence did not show whether any of the dust was from asbestos.
"There is no definite confirmation that asbestos was part of the material being used in that particular school at that time," he said.
And even if it was there is no proof that it was released into the atmosphere and breathed in by Mrs Valentin.
"Clearly, there has been some asbestos exposure but when and where this occurred or whether it came from ordinary background levels I don't know."
Thanking Mrs Valentin's husband, David, for his own exhaustive researches into his wife's working history and her exposure to building dust in the late Sixties, the deputy coroner said he was forced to record an open verdict.
The inquest heard that Mrs Valentin, of The Street, had been fit and healthy throughout her life until she fell ill with breathing difficulties and was admitted to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in December 2005.
Malignant mesothelioma, a terminal cancer, was diagnosed and she died after being taken back into hospital as an emergency on February 10 this year.
Tests showed she had 91,304 fibres of asbestos per gram of dry lung tissue but the deputy coroner said this was not a great deal higher than the norm of around 80,000 for people who were naturally exposed to asbestos in the atmosphere.
Pathologist Prof Neil Shepherd, who confirmed death was due to mesothelioma, said "If we did a test on all the workers in Shire Hall we would find quite a few with higher levels than this lady and they will be perfectly healthy."
He was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that she died from exposure to asbestos - but how that happened he could not say, he added.
some discussion about abdominal mesothelioma
Abdominal mesothelioma as the name suggests is a cancer of the tissues in the abdominal cavity. Abdominal mesothelioma is also known as peritoneal mesothelioma which mostly affects men age of 50-70 and is very less percentage for women affect by this disease. The main symptoms for this disease are abdominal pains, weight loss, loss of appetite, abdominal weakness or swelling. If an X-ray or CT scan indicates signs that the patient indeed may have abdominal mesothelioma, a biopsy is conducted, allowing the physician to determine the malignancy level. Any abdominal mesothelioma treatment will be determined by the physician and patient, taking into account the stage of the abdominal mesothelioma, the location and sizes of any tumors, and the age and health of the patient. In mostly cases diagnosis occurs when abdominal mesothelioma has already progressed too far.
Testing blood for detecting mesothelioma
Hi friends, last week i read a news on abdominal mesothelioma. It was suggested that Australian scientist have developed a blood test to test this disease. This research is a new hope for fight against mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a very serious disease that attack the chest and abdominal wall of afflicted individuals.
Asbestos - the main reason for abdominal mesothelioma
Abdominal Mesothelioma is a dangerous disease in world commonly in USA. According to new survey each year in USA about 2000 new cases of mesothelioma are still diagnosed. Abdominal Mesothelioma is a type of preventable cancer that is being caused by inhaling the dust particles of the deadly mineral Asbestos. The symptoms range from shortness of breath, chest pains, and persistent cough in the early stages to abdominal pain, swelling and tumors growing in the tissues that surround the heart and if left untreated could cause death within 24 months. The main reason for abdominal mesothelioma is asbestos which is a mineral found in certain type of rock formation. Asbestos is directly linked to several other dangerous disease like asbestosis, lung cancer and abdominal mesothelioma or mesothelioma. Due to its dangerous effects asbestos is banned in Ghana.
Paul Kraus – A mesothelioma survival
Mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma is a very dangerous cancer in the world. A patient named Paul Kraus was diagnosed with mesothelioma. After checked, the doctors were advised him to go home and get his affair in order because he was very much infected by mesothelioma and there was very little hope to survive. Rather than giving up, Paul created his own path to healing. Today, over nine years later, he continues to enjoy a good quality of life. After that Paul wrote a book named “Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers – A Patient’s Guide” for mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma patients. That book is available on amazon.com and most popular and selling book in the world for mesothelioma. Last week I read news about that patient who is still live after affected by mesothelioma.
In a conference on august 22nd Paul described the steps which he took to heal his mesothelioma and also give answered questions from abdominal mesothelioma patients.
If you are an abdominal mesothelioma patient or a loved one of a abdominal mesothelioma patient and wish to attend a free teleconference with mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus, the schedule is available at: survivingmesothelioma.com/speak-to-paul-kraus.cfm or call 619-261-7922 to register.
In a conference on august 22nd Paul described the steps which he took to heal his mesothelioma and also give answered questions from abdominal mesothelioma patients.
If you are an abdominal mesothelioma patient or a loved one of a abdominal mesothelioma patient and wish to attend a free teleconference with mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus, the schedule is available at: survivingmesothelioma.com/speak-to-paul-kraus.cfm or call 619-261-7922 to register.
International conference focuses on mesothelioma, abdominal mesothelioma
Hi Friends, I read a news about the harmful disease mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma. The news state that the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine will host the eighth conference of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) from Thurs., Oct. 19, through Sun., Oct. 22, 2006, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, 301 E. North Water Street in Chicago.
A related conference, organized by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and designed to educate patients about the disease, will take place at the same hotel on Fri. and Sat., Oct. 20-21.
With more than 150 research presentations, the IMIG conference will be the largest scientific gathering on mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma ever held. The IMIG meets every two years and has not met in the United States since 1997.
The Chicago conference--co-chaired by University of Chicago cancer specialists Hedy Kindler, M.D., associate professor of medicine, and Samuel Armato, M.D., associate professor of radiology--brings together the leading experts from five continents to discuss all aspects of the disease, including epidemiology, pathogenesis, biomarkers, genetics, animal models, risk assessment, diagnosis, imaging, multimodality therapy, and novel treatments.
This year's conference will include a new session focused on the increased risk of pleural mesothelioma for people exposed to airborne debris from the collapse of the World Trade Center.
Mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma is a rare and lethal form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, a thin layer of specialized cells that lines the lungs and the abdominal cavity. In the United States there are fewer than 2,500 new cases a year. Most cases are caused by asbestos exposure. The disease often appears decades after exposure.
"The number of asbestos-related cases in the United States has recently leveled off," said Kindler, "but the disease is still on the increase in Western Europe and is growing dramatically in Japan."
Because the disease is often advanced at the time of diagnosis, average survival for those with pleural mesothelioma--affecting the tissue that line the lungs--is only about one year.
Anyone with this disease should be in a clinical trial, suggests Kindler, who heads one of the largest mesothelioma clinics in the U.S. "Although we have made substantial progress in understanding this disease," she said, "progress in treating it up to now been limited. But as we learn more, we develop new treatment options and we now have drugs that make a difference."
A related conference, organized by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and designed to educate patients about the disease, will take place at the same hotel on Fri. and Sat., Oct. 20-21.
With more than 150 research presentations, the IMIG conference will be the largest scientific gathering on mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma ever held. The IMIG meets every two years and has not met in the United States since 1997.
The Chicago conference--co-chaired by University of Chicago cancer specialists Hedy Kindler, M.D., associate professor of medicine, and Samuel Armato, M.D., associate professor of radiology--brings together the leading experts from five continents to discuss all aspects of the disease, including epidemiology, pathogenesis, biomarkers, genetics, animal models, risk assessment, diagnosis, imaging, multimodality therapy, and novel treatments.
This year's conference will include a new session focused on the increased risk of pleural mesothelioma for people exposed to airborne debris from the collapse of the World Trade Center.
Mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma is a rare and lethal form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, a thin layer of specialized cells that lines the lungs and the abdominal cavity. In the United States there are fewer than 2,500 new cases a year. Most cases are caused by asbestos exposure. The disease often appears decades after exposure.
"The number of asbestos-related cases in the United States has recently leveled off," said Kindler, "but the disease is still on the increase in Western Europe and is growing dramatically in Japan."
Because the disease is often advanced at the time of diagnosis, average survival for those with pleural mesothelioma--affecting the tissue that line the lungs--is only about one year.
Anyone with this disease should be in a clinical trial, suggests Kindler, who heads one of the largest mesothelioma clinics in the U.S. "Although we have made substantial progress in understanding this disease," she said, "progress in treating it up to now been limited. But as we learn more, we develop new treatment options and we now have drugs that make a difference."
Surgeries used for mesothelioma or abdominal mesothelioma
Hi Friends, last week I read an article related to different surgeries for abdominal mesothelioma or mesothelioma. It was suggested that there was several types of surgeries used in treating abdominal mesothelioma.
First one is a pleurectomy is the removal of part of the chest or abdomen lining and some of the tissue around it.
Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy.
In an extrapleural pneumonectomy, the lung is removed along with the lining and diaphragm (the muscle that helps you breathe) on the affected side. In this surgery, the lining around the heart is also removed.
Sometimes a pleurectomy/decortication is performed. In this surgery, the lining of the lung is removed along with as much of the tumor as possible.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, your doctor may drain the fluid out of your body by putting in a needle into the chest or abdomen and use gentle suction to remove the fluid. If fluid is removed from the chest, this is called thoracentesis. If fluid is removed from the abdomen, this is called paracentesis. Your doctor may also put drugs through a tube into the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be administered by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle.
Chemotherapeutic agents can be administered either systemically (through the blood stream) or intrapleurally (in the pleural cavity). When it is administered intrapleurally, the treatment is localized at the site of the tumor. These drugs are generally very toxic and you should discuss their use very carefully with your physician.
First one is a pleurectomy is the removal of part of the chest or abdomen lining and some of the tissue around it.
Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy.
In an extrapleural pneumonectomy, the lung is removed along with the lining and diaphragm (the muscle that helps you breathe) on the affected side. In this surgery, the lining around the heart is also removed.
Sometimes a pleurectomy/decortication is performed. In this surgery, the lining of the lung is removed along with as much of the tumor as possible.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, your doctor may drain the fluid out of your body by putting in a needle into the chest or abdomen and use gentle suction to remove the fluid. If fluid is removed from the chest, this is called thoracentesis. If fluid is removed from the abdomen, this is called paracentesis. Your doctor may also put drugs through a tube into the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be administered by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle.
Chemotherapeutic agents can be administered either systemically (through the blood stream) or intrapleurally (in the pleural cavity). When it is administered intrapleurally, the treatment is localized at the site of the tumor. These drugs are generally very toxic and you should discuss their use very carefully with your physician.
Latest news about abdominal mesothelioma
An abdominal mesothelioma is a different type of cancer that affects in the lung and was caused due to asbestos. The abdominal mesothelioma patients generally found on caol mines and industries where fibers are used. Yesterday I read news about mesothelioma cancer or u can say abdominal mesothelioma. It was suggested that, the law office of Hissey Kientz, LLP and its team of practiced mesothelioma lawyers announced today that it will continue to fight for the rights of household mesothelioma victims in light of a decision by the 14th Court of Appeals, which determined that the ExxonMobil Corporation could not have foreseen the harm of take-home asbestos exposure, and as a result, had no duty to inform an employee or his family of the risk.
The wife of a lifetime machinist for ExxonMobil was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in April 2003. This deadly form of cancer attacks the lungs and can only be caused by exposure to asbestos, a fiber commonly used as insulation and in structural components in buildings.
While performing his duties at a Baytown, Texas refinery from 1942 to 1972, the ExxonMobil employee was exposed to asbestos and unknowingly brought the fibers home on his work clothes, causing his wife to develop mesothelioma cancer or abdominal mesothelioma cancer after she laundered the asbestos-laden clothes for years.
Troy Chandler, one of the mesothelioma(abdominal mesothelioma) lawyer and a partner at Hissey Kientz, LLP, successfully represented the client in a mesothelioma lawsuit against ExxonMobil in May 2004. A jury found that the company acted with negligence and malice after the jury was shown evidence that ExxonMobil knew of the dangers of asbestos exposure but failed to inform and protect its employees (trial court cause no. 03CV0588).In the case, Chandler proved that ExxonMobil knew as early as 1937 that the invisible dust fibers could be hazardous but did not act accordingly. The jury awarded the plaintiff with $1.98 million in compensatory and actual damages. However, the decision was reversed on August 1, 2006, when the 14th Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ExxonMobil.Chandler, counsel in the trial case, believes that the decision to reverse the damages awarded to the mesothelioma victim demonstrates the court's use of a subjective analysis."If this opinion is allowed to stand, Texas corporations can ignore safety standards with impunity, willful ignorance will be rewarded, and responsible employers will be at a competitive disadvantage against those who would prefer profits over safety," said Chandler.A reconsideration of this ruling has been filed and appeals are still pending.
Hissey Kientz, LLP will not stop representing those injured by take-home asbestos exposure in spite of the court's ruling.
The wife of a lifetime machinist for ExxonMobil was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in April 2003. This deadly form of cancer attacks the lungs and can only be caused by exposure to asbestos, a fiber commonly used as insulation and in structural components in buildings.
While performing his duties at a Baytown, Texas refinery from 1942 to 1972, the ExxonMobil employee was exposed to asbestos and unknowingly brought the fibers home on his work clothes, causing his wife to develop mesothelioma cancer or abdominal mesothelioma cancer after she laundered the asbestos-laden clothes for years.
Troy Chandler, one of the mesothelioma(abdominal mesothelioma) lawyer and a partner at Hissey Kientz, LLP, successfully represented the client in a mesothelioma lawsuit against ExxonMobil in May 2004. A jury found that the company acted with negligence and malice after the jury was shown evidence that ExxonMobil knew of the dangers of asbestos exposure but failed to inform and protect its employees (trial court cause no. 03CV0588).In the case, Chandler proved that ExxonMobil knew as early as 1937 that the invisible dust fibers could be hazardous but did not act accordingly. The jury awarded the plaintiff with $1.98 million in compensatory and actual damages. However, the decision was reversed on August 1, 2006, when the 14th Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ExxonMobil.Chandler, counsel in the trial case, believes that the decision to reverse the damages awarded to the mesothelioma victim demonstrates the court's use of a subjective analysis."If this opinion is allowed to stand, Texas corporations can ignore safety standards with impunity, willful ignorance will be rewarded, and responsible employers will be at a competitive disadvantage against those who would prefer profits over safety," said Chandler.A reconsideration of this ruling has been filed and appeals are still pending.
Hissey Kientz, LLP will not stop representing those injured by take-home asbestos exposure in spite of the court's ruling.
Cause of mesothelioma
Nearly everyone has been exposed to asbestos in the air and water in small amounts, from deposits in the Earth and in products in the places we live and work and breathe.
Asbestos disease or abdominal mesothelioma has been documented as the result of evenminimal exposure, affecting family members of workers who came into contact with asbestos and brought it home on their clothing, skin or hair.
In the late 1970s the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and artificial ash for gas fire places, and in 1989 the Environmental Protection Agency banned all new use of asbestos.
Unfortunately asbestos is still imported, still used and still dangerous.
Asbestos disease or abdominal mesothelioma has been documented as the result of evenminimal exposure, affecting family members of workers who came into contact with asbestos and brought it home on their clothing, skin or hair.
In the late 1970s the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and artificial ash for gas fire places, and in 1989 the Environmental Protection Agency banned all new use of asbestos.
Unfortunately asbestos is still imported, still used and still dangerous.
Mesothelioma news
Sixties children are developing a rare and deadly cancer - a legacy of asbestos in schools and homes. And as this sufferer reveals, they're being denied the one drug that could save them:
The consultant and I were alone together in a tiny room on the umpteenth floor of a large London NHS hospital. He was looking at the results of a recently completed scan on my lungs. It was late summer 2005, a day of unbroken sun, and I'd ridden to the hospital on my mountain bike, revelling in the freedom.
Now we were in this broom cupboard of an office as a result of my noticing a cough and a strange sensation in my lung that hadn't gone away.
My GP had initially refused to refer me for an X-ray, but eventually relented. The X-ray and consequent CAT scan had quickly established that something in the lung was awry, but nothing could have prepared me for what this consultant was about to say.
'What you've got is either a benign asbestos-related lung condition or mesothelioma,' he said.
Asbestos? I'd never worked in industry, never knowingly been near building materials. Mesothelioma? What was that? I couldn't even pronounce it.
The consultant continued: 'A biopsy will decide it. If it's a benign asbestosrelated condition then you could reasonably expect to live for years, if not decades. If it's mesothelioma — and that's what I think it is - then 12, maybe 18 months. You're young - early 50s - so maybe 18.'
I went cold, said nothing. He gestured with his hand. 'There are treatments, but none I think worth having. The surgery is too brutal and of no help. You'd end up a wreck: believe me, I've seen the results.
'If I were you, I'd go home, open a bottle of claret and enjoy what time is left.'
I looked into his eyes. 'Is that your opinion or is it fact?' 'It's my opinion,' he answered. 'Thanks, but I'll stick to fact.' With that, my personal quest for a mesothelioma treatment - and a future worth having - commenced.
It would take my wife and me to America, France and Australia before my treatment commenced, five months later. First I had to defeat the feeling of being a dead man walking. That could come only through the birth of hope.
Things didn't start too well in that department. I underwent a biopsy involving a 'video thoroscopic viewing'.
This confirmed the mesothelioma, yet offered nothing else but bad-tempered nurses and a shrug of the shoulders from the consultant surgeon who delivered the news to my bedside.
When a third London consultant recommended I take part in a formal mesothelioma trial at Guy's Hospital in London, explaining that this trial offered hope of 'a cure', I was hooked, and booked, within the week.
But at the first interview there I was told there was 'no cure' and that the trial was to establish the worth of radical surgery called Extra Pleural Pneumonectomy (in which the lung, the lung lining and part or all of the diaphragm are typically removed).
The surgery is risky - it kills one or two people in every 20 - but only half the patients in the trial would be offered it in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The others would have just radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Like everybody else in the trial I would be a guinea pig, with no control over my treatment which would be decided by computer lottery. I asked what was in it for the guinea pig. 'Posterity,' was the candid reply.
Posterity? I had a wife who'd just started a high-pressure job and two teenage children, sitting GCSEs and A-levels that academic year, to consider. I politely declined the trial.
Mesothelioma is a devastating cancer of the lung lining caused by exposure to asbestos. The cancer is initially highly localised within the body, although very aggressive. It typically spreads from one lung along the lung lining to the diaphragm and into the chest wall.
Its victims die from the overwhelming effects of the cancer as it produces chemicals that gradually run the body down and destroy its resistance. It rarely spreads beyond the side of the body it is initially found within.
It is a separate cancer from that of the lung also caused by asbestos, which accounts for about 5 per cent of all lung cancer cases in the UK each year.
Asbestos-triggered lung cancer typically develops in the bronchial passages - as does smoking-related cancer - and its development is virtually indistinguishable from the latter.
As with most cancers, there is no established pattern to the development of the disease. Some people work with asbestos for their entire adult life and do not develop mesothelioma; others have a very limited exposure, perhaps days or hours, and become victims.
Some doctors think a genetic disposition may account for this, but this is unproven. However, it is known that the gestation period of this cancer is typically 30 to 40 years.
For decades, mesothelioma was seen as the occupational disease of people who work in heavy industry or the building trade. That is rapidly changing.
As Dr David Landau, who runs a mesothelioma clinic at St Thomas's Hospital in London, observes: 'The typical patient is male and in his 60s.
Most are manual workers or engineers...but there is an increasing number of patients in their 40s or 50s have had no obvious asbestos exposure. This Baby Boomer group is definitely expanding.'
There is a clear link between the widespread proliferation of asbestos in office, school and domestic building programmes in the late 1960s and the current rise in cases.
The Baby Boomers who are only now being diagnosed could well have had their fatal contact with asbestos 30 to 40 years ago. The only likely explanation for my exposure was the new wing at my school. The asbestos was later removed, but by then I was long gone.
Dr Landau believes that the incidence, which has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 new cases in the past decade, will rise rapidly over the next ten years.
Cancer Research UK predicts that 200,000 people could contract asbestosrelated cancers from exposure in the 1960s and 1970s; other experts believe 90,000 could die from mesothelioma.
The U.S. has already experienced the onset of a mesothelioma epidemic and a similar pattern has emerged in Australia which, along with South Africa, was one of the major asbestos exporting countries until relatively recently.
In Australia, there is a legally established link between asbestos and mesothelioma, and major-league legal suits against the manufacturers and users of the material are ongoing.
In the UK, much of the health service is only just waking up to this potential epidemic, so treatment for this disease is currently a low priority in the NHS.
Because mesothelioma is initially highly localised, if diagnosed early enough, it lends itself to removal through radical surgery. This option, however, is controversial and some experts in the UK remain sceptical about both its efficacy and its impact upon a patient's quality of life.
I sought the advice of experts in five other countries to help me decide on this step in my treatment. One such expert, Professor Thierry Le Chevalier of the renowned Institut Gustave- Roussy in Paris, gave me reason to consider the treatment, before wryly commenting about my situation in the UK.
'The English tend to be pessimists. They will concentrate on the 95 per cent of people who don't make it through. We Normans are optimists. We like to think about the 5 per cent who do.'
But one area upon which there is agreement among medics is the need for the 'gold-standard' drug combination - Pemetrexed and Cisplatin - to be a routine part of the chemotherapy treatment of mesothelioma within the NHS.
As I know to my cost, this level of treatment has been withdrawn over the past year through the good offices of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). This leaves NHS mesothelioma patients no option but to undergo chemotherapy using the combination of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin.
The decision has been met with dismay and condemnation from patients and the medical profession, and the reason is not hard to find.
The response rate for Gemcitabine is around 20per cent; for Pemetrexed, it is around 40 per cent. Last year NICE declined to fund this treatment, claiming it was 'not cost-effective' by their own fairly arbitrarily imposed criteria.
As Dr Jeremy Steele, consultant oncologist at the Mesothelioma Research Fund at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, explains: 'What is so galling is that Pemetrexed is trialled and licensed for use in the UK and is routinely used in most EU countries for this condition. We are the exception.'
Dr Landau believes mesothelioma could be among the top ten UK cancers in the next decade. But aside from the explosion of cases, there is another urgent reason for research to be funded.
Dr Steele thinks that the possible genetic underpinning of this cancer is a prime candidate for well-funded research that, if successful, could benefit victims of other more common cancers such as those of the breast, bowel and prostate. That alone should persuade the Government to encourage research into mesothelioma.
The death toll could be even higher. 'The predictions of the past decade have underestimated the number of cases,' claims Dr Landau. 'We are seeing younger patients with less asbestos exposure. I think there is likely to be a significant increase in the number of cases over the next two decades.'
More alarming figures have recently been cited by Professor Julian Peto, Cancer Research UK Chair of Epidemiology at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He estimates that '90,000 people could die from mesothelioma - it has already killed twice as many people as cervical cancer'.
Yet in all this uncertainty and gloom, there is always hope. Dr Landau says: 'I think the greatest optimism comes from new drugs; targeted biological agents.
'In the past two years, kidney cancer has emerged from being one of the tumours that never responded to one that we now have three or four excellent treatments for, and we expect more. There is good reason to hope the same will happen with mesothelioma.'
In my own case, with one lung still sound, five months after my diagnosis and exhaustive research, I opted for the controversial 'tri-modal' treatment. This combined the radical surgery with intensive radiotherapy (six to seven weeks of it) and six cycles of a very punishing form of chemotherapy.
This was to be undergone at Bart's in London - at that time one of the few NHS hospitals in the country to offer the 'gold-standard' drug Pemetrexed as part of its chemotherapy programme.
During my visits to the mesothelioma clinic there, I realised that mesothelioma victims from all over the country were coming to Bart's in their desperation to get chemotherapy with Pemetrexed.
As it happens, I had to have the surgery privately (via health insurance) to avoid my operation date being 'bounced' - the long delay in finding the right treatment might have severely jeopardised my chances of avoiding a spread of the disease to the chest wall. That would have rendered me inoperable.
After surgery I was to move on to radiotherapy and, unusually, chemotherapy as the last part of my radical treatment. Within a fortnight of my leaving hospital to recuperate at home, Bart's NHS Trust had pulled the plug on Pemetrexed.
With nowhere else to go, I had radiotherapy and chemotherapy through private health channels as a back-up to the surgery. But then, I was lucky: I had a lung left to breathe with.
During my recovery period in hospital, I received first-rate nursing. As I improved to the point where I was out of bed and going for little walks, one nurse who had been particularly encouraging asked me what operation I'd had. I told her the disease and what the surgeon had been obliged to remove.
She looked at me in wonder and surprise, then leaned forward to ask me a question. Her voice quivered with concern.
'Did they take out both lungs?' I took a deep breath. 'No,' I said.
She looked relieved, patted my shoulder, gave me a wink and said: 'That's good, then.'Resources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
The consultant and I were alone together in a tiny room on the umpteenth floor of a large London NHS hospital. He was looking at the results of a recently completed scan on my lungs. It was late summer 2005, a day of unbroken sun, and I'd ridden to the hospital on my mountain bike, revelling in the freedom.
Now we were in this broom cupboard of an office as a result of my noticing a cough and a strange sensation in my lung that hadn't gone away.
My GP had initially refused to refer me for an X-ray, but eventually relented. The X-ray and consequent CAT scan had quickly established that something in the lung was awry, but nothing could have prepared me for what this consultant was about to say.
'What you've got is either a benign asbestos-related lung condition or mesothelioma,' he said.
Asbestos? I'd never worked in industry, never knowingly been near building materials. Mesothelioma? What was that? I couldn't even pronounce it.
The consultant continued: 'A biopsy will decide it. If it's a benign asbestosrelated condition then you could reasonably expect to live for years, if not decades. If it's mesothelioma — and that's what I think it is - then 12, maybe 18 months. You're young - early 50s - so maybe 18.'
I went cold, said nothing. He gestured with his hand. 'There are treatments, but none I think worth having. The surgery is too brutal and of no help. You'd end up a wreck: believe me, I've seen the results.
'If I were you, I'd go home, open a bottle of claret and enjoy what time is left.'
I looked into his eyes. 'Is that your opinion or is it fact?' 'It's my opinion,' he answered. 'Thanks, but I'll stick to fact.' With that, my personal quest for a mesothelioma treatment - and a future worth having - commenced.
It would take my wife and me to America, France and Australia before my treatment commenced, five months later. First I had to defeat the feeling of being a dead man walking. That could come only through the birth of hope.
Things didn't start too well in that department. I underwent a biopsy involving a 'video thoroscopic viewing'.
This confirmed the mesothelioma, yet offered nothing else but bad-tempered nurses and a shrug of the shoulders from the consultant surgeon who delivered the news to my bedside.
When a third London consultant recommended I take part in a formal mesothelioma trial at Guy's Hospital in London, explaining that this trial offered hope of 'a cure', I was hooked, and booked, within the week.
But at the first interview there I was told there was 'no cure' and that the trial was to establish the worth of radical surgery called Extra Pleural Pneumonectomy (in which the lung, the lung lining and part or all of the diaphragm are typically removed).
The surgery is risky - it kills one or two people in every 20 - but only half the patients in the trial would be offered it in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The others would have just radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Like everybody else in the trial I would be a guinea pig, with no control over my treatment which would be decided by computer lottery. I asked what was in it for the guinea pig. 'Posterity,' was the candid reply.
Posterity? I had a wife who'd just started a high-pressure job and two teenage children, sitting GCSEs and A-levels that academic year, to consider. I politely declined the trial.
Mesothelioma is a devastating cancer of the lung lining caused by exposure to asbestos. The cancer is initially highly localised within the body, although very aggressive. It typically spreads from one lung along the lung lining to the diaphragm and into the chest wall.
Its victims die from the overwhelming effects of the cancer as it produces chemicals that gradually run the body down and destroy its resistance. It rarely spreads beyond the side of the body it is initially found within.
It is a separate cancer from that of the lung also caused by asbestos, which accounts for about 5 per cent of all lung cancer cases in the UK each year.
Asbestos-triggered lung cancer typically develops in the bronchial passages - as does smoking-related cancer - and its development is virtually indistinguishable from the latter.
As with most cancers, there is no established pattern to the development of the disease. Some people work with asbestos for their entire adult life and do not develop mesothelioma; others have a very limited exposure, perhaps days or hours, and become victims.
Some doctors think a genetic disposition may account for this, but this is unproven. However, it is known that the gestation period of this cancer is typically 30 to 40 years.
For decades, mesothelioma was seen as the occupational disease of people who work in heavy industry or the building trade. That is rapidly changing.
As Dr David Landau, who runs a mesothelioma clinic at St Thomas's Hospital in London, observes: 'The typical patient is male and in his 60s.
Most are manual workers or engineers...but there is an increasing number of patients in their 40s or 50s have had no obvious asbestos exposure. This Baby Boomer group is definitely expanding.'
There is a clear link between the widespread proliferation of asbestos in office, school and domestic building programmes in the late 1960s and the current rise in cases.
The Baby Boomers who are only now being diagnosed could well have had their fatal contact with asbestos 30 to 40 years ago. The only likely explanation for my exposure was the new wing at my school. The asbestos was later removed, but by then I was long gone.
Dr Landau believes that the incidence, which has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 new cases in the past decade, will rise rapidly over the next ten years.
Cancer Research UK predicts that 200,000 people could contract asbestosrelated cancers from exposure in the 1960s and 1970s; other experts believe 90,000 could die from mesothelioma.
The U.S. has already experienced the onset of a mesothelioma epidemic and a similar pattern has emerged in Australia which, along with South Africa, was one of the major asbestos exporting countries until relatively recently.
In Australia, there is a legally established link between asbestos and mesothelioma, and major-league legal suits against the manufacturers and users of the material are ongoing.
In the UK, much of the health service is only just waking up to this potential epidemic, so treatment for this disease is currently a low priority in the NHS.
Because mesothelioma is initially highly localised, if diagnosed early enough, it lends itself to removal through radical surgery. This option, however, is controversial and some experts in the UK remain sceptical about both its efficacy and its impact upon a patient's quality of life.
I sought the advice of experts in five other countries to help me decide on this step in my treatment. One such expert, Professor Thierry Le Chevalier of the renowned Institut Gustave- Roussy in Paris, gave me reason to consider the treatment, before wryly commenting about my situation in the UK.
'The English tend to be pessimists. They will concentrate on the 95 per cent of people who don't make it through. We Normans are optimists. We like to think about the 5 per cent who do.'
But one area upon which there is agreement among medics is the need for the 'gold-standard' drug combination - Pemetrexed and Cisplatin - to be a routine part of the chemotherapy treatment of mesothelioma within the NHS.
As I know to my cost, this level of treatment has been withdrawn over the past year through the good offices of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). This leaves NHS mesothelioma patients no option but to undergo chemotherapy using the combination of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin.
The decision has been met with dismay and condemnation from patients and the medical profession, and the reason is not hard to find.
The response rate for Gemcitabine is around 20per cent; for Pemetrexed, it is around 40 per cent. Last year NICE declined to fund this treatment, claiming it was 'not cost-effective' by their own fairly arbitrarily imposed criteria.
As Dr Jeremy Steele, consultant oncologist at the Mesothelioma Research Fund at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, explains: 'What is so galling is that Pemetrexed is trialled and licensed for use in the UK and is routinely used in most EU countries for this condition. We are the exception.'
Dr Landau believes mesothelioma could be among the top ten UK cancers in the next decade. But aside from the explosion of cases, there is another urgent reason for research to be funded.
Dr Steele thinks that the possible genetic underpinning of this cancer is a prime candidate for well-funded research that, if successful, could benefit victims of other more common cancers such as those of the breast, bowel and prostate. That alone should persuade the Government to encourage research into mesothelioma.
The death toll could be even higher. 'The predictions of the past decade have underestimated the number of cases,' claims Dr Landau. 'We are seeing younger patients with less asbestos exposure. I think there is likely to be a significant increase in the number of cases over the next two decades.'
More alarming figures have recently been cited by Professor Julian Peto, Cancer Research UK Chair of Epidemiology at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He estimates that '90,000 people could die from mesothelioma - it has already killed twice as many people as cervical cancer'.
Yet in all this uncertainty and gloom, there is always hope. Dr Landau says: 'I think the greatest optimism comes from new drugs; targeted biological agents.
'In the past two years, kidney cancer has emerged from being one of the tumours that never responded to one that we now have three or four excellent treatments for, and we expect more. There is good reason to hope the same will happen with mesothelioma.'
In my own case, with one lung still sound, five months after my diagnosis and exhaustive research, I opted for the controversial 'tri-modal' treatment. This combined the radical surgery with intensive radiotherapy (six to seven weeks of it) and six cycles of a very punishing form of chemotherapy.
This was to be undergone at Bart's in London - at that time one of the few NHS hospitals in the country to offer the 'gold-standard' drug Pemetrexed as part of its chemotherapy programme.
During my visits to the mesothelioma clinic there, I realised that mesothelioma victims from all over the country were coming to Bart's in their desperation to get chemotherapy with Pemetrexed.
As it happens, I had to have the surgery privately (via health insurance) to avoid my operation date being 'bounced' - the long delay in finding the right treatment might have severely jeopardised my chances of avoiding a spread of the disease to the chest wall. That would have rendered me inoperable.
After surgery I was to move on to radiotherapy and, unusually, chemotherapy as the last part of my radical treatment. Within a fortnight of my leaving hospital to recuperate at home, Bart's NHS Trust had pulled the plug on Pemetrexed.
With nowhere else to go, I had radiotherapy and chemotherapy through private health channels as a back-up to the surgery. But then, I was lucky: I had a lung left to breathe with.
During my recovery period in hospital, I received first-rate nursing. As I improved to the point where I was out of bed and going for little walks, one nurse who had been particularly encouraging asked me what operation I'd had. I told her the disease and what the surgeon had been obliged to remove.
She looked at me in wonder and surprise, then leaned forward to ask me a question. Her voice quivered with concern.
'Did they take out both lungs?' I took a deep breath. 'No,' I said.
She looked relieved, patted my shoulder, gave me a wink and said: 'That's good, then.'Resources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Cantron - may be solution for cancer - mesothelioma cancer
Hi, there are some soltions for cancer. Cantron is one of them. Since 1984, Cantron has become the ultimate anti-cancer wellness formula which serves as an amazing cellular cleanser to assist the body in eliminating unwanted and unproductive cells (i.e. abnormal, malignant, defective, or cancer cells).
Cantron is based upon the truly original Entelev which was created by the brilliant chemist James Vincent Sheridan in the 1930's. Cancell has become the generic name for substances based on similar theories behind Entelev. Other products such as Quantrol and Protocel have entered the market in an attempt to duplicate and/or exceed the effectiveness of Entelev/Cancell. However, Cantron is the leader with longest standing consumer market exposure and continued technological advancements.
Cantron is an amazing bio-electrical wellness formulation which helps maintain proper cellular metabolism, immune system function and bolsters the overall health condition. It provides astonishing health benefits like no other substance on Earth. Also known as Entelev and Cancell, Cantron is known to dramatically aid the body’s own natural defenses and helps it to reverse even the most severe health conditions. Since 1984, it has received rave reviews from those who have taken it. One customer summed it up perfectly on an Internet chat site when she emphatically stated: “How blessed we are to know about Cantron.”
Cantron greatly contributes to the healthy functioning of cells in humans and animals. Recent tests have shown that Cantron is the most powerful antioxidant in the world, in fact, it is 902 times more powerful than vitamin E and 216 times more powerful than vitamin C. Antioxidants prevent or destroy free radicals – unstable molecules which are implicated as a cause of over 60 different disease conditions.
The Cantron formulation contains a proprietary blend of organic compounds. Many of these compounds belong to the bioflavonoid family - substances usually found in conjunction with vitamin C in nature. The formula also contains minerals and trace amounts of an important ‘B complex’ vitamin. The active ingredients are specifically selected for their beneficial roles in cellular respiration (energy production within cells), for their bio-electrical properties, for their powerful antioxidant properties and for their ability to facilitate the body’s normal waste elimination processes.
Cantron is a unique trade secret formulation which is synthesized in a laboratory and can not be duplicated by any party. It is a highly advanced version of the authentic Entelev formula which was created by the brilliant chemist James Vincent Sheridan. Modern technology and newly developed manufacturing techniques have made the Cantron formula more concentrated and more potent than any version ever in existence. We refer to this advanced version as our New Millennium formula.
Cantron is based upon the truly original Entelev which was created by the brilliant chemist James Vincent Sheridan in the 1930's. Cancell has become the generic name for substances based on similar theories behind Entelev. Other products such as Quantrol and Protocel have entered the market in an attempt to duplicate and/or exceed the effectiveness of Entelev/Cancell. However, Cantron is the leader with longest standing consumer market exposure and continued technological advancements.
Cantron is an amazing bio-electrical wellness formulation which helps maintain proper cellular metabolism, immune system function and bolsters the overall health condition. It provides astonishing health benefits like no other substance on Earth. Also known as Entelev and Cancell, Cantron is known to dramatically aid the body’s own natural defenses and helps it to reverse even the most severe health conditions. Since 1984, it has received rave reviews from those who have taken it. One customer summed it up perfectly on an Internet chat site when she emphatically stated: “How blessed we are to know about Cantron.”
Cantron greatly contributes to the healthy functioning of cells in humans and animals. Recent tests have shown that Cantron is the most powerful antioxidant in the world, in fact, it is 902 times more powerful than vitamin E and 216 times more powerful than vitamin C. Antioxidants prevent or destroy free radicals – unstable molecules which are implicated as a cause of over 60 different disease conditions.
The Cantron formulation contains a proprietary blend of organic compounds. Many of these compounds belong to the bioflavonoid family - substances usually found in conjunction with vitamin C in nature. The formula also contains minerals and trace amounts of an important ‘B complex’ vitamin. The active ingredients are specifically selected for their beneficial roles in cellular respiration (energy production within cells), for their bio-electrical properties, for their powerful antioxidant properties and for their ability to facilitate the body’s normal waste elimination processes.
Cantron is a unique trade secret formulation which is synthesized in a laboratory and can not be duplicated by any party. It is a highly advanced version of the authentic Entelev formula which was created by the brilliant chemist James Vincent Sheridan. Modern technology and newly developed manufacturing techniques have made the Cantron formula more concentrated and more potent than any version ever in existence. We refer to this advanced version as our New Millennium formula.
New Anticancer Drug Onconase Commits Unique Promises for Treating Mesothelioma Lung Cancer National Academy Of Sciences Journal Update
Tuesday morning, Alfacell Corp. said that according to the research findings published in National Academy of Sciences Journal, the company's anti-cancer drug Onconase might be one of the most effective methods of treatment for mesothelioma and lung cancer caused by asbestos.
Onconase is a novel anti-cancer drug for the treatment of patients with inoperable malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer of the inner lining of the chest and abdomen.
The research findings have also identified the molecular mechanism by which asbestos provokes lung cancer that so far has remained difficult to understand.
Asbestos is made of tiny fibres, which are inhaled when one comes in contact with it. This triggers the release of TNF-Alpha, a cytokine, which leads to a series of biochemical events. The release of TNF-Alpha activates NF-KappaB (Nuclear Factor-Kappa B) protein, a transcription factor. This transcription factor protects asbestos-damaged cells against cell death. As a result the damaged cells gets accumulated leading to cancer.
According to the research journal, as Onconase inhibits the same pathways that lead to mesothelial cell malignant transformation and mesothelioma, the drug might show unique promise in preventing and treating mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Alfacell said that Onconase's efficacy in preventing mesothelioma in high-risk cohorts is soon to be tested because of its minimal side effects.
Onconase is a novel anti-cancer drug for the treatment of patients with inoperable malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer of the inner lining of the chest and abdomen.
The research findings have also identified the molecular mechanism by which asbestos provokes lung cancer that so far has remained difficult to understand.
Asbestos is made of tiny fibres, which are inhaled when one comes in contact with it. This triggers the release of TNF-Alpha, a cytokine, which leads to a series of biochemical events. The release of TNF-Alpha activates NF-KappaB (Nuclear Factor-Kappa B) protein, a transcription factor. This transcription factor protects asbestos-damaged cells against cell death. As a result the damaged cells gets accumulated leading to cancer.
According to the research journal, as Onconase inhibits the same pathways that lead to mesothelial cell malignant transformation and mesothelioma, the drug might show unique promise in preventing and treating mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Alfacell said that Onconase's efficacy in preventing mesothelioma in high-risk cohorts is soon to be tested because of its minimal side effects.
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