November 25th, 2008 mesoatty
This family has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.
Stephen Bolon, 54, was one of the earliest people in Sydney, Australia to use the early detection test for exposure to asbestos. While a previous biopsy showed no cancer present in his lungs, the soluble mesothelin-related peptide that measured raised levels in his body told doctors otherwise. After two radical surgeries and now two years later he is now cancer free.
Australia has one of the highest of mesothelioma, the asbestos-related illness in the world therefore is at the forefront of research. Read the article in the Daily Telegraph Dad Cured of Deadly Cancer and see pictures of Stephen and his family.
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November 22nd, 2008 CPSM
Asbestos-based insulation and other asbestos products commonly used in homes and buildings throughout the past are now known to contribute to mesothelioma, a deadly lung cancer.
Today, environmentally aware builders and homeowners are more likely to use non-asbestos ‘green’ alternatives such as cellulose, cotton fiber made from recycled batted material (such as denim), a water-based polyurethane foam and other non-toxic materials. Such eco-friendly products can cut energy costs by 35% a year per household.
Asbestos is particularly deadly when it is broken up during removal, which releases the toxic fibers into the air. The attorneys at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason urge all homeowners to seek licensed abatement professionals when handling asbestos products and not to undertake removal on their own.
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November 19th, 2008 mesoatty
Malignant Mesothelioma
Malignant Mesothelioma: Advances in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Translational Therapies: Harvey I. Pass, Nicholas Vogelzang, Michele Carbone: Books
In the United States it is estimated 3,500 - 4,000 patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year, and there are estimates that show over the next 35 years, more than 250,000 people in Western Europe will be diagnosed with this deadly disease. The book “Malignant Mesothelioma“, edited by internationally recognized experts in the field, is a comprehensive text that relates science, pathology, clinical aspects and therapy for mesothelioma under one cover.
“This is a reference book suitable for departmental and medical libraries and for the shelves of those who have a particular clinical or research interest in mesothelioma … . This is a quality production. … Overall it is highly recommended.” (Michael Byrne, CancerForum, Vol. 30 (3), November, 2006)
Anyone interesed in this book may find it on Amazon by following this link:
Amazon.com: Malignant Mesothelioma: Advances in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Translational Therapies: Harvey I. Pass, Nicholas Vogelzang, Michele Carbone: Books.
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November 17th, 2008 waterman
Asbestos management in British schools has come under scrutiny by the Asbestos Sub-Committee of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, according to TimesOnline. Unsafe levels of asbestos exposure can cause serious lung diseases, including mesothelioma, a terminal cancer that is difficult to diagnose and treat.
Underfunding of school maintenance has allowed asbestos to deteriorate, threatening the health of students, the subcommittee maintains. The irony, they say, is that the Palace of Westminster will be closed during removal of deteriorating asbestos. “When it comes to preventing exposure there seems to be one rule for our legislators and another for our children,” the TimesOnline article stated.
Advocacy groups have asked the government to carry out a national audit of the asbestos content and condition in schools and to do more research on mesothelioma.
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November 10th, 2008 waterman
The British Health and Safety Executive recently revealed that every week 20 laborers in the industrial trades die from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, a fatal cancer of the lung from asbestos exposure.
Ian Wright, once a plasterer himself before he played football for Arsenal, said he was shocked when he learned that so many tradesmen were dying from asbestos exposure in their work. “I was surprised to learn that the number of deaths is actually on the increased every year,” he said. “If that was footballers dying the whole of the premiership would be wiped out in just three months.”
Steve Coldrick, director of the HSE’s Disease Reduction Programme said education is essential about how asbestos and its dangers are relevant to workers. “We want them to change the way they work so they don’t put their lives at risk,” he said.
Wright added, “I can really relate to the situations tradesmen find themselves in.”
HSE has launched a major campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos exposure because, although asbestos use has been banned, older buildings built before 2000 can present health risks to plumbers, joiners, electricians and others engaged in remodeling or maintenance.
The asbestos attorneys at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason urge readers to educate themselves on the dangers of working with asbestos. For more information about mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases visit our web site at www.mesothelioma-attorney.com/mesothelioma.
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November 3rd, 2008 waterman
Unions and support groups have asked the United Kingdom for a national database of workplace asbestos so that employees can judge the safety of their environment.
Growing evidence suggests asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of the lung lining, and other diseases caused by exposure to the toxic mineral, are increasingly prevalent among workers in schools, hospitals and other public buildings. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that between 1980 and 2000 some 183 teachers and lecturers died from mesothelioma, which is caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers. Asbestos fibers are virtually undetectable without special equipment.
According to officials, asbestos is the number one cause of workplace deaths in the UK. Formerly thought of as an “old man’s disease,” mesothelioma is being found in younger people today who may be exposed to asbestos when buildings are demolished, or in construction or automotive industries. In the United States, some schools undergoing renovation have so much asbestos to be dismantled and disposed of that the schools were closed for some months during toxic cleanup.
Parents in Britain argue that a national database would reveal how much asbestos is in schools children attend. Some 13,000 primary schools in Britain were built between 1945 and 1974 when asbestos-containing materials were widely used. Mesothelioma often takes up to 30 years to develop and is painful and difficult to treat.
Nurses and other hospital workers as well as construction workers might also be at risk, because of asbestos-containing products, said those calling for the national database.
Mesothelioma attorneys in the U.S. are closely watching the results of this request to see if similar legislation might be possible here. The HSE’s campaign, “Asbestos: The Hidden Killer” will run through November.
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October 30th, 2008 waterman
India is one of the world’s largest users of asbestos, a deadly fireproof product mined in Canada and the U.S. Canada exports 95% of its chrysotile asbestos to India for asbestos-cement roofs and in other building products. Construction workers and homeowners may become ill with a deadly cancer, chrysotile asbestos to India for asbestos-cement roofs and in other building products. Construction workers and homeowners may become ill with a deadly cancer, mesothelioma, or asbestosis, a serious breathing disorder that scars the lungs. Breathing asbestos fibers when sheets are cut and the fibers exposed causes both diseases. Asbestosis particularly has been on the rise.
Asbestos attorneys maintain that India does not monitor the health of workers sufficiently. And, where there is legislation, enforcement is lax, according to health officials. Although India has used asbestos for years, only recently have asbestos cement factories proliferated, producing pipes, brake pads and roofs that are more durable than the traditional straw – but made of deadly asbestos.
Although new asbestos mining is banned in India, tremolite and chrysotile mines that existed prior to the ban are allowed to operate. Gopal Krishna of the Ban Asbestos Network of India, says that safety workshops do not translate into safe practices on asbestos mining and use. Occupational safety is not enforced strictly and unfortunately it is difficult to get an accurate diagnosis in India for lack of trained physicians and other health workers.
“Just because there’s a lack of evidence doesn’t mean there’s a lack of a problems,” says Madhumita Dutta, a founding member of the Ban Asbestos Network of India. This week in Rome, 126 countries are debating whether chrysotile asbestos should be added to a watch list of dangerous chemicals.
Canada’s continued export of asbestos and alleged suppression of a report about the mineral’s health effects has put the government on the defensive. The Canadian Medical Association Journal has called for a ban on Canada’s asbestos exports. The United States has also been accused in not regulating asbestos use sufficiently.
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October 23rd, 2008 waterman
As homeowners prepare for the winter days ahead, the mesothelioma attorneys at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason caution them to be careful when inspecting or replacing insulation or appliances containing asbestos.
When disturbed, asbestos products release fibers into the air that can be inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos is odorless, tasteless and nearly invisible and can cause a deadly cancer when inhaled. “Although it takes as much as 50 years for mesothelioma to develop,” mesothelioma attorney Jack Clapper says, “it is a painful cancer and there is no cure.”
While homeowners may be tempted to undertake replacing asbestos-containing insulation, or a furnace or boiler lined with asbestos, it is important, Clapper advised, to consult with a professional asbestos abatement company to remove harmful products and to adhere to strict public safety guidelines. Workers in the building trades were often at risk over the years by laboring in industries where safety precautions were insufficient.
In any case, do not undertake asbestos removal yourself.
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October 20th, 2008 waterman
A revised plan by the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up a polluted industrial site in Walpole, Mass, has apparently satisfied local residents.
The Blackburn & Union Privileges Superfund site has a history of hazardous materials. In the 17th and 18th centuries the site contained a long list of industrial and commercial companies that used toxic substances such as chromium, mercury and arsenic. Later Multibestos, an asbestos manufacturing company, used the site. In the 20s and 30s a manufacturing plant making asbestos brake linings was established. This history has led residents to fear possible exposure to toxic levels of asbestos, known to cause mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer. Mesothelioma treatment can slow, but not cure, the disease.
After neighbors complained that the toxic cleanup seemed insufficient, the EPA developed a revised plan that is expected to satisfy residents. Asbestos attorneys and town officials are hopeful that the work will begin shortly.
Mesothelioma lawyers at the firm of Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason have a history of successful prosecution of asbestos cases.
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October 13th, 2008 waterman
Inmates of the McNeil Island Corrections Facility in Washington State raised concerns when they had to remove asbestos-containing tiles at the prison without the use of protective equipment and safety precautions. Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, a serious disease of the lung lining, and other kinds of cancer.
Although supervisors of the project had state certification in asbestos removal, they reportedly disregarded sanctioned removal practices, such as the use of water during the removal process to reduce asbestos dust, exposing the prisoners to asbestos fibers. When asbestos fibers are inhaled they often attach to the mesothelium, the lining of the lung. Mesothelioma is difficult to treat and is usually fatal.
The State Department of Labor and Industries believes at least 18 people may have been exposed to the asbestos fiber. The State Department of Prisons is reviewing the incident.
Attorneys at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason remind anyone who works in heavy industry, including automotive building and repair, construction, railway work and shipbuilding, to become informed about possible exposure to asbestos products in their work.
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