Mesothelioma Blood Test May Save Lives through Earlier Diagnosis
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Mesothelioma Blood Test May Save Lives through Earlier Diagnosis

ByAlex Strauss

There is new evidence that a blood test for a biomarker called N-ERC/mesothelin could help identify mesothelioma earlier and improve outcomes in people at risk for the disease. Cancer researchers with Juntendo University in Tokyo released a study in 2008 suggesting that N-ERC/mesothelin, a soluble protein released by certain kinds of cancer cells, was “a very promising tumor marker for mesothelioma, especially epithelioid mesothelioma”. In their newest study, the same group attempted to test the value of the biomarker as a warning tool for closer monitoring in populations at high mesothelioma risk. The new study included construction workers who were part of a large-scale, 5-year screening of people known to be exposed to asbestos, the primary cause of mesothelioma. The…

Most Canadian Mesothelioma Cases Go Unreported
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Most Canadian Mesothelioma Cases Go Unreported

ByAlex Strauss

Less than half of asbestos workers diagnosed with mesothelioma file claims for workers’ compensation, even though most of those who do file receive compensation, according to a Canadian study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure. Most of that exposure has occurred in jobs where people work with the fibrous mineral. Up to 40 years can elapse between the time when a worker is exposed to asbestos and when he or she is diagnosed with mesothelioma. Similar to the United States, workers’ compensation in Canada covers medical costs for workers who are injured on the job. This coverage can be an invaluable help to both…

Mesothelioma Alert: Asbestos Imports Rising
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Mesothelioma Alert: Asbestos Imports Rising

ByAlex Strauss

The news that imports of the toxic mineral asbestos are on the rise in the U.S. is prompting outrage from a mesothelioma patient advocacy group. According to new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) numbers, the amount of asbestos being imported into the U.S. from other counties increased in the past year from 1,040 metric tons to 1,100 metric tons.  Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is highly carcinogenic and has used in thousands of products.  Because it has not been mined in the U.S. since 2002, the vast majority (92%) of the asbestos used in the U.S. is imported from Canada. The rest comes from Zimbabwe and elsewhere. Asbestos is known to cause malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, and a host of other…

Asbestos Causes Autoimmune Responses Connected to Mesothelioma
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Asbestos Causes Autoimmune Responses Connected to Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma and lung cancer are not the only risks associated with exposure to toxic minerals like asbestos. A study out of Idaho State University finds that asbestos also has a negative effect on the immune system. Once heavily used in construction and manufacturing, asbestos has been known for decades as the cause of mesothelioma, a rare but serious cancer. In recent years, another mineral called erionite has been suspected of causing mesothelioma. In the US, erionite has been found in gravel mined and used on roads, particularly in the state of North Dakota. Although the risks of mesothelioma from erionite and asbestos are understood, less is known about the immune system’s response to these minerals. In a report in Toxicology…

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Asbestos Causes Autoimmine Responses Connected to Mesothelioma

ByMatt Clarke

Mesothelioma and lung cancer are not the only risks associated with exposure to toxic minerals like asbestos. A study out of Idaho State University finds that asbestos also has a negative effect on the immune system. Once heavily used in construction and manufacturing, asbestos has been known for decades as the cause of mesothelioma, a rare but serious cancer. In recent years, another mineral called erionite has been suspected of causing mesothelioma. In the US, erionite has been found in gravel mined and used on roads, particularly in the state of North Dakota. Although the risks of mesothelioma from erionite and asbestos are understood, less is known about the immune system’s response to these minerals.  In a report in Toxicology…

Rise in Asbestos Claims Not Hurting James Hardie’s Bottom Line
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Rise in Asbestos Claims Not Hurting James Hardie’s Bottom Line

ByAlex Strauss

Australian construction company James Hardie says a rise in mesothelioma claims from former workers exposed to asbestos on the job is not affecting its bottom line. The company recently released its semi-annual profit statement to the Australian stock exchange. The report shows that James Hardie has doubled its profits from the first half of 2013, despite the fact that the number of mesothelioma-related asbestos claims has risen above company expectations. Company profits were reported to be $108.3 million from April to September. Quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald, James Hardie CFO Russell Chenu said, “We have seen some concerning trends in mesothelioma claims, which we have highlighted previously. We’ve now got a better handle on the ‘what’ and the ‘how’,…

Bill Will Support Firefighters with Mesothelioma
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Bill Will Support Firefighters with Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A New Hampshire legislator is pushing to fund a mandate that would help support firefighters who contract malignant mesothelioma. A U.S. Fire Administration/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of nearly 30,000 firefighters released last October found that firefighters are diagnosed with mesothelioma at twice the rate of the general public. This is believed to be due to their inadvertent on-the-job exposure to asbestos, the cause of mesothelioma. According to the report, “Given that asbestos is the only known causal agent for malignant mesothelioma, and firefighter exposures are probable, the excess is likely to be a causal association.” A group called the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire has worked with State Representative Laura Pantelokas, D-Portsmouth, to introduce…

Mesothelioma Still Rising Despite Ban in Ireland
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Mesothelioma Still Rising Despite Ban in Ireland

ByAlex Strauss

A study in Ireland confirms that it can take many years for a ban on asbestos to have a measurable impact on a country’s rates of malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the most serious of a list of diseases – including lung cancer, pleural plaques, asbestosis, and others – linked with exposure to asbestos dust. Affecting the linings around the lungs and other organs, mesothelioma is often resistant to most cancer treatments and may be fatal within a year of diagnosis. According to the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, Ireland is one of 55 countries that have enacted some type of asbestos ban. However, although Ireland banned asbestos in 2000, a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology shows that incidence of the…

Website Aims to Protect Homeowners from Mesothelioma
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Website Aims to Protect Homeowners from Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Australia’s Cancer Council is trying to educate home renovators about their risk for mesothelioma with a new e-learning course. Australia has one of the highest per capita rates of mesothelioma in the world, largely because of several asbestos mining operations that were once located there. Although asbestos has been banned from building products in Australia since 1989, asbestos-linked diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis continue to pose a serious health concern. While mesothelioma has traditionally occurred among people exposed to asbestos on the job, Australia is now bracing for another “wave” of mesothelioma victims among homeowners who encounter asbestos while doing their own renovation projects. Cancer Council Australia has launched “kNOw asbestos in your home” in an effort to…

Teacher’s Diagnosis Highlights Mesothelioma Risk in Schools
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Teacher’s Diagnosis Highlights Mesothelioma Risk in Schools

ByAlex Strauss

A recent mesothelioma diagnosis in the UK once again dramatically highlights the fact that even a small amount of asbestos can be deadly. Sixty-three-year-old school teacher Marion Potts of Brockenhurst died of mesothelioma in a Southampton hospital in June. According to an article in The Mirror, the Coroner recorded a verdict of “death from an industrial disease” after hearing evidence last week that Potts actually saw asbestos dust being released when she pinned work on the classroom walls. Most recently, Potts was head of the English department at Romsey School in Hampshire until her retirement two years ago. Mesothelioma is a growing threat among school teachers, administrators, maintenance workers, and even students in British schools. A government report released last…