By: Stem Client Roundup for October 2010 – Law Firm Web Strategy

Each year, thousands of Americans are diagnosed with this deadly form of cancer. Mesothelioma is most commonly caused by direct exposure to asbestos, a fiber-like mineral used mostly as insulation.

Deadly when disturbed and inhaled
When asbestos is disturbed by people working closely with the material, its microscopic fibers enter the air and are inhaled. Because mesothelioma symptoms can take years to surface, many of those who worked closely with asbestos during the peak of its popularity (the 1940s to the 1970s) are just now showing signs of illness. Those affected by mesothelioma often do not find out they have the illness until it is too late for sufficient treatment.

Companies knew of the risks of asbestos for decades, but continued allowing their employees to be exposed to the cancer-causing agent. Roughly 27.5 million Americans were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1979, despite reports documenting the health hazard as early as the 1930s. Take a look at more statistics concerning mesothelioma and asbestos.

Legal action being taken
Thousands of mesothelioma lawsuits have since been filed against companies that failed to warn their employees of the risk, making asbestos cases the most expensive mass tort in the nation’s history.

Asbestos attacks a layer of lining inside the abdominal cavity, lungs and heart called the mesothelium. The most common of the three types of mesothelioma is known as pleural mesothelioma, which is caused by a buildup of fluid inside the lungs.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is less common and attacks the liver, spleen and bowels, and causes the abdominal cavity to enlarge. Pericardial mesothelioma, the rarest form of the cancer, happens when the asbestos fibers invade the lining of the heart. Asbestos exposure can also cause lung cancer.

Many new cases of meso each year
There are approximately 3,000 to 6,000 new cases of mesothelioma each year in the U.S., with the average age of diagnosis falling between 50 and 70. Treatment for mesothelioma does exist, albeit with a very low success rate. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but those affected can receive treatment including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

The sooner a mesothelioma diagnosis is reached and treatment is begun, the higher the success rate, but most cases are not discovered until the cancer is too far advanced.

Learn the answers to frequently asked questions about mesothelioma and asbestos.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, you can seek legal assistance. Contact the law firm of Hissey Kientz, toll-free at (866) 275-4454 to speak with our team of experienced mesothelioma and asbestos attorneys or fill out a free online case evaluation form (top right of this page).

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Asbestos Contamination, Rodent Infestation Hinders Necessary Redevelopment of Former Buffalo Area School

Kristen Griffin brings a fresh perspective to news and blog content for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Bio »

Silver Creek, New York - Asbestos contaminationand rodents, along with a hefty price tag, are what stands in the way of a necessary redevelopment of an abandoned former Buffalo-area school that could potentially reinvigorate the community's struggling business district.

The Village of Silver Creek, nestled on the shores of Lake Erie and located just outside of Buffalo, New York, is currently examining plans to either redevelop the former school building into apartments or raze the structure completely to make room for brand new commercial development.

However, the bigger picture remains that of economics: what is the best way to jumpstart the otherwise struggling business district? The abandoned, asbestos contaminated and rodent infested school is just the tip of the proverbial economic iceberg. Abandoned since 1979, the former school is a health threat in its current condition.

Before any work or redevelopment begins, the building must be decontaminated, asbestos removed and rendered safe for contractors. Not surprisingly, the indoor air quality has been compromised. Breathing in air contaminated with small asbestos particles can lead to several serious, oftentimes, lethal medical conditions including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma cancer. Further, breathing in air heavy with rodent droppings also poses significant risks to respiratory health.

According to Nick Piccolo, Mayor of the Village of Silver Creek, the cost with razing the school and preparing the property for a new build is roughly $4.5 million. Though investors are also eyeing the dilapidated school building for redevelopment into apartments, the cost of that project may be a hindrance to growth.

Silver Creek is facing an upward economic battle on a more global scale. With large corporations threatening to shut down local operations, potentially irrevocably damaging the area economy, Silver Creek must look to the future.

Perhaps the redevelopment of the former school is just the tipping point to inject necessary capital into the local economy that could lure additional investments from outside of the Village and spur investments by local business owners.

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Symposium Welcomed Impressive Panel of Meso Experts

Los Angeles, California - For the third year in a row, UCLA and the Pacific Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of Los Angeles organized a symposium focused on lung-sparing therapies for patients dealing with difficult-to-treat malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

According to a press release by the institute, this year’s symposium – held in mid May – centered on therapies designed to preserve vital lung function, seriously questioning such treatments as extrapleural pneumonectomy, which was long considered the go-to treatment for many patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, which attacks the lining of the lungs.

The symposium was led by Robert B. Cameron, MD, FACS, Director of the UCLA Mesothelioma Comprehensive Research Program and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Cameron spoke about multi-modal treatments for the disease and focused on current thermal research at UCLA and the effectiveness of cryo-ablation in killing MPM cancer cells.

Other presentations at the symposium, which included some of the top names in mesothelioma treatment, included: Joseph S. Friedberg, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, who presented new photodynamic therapy results, which he deemed quite promising; Olga Olevsky , MD, of UCLA Medical Center, who discussed results of a variety of novel treatment strategies; Italian Radiologist Marco Trovo, MD, who focused on the early results of tomotherapy techniques following pleurectomy; and Raffit Hassan, MD, of the National Cancer Institute, who discussed anti-mesothelin agents for mesothelioma therapy.

All of the doctors agreed that, though MPM is still one of the most difficult forms of cancer to treat, options for successful treatment are increasing with more research; therefore, life expectancies are increasing as well.

“There were a number of incredibly exciting studies that far exceed what we've seen before,” said Dr. Cameron, speaking to doctors, nurses, and also meso patients and their families. “All of our collective efforts are finally beginning to pay off in new treatments that truly affect patients.”

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Study Shows Geography Effects What Cancer Treatment a Patient Receives

Sacramento, California - A state-wide study conducted by the California HealthCare Foundation shows that where someone lives can largely determine what type of cancer treatment they receive. Experts say the results of the study most likely repeat themselves from state to state.

An article in the Contra Costa Times profiles the new study, which concentrated on individuals who were being treated (or had been treated) for prostate or breast cancer. It looked at treatments in small towns with few oncology practices versus those in cities or in towns with large university hospitals or other top-rated facilities and lots of oncologists with differing opinions.

For example, prostate cancer patients in the town of Tracy in California’s Central Valley were almost always treated with brachytherapy, a form of “internal” radiation where tiny radioactive seeds are planted in the diseased area to kill cancer cells. On the other hand, patients who lived not far from Stanford University were treated with a more sophisticated form of external beam radiation that closely targets the affected area and spares healthy cells as much as possible.

Even though Tracy is just a 90-minute drive from the Stanford area, the problem could be that one or more oncologists or practices in that area promote brachytherapy and, hence, don’t offer other suggestions for cancer treatment, notes the study.

This can have a sizeable impact on the care residents receive, said Maribeth Shannon, director of the market and policy monitor program for the California HealthCare Foundation, a nonprofit group in Oakland that strives to improve health care for residents of the Golden State. “You've got to wonder if all the (Tracy) men realize what their options are,” she added.

Shannon confirmed that the study also shows that patients must play a bigger role in the decision-making process regarding their treatment options. If that happened, she said, there would be fewer differences from one community to the next.

“Physicians, for whatever reason, get comfortable with a particular treatment,” she said. “There's not as much true, shared decision-making as there should be.”

Shannon also believes that doctors make recommendations based on what was popular during the time they were in medical school. A better option, she noted, is that doctors provide their patients with the tools they need (information, statistics, etc.) to help them “weigh the medical evidence and the trade-offs in each choice.” Once that happens, patients need to do their part in the decision-making process.

“Engage – tell the doctor what you think,” Shannon stresses.

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Asbestos News Roundup: 5.2.13 – Navy Vets and Asbestos Risk

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

US Navy Veterans are at high risk for asbestos-related disease, due to their asbestos exposure while working on navy ships undergoing refits, for example. But because asbestos-related disease can take up to 30 years or more to manifest, it is often detected long after men have left the Navy.

The states with the most US Navy Veterans include California, Florida, New York, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, Massachusetts, Washington, Maine, Oregon, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Montana, Kansas, North Dakota, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Mississippi.

US Navy Veterans are not the only group of workers at high risk for asbestos exposure. Men and women who worked in power plants, manufacturing factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, mines, smelters, aerospace manufacturing facilities, demolition construction work sites, railroads, automotive manufacturing facilities, or auto brake shops may also have been exposed to high levels of asbestos.

New Orleans, LA: several corporations are facing an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit filed by a woman from St. Tammany Parish who alleges each company contributed to her contraction of the asbestos-related disease.

Sharon Laurent filed her asbestos lawsuit against CRS Limited, Eagle Inc., Georgia-Pacific LLC and Taylor Seidenbach in the Orleans Parish Central District Court.

Laurent alleges that due to her household exposure to asbestos containing products manufactured by the defendants she contracted mesothelioma.

The defendants are accused of lack of warning or sufficient and timely warning of the hazards of their products would present on the course of the normal and intended use, lack of safety instructions to eliminate or reduce the health risk associated with the use of their products and failing to inspect products to assure sufficiency and adequacy of warnings and safety precautions.

An unspecified amount is sought for all medical expenses, loss earnings, mental suffering, physical pain and suffering and loss of quality of life. (LAreceord.com)

Columbia, MO: Residents of an apartment building in Columbia, who lost everything in a fire that all but consumed the building, have now learned that the fire, clean-up and subsequent rains have triggered a safe level of asbestos in the building to become toxic, said Melissa DeCicco, the marketing manager for Mills Apartments, the St. Louis-based company that owns the complex.

DeCicco said the asbestos has made it dangerous for residents to take back most of their possessions. “Anything of sentimental value, the contractor will try and get back in and have them cleaned for free, but those are the only things that we can really get out,” she said.

None of the residents of the 66 apartments will be able to move back in for a long time, DeCicco said, though how long is unknown. She couldn’t say exactly how many residents were displaced. (columbiamissourian.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos law, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Asbestos News Roundup: 5.9.13 – Second-Hand Asbestos Risk

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

The recent case of John Mays, below, who died from mesothelioma, highlights how asbestos dust represents a danger not just to those who worked in heavy industry, but also to their family members who were in daily contact with them.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of the estate of the late John Mays, claims he suffered secondary asbestos exposure through his father who was a laborer. Recently, we also reported on the case of a 78-year old women succumbed to asbestos mesothelioma which she developed as a result of having breathed in second-hand asbestos fibers as she shook out the work clothes of her husband and son, who worked at a power station.

There are many cases of family members developing asbestos disease as a result of secondary asbestos exposure—secondary exposure caused, for example, by wives beating their husband’s dusty overalls as they hung on a washing line, or shaking them off in a doorway before putting them in a washing machine. Their husbands worked in industries such as mining, ship-building, construction, plumbing and electrical.

Children and even grandchildren have also been put at risk, running up to a returning parent to give them a hug as they return from work, or sitting on their knee as they wear their dusty work clothes. The risk of loved ones being accidentally exposed is unfortunate and just adds to the tragic legacy of asbestos. But as this latest case shows, it is something that family members need to be made aware of.

Schenectady, NY: An asbestos lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Norman Westover in the New York Supreme Court’s 4th Judicial District in Schenectady to recover damages for Mr. Westover’s lung cancer, which, according to the lawsuit, was allegedly caused by asbestos exposure.

According to the filed complaint, Mr. Westover was allegedly exposed to dangerous asbestos fibers on a daily basis during his twenty-plus-year career at the International Paper mill located in Ticonderoga, NY. International Paper purchased the pulp mill, which had been operating on the western shores of Lake Champlain near the Vermont border since the late 19th century, in 1926. In the late 1960s, International Paper began decommissioning the original mill and, in 1971, opened a new mill at the location which is still operating today. The mill produces 850 tons of paper a day, employs approximately 600 workers and contracts with 650 loggers and truckers in New York and Vermont.

International Paper was formed in 1898 upon the merger of 18 paper mills in the northeast. The company was responsible for supplying 60% of the newsprint in the country. International Paper’s Hudson River Mill, located in nearby Corinth, where the Sacandaga River joins the Hudson, was a major pioneer in the development of the modern paper industry. In the early 20th century, the Hudson River Mill was one of International Paper’s largest plants and served both as the company’s principal office and a place where paper workers helped shape the direction of the industry’s early labor movement.

As per the asbestos lawsuit papers, during his tenure at International Paper, Mr. Westover worked in both the original and new mill and he held a variety of positions that allegedly exposed him to asbestos fibers used in connection with mill machinery, including, but not limited to, cutters, dryers, rollers, boilers, pumps, and valves. Mr. Westover was also allegedly exposed to asbestos that was used in an abundance to insulate component parts of the original and new mill and the related piping and wiring. (digitaljournal.com)

St. Clair, IL: An asbestos lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Neda Flake-Mays, who is special administrator of the estate of John Mays, alleging 60 defendant companies caused Mays to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career.

According to the lawsuit, Mays worked as a bulldozer driver at Job Corps Cooking from 1963 until 1965, as flooring maker at E.L. Bruce from 1965 until 1967, as a wood paneling maker at Evans Products from 1967 until 1969 and as a chemical mixer and operator at Humko Chemical from 1969 until 1991. The complaint also claims Mays suffered secondary asbestos exposure through his father who was a laborer at Nikki Brothers.

Flake-Mays lawsuit claims the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiffs’ or their deceased relative’s safety.

As a result of his asbestos-related diseases, the lawsuit states Mays became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish. Further, Mays became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him.

In her 10-count complaint, Flake-Mays is seeking a judgment of more than $150,000, economic damages of more than $200,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish the defendants, plus costs and other relief the court deems just.

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos law, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma, lawsuits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Asbestos News Roundup: 3.28.13 – Check your Furnace

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Hot-air furnaces are a popular way to heat a house. In Canada alone, millions have been sold over the years. However, as one man discovered recently, the older models of these furnaces contain asbestos. While asbestos has been banned from use in furnace gaskets since the 1970s in Canada, and likely the US as well, furnaces purchased and installed before then, could well still be in operation—they have a lifespan of some 50 years or more. As the gaskets disintegrate with time and wear and tear, they can spread asbestos fibers throughout the house, exposing the inhabitants to long-term exposure and potentially fatal asbestos disease including asbestosis and lung cancer—without them even knowing it.

Colinet, NewFoundland: A Canadian man who began renovating his house in Colinet, has had a nasty shock. He discovered that a gasket that acts as a heat shield inside his furnace contains asbestos.

Keith Tremblett, who worked as a mechanic for more than 20 years, could easily have replaced the worn-out part, but thankfully, he thought twice about it.

“In the process of taking it apart and doing the repairs, I was looking at the gasket and I was saying, ‘Jeez, I wonder what material that’s made out of, and should I be concerned here with what I’m dealing with?’ ” he recalled.

Instead of taking unnecessary risks, he contacted the furnace manufacturer, Newmac Furnaces. Sure enough, a company representative told Tremblett that given the age of the unit, the gasket likely contained asbestos and should be replaced.

But the fact that the gasket had virtually disintegrated, and likely did contain asbestos, caused Tremblett deep concern. “All I found was remnants of it,” he said. “It’s not even a full sheet anymore. It’s just remnants of the gasket and most of the material, I would have to assume, is either within the duct work or throughout the house.”

If asbestos fibers are released into the air, they can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs. Over time, that can lead to asbestosis—which impairs lung function, and is incurable—or a number of deadly cancers including asbestos-related lung cancer.

Tremblett was not happy with the way the manufacturer handled his concern–they simply told him to remove the gasket. “I think they handled it truly unprofessionally,” he said. “Their recommendation to me was to wet it down and remove it.”

According to a report by CBCNews, Health Canada banned asbestos use in furnaces in the early 1980s. But they did not issue a recall or even a public warning about the potential danger. For their part, Health Canada says it has regulated the use of asbestos in Canada since the late 1970s, but that no warnings or alerts have been issued on this specific issue (CBCNews.com).

Instead, the agency says the effects of asbestos exposure are well known and available on its website, and urges anyone who suspects their furnace contains asbestos to have it inspected by a qualified technician.

For Keith Tremblett, this response is sorely lacking. He believes Health Canada should take some responsibility.

Three decades later, asbestos is still posing a clear and present danger, and in this incidence, as the lifespan of a furnace is about 50 years, any number of people could have been lethally exposed to asbestos. (CBC.ca)

Uniondale, NY: Over 100 current and former workers at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale are alleging they have suffered long-term exposure to the lethal carcinogen which has made them gravely ill. The plaintiffs in the pending asbestos litigation worked in the arena as carpenters and electricians.

According to a report by Newsday, about 140 people have filed notices of claim, the first step towards filing asbestos lawsuits. CBSNews reports that the lawsuits could be consolidated into an asbestos class action, which would seek between $500 million and $1 billion in compensation. The state will inspect the property to establish whether or not asbestos is present and therefore poses a health threat. However, attorneys for the prospective plaintiffs have not waited for the state inspectors to make their pronouncements. An asbestos lawyer representing a collection of the plaintiffs told CBS 2 that bulk samples have been sent to three separate laboratories, all coming back with dangerous levels of asbestos.

The 41-year old stadium has a rich history, having hosted, among others, Elvis, David Bowie and Queen in concert, as well as being used by the National Hockey League. (CBSNewYork/AP)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos law, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 28th, 2013 and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma, Emerging Issues, lawsuits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Oklahoma Tornado Destruction Unleashes Potentially Lethal Toxins Including Asbestos into the Environment

Kristen Griffin brings a fresh perspective to news and blog content for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Bio »

Moore, Oklahoma - A record-setting tornado devastated Oklahoma on Monday leaving widespread destruction and is responsible for at least 24 deaths. However, the aftermath of the incredible storm may prove to be just as dangerous to area residents, first responders and clean up volunteers. Lethal materials including asbestos and lead lie uncovered amongst the debris, and unsuspecting clean up volunteers or any one who comes into contact with the rubble, may be exposed.

Further, as the clean up process continues, bad weather – including strong storms and winds – may agitate the debris, causing microscopic deadly particles to contaminate the air. Exposure to asbestos, lead and other potentially toxic materials during the clean up efforts may inadvertently add to the death toll total caused by the tornado.

One of the greatest concerns regarding the clean up is that the average person does not know what to look for when it comes to potentially lethal materials. Even more, such toxins like asbestos do not have a unique signature that makes it readily identifiable.

As it is the case with most towns across the country, Moore has a mixture of old and new builds. Buildings constructed before the 1970s and 1980s typically will contain building materials with asbestos.

Prized for its durability, asbestos was manufactured into a variety of building-related products including plumbing and electrical materials, insulation, roofing, floor and ceiling tiles, caulking and adhesive. There is not a way to know for sure how much asbestos was used in the destroyed buildings, but it is a safe conclusion to draw that any building older than 1970 will contain some form of asbestos.

Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of pleural mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer where the lining of the lungs is affected. Small asbestos particles lodge into the delicate tissue causing widespread scarring. Though the affects of asbestos exposure may not necessarily be immediate, but can lead to later development of mesothelioma cancer.

Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other governmental agencies are working to minimize the environmental and health impacts the tornado debris poses. Efforts are underway to safely and securely remove any toxic material.

Wearing protective gear including rubber gloves and respirators during the clean up process is necessary not only to limit the potential of asbestos exposure but to protect the community from inhaling other hazards including dust and glass shards.

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The Latest On Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Caused By Exposure To Asbestos

Main Category: Asbestos / Mesothelioma
Article Date: 19 Mar 2012 - 0:00 PST Current ratings for:
The Latest On Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Caused By Exposure To Asbestos

Patients with early stage malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, may be eligible for aggressive multi-modality therapy involving surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There are two main approaches, and controversy has existed about which approach is superior. One is called extrapleural pnemonectomy (EPP), a very extensive surgery where surgeons remove the entire diseased lung, lung lining (pleura), part of the membrane covering the heart (pericardium) and part of the diaphragm. Another approach involves a less extensive surgery called pleurectomy/decortication (P/D), where surgeons remove part of the lining around the lungs, potentially part, but not all of the lung, and potentially part of the diaphragm and/or membrane around the heart. Research presented in the April 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology concludes that the P/D method had better results for patients in a recent analysis.

According to the study, "EPP resulted in higher mortality and morbidity than P/D, and P/D resulted in significantly better survival in our experience as in others." The authors, "propose that P/D becomes the standard surgical procedure offered as part of multi-modality therapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma."

Until recently, EPP was the considered the standard of treatment. But this latest study along with other recent research seems to point to P/D becoming the new standard of treatment. Dr. Michael Weyant, thoracic surgeon and assistant professor at the University of Colorado, wrote an editorial in the April JTO about this topic. He concludes that, "the results of the current study by Lang-Lazdunksi et al provide additional data that should lead us to consider P/D in all trials of treatment for MPM. It is too early based on this data to completely abandon EPP altogether as there may be patient subsets where the potential reward outweighs the risks of the procedure."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our asbestos / mesothelioma section for the latest news on this subject. The lead author of this work is Dr. Loïc Lang-Lazdunski, IASLC member co-authors include Dr. David Landau and Dr. James Spicer, all at King's College London-Division of Cancer Studies.
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Asbestos Contributes to Overall Failing Grades of New Jersey School District According to Architect Reports

Kristen Griffin brings a fresh perspective to news and blog content for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Bio »

Hamilton, New Jersey - A damning report rocked a community in New Jersey this week after the results revealed that virtually every school in the school district is facing considerable – and oftentimes, dangerous – problems. The architectural firm of Fraytak Veisz Hopkins Duthie explored each school in the Hamilton, New Jersey area and found that nearly half of the schools were contaminated with the lethal toxin asbestos and other schools failed to meet federal accessibility standards.

However, the litany of issues now facing the Hamilton school district is far more comprehensive than just asbestos and accessibility concerns. Out of the twenty four schools, the architectural firm granted three Hamilton schools grades of “A.”

Unfortunately for school administrators and school board members, the failing conditions of the buildings did not come as a shock. In 2010, the school district was forced to cut $16 million from its overall budget in order to meet new regulations issued by the state. Reducing routine maintenance of school facilities was one of the tough budgetary decisions school district officials had to make.

According to Jeff Hewitson, school board president, this “rob Peter to pay Paul” mentality left the school district in disarray.

Among the faults found by the architectural firms include spacing issues, not enough bathroom facilities to meet the students and faculty needs, not enough emergency exits and electrical system problems. The ages of the school buildings range from over one hundred years old to facilities considered “newer,” clocking in at just under a half of a century. Even the schools that received passing grades – B's and C's – have a number of structural concerns.

Hewitson pointed out that the grades given reflected how well and thoroughly the buildings have been maintained, and how maintenance was reflected in the school district's budget.

Possibly the most dangerous issues uncovered by the investigation was the discovery of asbestos and black mold. Though asbestos is a highly toxic carcinogen, it can be found in a variety of building materials including plumbing and electrical systems, floor and ceiling tiles and roofing. Exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare, yet deadly form of cancer that attacks the delicate lining of the lungs, heart or stomach.

Now, the school board must decide what is more economically prudent: investing in the necessary repairs in existing schools or building entirely new structures.

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County Museum Profiles History of Regional Asbestos Use

Bloomington, Illinois - Bloomington, Illinois wants to let the public know about the seriousness of the impact asbestos had on its townspeople, so it’s putting together an exhibit on the subject that will appear at the local history museum. The display will largely focus on UNARCO, the Union Asbestos and Rubber Company.

According to an article in The Pantagraph, a new exhibit at the McLean County Museum of History will detail UNARCO’s history in Bloomington, and the long-reaching effects of asbestos. Records show that a majority of the products UNARCO manufactured contained asbestos. Many Bloomington area individuals were employed at the company’s plant and are suffering from asbestos diseases.

The name of the display, scheduled to open by 2015, will be entitled: A Deadly Deception: The Asbestos Tragedy in McLean County. It will include input from Mike Matejka, director of government affairs for Great Plains Laborers District Council, who is the curator of the exhibit, as well as others who were directly impacted by asbestos exposure.

One such individual is Ron Thacker, age 77, who currently suffers from asbestosis. He lost his brother Leslie in 1981 at the age of 49 and his dad in 1977 at the age of 71. Both had an advanced form of the disease. It’s a fact that angers Thacker and he loathes UNARCO’s disregard for workers.

“I used to grind this stuff with a grinder,” he said, explaining that the company knew asbestos was deadly but never revealed that fact to workers. “Every year we had to go in for a chest X-ray,” he said. “I thought they had our good in mind.”

But, Thacker adds, if they saw the beginnings of an asbestos-related disease on the x-ray, UNARCO would find some reason to let that particular worker go. It’s a fact that angers him to this day, but Thacker hopes the exhibit will help others in the Bloomington area and beyond to understand his pain.

Part of the display will be a memorial that will honor those who died of mesothelioma and other related diseases due to their employment at UNARCO. Many of these same individuals or their loved ones have filed lawsuits against UNARCO for negligent exposure and, the article states, the courts have largely sided with the employees.

“It’s a catastrophe that didn’t happen just one day; there have been multiple slow deaths over decades of intensive suffering,” said Matejka. “This exhibit is important to remind ourselves … to honor the workers and families; to look at the larger social questions … to ask what’s still going on out there now with the emerging technology…”

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Why Carbon Nanotubes Spell Trouble For Cells

Main Category: Asbestos / Mesothelioma
Article Date: 20 Sep 2011 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Why Carbon Nanotubes Spell Trouble For Cells

It's been long known that asbestos spells trouble for human cells. Scientists have seen cells stabbed with spiky, long asbestos fibers, and the image is gory: Part of the fiber is protruding from the cell, like a quivering arrow that's found its mark.

But scientists had been unable to understand why cells would be interested in asbestos fibers and other materials at the nanoscale that are too long to be fully ingested. Now a group of researchers at Brown University explains what happens. Through molecular simulations and experiments, the team reports in Nature Nanotechnology that certain nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, enter cells tip-first and almost always at a 90-degree angle. The orientation ends up fooling the cell; by taking in the rounded tip first, the cell mistakes the particle for a sphere, rather than a long cylinder. By the time the cell realizes the material is too long to be fully ingested, it's too late.

"It's as if we would eat a lollipop that's longer than us," said Huajian Gao, professor of engineering at Brown and the paper's corresponding author. "It would get stuck."

The research is important because nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes have promise in medicine, such as acting as vehicles to transport drugs to specific cells or to specific locations in the human body. If scientists can fully understand how nanomaterials interact with cells, then they can conceivably design products that help cells rather than harm them.

"If we can fully understand (nanomaterial-cell dynamics), we can make other tubes that can control how cells interact with nanomaterials and not be toxic," Gao said. "We ultimately want to stop the attraction between the nanotip and the cell."

Like asbestos fibers, commercially available carbon nanotubes and gold nanowires have rounded tips that often range from 10 to 100 nanometers in diameter. Size is important here; the diameter fits well within the cell's parameters for what it can handle. Brushing up against the nanotube, special proteins called receptors on the cell spring into action, clustering and bending the membrane wall to wrap the cell around the nanotube tip in a sequence that the authors call "tip recognition." As this occurs, the nanotube is tipped to a 90-degree angle, which reduces the amount of energy needed for the cell to engulf the particle.

Once the engulfing - endocytosis - begins, there is no turning back. Within minutes, the cell senses it can't fully engulf the nanostructure and essentially dials 911. "At this stage, it's too late," Gao said. "It's in trouble and calls for help, triggering an immune response that can cause repeated inflammation."

The team hypothesized the interaction using coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations and capped multiwalled carbon nanotubes. In experiments involving nanotubes and gold nanowires and mouse liver cells and human mesothelial cells, the nanomaterials entered the cells tip-first and at a 90-degree angle about 90 percent of the time, the researchers report.

"We thought the tube was going to lie on the cell membrane to obtain more binding sites. However, our simulations revealed the tube steadily rotating to a high-entry degree, with its tip being fully wrapped," said Xinghua Shi, first author on the paper who earned his doctorate at Brown and is at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. "It is counter-intuitive and is mainly due to the bending energy release as the membrane is wrapping the tube."

The team would like to study whether nanotubes without rounded tips - or less rigid nanomaterials such as nanoribbons - pose the same dilemma for cells.

"Interestingly, if the rounded tip of a carbon nanotube is cut off (meaning the tube is open and hollow), the tube lies on the cell membrane, instead of entering the cell at a high-degree-angle," Shi said.

Agnes Kane, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Brown, is a corresponding author on the paper. Other authors include Annette von dem Bussche from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Brown and Robert Hurt from the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation at Brown.

The National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded the research.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
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Response By Families To Environmental Disasters: Conflict, Denial, Silence

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Also Included In: Asbestos / Mesothelioma;  Water - Air Quality / Agriculture
Article Date: 14 Apr 2012 - 0:00 PST Current ratings for:
Response By Families To Environmental Disasters: Conflict, Denial, Silence

Environmental disasters impact individuals and communities; they also affect how family members communicate with each other, sometimes in surprising ways, according to a paper published by a faculty member at the University at Buffalo in the Journal of Family Issues.

The study is the first systematic analysis of how families communicate when faced with serious health issues brought on by "slow moving technological disasters," like environmental disasters. The purpose was to identify how people in families communicate when they are facing these issues in order to better characterize the social costs of such disasters.

The findings were, in some ways, counterintuitive, says Heather Orom, PhD, assistant professor of community health and health behavior in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions and lead author on the paper.

"The casual observer might assume that when people become seriously ill and there are fatalities, that families would come together and support one another," Orom says. "But our research shows that often times, the opposite happens. That is because whether it's buried toxic waste, such as in Love Canal or contaminated drinking water in Woburn, Massachusetts, these slow moving technological disasters become such a divisive issue in communities. The family dynamics totally mirror what happens in the community."

Orom's research consisted of focus groups conducted with residents of Libby, Montana, who either had asbestos-releated disease, had family members with the disease or were not affected either way. Libby, Montana has significantly elevated incidences of several kinds of asbestos-related disease, such as pleural disease, asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

For almost 70 years, asbestos-contaminated vermiculite, a mineral commonly used in insulation, construction and as an additive to potting soil, was mined and processed in Libby. As a result, asbestos-related diseases, which often are fatal, are common among former mine employees; family members may also have been affected by the asbestos carried home by workers on their clothes. Cases also have been linked to day-to-day exposures among people residing in the town and surrounding area.

"We found that the people in these situations can be victimized twice," Orom continues. "They become ill and then may be stigmatized because some members of the community view illness claims as lacking credibility, as baseless attempts to get compensation that tarnish the reputation of the town."

According to Orom, what typically occurs is that with the news of contamination, properties are devalued and businesses start leaving the area. "Suddenly, you've got two disasters: an economic disaster and a medical disaster," she says. "It's not surprising that some families decide, 'let's stop talking about it.' Those who continue to bring it up are then labeled troublemakers. Those who are sick and are seen with their oxygen also get labeled. So, many people, especially those with symptoms, start to isolate themselves at home and that affects how and if they discuss their illness with family members." Orom adds that this behavior could prevent people from seeking the medical or psychological help they need; it also could prevent them from discussing important measures that other family members should take, such as screening to find out if they, too, have the disease.

Orom and her colleagues identified five communication patterns within the affected families, which they characterized as open/supportive; silent/supportive; open/conflictual; silent/conflictual and silent/denial. They speculated that the silent and conflictual types of communication could be barriers to attitudes and behaviors that would promote better health, such as screening for asbestos-related diseases, and could increase psychological distress in families.

"There is a reason why people don't like to discuss illness in general, anyway," says Orom. "With an environmental diasaster, there is an additional layer creating a propensity for silence. In our focus groups, we saw instances where families rejected the legitimacy of the illness and estranged the person who was ill."

Orom notes that the negative effects that come from these kinds of responses within families do have significance in the larger community and should be taken into account by policymakers.

"If there are real social and financial costs that result from these disasters and their effects on family relationships, for example, if divorces increase as a result, then maybe this kind of research can help move policies in a direction of being more protective of communities," she says.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our psychology / psychiatry section for the latest news on this subject. The research was conducted as part of a larger communication project by the National Center for Vermiculate and Asbestos-Related Cancers at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. Funding came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Co-authors with Orom are Rebecca J.W. Cline of Kent State University; Tanis Hernandez of the Center for Asbestos-Related Disease; Lisa Berry-Bobovski and Ann G. Schwartz of the Karmanos Cancer Institute and John C. Ruckdeschel of Intermountain Healthcare.
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What Is Mesothelioma? What Is Malignant Mesothelioma?

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Main Category: Asbestos / Mesothelioma
Also Included In: Lung Cancer;  Respiratory / Asthma;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 16 Nov 2011 - 0:00 PST Current ratings for:
What Is Mesothelioma? What Is Malignant Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma, more precisely known as malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the mesothelial cells, most commonly those in the lining that covers the lungs (pleura). Mesothelial cells exist in the lining (membrane) that covers the outer surface of our body organs. The majority of people with mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos at some time during their life.

Doctors usually divide mesothelioma into three types: Pleural mesothelioma - affects the pleura, the lining surrounding the lungs. This is the most common form.Peritoneal mesothelioma - the cancer attacks the lining of the abdomen, the peritoneum. This is the second most common form.Pericardial mesothelioma - the cancer attacks the protective layer covering the heart. This is the rarest form.All three forms of mesothelioma are nearly always caused by asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer. For the majority of patients there is no cure. Doctors usually focus on improving the quality of life as the disease progresses - making the patient as comfortable as possible.

In the United Kingdom, approximately 2,000 patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma annually. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), mesothelioma kills over 2,700 people in the USA every year. According to the Mesothelioma register, deaths from this type of cancer rose more than tenfold from 1969 to 2009 in the UK. About four-fifths of all deaths are among men.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, mesothelioma is:

"A rare neoplasm derived from the lining cells of the pleura or peritoneum that grows as a thick sheet covering the viscera and is composed of spindle cells or fibrous tissue that may enclose glandlike spaces lined by cuboidal cells."

A symptom is something the patient feels and describes; while a sign is something other people can see, including doctors and nurses. For example, a symptom may be pain, while a sign could be a rash.

Exposure to asbestos and asbestos dust can take up to thirty years to show symptoms. Often, patients are diagnosed when the disease is already advanced. Outcomes depend on how early the malignancy can be diagnosed.

Mesothelioma signs and symptoms vary, depending on where in the body the cancer is.

Pleural mesothelioma (tissue surrounding the lungs) Shortness of breathCoughing, often painfulUnexpected and unexplained loss of weightPain under the rib cageSometimes lumps may be detectable under the skin in the chest areaLower back painDiscomfort in the side of the chestExhaustionSome people may experience sweating, fever, or difficulty swallowingPeritoneal mesothelioma (lining in the abdomen) Unexplained weight lossPain in the abdomenSwelling in the abdomenLumps in the abdomenNausea, some patients may experience vomitingPericardial mesothelioma (lining in the heart area) Low blood pressureShortness of breathFluid retention (edema), often in the legsHeart palpitationsFatigue, extreme after light exertionChest painExperts say that prolonged exposure to asbestos particles is the primary cause of mesothelioma. The risk of developing the disease is closely linked to asbestos particle dosage - i.e. the likelihood of developing mesothelioma is directly proportional to how long a person was exposed, and how much they inhaled.

People in jobs where exposure to asbestos fibers are common have the highest risk of developing the disease. Asbestos was commonly used for insulation, soundproofing, fireproofing, roofing, and ironing board covers.

Industries that may have involved asbestos exposure for some of their workpeople include constructions sites, steel mills, shipyards, oil refineries and power plants.

When the asbestos particles or fibers are inhaled or ingested, they build up in the lining of the abdomen, chest or lungs. This accumulation considerably increases the chances of cancerous cells developing.

When asbestos is damaged and particles or fibers are released into the air, the environment can become hazardous to human health. The fibers can be breathed in or swallowed, they get embedded in tissue, and eventually lead to mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur naturally. They exist as fibers or bundles. These fibers may be found in soil or rocks and exist in many parts of the world naturally. Asbestos is made of silicon, oxygen and some other elements.

There are two principle types of asbestos fibers: Serpentine asbestos - this is the most common type used in industry. It is known as white asbestos, or chrysotile. The fibers are curly.Amphibole asbestos - these include anthophyllite, amosite, actinolite, crocidolite, and tremolite. The fibers are straight, like needles. This type of asbestos, particularly crocidolite, is considered to be more likely to cause cancer. However, even serpentine asbestos has been linked to cancer.Although asbestos is much less used today than it used to be, exposure is still possible, and continues to be a serious problem. Older materials containing asbestos can break down, releasing a dust composed of tiny particles than can be inhaled or ingested. Exposure can occur when older buildings are demolished or renovated.

Even family members who never set foot in a working environment that contained asbestos can be exposed. The fibers can be carried home in the workers clothing, and then breathed in by other members of the household.

Asbestos can also be swallowed, as may occur when water flows through asbestos cement pipes. Inhaled asbestos can be coughed up, and then swallowed (when the person swallows the saliva).

WHO (World Health Organization) in 2005 said that approximately 125 million people globally were exposed to asbestos at work in that year, despite their employers having known about the link to cancer and other lung diseases for over six decades. Most work-related exposure today occurs in developing nations.

In much rarer cases, mesothelioma may be linked to irradiation, the inhalation of eronite or some other fibrous silicate, and intrapleural thorium dioxide (Thorotrast - a suspension containing radioactive particles, used in X-ray diagnostics during the 1930s and 1940s, and even in the 1950s in some nations including the USA). Some experts believe that SV40 (simian virus 40) could be involved in the development of the disease.
Digital chest x-ray of advanced malignant mesothelioma (on left) After asking certain diagnostic questions, such as the patient's symptoms, where he/she has worked, medical history and family history, and carrying out a physical examination, the doctor may order some imaging scans. This could be a CT scan or X-ray of the abdomen or chest to rule out any abnormalities. Usually, depending on the results of the scans, further testing may be recommended.

Biopsy - some tissue is surgically removed so that it can be examined in the laboratory under a microscope. To determine whether a patient has mesothelioma, this will have to be done. How the biopsy is carried out depends on which part of the body is targeted:

Targeting either the chest or abdominal area
Fine-needle aspiration - a small needle is inserted into the abdomen and chest and some fluid or piece of tissue is removedTargeting the chest area
Thoracoscopy - the surgeon inserts a thoracoscope through a small incision between the patient's ribs. A thoracoscope is an endoscope for examination of the chest cavity - it is a tube with a small camera at the end. The surgeon removes a piece of tissue with special tools.Thoracotomy - in this surgical intervention, the chest is opened between the ribs so that the surgeon can see the target area and check for signs of cancer. Some tissue may also be removed and sent to the laboratory for testing.Targeting the abdominal area
Laparoscopy - a small incision is made in the abdominal wall, a laparoscope is inserted through the incision into the abdomen, where the surgeon can have a look. The laparoscope is a long tube with a camera at the end. With specialized tools, tissue samples can be removed.Laparotomy - the surgeon opens the abdomen and has a look. Sometimes tissue samples may be removed and sent to the lab.When the tissue or fluid sample is viewed through a microscope, the pathologist can tell whether there is malignancy (e.g. malignant mesothelioma), what types of cells are involved, and how advanced the cancer is. How advanced a cancer is, defining it, is called Staging.

Staging - in medicine, specifically cancer, staging is the process of carrying out tests and examinations to determine the extent of the cancer, how advanced it is, and whether it has metastasized (spread from its original site to other parts of the body).

As soon as mesothelioma has been confirmed (diagnosed), other tests will be ordered to help determine the stage of the cancer. These may include such scans as CT, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), PET (positron emission tomography), or a chest X-ray. What type of scan is used depends on several different factors.

When all the data is gathered together, the health care professional will assign the cancer a stage. The staging below is for pleural mesothelioma (lungs): Stage 1 - the cancer is localized. It is still inside the lining around the lung. It has not spread out.Stage 2 - the cancer may have spread to a lung or the diaphragm.Stage 3 - the cancer may have reached the lymph nodes, and possibly other parts of the chestStage 4 - the cancer has either spread more extensively in the chest, or may even have reached other parts of the body far from the original site. It may have reached other lymph nodes, or even the brain.The treatment the doctor will recommend depends on several factors, including: Where the cancer isThe stage of the cancer (how advanced it is)The patient's general health and ageSadly, this type of cancer is usually spotted when it has been progressing for a while. Add to this the fact that mesothelioma is usually an aggressive type of cancer, and you have two reasons why so few patients are cured.

If the cancer is very advanced, the tumor(s) can no longer be surgically removed. The only option left, in many cases, is to control the cancer, try to slow down its progress, and focus on making the patient as comfortable as possible.

It is vital that the medical team explains all the options to the patient - including their pros and cons - and if necessary, to his/her loved ones and/or caregivers. Fighting the cancer aggressively may mean enduring very unpleasant side effects, while just focusing on pain and quality of life for the remaining time, might be a better option. This is something the patient needs to discuss thoroughly with the medical team, and perhaps family members or close friends.

Surgery - this means removing tumors by surgery. Surgery is usually only an option during the early stages of the cancer. It may remove the whole cancer, or at least reduce some symptoms and slow it down. Fluid accumulation in the lung area - surgery may be recommended if there is fluid accumulation in the chest, resulting in breathing difficulties. The fluid is drained with a tube or catheter. A drug may be injected into the chest to stop a recurrence of fluid build-up. Drugs, such as tetracycline, talc powder, or bleomycin are instilled inside the space between the two layers of tissue lining the lungs (pleura); this causes inflammation, making the two pleura tack together, leaving no space for fluid build-up. Treatment for preventing this type of fluid build-up is called pleurodesis.Pleurectomy or peritonectomy - the lining around the lungs or abdominal cavity may be surgically removed. The aim is to relieve mesothelioma symptoms.Debulking - removing as much of the tumor as possible, if it is not possible to remove all of it.Removing a lung - signs and symptoms may be relieved if the surgeon removes the affected lung and its surrounding tissue. This will be followed by radiotherapy.Chemotherapy - if tumors cannot be surgically removed, chemotherapy may help shrink them, as well as to slow down their progress. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may also be recommended - administering chemotherapy before surgery which can make it easier to remove a tumor. Chemotherapy used after surgery to try to prevent recurrence is called adjuvant chemotherapy.

Radiotherapy - also known as radiation therapy. For those with pleural mesothelioma, it may help relieve symptoms. Radiotherapy is sometimes administered to prevent metastasis after biopsy or surgery.

Radiation therapy can help relieve symptoms

Clinical trials - human studies using novel treatment methods. The patient should discuss what the trial is about, as well as what to expect realistically, thoroughly with the doctor.

Cancer is a very unpredictable disease, and providing an accurate prognosis is not easy.

In general, prognoses for patients with mesothelioma are not encouraging. Malignant mesothelioma is a very aggressive type of cancer; it also has a long latency period. In the majority of cases, the disease is only detected when it is already in an advanced stage.

In most cases, survival for pleural malignant mesothelioma after diagnosis is no more than one or two years. The patient needs to bear in mind that there are exceptions, and new treatments are being researched and appear all the time.

Written by Christian Nordqvist

Original article date: 3 March 2009. Article updated: 16 November 2011.
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our asbestos / mesothelioma section for the latest news on this subject. Sources: The National Health Service (UK), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA), WHO (World Health Organization), NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA), HSA (Health and Safety Executive, UK). Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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posted by vipinpatel on 11 May 2013 at 9:28 pm

advanced cancer is nothing to cure, but who have been doing job in this prolonged exposure to asbestos particles . whom should be checking yearly. who should wear mask daily

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posted by Ishak Idris on 17 Nov 2012 at 7:24 am

Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy or a combination of these treatments. Nice blog and good article

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posted by Ishak Idris on 17 Nov 2012 at 6:42 am

Although mesothelioma Benin to treat a lot easier than the malignant form of cancer known. Many cases have been treated and cured.
Protect yourself from mesothelioma

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'What Is Mesothelioma? What Is Malignant Mesothelioma?'

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First Analysis Of IASLC Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Database

Main Category: Asbestos / Mesothelioma
Article Date: 17 Oct 2012 - 1:00 PST Current ratings for:
First Analysis Of IASLC Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Database

The International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) staging system has been widely used, however, widespread concerns exist about the validity of the current malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) staging system. Concerns include that the system is derived from analysis of small, retrospective surgical series; it can be difficult to apply to clinical staging; and uses descriptors for lymph node involvement, which may not be relevant to MPM. Therefore, in collaboration with IMIG, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) has decided to update the staging system for MPM by developing a large international database.

A study, published in the November 2012 issue of the IASLC'S Journal of Thoracic Oncology, reports the current staging system by and large appropriately distinguishes among T and N categories and overall stages but also highlights areas for potential revision.

The study looked at 3,101 patients from 15 centers in four continents. The current data still represents mainly surgically treated patients. The authors report that current T descriptors are qualitative and most applicable to pathological staging. Possibly in the future, volumetric tumor measurement could enhance the current T descriptors.

In addition, the data demonstrate a difference in survival for node-negative versus node-positive patients. The difference between N1 and N2 disease is less clear, suggesting that additional study of the extent of lymph node involvement might yield improvements in the N-classification factor.

And finally the authors suggest that staging groups, especially for stages I and II disease, need to be reassessed. In the future, they say, "the addition of a larger group of patients with more advanced disease, staged clinically and managed nonsurgically may help determine whether stages III and IV should be classified into a and b subcategories."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our asbestos / mesothelioma section for the latest news on this subject. The lead author of this work is IASLC member Dr. Valerie Rusch (USA). Co-authors include IASLC members Dorothy Giroux (USA), Catherine Kennedy (Australia), Dr. Erico Ruffini (Italy), Dr. David Rice (USA), Dr. Harvey Pass (USA), Dr. Hisao Asamura (Japan), Dr. John Edwards (U.K.) and Dr. Walter Weder (Switzerland).

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer

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Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, as well as cancers on the mesothelium, is an infrequent nonetheless ambitious method of cancers of which is sort of continually the result of asbestos fiber visibility.

It is recognized with roughly 2,000 in order to 3,000 folks the particular Combined Suggests every single year.  Down below is a great deal of info with regards to the disease. Most of the material about this web site have been published as well as evaluated by simply the oncologist.