New test yeilds accurate mesothelioma diagnosis

A recent test has been conducted to find a more accurate way to diagnose mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, which have been used in construction, mining and other industries. It is extremely difficult to diagnose and, often, is undiagnosed until it is too late for effective treatment.

Mesothelioma is usually found by looking for cancerous cells in the fluid around the lungs. This method is called cytology. But cytology is not very sensitive and doctors have a hard time telling mesothelioma apart from other cancers. Now, researchers in Britain are trying out a new test. The new test measures the amount of the protein mesothelin in the fluid surrounding the lungs.

To date, the new method has been tested on 167 patients. Of those, 24 patients had mesothelioma, 67 had metastatic cancer, and 75 had benign effusions. The mesothelin levels were measured in each patient. The patients with mesothelioma had an average level of 40.3 nM compared to 6.1 nM for patients with metastatic cancer and 3.7 nM for patients with benign conditions.

The researchers say that this new test should be given along with cytology to get the best results. The new test uses the same fluid samples that are used in cytology. The test could easily be added to current testing programs and would greatly benefit the patients since they would be diagnosed earlier and more accurately.

Former Employee Suing Shipyard

David Armistead worked for BAE Land Systems’ Barrow Shipyard beginning in 1965. He has now filed a lawsuit asking for compensation of $500,000 claiming that he contracted mesothelioma while working for the company.

He also said that the company did not provide any protective clothing nor did they educate him about the health dangers related to the asbestos.

Asbestos exposure can lead to several nasty side effects including asbestosis, scarring of the lungs, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

The Barrow Shipyard covers about 169 acres and excels in the designing, building, testing, and commissioning of large vessels and submarines. It is an honorable institute and is credited with providing the first submarine to the United Kingdom.

Armistead started for the shipyard as an engineer working in the machine and engine shops. He says that the roofs and walls both contained a great amount of asbestos. He later transferred to the construction site of submarines where he applied asbestos covering layers to submarines.

W.R. Grace to clean up asbestos in Massachusetts

Another W.R. Grace Asbestos cleanup is taking place in the small city of Easthampton, Massachusetts.

The plant ran from 1949 to 1989. It is reported that the plant received 258,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite ore from Libby, Montana.

The Easthampton plant manufactured Grace’s Zonolite attic insulation. There is not a set time frame for the project yet. $750,000 has been approved for the project. The soil in under a 1000-foot section of land and is 6 to 12 inches below the surface.

W.R. Grace is a global supplier of specialty chemicals. The company went bankrupt in 2001 when they got hit with several asbestos-related claims. The company agreed to pay $34 million for cleanup costs at 32 different sites in 18 states across the country.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to several forms of cancer, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma cancer is particularly pernicious because it can take 20 years or more for symptoms to appear. This makes it difficult to diagnose and, in fact, a diagnosis is usually a death sentence.

W.R. Grace had another plant in Libby, Montana from 1963 until 1990. It shipped many tons of asbestos-laced vermiculite around the world. It is estimated that around 70 percent of the world’s insulation, fireproofing, and gardening products used vermiculite that came from Libby. But residents of the Libby area are in an epidemic of asbestos-related diseases and the residents have been dying of asbestosis at a rate 40 to 80 times normal.

Are nano particles an asbestos-like hazard?

Nano particles, which are common in items such as cosmetics, medicine, and tennis rackets, have been shown to potentially produce damage on DNA and may trigger cancer, heart disease, and atherosclerosis, according to a recent Danish study. But what are nano particles?

Nano particles are custom built atomic structures. Because they are custom built, nano particles can be used in all sorts of applications, and are currently being developed for use in electronics, detergents, packaging, medicine, and more.

While research is going on all over the world for these particles, we don’t know how harmful the future products will be to us, our children, or nature. We don’t know how nano waste will react. Will it break up and dissolve? Will airborne particles have the same effects as asbestos exposure?

Asbestos, which is as small as three micron (3 millionths of a meter), can cause lung cancer or mesothelioma if inhaled, and there is no safe exposure level. Nano particles, in comparison, are one billionth of a meter, or 0.000000001 meter.

Nano products are estimated to be worth at least $100 billion by 2015. Of course, the industry is going to love the ability to produce goods specifically designed and fine-tuned for their exact purpose, but at what cost to our lives?

Asbestos exposure at General Motors

A former worker at the General Motors production plant in Michigan may have contracted mesothelioma lung cancer due to years of asbestos exposure.

Though the man retired from GM almost 20 years ago, his daughter strongly believes that his recent diagnoses of lung, brain, and bladder cancer are tied to the asbestos fibers in the pipes and boilers at the plant. It is likely that the man has in fact contracted mesothelioma after too many long days working in the foundry and assembling units for the car company.

To strengthen their case, the plant where he worked at was torn down because it was laden with asbestos. The plant was situated in the middle of town—during demolition, asbestos fibers could have gotten into the air. Several other former employees of the Michigan plant have been diagnosed with asbestos related illnesses.

Right now, people who have asbestos-injury claims against GM are fighting against the government-supported plan to sell the company. Since the company owes them money, these people hold a stake in GM and have so far been left out of negotiations. Sale of GM could be unconstitutional if these claimants remain unrepresented.

Phase II clinical trial offers hope to mesothelioma victims

The Italian biotechnology company MolMed has announced positive results for their Phase II trial of NGR-hTNF for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

The trial, which consisted of 57 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients that were previously treated with chemotherapy, found NGR-hTNF useful as both a theraputic option and as part of a combination therapy with most chemotherapy methods.

During the trial, one group of patients received the drug every three weeks and the other received it each week. Both groups received low doses of the drug intravenously. The results of the trial showed a median overall survival rate of one year. The disease control rate during the trial was 46 percent, which was maintained for a median total duration of 4.7 months.

MolMed plans to start another Phase II trial of NGR-hTNF in combination with cisplatin for lung cancer. Cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug that is often combined with newer medications ton increase the effectiveness of treatment, is one of the most effective treatment options available for pleural mesothelioma when combined with another chemotherapy drug called Alimta.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is linked to asbestos exposure. Workplace exposure to asbestos in places like aluminum smelters, oil refineries, shipyards and the construction industry puts workers at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer and mesothelioma.

Asbestos contamination? You have removal options

You’ve found asbestos materials present in your home or commercial property. What should you do to about it?

You have several options: removal, encapsulation, or letting them be. Making the right choice in this matter is crucial, because air born asbestos fibers can be inhaled and lead to serious health problems like mesothelioma and lung cancer.

In fact, the way known to contract mesothelioma cancer is through asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma has a long latency, often taking 20-30 years for symptoms to appear.

Because of health risks, asbestos removal companies must take necessary precautions. Their work must be certified and is regulated by the state. Instead of removal, some owners chose encapsulation. This is an option which involves properly securing the asbestos material behind a barrier, and is not illegal for homeowners to do themselves (however, it is very highly not recommended because of the health risks).

When deciding between removal and encapsulation, cost should be secondary to safety. You should ask yourself several questions, such as: is the asbestos material stable enough to be safely encapsulated?

Once that work has been done, will you have to frequently check it to ensure that no asbestos fibers are becoming airborne? You will want to know if the asbestos will have to be removed a later date even if you contain it now. This knowledge might help you decide which method is the right one for you.

Lung cancer and mesothelioma

There are many similarities between lung cancer and mesothelioma lung cancer. They both carry significant mortality rates, and involve many of the same treatment options. The main difference in the two is how they are contracted.

Lung cancer can be caused by smoking, pollution, other lung diseases, or simply old age. There are many possible reasons that a patient may have developed lung cancer, and in most there is no one at “fault.” There is no way to guarantee that one will not get lung cancer.

Mesothelioma lung cancer is caused only by exposure to asbestos. In most cases, companies who understood the risks that asbestos exposure carries knowingly and quietly exposed employees, consumers, and the public anyway. They are at fault. Patients would not be dying of mesothelioma lung cancer if they had not been exposed to asbestos.

That is the primary difference between lung cancer and mesothelioma. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, that’s why it’s possible you may be entitled to compensation. That’s why it’s important to contact an experienced asbestos attorney about the possibility of developing a mesothelioma lawsuit.

Kucinich working to reduce asbestos exposure in developing nations

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) sent an inquiry to the World Bank about the tardy release of a report on the use of asbestos in construction.

Kucinich’s letter addressed several key points regarding asbestos exposure, prompting the World Bank to finalize and publish its Construction Guidance regarding asbestos. The guidance states, “Health hazards from breathing asbestos dust include asbestosis, a lung scarring disease, and various forms of cancer [including] mesothelioma [which] occurs among workers’ family members,” as well as among those exposed directly to asbestos.

The report was initially commissioned in 2006 and was technically reviewed in 2008, but it has stalled awaiting final administrative approval.

UN Staff Exposed to Asbestos

Asbestos removal has begun in the library of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. While asbestos removal is a good thing, it is being conducted in manner that could be risking the health of officials working in the building.

Currently, there is asbestos removal taking place on the first and second floor of the library. UN staff members continue to work on the third floor. The doors separating the construction from the rest of the building are unsealed, and there is now a layer of possibly asbestos-laden dust covering surfaces on which officials work.

Inhalation of asbestos dust is extremely dangerous, and is known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma years after being inhaled. These working conditions would not be legal anywhere in the United States—unfortunately, the United Nations building is international property, and is therefore not subject to the protections of United States asbestos litigation. What’s more, the company that has been contracted to remove the asbestos (ATC Associates) and their general contractor (Skanska) have both been prosecuted for asbestos-related charges. Roney Rivero, an ATC Associates representative, has gone so far as to publicly assert that there is no link between asbestos and cancer (which, of course, is false).

Unfortunately, anyone injured by asbestos in the UN Headquarters would be unable to sue in U.S. court. They could only arbitrate, which significantly reduces compensation.

Human cells link with asbestos fiber

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates about 1.3 million people contracting either asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma in the coming years.

Asbestosis, a chronic respiratory disease, attacks the respiratory track and is fatal. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure, attacks the lungs, chest, or the heart and has a death rate of about six to twelve months after the symptoms appear.

There is no cure for either disease.

In nature, asbestos occurs in six different forms, and was widely used in many industries until the last half of the 20th century. By the year 1940, it was totally banned in about 40 countries of Europe and the United States. However, asbestos is still present in manufactured goods and is considered dangerous to human life.

To ease the suffering of this large number of people, scientists from Ohio University are trying to establish individual bondage of the asbestos fiber and the human cell. They are using ‘Atomic Force Microscopy’ to study how a single asbestos fiber attaches itself with the cell surface in the lining of the organs.

According to the research, this study has been a type of Braille work between the two ends of the physical bond between the fiber and the cell. The scientists are feeling and observing how the asbestos links with the human cells.

New Surgery offers hope to mesothelioma victims

A new surgical treatment for malignant mesothelioma has been declared a success. The procedure is called a pleurectomy/decortication and involves removing the outermost lining of the lung. A pleurectomy/decortication is performed before a course of chemotherapy and radiation, creating a threefold treatment option.

Mesothelioma is a cancer caused primarily by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos exposure can have several profoundly negative side effects. Among them are asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a particularly aggressive cancer. Symptoms can often take 20-50 years to manifest, which is why a diagnosis of mesothelioma is often a death sentence.

However, the patients who participated in this 5-year study showed an average survival rate of nearly 3 years. Seventy-five percent of participants survived the first year, sixty-one percent survived the second, and forty-three percent survived the third.

If additional research proves as positive as this study, a pleurectomy/decortication could provide for patients a better alternative than the standard pneumonectomy, which is the removal of the entire lung.

Garlic may help curb asbestos exposure

Several studies that have been performed in India show that garlic may reduce the carcinogenic effects of asbestos.

While asbestos fibers are a well-known carcinogen that causes mesothelioma and other diseases, the underlying cause of why they cause cancer has still not been clearly identified. According to these Indian studies, asbestos can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS, such as oxygen ions, free radicals, and peroxides, are ions or very small molecules that have unpaired electrons and may lead to biological damage.

Asbestos-released ROS release can be reduced by antioxidants, according to the studies. Garlic contains numerous sulfur compounds and glutathione precursors which act as antioxidants; it also contains at least 33 sulfur compounds, several enzymes, 17 amino acids, and several minerals.

The studies also found that many of the sulfur rich compounds in garlic increased the activity of various enzymes that consequently reduced the carcinogenicity of asbestos.

Asbestos exposure can have several profoundly negative side effects. Among them are asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a particularily aggressive cancer. Symptoms can often take 20-50 years to manifest which is why a diagnosis of mesothelioma is often a death sentence.

Mesothelioma Linked by Different Locations

Mesothelioma affects different geographic locations differently. Industrial development is a good indicator of the disease because of high asbestos exposure rates.

There are certain regions of the U.S. that have high mesothelioma rates. One example is along the coasts where ship-building industries were active during World War II. Another example is in North Carolina where there are high mesothelioma rates thanks to asbestosin the textile industry.

Finally, smelters, oil refineries and chemical plants tend to use a lot of asbestos as a heat shield. When the asbestos breaks down and asbestos fibers become airborne, workers are exposed to asbestos in the asbestos dust.

Mesothelioma has also been very common near Libby, Montana where asbestos contamination was found around the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine. Many people have died from the disease since it began to appear in the community.

Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma. It also can lead to lung cancer and lung diseases like asbestosis. So, if many mesothelioma cases are reported from one area, there is a very good chance that there is asbestos exposure nearby.

Asbestos exposure puts textile workers at risk of lung cancer

A study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine has found that those who worked in asbestos textile plants between the 1950s and 1970s face a significantly higher risk of lung cancer and death due to chrysotile asbestos exposure.

While asbestos has previously been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, this study specifically looked at four North Carolina plants that produced textile products with chrysotile asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos is the most commonly used form of the industrial fiber, and amosite and crocidolite are two lesser-used forms of the material.

The current study compared the asbestos exposure and medical histories of 5,770 workers who had been employed at the four North Carolina plants between 1950 and 1973. Of this group, more than 2,500 died during the study period; 277 of these deaths were from lung cancer. The plant workers rate of lung cancer was 95 percent higher than that of the general population, and their rate of death from all causes was 45 percent higher.

The findings of the study could drastically change policy decisions currently being made about the deregulation of chryostile asbestos.

Asbestos exposure can lead to many adverse side effects including lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.Workers exposed to asbestos and who have been diagnosed with one of these maladies could be entitled to financial compaensation and should contact an asbestos attorney about a mesothelioma lawsuit.

Mesothelioma Deaths to peak in 2010

Deaths from mesothelioma are expected to peak around 2010 according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

The number of deaths has been on the increase lately, going from 2,482 in 1999 to 2,704 in 2005. However, the annual mortality rate stayed the same at 14 deaths per 1 million people. The authors of the study wrote, “Because mesothelioma manifests 20 to 40 years after first exposure, the number of mesothelioma deaths will likely peak by 2010.”

They also say that asbestos is legally being imported for use in certain construction and transportation products.

The Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of asbestos in types of residential and commercial insulation materials in 1975. Then in 1989, they tried to put a total ban on asbestos but it was overturned on appeal in federal court in 1991.

“An estimated 1.3 million construction and general industry workers potentially are being exposed to asbestos,” the authors wrote. They have determined that 18,068 people died from mesothelioma from 1999 to 2005 with men accounting for 81% and whites for 95 percent. They also learned that the death rate rose with age. People under 45 accounted for 311 deaths whereas people older than 75 accounted for 8,858 deaths.

As recently as 2003, 20 percent of air samples in the construction industry exceeded the permissible exposure limit set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1971. “Ensuring a future decrease in mesothelioma morality requires meticulous control of exposures to asbestos and other materials that might cause mesothelioma,” the authors concluded.

Like some lung cancer and asbestosis, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Because of its long latency, a mesothelioma diagnosis is usually fatal within 18 months.

Michigan governor proposes cut to asbestos department

The governor of Michigan has proposed to cut the Department of Environmental Quality program. The program was designed to make sure that buildings followed the federal asbestos rules.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm said that Michigan can no longer afford to inspect buildings scheduled for demolition or renovation to prevent asbestos contamination.

If the Legislature passes the proposal, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency will take over responsibility for conducting inspections and punishing violators. The agency, which is located in Chicago, lacks the resources to do an adequate job according to critics.

The total budget is $341 million and the program only costs $350,000. The state only pays $250,000 of that. So the program is not a very big expense.

Robert McCann, a spokesman for Michigan, said that the department has no choice. He said that the state has been making many cuts recently and has orders to make even more to help reduce the projected $1.4 billion deficit in 2010. “You can discuss scaling back, but at a certain point you can’t do that any more and you have to cut entire programs,” McCann said.

Stopping the inspections would put workers who tear down and renovate buildings as well as people living and working nearby in great danger to asbestos exposure, said Dr. Michael Harbut. Dr. Harbut, a Wayne State University asbestos specialist, said, “There is no such thing as a safe level of exposure to asbestos,” and, “Asbestos is a killer.”

The department receives about 3,400 notifications a year from contractors doing demolition or renovation work. The division conducted 411 unannounced inspections in 2008.

Violators have paid about $800,000 in the past six years. Even though first offenders pay only a small fine, repeat offenders can get lawsuits.

The possibility of inspections makes contractors be more careful said Harbut. “There’s not a policeman on every expressway, but still you might not speed because you know they could show up at the next corner,” he added.

Asbestos exposure is the only know cause of an aggressive form of cancer, mesothelioma. Mesothelioma has a very long latency, often taking 40 years or longer for symptoms to show. Because it is very hard to diagnose, a mesothelioma diagnosis is usually fatal within 18 months.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer and you have worked around asbestos, it is important to get professional advice from an experienced mesothelioma attorney.