'Asbestos' death ruled accidental

Please provide any information you think may be helpful to mesothelioma victimd and their familiesThe death of a man believed to be the youngest victim of asbestos-related cancer was today ruled to have been accidental.
Barry Welch, a 32-year-old father of three, died in April last year after an 11-month battle against mesothelioma.
It is believed he may have contracted the illness as a child after being exposed to asbestos dust and fibres brought home on his stepfather's overalls.
The inquest, at Leicester coroners court, heard how Roger Bugby had worked as a scaffolder at Kingsnorth power station, in Kent, between 1977 and 1979.



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Lawyers representing Mr Welch's family said Mr Bugby was regularly exposed to asbestos at the plant. He would return home with asbestos dust covering his overalls, his skin and in his hair.
Before Mr Bugby changed out of his overalls, his stepson would often sit on his lap, exposing him to the dust and fibres, Adrian Budgen, of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, said.
Mr Welch was also exposed to asbestos when his mother shook the dust from her husband's clothes before washing them.
Dr Clive Muatero, consultant oncologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary, said it was a "reasonable supposition" that Mr Welch's illness had been caused by his exposure to asbestos.
He died at Leicestershire Hospice on April 27 last year from aggressive malignant mesothelioma.
The coroner, Martin Syminton, today recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said a verdict of natural causes would be inappropriate because of Mr Welch's previous exposure to asbestos.
Mr Welch, who was unemployed, left a wife, Claire, and daughters, Natasha, 12, Samantha, 10, and seven-year-old Letitia.
The case is thought to be a landmark in asbestos-related illnesses. Previous mesothelioma cases have involved women who washed their husbands' asbestos-covered overalls over many years.
An inquest in October this year into the death of 75-year-old Mary Smith, of Burley, Hampshire, ruled she had died of an industrial disease. A postmortem examination revealed the presence of asbestos.
However, Mr Welch's case is the first in which a child could have contracted the illness after asbestos particles were transferred from the work place into the home.
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors said they were now planning legal action on behalf of Mr Welch's family. "The dust clearly came from the power station. That's the evidence we will present in our legal action," Adrian Budgen said.
Asbestos was widely used in the shipbuilding and construction industry until the early 80s, but symptoms can take up to 50 years to develop.
Exposure to asbestos dust causes pleural plaques - areas of thickening in the lung lining - that are benign. In a small percentage of cases, exposure can lead to the incurable cancer mesothelioma.
Around 1,800 people die of asbestos-related each year in the UK each year, but medical officials say this number has not yet peaked. There are around 14,000 claims for compensation for pleural plaques every year.
Insurers estimate claims will cost up to £10bn over the next 40 years as the number of cases rise.

Strahl fights for re-election and against cancer

CHILLIWACK, B.C. — After beating his nearest opponent by 15,000 votes in last year's federal election, it's fair to say Conservative Chuck Strahl has no real opposition in his bid to retain the bucolic Fraser Valley seat he's held since 1993.
Unless you count the incurable cancer enveloping his lungs.
Since being diagnosed last August, Strahl has learned to pronounce mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure that attacks the pleura, the lining that protects the lungs.
Although it was caught at a very early stage when Strahl went to the doctor with a collapsed lung, it's inoperable.
"They also clearly have no idea of how it'll develop,'' says Strahl, his resonant basso voice undiminished by the disease.
Neither radiation nor surgery would be effective. There are chemotherapy options and Strahl, 48, is also investigating experimental gene therapy.
Ironically, Strahl's relative youth _ most mesothelioma patients are elderly _ and vigour could screen him out of the drug trial.
"There's always a possibility I'll be rejected because I'm not sick enough,'' he says with no trace of irony.
But treatment decisions are months away, if not longer. The former logging contractor who spent years inhaling asbestos brake dust from heavy equipment is doing what he's always done, just getting on with things.
"For someone to say `You have cancer, I think you should go home now and pull the sheets over your head,' it's just not in my personality to do that,'' says Strahl. "And my family knows that too. They wouldn't ask me to do that.''
Since first being elected as a Reformer 12 years ago, Strahl earned a reputation as a work horse, rising to become deputy speaker in the Liberal-dominated House.
Strahl's decision to seek a fifth term in Parliament in his Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon riding apparently encountered no opposition from his wife, Deb, nor his four grown children to run in the Jan. 23 election.
"Once we got the initial word (and) the doctors told him to keep living his life, keep running, keep working, keep doing it all, there was no real discussion,'' says son Mark, 27, who works for Tory incumbent Randy Kamp's campaign in adjacent Pitt Meadows-Mission-Maple Ridge.
"You're dealing with someone who ran a marathon in May. Even with the diagnosis he's fitter than I am.''
Aside from regular medical checkups, little has changed. Strahl's wife of 30 years, Deb, accompanied him back to Ottawa more frequently on his weekly commute.
"I'm just tickled pink by that,'' Strahl says.
Strahl is already back jogging but that doesn't stop constituents from asking after him.
"I always tell people I feel fine, and I do,'' he says.
"I'm trying not to play a sympathy vote. I just tell people I'm back to work, working my regular shift. I feel good.''
Jane, who wouldn't give her last name, is having coffee with a friend at a mall in Chilliwack, a city of 62,000 that anchors the riding about 90 kilometres east of Vancouver.
"Why should that stop him?'' she asks. "Good for him for hanging in there.''
Ill or not, Strahl is a formidable opponent. He won with 52 per cent of the vote in 2004, down from 70 per cent in 2000.
The NDP's candidate won't be nominated until Monday and the Liberals so far have no declared candidate.
"It would take a political earthquake this time to unseat Chuck Strahl here locally,'' says NDP riding association president Rollie Keith, who finished second in 2004 with 9,244 votes to Strahl's 24,096.
"So I think when you run against him you try to represent your party as well as you can.''
Strahl's comfortable enough that the Tories will drop him into closer fought races to help out, especially where there are no Conservative incumbents.
"There's no question we've discussed it,'' says Senator Gerry St. Germain, B.C. campaign co-chair. "He's an excellent communicator. I'm sure he's going to be able to help some of the newer candidates in some of these ridings where we're going to have our hands full.''
Cancer has stalked not a few of Strahl's fellow MPs, including departing Tories Dave Chatters and Darrel Stinson, former Reform leader Preston Manning and Liberal Trade Minister Jim Peterson.
Strahl revealed his illness about six weeks after Independent MP Chuck Cadman died of complications from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
NDP candidate Penny Priddy, a former B.C. cabinet minister and perceived frontrunner in Cadman's Surrey North riding, has survived breast cancer for 10 years.
The health-care system earned generally good marks from Strahl's involuntary fact-finding trip. But it's reinforced his determination to push for a national cancer strategy when he gets back to Ottawa.
The Commons passed a Tory-sponsored motion last spring that proposed a five-year, $250-million program to improve information sharing among provincial cancer agencies.
"We end up with all these little silos of probably some good work and maybe even some good research but you just don't know about it because there's no co-ordination,'' he says.
The government, however, favoured its own more modest $50-million proposal, says Strahl.
"I don't want to be Mr. Cancer,'' he says. "I don't want to be beating just this one horse. But on the other hand it's something the party supported before I got cancer.''

JustMeso.com offers a large amount of information on the variety of mesothelioma treatments available.

JustMeso.com ( http://www.justmeso.com ) offers a plethora of information on mesothelioma treatments. It is important to be informed about mesothelioma. There are a variety of treatments, and knowing about all of them can be very beneficial to someone suffering from mesothelioma. The web site highlights many different types of treatment.One treatment highlighted is surgical procedures. Pleural Surgery is discussed in vivid detail. The web site defines medical terms and discusses exactly what certain pleural surgeries involve. Some of the surgical procedures discussed are a pleurectomy, a pnumonectomy, an exrtaplueral a pneumonectomy, and a thoracentesis. JustMeso also offers information about radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Both types of therapy are discussed in vivid detail. All of the stages from treatment planning and CT simulation to set up are outlined. There are several chemotherapy drugs that have been used for treating mesothelioma. The site discusses the drugs and possible side effects. Additionally, users can find out information about new treatments for Mesothelioma that are in the process of development. Some mesothelioma patients can take part in clinical trials for new types of treatment.Mesothelioma can be treated by the methods of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or drugs. However, for malignant mesothelioma, supportive treatment is required. Web site users can find out about how to deal with pain and shortness of breath. Shortness of breath can be solved through increased oxygen or radiation therapy. Additional information about why shortness of breath occurs can be found at JustMeso’s treatment section. The more knowledge a mesothelioma patient has, the better he or she will be able to diagnose problems and seek proper treatments. Users of the web site can view a table that displays all of the stages of the disease, and the suggested treatments. Earlier treatment and detection is always best, but there are still treatment options for the later stages of the disease. Finally, some mesothelioma patients may need complementary therapy. With the information from the site as a resource, users can find alternative ways of relieving pain and dealing with the stress and anxiety that can be caused by mesothelioma and its subsequent treatment. Some types of alternative treatment include prayer and spirituality, hypnosis, herbal supplements, or imagery.

FOR years Joan Dell stitched asbestos linings into tea cosies for a London dressmakers, unaware of the terrible health hazard she was in.

Because more than 40 years after the seamstress finished her job at the Bond Street dressmakers she developed Mesothelioma – an aggresive cancer mainly caused by asbestos exposure.An inquest held at Peterborough Town Hall, in Bridge Street, yesterday, ruled that the 74 year old grandmother had died from an industrial disease.Today her widowed husband, James told of the common use of the deadly asbestos in post-war Britain, where it became so popular because of its excellent insulating qualities.James Dell (73) of Deerpark Road, Langtoft, Market Deeping, said his wife worked at the dressmakers after she left school.As part of her role she made tea cosies for sale at shops around the capital where, to increase the efficiency of the cosies, workers would stitch asbestos linings into the bottom. But the process involved drilling holes into the fibre, throwing deadly dust into the air.Mr Dell said: "Asbestos was used all the time after the war, right up until people discovered it was dangerous. I myself worked in the building trade for many years and I've had exposure to asbestos as well."So many people of my age and younger have worked side by side every day with this material."The inquest heard how Mrs Dell visited her doctor late last year with a troublesome cough, which she had suffered from for about two weeks.After various tests and an eventual biopsy at Papworth Hospital, in Cambridge, doctors told the grandmother she was suffering from cancer, and she began radiotherapy treatments, finishing in April this year.But she died on June 28 after spending her final weeks in the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Longthorpe, Peterborough.Mrs Dell leaves her husband and their three children David (46), Barry (49) and Kathleen (51) and nine grandchildren.Coroner Gordon Ryall said: "Asbestos was a very much used material. What we need to appreciate is that the people who die represent a very minute percentage of those who have been exposed."

'I want to live as long as I can'

He has a type of lung cancer called mesothelioma.

Colin is set to get the drug he wants if he lives until next summerAnd he may only have a few months to live.
"You want to see as much of your children as you can, to be with your family as long as you can.
"I'm going to miss all that."
But a drug called Alimta might help him live a bit longer.
To me they're saying life has so much cost and, if you go over that, it's not worth it
Colin Graves
It is given to patients in some areas like London. But Colin has been told he cannot get it in Teesside even though the North East has one of the highest rates of this type of cancer.
Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, which many people were exposed to when the shipbuilding and steel industries were thriving.
But the health trusts in the region have joined together and decided they cannot justify funding this drug.
'Spectacular' advances
Dr John Docherty of Langbaurgh Primary Care Trust, which covers the area where Colin Graves lives, said: "Added to existing treatment it prolongs life by between four and 16 weeks.
"I accept for partners and families this is a big benefit, but it does not cure mesothelioma."
This is a decision Colin finds hard to accept.
It is wrong to keep denying them
Jeremy Steele, Mesothelioma UK
He says: "I'm angry, angry - and upset.
"To me they're saying life has so much cost and, if you go over that, it's not worth it."
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was set up to end the patchy availability of drugs. It makes decisions which apply to the whole NHS in England and Wales.
But the process can take years.
There have already been concerns around the availability of the breast cancer drug herceptin.
NICE argues that in that instance there is nothing it can do, as the drug does not have a European licence for use in the treatment of early stage breast cancer.
But Herceptin is just one high profile example. NICE's decisions affect the availability of dozens of cancer drugs, with a direct impact for thousands of patients.
Jeremy Steele, a cancer specialist and chairman of Mesothelioma UK, says: "Advances are spectacular and not being able to use them is disappointing and sad, particularly for patients.
"It is wrong to keep denying them for organisational reasons."
But Colin is being denied treatment.
If he lives until next summer, it is likely he would get Alimta once it has been nationally approved.
But right now, it is out of reach.

Rare cancer follows state rail lines

A new state study shows the majority of people diagnosed with a rare form of asbestos-related cancer over a 23-year period lived along Montana’s railroad routes.The study also indicated that Flathead and Missoula counties rank alongside Lincoln County — home to the former W.R. Grace vermiculite mine — in numbers of people with the rare cancer called mesothelioma.Former state medical officer Michael Spence initiated the report that tracks mesothelioma in Montana from 1979 through 2002. The state Office of Vital Statistics, Central Tumor Registry and the Environment Public Health Tracking Project helped in the study.
Mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue that covers the lungs and abdominal organs, is a deadly disease that typically kills people within a year after diagnosis. It has been clearly linked to asbestos exposure.Spence said the link between the cancer and Montana’s historic rail lines was somewhat of a surprise.“It wasn’t a preconceived notion that we’d have a high level of the disease on the rail lines,” said Spence, who is now retired and lives near Somers.But as statisticians began charting mesothelioma cases on a map, the relationship became clear.“As we looked at it, we said, ‘My gosh, look where these [rail] hubs are,” Spence said. “Bingo, it fell into place.”The Libby mine produced more than 80 percent of the world’s vermiculite at one point before it closed in 1990, and vermiculite ore was shipped by rail across Montana. Some of the ore was processed in Great Falls, and researchers assumed there would be a mesothelioma cluster there, Spence said.From 1920 through 1990, 23,872 tons of vermiculite ore were received in Cascade County. Flathead County received only two tons.But the study notes that data is insufficient to confirm a clear relationship between homes near a railroad and developing mesothelioma.“Since most of the people in Montana live in these population centers, and along transportation routes, one would expect that many people affected with mesothelioma would live along these routes, whether or not the railroad contributed to the spread of the disease,” the study stated.People with mesothelioma may have been exposed to any number of asbestos sources at any time. Not all cases of mesothelioma came from vermiculite mining, according to the study data.Construction, manufacturing, government jobs, agriculture and even homemaking were occupations of Montanans who contracted the disease.The study combined information from both the state Central Tumor Registry and Death Registry to track 200 Montanans who were either diagnosed with or died of mesothelioma between 1979 and 2002.During that time, Flathead County had 16 cases of the disease, Lincoln County had 12 and Cascade County (Great Falls) had 28. Lincoln, Cascade and Rosebud counties had more people diagnosed with mesothelioma than would be expected based on population.Spence said he believes the state mesothelioma study is the first of its kind. New Jersey and New York also are researching the disease, interviewing patients and family members.“We thought about getting involved with those studies, but we don’t have the population,” Spence said. “We have a million people in the state; they have a million people in a borough.”Montana’s study documents that Libby isn’t the only place where mesothelioma occurs, Spence pointed out. It also dispelled the notion that Libby’s mesothelioma rate is extraordinarily higher than the national average. Some health experts had predicted Libby’s cancer rate was up to 50 times higher than elsewhere in the country, but it’s not nearly that high, Spence said.On the other hand, any cases of mesothelioma are troublesome. Treatments to combat the cancer haven’t been very successful.“It’s a bad one,” Spence stated. “We tell people who have it that we’ll do everything we can to make you comfortable, but you need to get your affairs in order.”The number of mesothelioma cases has risen dramatically through the years, from 15 cases documented from 1979 to 1982 to 55 cases reported from 1999 to 2002.Like other asbestos-related diseases, mesothelioma turns up 20 to 30 years after the exposure, so the number of cases should decline significantly within the next five to 10 years, Spence said.

Lifesaver receives award

Asbestos is a silent killer, a fact denied for many years by industry and employers. EILEEN FURSLAND talks to a resolute health and safety campaigner whose efforts to raise awareness of the dangers have been recognised.Enfield resident Nancy Tait, one of the pioneers who first drew attention to the risks of asbestos over 30 years ago, has recently been presented with a lifetime achievement award.
It recognises her work on behalf of thousands of people who are victims of illness or death caused by asbestos.
She is the founder of the Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association, based in Bush Hill Park, which supports the victims of asbestos-related disease and their families in claiming the compensation and benefits they are entitled to.
The award was given to her by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
Nancy said: "The award recognises the efforts of thousands of people who, over the years, have shared my conviction that asbestos kills and that something must be done."
In 1968, Nancy's husband Bill, a post office engineer, died from mesothelioma. At the time it was not accepted that there was any link between asbestos and mesothelioma. Nancy fought for four years and finally proved that there was a link between Bill's occupation and the disease that killed him.
After her story was featured on television, many other people in the same situation contacted her, asking for help.
People started asking questions about the risks of asbestos, and stories began to hit the headlines.
In response, the asbestos industry ran a campaign claiming that asbestos was perfectly safe.
Nancy added: "Confronted by one of its posters at the foot of the stairs at Victoria Tube station, my reaction was, we need an organisation to fight back.'"
In 1978, she formed a charity to support others in fighting for the compensation they were entitled to, yet which was so often denied them.
At the time, the asbestos industry tried to ridicule Nancy's claims that people were at risk from asbestos exposure, but it is now widely accepted that many thousands of people have been affected and will be affected in the next 15 years as the illnesses resulting from asbestos can take years to develop.
Her campaign to protect workers' health has helped to bring about changes in legislation, such as the 1999 ban on importing, supplying and using white asbestos. But Nancy and her team believe there is still a long way to go in alerting people to the risks.
OEDA plans to use the bursary that forms part of the award to publish a leaflet to alert self-employed builders and DIY enthusiasts to the potential dangers of asbestos in buildings and provide some simple advice on steps they can take to protect themselves.
For more information, or if you or your company would like to support the work of the Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association, contact OEDA on 8360 6413, write to OEDA, PO Box 26, Enfield, EN1 2NT or email oeda@oeda.demon.co.uk

Mesothelioma Asbestos: One-Time ‘Magic’ Mineral Now a Worldwide Health Menace as Human Toll from Exposure Reaches Epidemic Proportions

On Monday, major settlements of asbestos-related death and injury claims were announced in Japan and Australia. The United States has been the center of asbestos-related litigation for several years and at present, Congress is attempting to reach an accord with respect to a trust fund that would finance the resolution of asbestos claims over the next several decades by shielding the corporations responsible for the problem by implementing what many see as nothing more than a corporate bailout of the asbestos industry.
Simply stated, asbestos is as deadly a natural time-bomb as the world has ever known. Yet, it continues to be mined and exported from advanced countries like Canada and Russia to developing nations where more death and disease will eventually follow.
Asbestos producing countries have repeatedly blocked the addition of chrysotile (white) asbestos to the UN list of highly dangerous substances that cannot be exported to developing countries without their knowledge and agreement.
In September 2004, "prior informed consent" (PIC) listing of chrysotile was blocked at the Rotterdam convention meeting in Geneva primarily through the efforts of Canada and Russia.
Canada is the world's second-largest exporter of asbestos after Russia.
Numerous vocal critics of Canada's policy on asbestos call the country’s actions nothing more than exporting death to protect the profits of a handful of companies and the jobs of 1,600 miners.
"What's the difference between land mines and asbestos?" asks Dr. Barry Castleman, author of a respected book on the danger of asbestos. "A key difference, of course, is that Canada doesn't export land mines."
In countries like India where the exported asbestos winds up, unprotected workers slash open bags of asbestos fibers in order to mix it with cement. These workers have no choice but to work within swirling clouds of carcinogenic fibers.
In Britain, the Cancer Research Campaign has stated that its study into the European asbestos-linked cancer epidemic should sound alarm bells everywhere, "particularly in the developing world where uncontrolled asbestos is still very common," said CRC director Gordon McVie.
The asbestos industry, however, profits greatly from exporting to developing nations with seven of Canada's top 10 markets being so-called Third World countries.
To preserve that profitability, the Canadian government, the asbestos industry and lobby groups are doing there best to put a good face on the asbestos industry. Both diplomats and journalists are wined and dined and sent on first-class trips as part of this effort.
Philip Landrigan, of New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine - the center that first linked cancer to asbestos in the 1960s - says the asbestos lobby's claim that the fiber is safe is "absolutely untrue."
"Asbestos remains an important cause of human illness," says Landrigan. "All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic, and that includes Canadian chrysotile."
Julian Peto, head of epidemiology at the University of London, who wrote the study on the Euro-epidemic, says there's no safe way to use asbestos in developed nations. In developing nations, where there is little money for protective clothing and ventilation systems, workers are being poisoned by the thousands.
"There is no way you can control it in Britain, let alone the third world," Peto says.
Ten European Union members have banned asbestos. France, which banned it in 1997 for health reasons, now faces a Canadian challenge at the WTO. Canada argues the ban violates Canada's rights under international trade rules.
In a speech before an audience of occupational health professionals from around the world who had gathered in Italy, Dr. Joseph LeDou of the University of California's Medical School attacked Canada's asbestos-promoting efforts.
LeDou said Canada was engaged in "the exploitation of ignorance and poverty" in Asia, Africa, and Latin America." He accused Canadian policy makers of "setting up the developing world "for an epidemic of asbestos-related disease, the costs of which will fall on countries that can ill afford it."
Thus, as the asbestos “problem” becomes more acute, public awareness of the looming epidemic and its origins takes on even greater urgency.
The naturally occurring mineral, asbestos, was once regarded as a natural insulation and used for fireproofing, automotive brake lining, and other useful materials.
In the past 25 years, however, scientists, consumer groups, and even manufacturers of asbestos-based products have come to understand the extreme long-term dangers posed by asbestos exposure.
New regulations regarding asbestos state that it should not be used in buildings or other products that previously relied on the substance for its many uses. Scientific and medical studies have also linked asbestos exposure to several illnesses ranging from asbestosis to a deadly form of cancer.
Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers. These fibers can be separated into thin strands which tend to break easily and turn into a dust or powder.
This powder can then disperse into the air and attach itself to clothing, making it easy for people to inhale or swallow it. When asbestos is inhaled or swallowed it can cause a whole host of serious health problems.
One of the more severe health risks associated with asbestos is a chronic, non-cancerous respiratory disease called asbestosis. Asbestosis occurs when asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lungs causing lung tissues to become aggravated and scarred.
Some symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath and a dry, wheezing sound made by the lungs upon inhalation. Some of them more serious risks include cardiac failure which occurs primarily in advanced stages of asbestosis.
Unfortunately there is currently no effective treatment for asbestosis and it can therefore be completely disabling and even fatal. While other asbestos related illnesses can affect people who do not come in direct contact with asbestos but are merely victims of second-hand exposure, asbestosis rarely affects anyone other than individuals who work with asbestos.
Mesothelioma is another significant and widespread health risk associated with asbestos exposure and unlike asbestosis, it can affect individuals who are not directly exposed to asbestos but either live with someone who is an asbestos worker or live near asbestos mining areas or other places where the substance is widely used. Almost all cases of mesothelioma are directly attributable to asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma is a rare and quite deadly form of cancer that occurs when tumors form on the membranes surrounding the lungs, chest, abdomen, and sometimes heart. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years following exposure to asbestos
Thus, there is the expectation that there will be a significant increase in the number of mesothelioma cases in the coming decades both in the U.S. and in all of the developing nations that are currently importing asbestos fibers for industrial use.
There are two types of mesothelioma – pleural and peritoneal. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to a build-up of fluid. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain as well as swelling due to too much fluid in the abdomen.
Both types of mesothelioma can cause fever, anemia, blood clotting, and bowel problems. When mesothelioma spreads to other parts of the body it has been known to cause pain, difficulty swallowing, and swelling of the neck or face.
While asbestosis and mesothelioma are the most common health risks associated with asbestos exposure, lung cancer has also been linked to asbestos. In fact, lung cancer is responsible for the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. Individuals who have been exposed to other carcinogens, such as cigarette smoke, are at an increased risk for developing lung cancer than people who have only been exposed to asbestos.
Recently, more information has surfaced regarding the immediate and long-term effects of asbestos exposure. Researchers are still trying to figure out which individuals are at the highest risk as well as how to prevent or diminish the risk using new tests and remedies.
A study from the University of Montana found that people exposed to high levels of asbestos may face a greater risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and other autoimmune diseases. Residents of Libby, Montana were studied because of both occupational and environmental exposures resulting from their proximity to an asbestos-contaminated mine.
A comparison was made between 50 Libby residents and 50 residents of a nearby town with no known asbestos exposure. Researchers found that the Libby residents had levels of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) that were 29% higher than the residents of the neighboring town.
People with ANAs generally have immune systems that may be prone to attack their own body tissues causing inflammation, such as individuals with multiple sclerosis. More than 75% of the Libby residents also had lung problems, some more severe than others, that were directly attributable to asbestos exposure.
W.R. Grace & Co., the owners of the vermiculite mining plant in Libby, Montana, was charged with conspiring to endanger residents of the town as well as withholding information about health risks from asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. Grace apparently allowed the asbestos to spread through the community from commercial buildings to schools. If Grace is convicted, it could have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in fines.
Another study, published in the may issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found a significant number of cases of mesothelioma in family members of asbestos workers.
According to the findings of Dr. Albert Miller of St. Vincent Catholic Medical Center in New York, the cancer, which is mainly caused by exposure to airborne particles of asbestos, most often affects the wives and daughters of asbestos workers and may take over 40 years to develop. A few cases involving sons and other relatives were also found, however.
The study concluded that exposure to particles of asbestos carried home on workers’ clothing and bodies was directly linked to 32 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in family members since 1990.
About 90% of mesotheliomas in men have been attributed to asbestos because of their direct exposure to the material at work. In cases involving women, however, linking the disease to asbestos has proven to be more difficult. Based upon the study results, Dr. Miller theorizes that many of these unexplained cases in women may be related to having lived with an asbestos-exposed worker at some point in their lives.
Another study published in the second issue of the October 2005 of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the American Thoracic Society, stated that Californians who live near naturally occurring asbestos sources and who are exposed to low levels of the mineral are at increased risk for developing mesothelioma.
Dr. Marc B. Schenker, of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, at the University of California, Davis, and four associates, examined 2,908 malignant mesothelioma cases reported from 1988 to 1997. Over 50% of the men and 58% of the women, all of whom were listed in the California Cancer Registry, either had no or little exposure to occupational asbestos at the workplace.
According to the study authors, California has more naturally occurring asbestos source rocks than any other state in the U.S. Previous studies all point to occupational exposure to asbestos as the cause of mesothelioma. But population-based studies, Dr Schenker says, have almost all showed some examples of mesothelioma cases where there was no exposure at work. The new study reveals that the living environment could actually be the culprit in such cases.
In addition to some of these recent studies regarding asbestos exposure, there have been certain developments relating to diagnosis and treatment for mesothelioma.
A five-year study by researchers from several countries, however, has found that a vitamin E-related compound known as alpha-TOS may kill mesothelioma cells in mice. The compound also halted the growth of mesothelioma tumors and showed promise with respect to suppressing tumors associated with melanoma and breast, lung, and colon cancer.
Dr. Jiri Neuzil of Griffith University (Gold Coast), who headed the study, hopes to begin human trials within two years. Although Dr. Neuzil is encouraged by the results, he is cautiously optimistic since “in the past many experiments showing promise in mice have completely failed in humans.”
One very positive finding in this study was that alpha-TOS selectively pursued mesothelioma cells and destroyed them while causing little, if any damage to normal cells.
Although alpha-TOS is already taken orally by many people as a health supplement, it loses its cancer fighting quality when it is converted to vitamin E by the digestive system. Dr. Neuzil made a cynical observation, however, when he stated that the pharmaceutical industry might not take on alpha-TOS as a cancer cure because the compound cannot be patented.
A study published in theNew England Journal of Medicine (Oct. 13, 2005; vol 353: pp 1564-1573) found that a blood test could help screen for pleural mesothelioma by checking the blood for high levels of a protein called osteopontin.
In a news release, Dr. Harvey Pass, chief of the division of thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology in the cardiothoracic surgery department at NewYork University Medical School said that blood osteopontin levels "rise dramatically" in the early stages of pleural mesothelioma.
Prior to the new blood test, pleural mesothelioma was difficult to detect in its early, more treatable stages, which led to a high mortality rate and a life expectancy of only a few months.
Pass and colleagues conducted osteopontin blood tests on 190 people, 76 of whom had pleural mesothelioma. The study also considered sixty-nine patients who had asbestos-linked lung disease that wasn't cancerous and current or former smokers with no asbestos exposure.
The study found that higher osteopontin blood levels were linked to pleural mesothelioma but not to noncancerous asbestos-related lung diseases. There also was little difference in the osteopontin levels between the 69 noncancerous asbestos-related lung disease participants and the 45 people without asbestos exposure. Osteopontin levels were similar for men and women.
The findings need further study and it is still not known if high blood osteopontin levels can determine other kinds of asbestos-related cancer. However, osteopontin has been studied as a possible marker for other cancers such as ovarian cancer.
While all of this new information regarding asbestos related illnesses and exposure to asbestos continues to surface, the U.S. Senate is deciding whether to approve a bill to create an asbestos compensation fund.
This fund would exist for the purpose of eliminating asbestos lawsuits by creating a 30-year fund financed by companies facing litigation and their insurers. Victims would lose their right to sue for compensation and would be required to go to the fund for relief.
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has already mounted a vocal campaign against the passage of the asbestos bill. ADAO’s president, Alan Reinstein, argues that the bill does not adequately protect the rights of asbestos victims and hopes that Senate does not support what he calls “this corporate bailout bill.”
ADAO, however, has serious problems with the proposed fund including outdated and incorrect medical criteria with respect to the symptoms, diagnosis, and severity of asbestos related diseases, inordinate compensation delays, and improper eligibility standards, inadequate funding for research, education, prevention, and outreach, and possible insolvency long before all present and future victims can access it.
While the group is not opposed to the idea of a trust fund, it would much rather see one that is fundamentally fair, adequately funded, free of bureaucratic delays, and guaranteed to be around long enough to ensure all victims would be properly compensated. ADAO also advocates giving the victims the right to choose between compensation from the fund or a trial.
Meanwhile, Senate opponents of the bill see potential dilemmas with the fund’s solvency and with the allocation of expenses between the participating companies and insurers.
Lawsuits continue to surface regarding asbestos exposure and asbestos related illnesses. At the moment, studies continue to persist in an effort to learn more about how asbestos affects people who are directly exposed to the substance as well as individuals who experience second-hand exposure.
In the 1970’s government regulations stopped the widespread and common use of asbestos. Today, however, it is still used under heavy regulation. Asbestos is still used in more than 3,000 products such as brake linings, engine gaskets, and roof coatings. Older buildings still contain asbestos as it was originally thought of as an excellent insulating material.
In many of those older buildings (such as schools), however, years of deterioration, leaks, careless alterations, and improper asbestos abatement operations have all played a role in producing airborne asbestos fibers.
The number of asbestos-related deaths continues to climb. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 77 people died from asbestos related illnesses in 1968 while 1,493 people died from asbestos in 2000.
Since mesothelioma can take up to 50 years to incubate and start becoming symptomatic, the number of people who have been affected by asbestos exposure remains to be seen. Additionally, asbestos has only recently been listed on death certificates as health officials are becoming more aware of the dangers associated with asbestos and asbestos related illnesses.
Clearly, the asbestos saga is far from over and only promises to get much worse before it gets better.

Asbestos and Cancer

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos related cancer, you may want to seek legal advice. Typical legal settlements can reach five million dollars.How common is mesothelioma?Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant ( cancerous ) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.What is the mesothelium?The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs ( such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs ) to glide easily against adjacent structures.Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura ( pleural mesothelioma ), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine ( external radiation ) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found ( internal radiation therapy ).Working with asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma - only 20% to 30% of reported cases occur in people who have no known history of exposure to asbestos. Go to www.asbestos-mesothelioma-resources.org and learn more about this type of cance.www.asbestos-mesothelioma-resources.org is a comprehensive website dedicated to providing valuable, up to date information on cancer.This website will deliver on the most useful information, advice and support to assist you to take control of your life.

CHAMPION OF ASBESTOS VICTIMS HONOURED

Middlesex woman who has spent 30 years battling industrial giants on behalf of asbestos victims was celebrating today after being honoured with a lifetime achievement award.Nancy Tait MBE has pioneered a campaign to secure compensation for workers with asbestos-related illnesses since her husband, Bill, died in 1968 of a rare form of cancer resulting from his exposure to asbestos.Mrs Tait founded Enfield charity the Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association (OEDA) in 1978 to support victims of asbestos and their families in their fight for compensation.Her campaign to protect workers exposed to asbestos has helped to bring about new legislation, such as the 1999 ban on importing, supplying and using white asbestos.Receiving her award from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, Mrs Tait said: "The award was made to me but I consider it to be recognition of the efforts of thousands of people who over the years have shared my conviction that asbestos kills and that something must be done."When Mr Tate died of mesothelioma there was no obvious connection between his job as a post office engineer and the presence of barely detectable asbestos fibres in his lungs. His employers refused to admit liability and withheld his widow's pension.However, after a four-year campaign Mrs Tate finally proved that there was a link between her husband's occupation and the disease that killed him.Following a flurry of publicity surrounding her case, the asbestos industry ridiculed Mrs Tate's claims that asbestos posed a safety risk to workers and ran a campaign declaring that asbestos was safe.Ms Tait said: "Confronted by one of its posters at the foot of the stairs at Victoria tube station, my reaction was `we need an organisation to fight back'."It is now widely accepted that thousands of people have died and contracted illnesses resulting from asbestos and that many more will be affected during the next 15 years as asbestos-related diseases can take years to develop.The OEDA plans to use the bursary that forms part of the award to publish a leaflet alerting self-employed builders and DIY enthusiasts to the potential dangers of asbestos in buildings.For more information about the OEDA call 020 8360 6413, email oeda@oeda.demon.co.uk, or visit www.oeda.demon.co.uk

Testing Lab Provides FREE Asbestos in Homes Poster for Real Estate, Inspection and Environmental Professionals.

EMSL Analytical, Inc., the nations largest asbestos testing laboratory is proud to announce that they have just recently released their Asbestos in Homes Poster for Real Estate, Inspection and Environmental Professionals. The decorative poster provides information on where asbestos can be found in homes.
Asbestos was applied extensively to buildings from 1935 to the mid 1970's. Chrysotile and Amosite, both separately and in blends were the predominant asbestos types used in building materials. Asbestos was used even by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The word "asbestos" is derived from the Greek language, meaning "inextinguishable". When processed (milled), asbestos separates into very thin fibers. These fibers are stronger than steel making it quite attractive for a wide range of applications.
When material containing asbestos is disturbed, there is a potential of asbestos fibers being released into the air. These fibers, so small that they are typically invisible to the naked eye, can remain airborne for extended periods. When inhaled they pose serious health issues including:
Asbestosis – Disease characterized by pulmonary fibrosis. This is a progressive scarring of the lung tissue. It is associated exclusively by chronic occupational exposure to asbestos. Symptoms are shortness of breath, cough, and fatigue.
Lung Cancer – Malignant tumor of the covering of the bronchi. Early symptom is a persistent
cough such as in bronchitis. Chest X-Rays sometimes show shadows that indicate tumors. The definitive testis a biopsy with microscopic analysis. The latency period is typically 20-30 years.
Mesothelioma – Cancer of the lining of the chest or abdominal wall. Few symptoms early on.
By the time it is diagnosed it is almost always fatal. As with lung cancer the latency period is extended (typically 30-40 years).
Under the Clean Air Act of 1970, the EPA began regulating asbestos containing materials (ACM) which they define as >1% asbestos. Although it's current use in the U.S. is minimal, there is still a strong international market and imported products may therefore contain asbestos.

Asbestos Bill Likely to Hit Senate Floor Early Next Year

Asbestosnews.com has decided that the proposed asbestos "trust-fund" bill facing a Senate vote as early as next year is an unfair addition to the legal landscape as well as the United States Justice system. The bill, which has been waiting for a vote since 2003, was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R - TN) in order to save companies from potentially bankrupting lawsuits stemming from asbestos related injuries. During most of the 20th century, Asbestos was long used in building construction, fireproofing and insulation in residencies and businesses in the United States and the world. Asbestos exposure has been linked to several health problems including the development of a rare and deadly cancer known as mesothelioma. Because the cancer is hard to detect until it is too late, mesothelioma often results in death.The proposed Asbestos Bill would create a $140 billion trust fund. This would be made up of money from businesses to compensate those who were seeking retribution for their asbestos related injuries. This fund would essentially put a cap on the amount that people would be able to recoup as well as prevent businesses from paying the bulk of the lawsuit money. Currently, the bill is set up to allow any additional funds over the $140 billion amount to be paid out by the US taxpayers themselves, through government loans. New Hampshire Republican Sen. Judd Gregg and ranking Democrat Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, have called on Sen. Frist to address the issue of where the money would come from once the fund ran out. The two senators have expressed concern that the governmental contribution to the fund would further increase the country's debt, already at its highest level ever at over $8 trillion.Asbestosnews.com is joining the others that are concerned about the asbestos bill as it stops the rights of millions of asbestos sufferers from reclaiming their lives and their rights. By creating a capped trust fund bill to be funded largely by the US government, the responsibility is out of the hands of the businesses that long covered up the hazards of asbestos exposure. These businesses stand to resolve their culpability in their direct negligence and potentially illegal business practices. Due to some harsh critics in the Senate and elsewhere, the passing of the bill is unlikely at this juncture, but still has many proponents in both the Democratic and Republican parties.