Named breakthrough of the year by Science Magazine in 2013, immunotherapy is a new option for treating cancer, but not without speculation and concern. This new treatment is limited to a few types of cancers, but the remarkable results found from clinical trial data shows promise for the future. Immunotherapy[…]
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Asbestos threat looms in Pennsylvania community
Ambler, Pennsylvania, is a small town near Philadelphia. Like other towns in the United States, it carries a deadly burden and legacy. The historic town, originally called Wissahickon for the railroad depot, served as stop on the North Pennsylvania Railroad. Soon after being renamed to Ambler, the industry that would[…]
Asbestos in schools creates deadly risks for children
Asbestos is a deadly fiber that was once considered a miracle mineral for its insulating and fireproofing abilities. After many decades of use, the public became aware of long-hidden facts – asbestos is a cancer-causing agent. Countries began banning or monitoring the mining and use of asbestos in an attempt[…]
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[…]
Recent rulings discipline careless asbestos handling
Three recent verdicts represent the lack of care still associated with asbestos removal. In each case, the defendants either performed botched removal jobs or exposed workers to the deadly fibers without proper protection. During the demolition of a vacant public housing facility in Buffalo, New York, two city inspectors failed[…]
Asia’s asbestos epidemic grows as sales focus on the poor
In most Western countries, asbestos is a banned substance due to the associated health risks. Research supports the constraints with billions spent on removal. Unfortunately, not all areas of the world follow these beliefs and procedures. India is the world’s biggest asbestos importer, with double-digit and annual growth and a[…]
Asbestos exposure is still a worldwide threat
Asbestos seems like a threat long since past. Most countries stopped using it in buildings by the 1990s and many have removed the dangerous substance in the years following. When the mesothelioma commercials flash across the screen, people don’t pay attention to the real threat of asbestos exposure. Residents of[…]
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,[…]
Study finds new treatment boosts chemotherapy results in mesothelioma
Researchers with the National Cancer Institute recently found an immunotoxin may increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. When combined with popular treatments cisplatin and pemetrexed, SS1P caused antitumor activity in patients. SS1P is an immunotoxin, a protein made by humans with a large targeting section linked to a toxin. Specifically, SS1P[…]
New chemical raises rats’ chance of mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer affecting around 3,000 Americans each year. In more than 70 percent of the cases, asbestos exposure is the main cause. A recent two-year study may have determined another leading contributor to the deadly disease. Rats exposed to vinylidene chloride (VDC), an industrial toxicant, had higher[…]
