Three teachers recently filed a lawsuit over their first amendment right to publicly demand answers about asbestos inside classrooms. They claim their rights were violated when they were punished for protesting in 2021. As part of a protest, they worked outside during teacher only workdays to protest their risks of[…]
From the blog
There are Stricter Regulations for Manufacturers of Asbestos
Now that the final reporting from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Substances Control Act is completed, asbestos manufacturers and processors are under stricter regulations. This is all due to the EPA mandating the reporting and record-keeping of uses of asbestos by companies that manufacture, import, or process asbestos or[…]
Chemoimmunotherapy Benefits Pleural Mesothelioma Patients
Results from a phase 3 clinical trial were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showing that a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for mesothelioma improves patients’ survival more than chemotherapy alone. Researchers combined Keytruda, or pembrolizumab, with platinum and pemetrexed chemotherapy. The overall response rate for patients receiving[…]
A Breath Test Could Soon be Available to Detect Mesothelioma
Researchers are trying to determine if a breath test can detect malignant pleural mesothelioma in patients exposed to asbestos. Early results are promising, but more research is needed to see what can be done for patients. The study, which is known as MESOBREATH 5, uses a test to detect volatile[…]
Extended Pleurectomy and Decortication Surgery Worse than Just Receiving Chemotherapy
Extended pleurectomy decortication surgery combined with chemotherapy is associated with worse outcomes compared to just chemotherapy alone. Researchers looked at extended pleurectomy and decortication surgery alongside chemotherapy and found that there are worse survival outcomes, a higher chance of serious adverse events, and a diminished quality of life compared to[…]
CARD Clinic in Libby Files for Bankruptcy
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The center, known as CARD, had to pay $6 million because it submitted 337 false asbestos claims. The lawsuit revealing this information was filed by the BNSF Railway under the Federal False Claims Act.[…]
Orphan Drug Status Given to New Treatment for Mesothelioma
A new treatment for mesothelioma was recently given orphan drug status by the United States FDA. The company given orphan drug status is known as Avenge Bio, which is a biotechnology company working to create a new immunotherapy treatment regimen. It announced that it was given orphan drug status back[…]
Genetic Testing for Mesothelioma
A new study is showing that running genetic tests on mesothelioma patients could be useful. The study was conducted at the University of Chicago and University of Wisconsin. While the main cause of mesothelioma is asbestos, genetic mutations can also influence people getting mesothelioma. Doctors do not usually test mesothelioma[…]
Biomarkers Could be Used to Monitor Mesothelioma Patients
Researchers from Türkiye believe that biomarkers in the blood can help determine if patients are responding well to their treatment. Biomarkers are molecules that can let doctors know what is happening in the body. Even a small number of biomarkers could potentially help point doctors to progress being made in[…]
New Rules Regarding Reporting of Asbestos
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its final rule requiring comprehensive reporting of asbestos. The rule requires that importers and manufacturers of asbestos related products report information including use and exposure information from the past four years. The new rule was issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The reporting[…]
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