Asbestos &amp; Mesothelioma News

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Asbestos: Past risk or future threat?

Most people never think or worry about asbestos. Once deemed a miracle fiber, the substance’s use was largely eradicated after OSHA came into existence. What many don’t realize is the lasting effects of the carcinogen. At one time before the dangers were realized, asbestos appeared in a variety of manufactured items, from insulation to clothing. Exposure occurred from the products, in factories and from their loved ones’ work clothes. Use finally declined in the 1970s, but many countries (including the United States) haven’t implemented a ban, making it a worldwide threat. It serves as the largest cause of work-related deaths in the United...

29 May

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Recent rulings discipline careless asbestos handling

Three recent verdicts represent the lack of care still associated with asbestos removal. In each case, the defendants either performed botched removal jobs or exposed workers to the deadly fibers without proper protection. During the demolition of a vacant public housing facility in Buffalo, New York, two city inspectors failed at ensuring asbestos was safely removed and didn’t escape into the nearby community. William Manuszewski and Donald Grzebielucha worked for the city for many years and were trusted, law-abiding employees according to court documents. The pair admitted guilt for violating the Clean Air Act through negligent endangerment. Their clean records and...

29 May

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Mesothelioma treatments found in unexpected places

Several research articles recently published detail new and innovative drug solutions to fight mesothelioma. Scientists from around the world continue to develop potential solutions with Korea releasing their findings tied to a leukemia treatment and red wine. Published in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the study found clofarabine, a drug typically used with relapsed leukemia cases in children, combined with a chemical found in the skin of a red grape helps trigger cancer cell death in patients. One of the goals of cancer treatment is targeting the harmful cells and avoiding healthy cells, a challenging feat with mesothelioma. The Korean scientists found by...

29 May

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Firefighters at higher risk for many cancers including mesothelioma