Research Advancements Audit by Asbestos Diseases Research Institute
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Research Advancements Audit by Asbestos Diseases Research Institute

ByHolly Zink

Research advancements provide a brighter future for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the lung lining. Mesothelioma is associated with asbestos exposure. Australian researchers from the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute and the University of Sydney have reviewed the basic research advancements. Their new publication covers mesothelioma biomarkers and treatment strategies. There is a long latency period from asbestos exposure to cancer development. A lack of genetic biomarkers makes early diagnosis difficult. The prognosis of pleural mesothelioma is poor. There is an average survival of eight to fourteen months following diagnosis. Diagnostic Biomarkers Biomarkers are limited in the clinic to diagnose pleural mesothelioma. A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood or other body fluids…

Mesothelioma Victims’ Victory in Pennsylvania
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Mesothelioma Victims’ Victory in Pennsylvania

ByAlex Strauss

Workers and their families have won a victory in Pennsylvania after the state Supreme Court ruled that they could sue former employers over late-manifesting industrial diseases like mesothelioma. The decision focused on a provision in Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Act that says workers cannot sue an employer if their occupational disease occurred more than 300 weeks after their on-the-job exposure. While many occupational injuries and diseases occur within weeks or months of exposure to a toxin, asbestos diseases like mesothelioma are a notable exception. Believed to be caused by chronic irritation from inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers, mesothelioma does not usually begin to cause symptoms until at least a decade after exposure. Expressing the opinion of the majority, Supreme Court Justice…