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Expert Panel Concludes that Firefighting Boosts Risk of Mesothelioma and Other Cancers
Firefighting has always been on the list of occupations considered at risk for malignant mesothelioma. But now an expert panel put together by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has confirmed the dangers, concluding that firefighting itself is carcinogenic.
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Mesothelioma Advocates Watch Closely as Bankruptcy Judge Considers J&J Talc Lawsuits
Mesothelioma victims and others who blame Johnson & Johnson for their asbestos-related illnesses have been frustrated and outraged that recent bankruptcy maneuvers might protect the company from litigation. Now there’s hope that some cases may be heard, as two states have renewed their lawsuits against the company over its talc sales, and the bankruptcy judge
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Researchers’ Novel Approach May Counter Mesothelioma’s Resistance to Cancer Drugs
While chemotherapy drugs are extremely effective in the treatment of many cancers, some malignancies characterized by solid tumors — including malignant mesothelioma — have proven resistant to the drugs’ effects. But according to new research, a combination of several drugs generally used to treat other serious conditions may offer hope to those afflicted with these
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Construction Worker’s Family Awarded $15 Million After Mesothelioma Death
Though the presentation of evidence took three weeks, it took a New York state jury just 45 minutes to return a $15 million verdict to a mesothelioma widow seeking justice for her husband’s death. The jury found that asbestos company Kaiser Gypsum acted with reckless disregard leading to the death of 69-year-old Munir Seen.
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Pennsylvania Jury Awards $3.8 Million to Family of Mesothelioma Victim
For three weeks, a Pennsylvania jury heard testimony accusing manufacturer Washington Penn Plastics of causing 64-year-old Daniel Rugg’s death from malignant mesothelioma, and every day of the trial his widow Sandra sat and held a photo of her late husband. Last week the jury ordered the company to pay $3.8 million in damages.
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UK to Begin Offering Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma Patients
Almost two years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab as first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom has granted the same approval for its citizens.
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Immunotherapy’s Effectiveness Dampened by Acetaminophen
For patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, immunotherapy has offered the greatest hope for extended survival time and improved quality of life. But the protocol is still new, and there is much that still needs to be learned. A recent study suggests that patients using the treatment have worse outcomes and reduced overall survival if they
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Honeywell’s Objection to Mesothelioma Claims Questioned by Bankruptcy Judge
Over the last several decades, many asbestos companies have established settlement trusts that provide compensation to mesothelioma victims and others suffering asbestos-related diseases following exposure to their products. Arranged as part of bankruptcy filings, the trusts have allowed companies to walk away from millions of dollars in liability for individual personal injury lawsuits. Still, some
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Mesothelioma Researchers Urge Physicians to Look Beyond Lab Results
There are certain things that almost all pleural mesothelioma victims have in common before their diagnosis: chest pain; coughing, weight loss, fatigue. In response to these symptoms, physicians conduct extensive tests to ensure a proper diagnosis. Though immunohistochemistry can both confirm mesothelioma and distinguish its specific cell type, researchers have found that more extensive testing
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Mesothelioma Patients to Benefit from Improved Cancer Care for Medicare Patients
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an announcement that will have a significant impact on mesothelioma patients around the country. Under the Biden Administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, the two organizations are introducing a new model aimed at improving cancer care
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Palliative Care’s Role in Helping Patients with Mesothelioma and Other Terminal Diseases
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The disease is always considered fatal. It moves swiftly, robbing patients of what they had thought would be their golden years. A study published in BMC Palliative Care provides insights into how nurses and other caretakers can help cancer patients manage
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Mesothelioma Advocates Praise EPA Identification of Asbestos as an “Unreasonable” Health Risk
For decades, mesothelioma advocates have lobbied the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action against asbestos. After years of seeing high hopes dashed by disappointment, activists are welcoming a notice published by the agency indicating its recognition that the carcinogenic material represents an “unreasonable” risk and taking note of both its legacy dangers and of
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Judge Issues Strong Dissent as Appeals Court Vacates Punitive Damages in Mesothelioma Case
Following review of a 2021 decision, a California appeals court has allowed a mesothelioma victim to retain $4.8 million in compensatory damages from talc supplier Whittaker Clark & Daniels but vacated an additional $3 million the jury had assessed in punitive damages. Though the majority of the panel said there was no evidence the company
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Department of Justice Joins Mesothelioma Victims Against J&J Bankruptcy
Mesothelioma victims, victims of asbestosis, and women diagnosed with ovarian cancer all gained a powerful legal ally this week when the U.S. Department of Justice joined them in arguing against Johnson & Johnson’s recent bankruptcy filing and reorganization.
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State Supreme Court Reinstates $2.4 Million Mesothelioma Verdict
The family of Willis Edenfield has finally gotten justice following his death from malignant mesothelioma after the New Jersey Supreme Court reinstated the $2.4 million in compensation that a jury originally awarded them years earlier. But their victory was a long time coming, with plenty of twists and turns.
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Judge Upholds Mesothelioma Victim’s Right to Sue Brother’s Employer
As a result of where they live, what occupation they worked in, or where their family members worked, many mesothelioma victims suffer multiple exposures to asbestos over the course of their lives. This can create a complicated legal question, but the courts have determined that mesothelioma is not a “single compensable disease,” and that victims
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Mesothelioma Victim’s $37.6 Million Award Highest in Louisiana History
After six days of testimony, a Louisiana jury decided in favor of mesothelioma victim, ordering Level 3 Holdings and other defendants to pay the man a record-breaking $37.6 million in damages.
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Understanding Genetic Differences May Create More Effective Mesothelioma Treatment
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It is always considered fatal and is notoriously difficult to treat. But researchers from Austria and Germany have just completed a study that suggests that by identifying genetic differences in mesothelioma patients, physicians may be able to make more effective use of
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Non-profit Research Organization Questions Design of Some Mesothelioma Studies
The challenges posed by malignant mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, have lead researchers around the world to research novel treatments. But a non-profit organization is questioning the usefulness of certain clinical trials, arguing that rather than pursuing laboratory results, scientists should instead be working towards real world
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Mesothelioma Defendant Attempts to Sue Judge Over Decision
When Ports America Gulfport was named as a defendant in a mesothelioma lawsuit, they moved for summary judgment on the grounds that the Longshore Harbor Workers Compensation Act protected them from state tort claims. A judge denied their motion. Remarkably, days later Ports America filed suit against the judge and asked that the state proceedings
