Banning Asbestos Still Best Way to Prevent Mesothelioma
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Banning Asbestos Still Best Way to Prevent Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A new Spanish report concludes that banning asbestos is the most effective way to prevent new cases of mesothelioma and asbestos-linked lung cancer.  Experts in epidemiology and occupational health conducted the research. Their report appears in a recent issue of the Spanish medical journal, Gaceta Sanitaria. The research shows that all types of asbestos raise the risk for lung cancer and mesothelioma and that some are extra dangerous. The study found that people exposed to needle-shaped amphibole asbestos fibers had the highest rates of illness.  They say the only way to fully protect people against both amphibole and serpentine asbestos (the other major category) is banning asbestos completely. Asbestos Restrictions in the US The US EPA, the Department of Health…

Mesothelioma Study Suggests Iron Makes Asbestos Toxic
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Mesothelioma Study Suggests Iron Makes Asbestos Toxic

ByAlex Strauss

An Italian study is shedding some light on exactly what makes asbestos so toxic to people and can eventually lead to mesothelioma. Asbestos, which was used for decades as an insulator and building material, is the mineral most closely associated with malignant mesothelioma, a virulent cancer. Asbestos has also been linked to lung cancer, asbestosis and disabling lung scarring. Although its toxicity is well known, the reasons for that toxicity are still unclear. Some scientists believe that iron, which is toxic in the body in large amounts, may be partially to blame. They have shown that iron can alter the production of cancer-preventing enzymes by changing DNA, and have suggested that ridding the body of excess iron may be one way…