Asbestos Cement Roofing Poses an Ongoing Risk for Mesothelioma
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Asbestos Cement Roofing Poses an Ongoing Risk for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Australian researchers have a warning for people in homes with asbestos cement roofing: Replace your roof or risk mesothelioma in the future.  Michael Kottek and Man Lee Yuen are with the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute in Sydney. They recently published a new report on the risk of mesothelioma from roof tiles made of asbestos.  Like all asbestos-containing products, asbestos cement roofing breaks down over time. Disintegrating or “friable” asbestos is the number one cause of deadly malignant mesothelioma worldwide.  Writing in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Kottek and Yuen say buildings with roofs made from asbestos pose an ongoing threat to occupants, even if the tiles are not disturbed.  Asbestos-Containing Products and Asbestos Cancer There was a time when…

New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?
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New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?

ByAlex Strauss

A team of Australian researchers have developed a new mesothelioma grading system they believe is a more accurate method for predicting outcomes. The system assigns weighted scores based on things like mesothelioma subtype, the shape of the nuclei, BAP1 loss and other parameters. A higher score suggests the patient’s mesothelioma case may be more challenging to treat. Tests of the system in more than 350 patients show that it is highly accurate.  The team lays out their new mesothelioma grading system in a recent issue of the American Journal of Surgical Pathology. In the article, they make the case for why this new prognostic tool could be a helpful supplement to the current, more widely-used WHO system.  The Importance of…

Asbestos on Ships Still Poses a Mesothelioma Risk to Sailors
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Asbestos on Ships Still Poses a Mesothelioma Risk to Sailors

ByAlex Strauss

A new report warns that sailors are still at risk for malignant mesothelioma because of asbestos on ships – in spite of OSHA regulations. A pair of public health researchers authored the report which appears in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.  Sailors face a number of health risks, including malignant mesothelioma. But the authors of the new report say more studies focus on people who work in shipyards.  They say there is not enough attention on the mesothelioma risk among people who not only work but also live with asbestos on ships.  The Use of Asbestos on Ships Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral. It must be mined from the ground and then processed into various products….

Mesothelioma Update: Drinking and Cancer Risk
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Mesothelioma Update: Drinking and Cancer Risk

ByAlex Strauss

A new study on the link between drinking and cancer risk may make people at risk for mesothelioma think twice about their alcohol consumption.  The new study is the latest to draw a direct line between drinking and cancer risk. According to the report released this week, more than 4 percent of new cancer cases last year were linked to alcohol use.  Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma. But not everyone who is exposed to asbestos gets mesothelioma. Genetic factors play a role. But the new alcohol study suggests that drinking could also be a catalyst for cancer development.  The Link Between Drinking and Cancer Risk The new study was conducted by scientists from the International Agency for…

Risk of Mesothelioma in Women May be Underestimated
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Risk of Mesothelioma in Women May be Underestimated

ByAlex Strauss

An international team of occupational health experts says science has done a “profound disservice” by underestimating the risk of mesothelioma in women.  Scientists from Germany, Canada, Italy, and the US compiled the report for the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.  They say the risk of mesothelioma in women has long been misunderstood. Asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma in men. But the new report says studies often fail to link female mesothelioma cases to asbestos exposure.  That omission made some believe that the risk of mesothelioma in women is different than it is in men. But the new report says that is not true. It urges scientists to be more thorough in their mesothelioma studies of women. Asbestos and…

Canadian Study Highlights Occupational Mesothelioma Risk
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Canadian Study Highlights Occupational Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

A new study of more than 2 million Canadian workers is shining a spotlight on the occupational mesothelioma risk from asbestos exposure in several industries. The study included data on 2.18 million workers in the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS). These workers were employed from 1983 to 2014. The researchers followed the workers for years to see how many of them developed mesothelioma or a chronic lung disease called asbestosis.  They compiled the data on which industries had the most diagnoses. The results paint a sobering picture of the occupational mesothelioma risk to thousands of industrial workers. Asbestos and the Link to Mesothelioma Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that occurs naturally in the soil in many parts of the world….

Low Dose Aspirin Could Increase Mesothelioma Risk
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Low Dose Aspirin Could Increase Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

If you are at risk for malignant mesothelioma, you may want to think twice about taking low dose aspirin on a regular basis.  A new study suggests that low dose aspirin could speed up the growth and spread of cancer cells in older people.  The study appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. It involved more than 19,000 people in Australia and the US.  Low Dose Aspirin and Mesothelioma Many older people take small daily doses of aspirin to reduce their risk for heart attack. Aspirin reduces inflammation and the blood’s ability to clot. This makes it less likely to form the blockages that cause heart attacks and strokes.  But mounting evidence suggests that taking low dose aspirin…

Drinking and Mesothelioma Risk: How Much is Too Much?
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Drinking and Mesothelioma Risk: How Much is Too Much?

ByAlex Strauss

The findings of a major new study on cancer and alcohol suggest there may be an even stronger link between drinking and mesothelioma risk than previously thought. The Japanese study included more than 120,000 drinkers and non-drinkers. It tracked which participants got any type of cancer over a 15 year period. Cancer diagnoses were correlated with participants’ drinking habits.  The report found that even light drinkers faced a higher incidence of cancers like malignant mesothelioma. It is one of the largest studies to connect cancer incidence, drinking and mesothelioma risk.  Even Light to Moderate Drinkers Face Risk Scientists have known about the connection between drinking and mesothelioma risk for some time. But the problem of alcohol consumption and cancer had…

Mesothelioma Linked to Shipbuilding Finally Falling in the UK
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Mesothelioma Linked to Shipbuilding Finally Falling in the UK

ByAlex Strauss

After decades of higher-than-normal rates of mesothelioma near dockyards, cases of mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding appear to be falling in the UK. The UK has one of the highest per capita rates of malignant mesothelioma in the world. A big part of that comes from the shipbuilding industry where asbestos was used extensively. Now, a new report suggests the scourge of mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding is finally beginning to taper off, even though deaths from mesothelioma have not.  Why is Mesothelioma Linked to Shipbuilding? Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that is strong and impervious to heat and corrosion. That made it a good insulator and a choice building material for many decades. Unfortunately, asbestos is also highly toxic.  Before scientists…

History of Asbestos Mining Blamed for Mesothelioma Epidemic
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History of Asbestos Mining Blamed for Mesothelioma Epidemic

ByAlex Strauss

Residents of Western Australia are still paying the price for the history of asbestos mining in the region. A new report from the University of Western Australia focuses on people in the region of the now-closed Wittenoom asbestos mine.  The report blames the mine and its products for an “ongoing epidemic of mortality from lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma”.  Australia’s Sad History of Asbestos Mining Asbestos is a mineral once prized for its strength and abundance. It was used around the world in thousands of products, including many construction materials.  Australia has a long history of asbestos mining and exportation. The country was once one of the world’s top producers of asbestos. The Australian Blue Asbestos Company in Wittenoom was…