With over 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year, lung cancer is the most common and the leading cause of death from cancer in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society projects over 140,000 people will die from lung cancer in 2019 and the majority of[…]
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Why Does Asbestos-Related Disease Continue to Rise?
In early 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that despite the decline of asbestos use once the product became regulated in the United States, mesothelioma rates continue to rise, with a total of 45,221 deaths in the United States alone from 1999 to 2015. Scientists and[…]
World Cancer Day – Cancers Caused by Asbestos Exposure
Monday, February 4, 2019, was World Cancer Day and around the world, communities held seminars, festivals, and walks to promote and raise awareness about an illness that affects millions of people each year. During World Cancer Day, communities educate people about cancer risks, signs and symptoms, and available treatments and[…]
Funding Needed for Lung Cancer Awareness and Research – How You Can Help
For a cancer than claims more lives than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined, Lung Cancer is severely underfunded, leaving scientists and researchers reliant on private funding and donations. Funding for lung cancer, as with many other cancers, plays a critical role in developing and investigating research that could eventually[…]
Dealing With a Mesothelioma Diagnosis
A mesothelioma diagnosis is devastating for those suffering with the disease and family members alike. The nature of the illness is aggressive, and there is currently no cure. The quality of life for a mesothelioma patient can decrease significantly and quickly as the cancer spreads throughout the body. One of[…]
Despite Asbestos Regulations, CDC Reports Increase in Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is specifically caused by asbestos exposure. The cancer affects the lining surrounding various organs and cavities within the body called the mesothelium. Asbestos fibers, which are nearly invisible, sharp, and easily inhaled, become embedded in this soft tissue. The body is unable to[…]
Lung cancer is more than a smokers’ disease
The world seems to turn pink each October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but little recognition is given to the month that follows. November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month, intended to educate the public about the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United[…]
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[…]
Libby, Montana faces new asbestos-related threats
While exploring northwestern Montana in 1916, prospectors made a unique discovery in the mountains that would forever affect the people in the nearby town of Libby. This strange mineral was resistant to high heat and fire, making it ideal for construction materials. Mining began three years later of the vermiculite,[…]
Firefighters at higher risk for many cancers including mesothelioma
When the alarm sounds, they don’t think about the dangers ahead or their possible loss of life. Firefighters immediately react, placing the lives of those in peril ahead of their own. They charge into burning buildings with one goal in mind, not pausing to consider the longterm effects. Unfortunately for[…]