Lawsuits Focus on Mesothelioma Construction Risks
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Lawsuits Focus on Mesothelioma Construction Risks

ByAlex Strauss

Two recent news stories highlight the fact that construction workers are often at higher risk for mesothelioma. The risk comes from exposure to asbestos, a toxic mineral once widely used as an insulator and building product additive. After asbestos dust was linked to malignant mesothelioma in the 1960s, workplaces began to implement protective measures. However, the long delay from time of asbestos exposure to development of mesothelioma means the measures came too late for some workers. A group of sick electricians and carpenters in New York is a case in point.   More than a hundred independent contractors are alleging that long-term asbestos exposure at the county-owned Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, caused them to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses….

Australia Braces for “Rash” of Mesothelioma Cases
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Australia Braces for “Rash” of Mesothelioma Cases

ByAlex Strauss

American environmental officials charged with protecting the public against mesothelioma could take a lesson from Australia. The country continues to struggle with environmental and public health problems as a result of its long history of asbestos use. The Courier Mail newspaper’s website says the State Parliament in Queensland is bracing for a rash of mesothelioma cases among people who choose to renovate their own older homes. The new government report warns that any building built before 1990 is likely to contain asbestos, but so far there is no formal procedure for helping homeowners understand and safely address the threat. According to the report, one homeowner who called her council with concerns about asbestos on a neighbor’s property finally gave up and moved…

Systemic Chemotherapy Ineffective in Peritoneal Mesothelioma?
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Systemic Chemotherapy Ineffective in Peritoneal Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer that occurs in the membranous lining of the abdomen. This virulent cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. Because it is so aggressive, most patients with peritoneal mesothelioma are treated with multiple modalities, or a variety of different treatments, in an effort to attack the cancer from all sides. For patients whose mesothelioma is considered operable, surgery is frequently preceded by a round of preoperative chemotherapy. Also referred to as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, preoperative chemotherapy aims to shrink the tumor as much as possible before cytoreductive surgery. Later, during surgery, the same peritoneal mesothelioma patient may have intraoperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) in which chemotherapy drugs are washed through the body cavity where the cancer was found. The procedure…

Asbestos Mesothelioma Risk Increased By Other Fibers
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Asbestos Mesothelioma Risk Increased By Other Fibers

ByAlex Strauss

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral mined and used for decades in products ranging from insulation to cement, floor and ceiling tiles, adhesives, and friction products. It has been more than forty years since scientists confirmed the link between asbestos and malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the lining around the lungs and its use is now heavily regulated in the U.S. In recent years, another mineral called erionite, has also been implicated in mesothelioma cases. Now, a study conducted in France suggests that two other types of mineral particles used in industry may increase the risk of mesothelioma, particularly in people who are also exposed to asbestos. Researchers in Bordeaux, France compared the cases of 1,199 male industrial workers with…

Joint Compound Still a Mesothelioma Threat
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Joint Compound Still a Mesothelioma Threat

ByAlex Strauss

Most homeowners are aware of the risk of handling asbestos insulation, a common part of home construction from the 1940’s to 70’s. Construction workers may be even more keenly aware of the connection between airborne asbestos fibers and deadly mesothelioma than homeowners. But, while asbestos insulation can be easy to identify (and is no longer used in new construction), a recent article in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health is a reminder of the potential danger that still exists in a less obvious place: joint compound. Joint compound is the paste-like substance that is used to smooth the seams between sheets of drywall. For decades, many manufacturers added chrysotile asbestos fibers to joint compound to make it thicker and more…

Sharp Rise in Mesothelin May Signal Mesothelioma
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Sharp Rise in Mesothelin May Signal Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Another study has confirmed that the biomarker mesothelin may be a valuable warning sign ofmesothelioma in asbestos-exposed workers. In fact, it may rise sharply in the months preceding the onset of symptoms. Medical researchers have long known that exposure to the mineral asbestos dramatically increases the risk of developing malignant pleural mesothelioma. But doctors have struggled to find a way to identify which asbestos-exposed people are at highest risk. It is a significant problem because, as the authors of a new German study on the subject observe, “In patients developing malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) or lung cancer, using effective tumour markers is the quickest way to ensure early diagnosis and improve survival time.” But which biomarkers to focus on and how…

Pakistan May Ban Asbestos to Reduce Mesothelioma
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Pakistan May Ban Asbestos to Reduce Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Pakistan may be on the brink of banning the leading cause of mesothelioma. The mineral asbestos, used for decades in various industries, is believed to be responsible for nearly all cases of mesothelioma, an intractable cancer of the linings around organs. Now, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Resource Development in Pakistan is recommending that the use and importation of asbestos be permanently banned in the country. The committee made the recommendation after a series of hearings on asbestos and its link to mesothelioma. Federal Human Resource Secretary Raja Ahsan told the committee that asbestos presents a “major threat” for mesothelioma and cancer among Pakistan’s industrial workers. Asbestos consumption continues to rise in Pakistan; One study shows that the figure…

Mesothelioma Risk Created by Careless Thieves
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Mesothelioma Risk Created by Careless Thieves

ByAlex Strauss

Some thieves in Massachusetts may end up paying with their lives for stealing copper pipes from abandoned buildings. That is because the thieves inadvertently exposed themselves to mesothelioma-causing asbestos fibers when they ripped off old insulation to get at the pipes. They stole the old copper pipes to sell them for scrap. Because the buildings were built when the use of asbestos in insulation was at its peak in the 1960s, the pipes may be surrounded by a thick blanket of hazardous asbestos insulation. Asbestos in insulation and other building products is not considered a health hazard when left in place and intact, but disturbing it can create clouds of fibers that have been linked to mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung scarring, and…

FDG/PET Best for Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Prognosis
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FDG/PET Best for Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Prognosis

ByAlex Strauss

When it comes to diagnosing mesothelioma and predicting patient prognosis, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using a radioactive tracer may be the most effective imaging modality. That’s the finding of a new study out of Japan. Mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer that starts on the mesothelial membranes which line the chest cavity or wrap around the lungs and heart. It is caused by past exposure to asbestos, most often in an industrial setting. The greater the level of exposure, the greater the likelihood that mesothelioma will occur. Because it is highly resistant to conventional treatments, early diagnosis is critical. Unfortunately, mesothelioma can also be challenging to diagnose. If patient history and symptoms suggest mesothelioma, imaging modalities like computed tomography (CT) and X-rays can…

Australian Electricians Fear Mesothelioma Risk
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Australian Electricians Fear Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

Calling the modification of electrical meter boxes a “game changer”, an official from Australia’s largest electricians union says workers should refuse to do it until the dangerous boxes have been inspected. Allen Hicks, Assistant National Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, told the Sydney Morning Herald that asbestos-containing meter boxes are being modified more frequently because of renovations and that too many workers are not adequately protected against mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases. The warning, which centers on the meter boxes in homes built before 1983, was issued after a New South Wales electrical company instructed its workers to wear masks around the boxes to minimize asbestos and mesothelioma risk. When the Electrical Trades Union learned of the warning, they advised…