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.

Ceiling Textures Could Contain Asbestos

Many misconceptions exist about asbestos fibers. For example, many people believe that asbestos has been banned from the manufacture of all products in this country. But in fact, some products still use asbestos.

Some materials that use asbestos still today include roofing mastics and flooring materials. Also, some brake linings in vehicles still use asbestos.

Another misconception about asbestos fibers is the belief that asbestos in ceiling textures was banned during the 1970s. Although a ban was put into affect in 1978, instillation of the asbestos textures remained legal since banning it would have meant major financial losses for manufacturers. So, the installation of the ceilings continued into the 1980s until the supply ran out.

If you or someone you know is trying to remove older ceilings such as “popcorn” ceilings, you should have the ceilings inspected for asbestos. If you remove the ceilings and there was asbestos present, then the asbestos is released into the air where anyone can inhale it. There is no way of knowing whether you inhaled asbestos fibers or not. In fact, many people inhale small amounts of asbestos fibers without knowing it. Since the amount is small, the chances of forming mesothelioma are slim.

However, there is no “safe” level of asbestos exposure. Any exposure could lead to asbestosis or mesothelioma and that diagnosis might not come for decades.

Asbestos fibers are microscopic and cannot be seen by the human eye. It should never be assumed that a ceiling does not have asbestos fibers until tests are run. The cost to have lab tests done is very reasonable and should be conducted by anyone who is removing older ceilings.

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.

Family Suing DuPont

A family is suing DuPont for causing the death of a man who worked for the company. Albert Abshire’s wife and son are claiming that the company is responsible for the death because he was exposed to asbestos and the firm did nothing to protect their employees while they were working with the deadly chemical.

The exposure to asbestos led to Abshire contracting mesothelioma and dying from the disease. The complaint says that the death was a “terrible and painful one.” The family is seeking damages by compensation as well as any legal costs involved with the action.

The complaint claimed that the company did not warn their employees about the dangers of asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure usually leads to deathly diseases such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer and it cannot be cured.

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.

New mesothelioma clinical trial

A Phase III clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of talc pleurodesis to an invasive surgical procedure called video-assisted thorascopic (VAT) cytoreductive pleurectomy in mesothelioma patients is being put into effect by researchers at Papworth Hospital and several other medical facilities in Great Britian.

This phase of the study is designed to determine if either technique is associated with higher one-year survival rates, and is also designed to determine if either technique offers better control of a condition that causes a build-up of fluid around the lungs called pleural effusion.

Both techniques are used in mesothelioma treatment and are designed to target the pleura, the membrane or sac which surrounds the lungs. In mesothelioma patients, fluid collects in this pleural area and affects normal breathing. Through talc pleurodesis, the surgeon injects talc between the two layers of the pleura. This irritates them and causes them to adhere to each other, which closes the space where fluid builds up.

In contrast, cytroductive pleurectomy involves the partial or complete removal of the pleural membrane using a surgical technique. This procedure can be performed through an open chest incision or by using the VAT technique.

The VAT technique is a minimally invasive procedure that uses small incisions to access the chest cavity, which allows the insertion of tiny cameras as well as surgical instruments. Through this procedure, surgeons are able to both view the chest cavity and perform certain surgical procedures through these tiny incisions. These tiny incisions lead to fewer side effects and less downtime than traditional “open” procedures.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that afflicts the lining of the heart, lungs and stomach. Because it is so difficult to diagnose, and because it has a latency period measured in decades, the diagnosis of mesothelioma is usually a death sentence.

Mesothelioma killed Navy Veteran

Gerald Gray died in April of 2009 from mesothelioma. He contracted the disease after inhaling asbestos fibers on naval ships for many years. His family has recently been awarded over $1 million in damages.

Gray joined the Navy in 1951 and served for 20 years until he retired in 1971. During those 20 years, he worked on many ships and rose to command master chief for the Atlantic fleet, which is the second highest enlisted rank in the Navy.

Asbestos was used extensively on submarines and ships on parts such as gaskets, seals, pumps, and other boiler room applications. Asbestos was found to have extreme ability to resist heat, fire, salt water, and other biological processes. Not only was it used by the military on vessels, but also in shore-based buildings like barracks and offices. Many veterans who served between World War II and into the 1980s have contracted mesothelioma from the exposure to so much asbestos.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that very difficult to diagnose. It often takes 20 years or longer for mesothelioma cancer symptoms to appear and by then, it is too late for successful treatment. This is the heart break of asbestos exposure.

Four of the five initial defendants settled out of court. But the jury was not told of the out-of-court settlements and was allowed to assign a percentage of blame to each of the parties. John Crane Inc., which manufactures gaskets and other parts used on the vessels, was assigned 30 percent of the blame, which totaled about $1.2 million.

Selenite combats mesothelioma

The most common water-soluble form of selenium, sodium selenite, has been shown to kill mesothelioma cells in cell cultures. Now, researchers are discovering why it works.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, investigators aimed to determine the pathways by which selenite kills mesothelioma cells, and why sarcomatoid cells (the least common, but deadliest form of cancer) seem to be most sensitve to selenite treatment.

“The key challenge is to find substances that act specifically against cancer cells but not against healthy cells. Selenite appears to have this kind of specificity,” explains Gustav Nilsonne, MD.

Researchers treated both epithelioid (most common form of mesothelioma) and sarcomatoid cells with selenite and then looked the processes within the cancer cells that caused them to die. Selenite triggered cell death in 15 percent of sarcomatoid cells, compared to just 8 percent of epithelioid mesothelioma cells. Total cell death after 24 hours of treatment was about 25 percent in the epithelioid cells and 30 percent in the sarcomatoid cells.

This shows that selenite is a promising new treatment for mesothelioma, but the use of selenite is still experimental and further research is needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive, usually fatal, form of cancer that afflicts people who have worked around asbestos. In fact, asbestos exposure is the only known way to contract this form of cancer.

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?

Texas Mesothelioma Victim Promoted to Fire Chief

A Beaumont man was promoted to Fire Chief, but was unable to receive his own collar brass because he was in the hospital … again.

Michelle Chesser accepted it instead since her husband, David Chesser, was back in the hospital due to complications with a dangerous surgery. David has mesothelioma, and had recently undergone a procedure to remove his appendix, spleen, and part of his pancreas, as well as a course of chemotherapy

According to Blair Ortmann at the Beaumont Enterprise, David wanted very badly to attend the ceremony where he was to be promoted to Fire Chief after 35 years of service. However, David and Michelle are keeping positive, hoping that this “rollercoaster… is just a bump in the road.”

Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure. Firefighters are routinely exposed to asbestos when fibers form the mineral are released into the air during a fire. Even with heroic surgeries, mesothelioma is usually fatal within about 2 years of diagnosis.

Israeli city tops mesothelioma occurance

Nahariya, a city on the north coast of Israel, has a surprisingly high rate of mesothelioma cancer.

According to the Israeli Health Ministry’s cancer registry, approximately 5.72 per 100,000 residents have the asbestos-related disease, making it one of the highest rates in the world.

Unfortunately, this number is expected to keep rising due to the extremely long latency period of mesothelioma. If it does, it could overtake Genoa, Italy which currently has a mesothelioma rate of about 5.8 out of 100,000.

The asbestos plant that was located in Nahariya was the only one in Israel and closed in 1997. There were more than 600 reported cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in Israel between 1990 and 2008, with approximately 30 new cases a year.

Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure, the only way known to contract the rare and usually fatal cancer.

Asbestos compensation ruling upheld

Workers who were exposed to asbestos at the Riegel Paper Mills in New Jersey will be awarded their previous monetary compensation as a result of a ruling by the New Jersey state court.

The original trial, held in the Civil Division of Superior Court in New Brunswick, dragged on for 6 weeks. The following rulings for compensation were issued: Walter L. Patton, $514,220; the estate of Harry H. Wilson, $76,102; and the estate of Walter W. Grube, $259,045.

The defendant, Scapa Dryer Fabrics, Inc., a manufacturer of the felts that dried the wet rolls of paper on the mill’s paper machines, argued that the rulings for compensation were too large and appealed the awards, claiming that the jury had failed to account for the liability to the other defendants due to some errors in the trial. The appeal was dismissed on the grounds that it was “without merit.”

The dryer felts that the men worked with contained asbestos, the dangerous mineral that can cause mesothelioma. Despite the fact that Scapa knew asbestos could be released from the felts, the company failed to place warning labels on them, and the men were never instructed to take any specific precautions related to asbestos around the machines.

Jury awards $700,000 to mesothelioma victim

The family of Tom Firth, a 72-year old South Carolina resident who suffered from mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure, was awarded $700,000 as a result of a verdict against Garlock Sealing Technology, LLC.

Firth’s only known asbestos exposure happened at Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point, in the 1950s, where he worked for less than a year. As a mechanic’s assistant on a battery of coke ovens, he worked with Garlock gaskets and packing on the pumps and valves associated with the coke ovens.

“While Garlock has admitted outside of the courtroom that their products can cause cancer, they refuse to do so in the courtroom. It was satisfying to hear the jury unanimously find that Garlock’s asbestos products were dangerous and that Garlock is responsible for this terrible loss to the Firth family,” said Chris Panatier, lead counsel for the Firth family.

EPA to finish Libby clean-up

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has formally declared the city of Libby, Montana a federal public health emergency. In this unanticipated step, the EPA has set aside $125 million to finish cleaning up the asbestos-contaminated city.

Before the mine closed in 1990, it was spilling 24,000 pounds of asbestos dust into the air each day. Asbestos particles were not only breathed in by residents outside, but also infiltrated their homes, covering attics, kitchens, and bedrooms with a fine layer of cancerous soot.

Decontaminating a home consists of first erecting a plastic tent over the house. Then EPA officials in protective gear vacuum every surface and crevice inside, and dig up the lawns to get rid of all the hazardous materials. Decontaminating a single home takes several days.

Exposure to asbestos has been linked to several fatal diseases including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure is the only proven way to contract asbestosis and mesothelioma. Libby, Montana has 40 to 80 times the national average rate of death from asbestos-related diseases.

Travelers Asbestos Lawsuit Upheld

Travelers Companies Inc. was sued for hiding the dangerous effects of asbestos. Travelers argued that the trust created by Johns Manville Corporation in 1986 should pay for the asbestos claims.

Travelers made the trust in 2004 and included a clause that said they would never have to deal with asbestos related lawsuits ever again. A court ruled in favor of the clause, but was later overruled by a federal appeals court, who felt that the lower court’s judge acted too broadly.

Then, the Supreme Court overruled the federal appeals court and said that Travelers can settle all the lawsuits filed over injuries caused by exposure to asbestos for a total of $500 million.

David Souter who is writing the court’s 7-2 opinion stated that, “So long as respondents or those in privity with them were parties to the … bankruptcy proceedings, and were given a fair chance to challenge the bankruptcy court’s subject matter jurisdiction, they cannot challenge it now by resisting enforcement of the 1986 orders.�

Justice John Paul Stevens disagreed with the ruling and said that the 1986 order, “bars only those claims against Manville’s insurers seeking to recover against the insurers for their own misconduct.�

The court did not decide if all of the people who want to challenge the settlement are bound by the Manville Trust agreement. The ruling only applies to the Travelers case. Asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma which is a form of cancer.

Asbestos attorneys ask government to release hospital information

Asbestos attorneys have petitioned the federal government on behalf of a client who claims that his home was contaminated with asbestos.

The petition asks the government to release information with regards to the presence of the dangerous mineral at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Illinois, and was filed in the US District Court in Benton. The attorneys’ client claims that his home was contaminated by asbestos as a result of his wife working at the medical facility and bringing particles of asbestos dust home on her clothing.

Attorney John Alleman, who filed the petition, said: “We want to know exactly what the VA and the US government knows.”

According to reports, the government conducted tests at the facility earlier this year, and the attorneys are after the results of those tests. The petition is seeking “all information connected to reports of asbestos contamination at the facility; protocols, plans and programs for testing, monitoring and treatment of families members to facility employees; plans and specifications for the installation, maintenance and abatement of asbestos at the facility; and a listing of all employees, non-employees, contractors and others who may have knowledge of asbestos exposure.”

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.

Mesothelioma victims could be compensated

Mesothelioma is a very deadly form of cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure. Because it often takes 20-30 years for symptoms to appear and it is so hard to diagnose, mesothelioma victims have about six months to one year to live

Mesothelioma is not only deadly, but also costly while the victim is living. Victims undergo tests, treatments, surgeries, and therapies during the process of being diagnosed with the cancer. They also have to pay for hospital and health care facility stays. Since the patients most likely do not have jobs or are retired, it is very difficult to pay for all these expenses.

Mesothelioma attorneys know what it takes to earn compensation for asbestos exposure. The money earned helps pay for all of the expenses plus in many cases, there is some money leftover.

Families with deceased mesothelioma victims can also get money to help with their loss of their loved one. A case was recently reported out of Kansas City, Missouri where the family of a deceased mesothelioma patient received $4.5 million in damages.

So whether your loved one is a living mesothelioma patient or is deceased, do not hesitate to contact a asbestos lawyer for professional insight into developing a mesothelioma lawsuit

Superfund to clean up asbestos in Oregon

Dan Desler is an Oregon businessman and developer who has been charged with felony violations of the Clean Air Act for his activities at property he owns through a foundation in Sweet Home, Oregon.

Desler was arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation by the Oregon State Police and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and has been found insolvent. Federal officials have called the cleanup “urgent” and it is likely that the federal Superfund program will be required to foot the bill for the clean up instead of Desler.

Desler acquired property in Sweet Home with the intent of building a housing complex called Santiam Commons that would create jobs for unemployed Sweet Home loggers through his non-profit foundation named Western States Land Reliance Trust.

His trust, located on an old mill site that is highly contaminated with asbestos. It is also the site of an old gravel pit that has at least 12,000 dump truck’s worth of trash. Desler hired Charles Corp and began deconstruction of the mill site in 2007. However, he did so without the oversight of either local or federal asbestos remediation agencies. He also failed to hire certified personnel or provide appropriate equipment for asbestos remediation.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality was called in, and the matter was referred to the EPA. Superfund, the environmental remediation program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites and funded by a nationwide tax on chemical and industrial producers, is ready to move in and continue to the cleanup.

The price tag of the cleanup has not been publicly stated, but Delser estimates the cleanup to cost about $250,000.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to mesothelioma, a rare but very aggressive form of cancer. It often takes 20-30Â years for symptoms to appear and by the time they do, very little can be done.