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[…]
From the blog
Women developing mesothelioma after talcum powder use
Considered to be a miracle fiber, asbestos use skyrocketed as more and more people embraced the flame-resistant substance. A known carcinogen, asbestos can infect the body and cause a variety of cancers, including mesothelioma. Many associate mesothelioma with construction tradesmen or steel workers, but its reach is much larger. The[…]
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[…]
Grapes and leukemia treatment may help mesothelioma
Several research articles recently published detail new and innovative drug solutions to fight mesothelioma. Scientists from around the world continue to develop potential solutions with Korea releasing their findings tied to a leukemia treatment and red wine. Published in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the study found clofarabine, a drug typically[…]
Women three times more likely to survive mesothelioma than men
The prognosis for mesothelioma is grim- only 40 percent of all victims survive the first year with the average dwindling to eight percent after three years. Different studies varied in their conclusions about whether men or women survive longer. Recognizing none of the existing studies were population-based, researchers decided to[…]
