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Chemical Companies Fight for Asbestos Use, Despite Mesothelioma Concerns
While asbestos awareness advocates and those touched by mesothelioma were cheered by news of a proposed asbestos ban, the chemical industry continues to fight the move. Instead of working to retrofit their factories in ways that would prevent future asbestos-related disease, industry groups are stoking fears of job losses and unclean water.
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Appeals Court Orders Insurance Company to Pay Mesothelioma Claim
For decades, manufacturers have been aware that asbestos is carcinogenic and causes diseases like malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis, yet they continued exposing people to the dangerous material. Compensating victims for these illnesses has cost both the companies and their insurers billions of dollars. Though insurance company Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty tried to evade responsibility for
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Extended Mesothelioma Survival May Depend on Initial Approach
Extending survival and improving patient quality of life is what mesothelioma experts strive for, but researchers are still learning the nuances of how different approaches impact that goal. A recent study conducted by Japanese oncologists has revealed that patients have better results from second-line chemotherapy when their first-line therapy includes a greater number of dosing
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Preventive Testing for Smokers May Lead to Earlier Mesothelioma Diagnoses
Though a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is always considered terminal, patients whose disease is identified and treated early tend to live longer and enjoy better quality of life. A new recommendation for earlier screening in smokers is geared towards early diagnosis of lung cancer, but may end up benefitting those smokers who are also at
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Study Reveals Need for Continued Vigilance Towards Mesothelioma
Though much is known about malignant mesothelioma, the rarity of the disease and the similarity of its presentation to other, more common illnesses, means that its diagnosis is often delayed. These delays diminish the effectiveness of treatment. A recent case study published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science makes clear that clinicians must be familiar with
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Study Confirms HITHOC’s Effectiveness in Treating Pleural Mesothelioma
A new study has confirmed that Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemotherapy represents a promising option for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The protocol had previously proven effective in treating other malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, but its use in treating the asbestos-related cancer had not been assessed. The research confirms that it provides significant improvement in
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When Mesothelioma Surgeries Don’t Go According to Plan
There are few options available to those diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. Though patients eligible for surgery may choose a less aggressive approach that promises shorter recovery time, surgeons often find mid-procedure that a more invasive procedure is required. A recent study revealed how patients fare when their surgery shifts mid-stream.
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Does Financial Hardship Play a Role in Mesothelioma Survival?
Being diagnosed with any type of cancer is devastating, but a malignant mesothelioma diagnosis is catastrophic. The rare asbestos-related disease is always considered terminal, and the only way to extend survival is through treatment options that are extremely expensive. Though cost should be the last consideration when it comes to health, a recent analysis of
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Illegality of Debris Removal Contract Nullifies Defense in Mesothelioma Case
When Darnell Daniels was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, he filed suit against his former employer and the owner of a site that they leased, accusing them of knowingly exposing him to asbestos. Though the case was dismissed based on the exclusive remedy provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act, an Illinois appellate panel overturned that decision,
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Documentary Shines Light on Mesothelioma’s Link to Cosmetic Products
Despite the best efforts of asbestos awareness advocates, malignant mesothelioma has remained a relative unknown among the general public. But that may change now that the illness has been introduced through HBO Max’s multi-part documentary, “Not So Pretty.”
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Female Mesothelioma Patients Experience Cancer Treatment Symptoms Differently
It has long been known that women diagnosed with and treated for cancers like malignant mesothelioma experience far more severe side effects than men do. A recent article both quantifies the difference and provides recommendations for how to offset these differences, including the use of complementary and alternative healing methods and therapies.
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Auto Shop Owner’s Family Granted Path to Justice After Mesothelioma Death
Frank LaBarre’s malignant mesothelioma came after decades of working as a tire repairman and salesman and owner of his own auto repair shop. He filed a personal injury claim against the manufacturers and sellers of several brands of asbestos-contaminated brakes, and though he died before his case was heard, his surviving daughter is pursuing the
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Goodyear Must Face Former Carpenter Over Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
A New York judge has denied The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a man diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer. Though the company argued that the tiles Ferdinand Catapano worked with contained no asbestos, testimony from both the victim and a former Goodyear floor tile development contradicted this assertion,
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Mesothelioma Victims Watch While Fraud Case Against J&J Proceeds
While mesothelioma victims and others harmed by asbestos-contaminated talc in Johnson & Johnson’s products continue to await resolution of their injury claims, a separate group of plaintiffs will be allowed to proceed with legal action against the consumer giant. This week a New Jersey bankruptcy judge ruled that the ongoing Chapter 11 case should not
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mRNA Cancer Treatment May Hold Promise for Treatment of Mesothelioma
German scientists investigating the use of mRNA-based cancer therapies say that preliminary data is cause for optimism that the novel approach may be helpful in treating challenging solid tumor cancers like malignant mesothelioma. The technology is the same that was used in the development of the COVID-19 vaccines.
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Mesothelioma Concerns Drive Suit Against Montana and State University
Driven by concerns over mesothelioma and asbestosis, parents of children enrolled in a childcare facility at the University of Montana filed suit in 2020 against the school and the state itself. The litigation revolves around exposure to asbestos.
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Nebraska Family Agrees to $260,000 Settlement After Sister’s Mesothelioma Death
Two years after Donna Grant died of malignant mesothelioma, the city of Lincoln, Nebraska has reached a settlement that will pay her family members $260,000 for her hospital and medical bills, her burial and funeral costs, the pain and suffering she experienced prior to her death, and her family members’ sorrow after her passing.
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Court Rules Equipment Manufacturer Must Face Mesothelioma Widow
After her husband Eric died of malignant mesothelioma, Shelley Droz filed a personal injury lawsuit against Hennessy Industries Inc., accusing the company of failing to warn that use of their equipment could lead to exposure to asbestos dust. Though a lower court had granted the company’s motion to dismiss the case for lack of evidence,
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EPA’s Proposed Asbestos Restrictions Called “Insufficient” by Mesothelioma Advocates
For years, mesothelioma victims, healthcare professionals, and advocates in the United States have fought for a ban on the use and import of asbestos. This week the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a prohibition on the use, manufacture and import of chrysotile asbestos, but many say the move still does not go far enough.
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Colorado Researchers Identify Critical Protein in Mesothelioma Cells
Though it has been decades since scientists have proven that malignant mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, the actual mechanism that drives the aggressive form of cancer has remained a mystery. Now researchers from the University of Colorado Anschultz believe that a protein present in our earliest development may be behind the tumors’ growth.
