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School asbestos exposure investigation begins

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:46:19 +0000

North Queensland (Mesothelioma Cancer News) – An investigation has begun into an asbestos scare at a school in North Queensland. As reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), investigators are set to assess school faculty and contractor practices and procedures after an evacuation at Mackay North State High following a disturbance of asbestos fibres last week.

Central Queensland Department of Education director Wayne Butler is quoted in the report as stating of the matter, “As regional director I have instigated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the work that occurred at Mackay North State High School leading to the situation where we discovered or found that there may have been some risk to students through dust particles such as asbestos.”

Butler is further quoted as stating, “We have Dr Keith Adams coming up who is a specialist doctor with occupational medicine and he’ll be talking to members of staff and then to members of the school community on Tuesday afternoon.”

[Source-Mesotheliomacancernews.com]

University apartments to undergo asbestos removal, renovations

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:31:42 +0000

Nacogdoches, Texas – January 3, 2010

In Nacogdoches, Texas, students attending Stephen F. Austin State University are getting ready to say their final goodbyes to a complex that has housed many students over the years. The Garner Apartments will soon be demolished, as soon as asbestos abatement has been completed.

The 14-story dormitory is scheduled be demolished after the end of the fall semester, and all students are required to be moved out by December 19th. Once the residence is demolished, the land will become home to a new student residence hall, as well as a new parking garage.

Asbestos abatement will begin immediately after the last students have left. Asbestos must be removed from the site before demolition can begin in order to keep the material from becoming pulverized or airborne. If asbestos is accidentally inhaled or ingested, the results can be deadly.

Asbestos exposure has been scientifically linked to the development of mesothelioma, in numerous studies. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that has no known cure. Tragically, most mesothelioma patients lose their battle with this form of cancer in less than 24 months.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” said one student. “It’s nice to have something new, but it’s kind of sad to see (Garner) go, because it’s the tallest building in Nacogdoches.”

The Garner Apartments were built in 1969, and were named for a former history and political science professor at SFA. The Garner was home to 266 residents, but the planned freshman dorms that will be erected on the site will house 400.

[Via-Mesothelioma.com]

Mesothelioma-causing asbestos to be removed from abandoned city property

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:52:11 +0000

Moundsville, West Virginia – January 4, 2010

In Moundsville, West Virginia, the former Fostoria property is finally showing signs of life after two decades of sitting vacant.

“It hurt our economy when we lost the Fostoria. It had 700 to 800 employees at any one time. So that was a major dent in our employment,” said city manager Allen Hendershot. “The developers on site have taken down an additional five buildings and it’s very visible the change in the site now,” he added.

The next step is asbestos removal, and last week the Moundsville city council agreed to hire a consulting firm to outline the needs of the asbestos removal portion of the Fostoria project. Asbestos removal is a vital step on the road to salvaging this building, as asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer.

Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are some patients who may temporarily benefit from chemotherapy and other palliative treatments, mesothelioma remains incurable. Mesothelioma generally lies dormant for as many as fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from related symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years.

“We’re hoping to have the preliminary remedial action plan ready by mid-January. We’ll have to submit that to the [Department of Environmental Protection] for approval,” Hendershot said. “But we’re hoping that we’ll be able to keep this process moving quickly now.”

[Via-Mesothelioma.com]

Bionomics testing new mesothelioma drug

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:41:47 +0000

TREVOR CHAPPELL
December 9, 2009 – 4:34PM
Drug developer Bionomics Ltd plans to conduct a Phase II clinical trial of its leading compound, anti-cancer drug BNC105, on 60 mesothelioma patients in Australia next year.

Bionomics chief executive Dr Deborah Rathjen said on Wednesday that the trial would be one of few trials next year involving a drug targeting mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos and attacks the protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs.

Bionomics says BCN105 can extend the life of people suffering from mesothelioma and provide them with a better quality of life.

Dr Rathjen said about 600 people in Australia were diagnosed with mesothelioma each year and about 500 died from the disease.

The number of people suffering from the disease is expected to rise as more people than previously thought are believed to have been exposed to asbestos.

China and India are also expected to present large numbers of people suffering from mesothelioma because controls over asbestos in those countries are not as strict as controls in Australia and the United States.

BCN105 will also undergo a Phase II trial in the United States for the treatment of renal cancer.

Dr Rathjen said BCN105 was unlike other cancer drugs in that its two-pronged action blasted away the centre of tumours and also directly attacked cancer cells.

“A lot of chemotherapies will kill tumour cells but the cancers are able to evade and become resistant to chemotherapy,” she said.

“We don’t believe that cancers will become resistant to 105, using the same mechanisms that they become resistant to other chemotherapies.”

Dr Rathjen said Bionomics was looking towards getting BCN105 to market quickly by positioning it in “niche” applications such as the treatment of mesothelioma and renal cancer.

However, the drug had the potential to be used against other forms of cancer.

“Really, any solid tumour type that we tested this drug on in animals, it will shut down the blood vessels within those solid tumours and it will kill a cancer cell,” Dr Rathjen said.

Bionomics expects that the market for BNC105 could surpass $US1 billion ($A1.11 billion), should it be successfully developed.

“This drug has been very promising so far and the company is quickly moving to phase two trials,” Dr Rathjen said.

“We are expecting to report interim results of this trial in patients with mesothelioma in early 2011.”

Dr Rathjen said that once the Phase II trials were completed, the company hoped to license the compound for commercialisation.

The Phase II trials follow a successful Phase I trial of BCN105 in patients with advanced cancers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Western Hospital, Austin Health and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

[Via-http://news.smh.com.au]

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Cost of Asbestos-Related Deaths in Great Britain Projected to Double, Study Says

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:58:49 +0000

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

In the United Kingdom, more 2,000 people die a year of mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The numbers have been trending steeply upward since the 1960s, according to Great Britain’s Health and Safety Executive.

Asbestos-related disease exacts a steep cost in terms of lives lost, pain and suffering by Mesothelioma patients and their families and asbestos-related insurance costs. With more awareness and publicity about mesothelioma a greater proportion of asbestos-disease sufferers are filing claims against their employer after their diagnosis of cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen.

A new actuarial study doubles the projected asbestos-related insurance claims that the UK insurance industry will pay to about £11 billion ($17.8 billion) through 2050. The previous estimate of claims cost made in 2004 was £4.7 billion ($7.6 billion), but that only covered the period to 2040. The increase in the insurance market estimate was driven primarily by a near doubling of the observed number of mesothelioma claims since 2004.

The study was compiled by the UK Asbestos Working Party, part of Actuarial Professional, an organization representing the actuary industry.

The number of insurance claims has been increasing faster than the rate of mesothelioma deaths in Britain, the report said. In the past, about one-third of asbestos-related deaths resulted in insurance claims, but now nearly two-thirds of asbestos victims make claims. Still, there is uncertainty about the number of people who will be diagnosed with mesothelioma in future decades, making the projections less reliable in the outlying years.

The study noted that mesothelioma claims accounted for more than 90 percent of the United Kingdom’s asbestos-related claims cost.

The wide use of asbestos and its danger to human health have had and will continue to have profound consequences.

[Via-aboutmesothelioma.net]

Mesothelioma-causing asbestos removed from Nat’l’ Guard armory

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:32:58 +0000

Jackson, Missouri – January 24, 2010

In Jackson, Missouri, a $500,000 armory renovation is wrapping up. Removal of asbestos was a key component of this project, with small amounts of the carcinogenic material being removed from beneath floor tiles in the training room.

The removal of this material reduces the risk of servicemen and women being exposed to airborne asbestos particles, which can be lethal if accidentally inhaled or ingested. Asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma later in life. This incurable cancer takes decades to develop, but can kill within months of being diagnosed. Most often, the cancer affects the lungs, although the heart and abdominal cavity can also be affected.

The Missouri National Guard’s Jackson armory project will wrap up by the end of the month. Improvements go beyond asbestos removal, and include an improved kitchen, new offices, and updates to both the heating and air conditioning. “In general terms, the impact during the time the project is going on is significant,” said Bruce Domazlicky, director of Southeast Missouri State University’s Center for Economic Research. “It’s especially good news now, since construction of new homes has fallen off. Projects like this one can be really beneficial.”

“We’re really going to be pleased with this when it’s done,” added Sgt. 1st Class Byron Wilkerson. “It really needed upgrading. It’s going to have a more modern look, which is good for the Guard Soldiers who work and drill here. But it also leaves a good impression with the public — whether it’s a potential recruit stopping by to check us out or just the general public.”

[Via-Mesothelioma.com]

London Appeals Court to Hear Landmark Mesothelioma Case

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:35:38 +0000

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Nether Langwith, UK—The death of a painting and decorating contractor in 2003 from the fatal asbestos cancer mesothelioma is at the center of a new court case which may have a lasting impact on mesothelioma sufferers’ compensation claims.

Leslie Edwin Screach worked for G&C Whittle Ltd., in Chiswick, Middlesex, from 1963 to 1968. While on the job as a painting and decorating contractor, he was exposed to asbestos, and breathed in the deadly, microscopic fibers released from that asbestos. Asbestos, a building and insulating material that was widely used in the mid-20th Century, was an especial risk for those who worked in construction or renovation projects. Although it is heatproof, flame-resistant, strong and durable, and therefore useful in a number of applications, it is also a known carcinogen and can lead to mesothelioma, a cancer which strikes the membranous lining of the lungs and thoracic cavity.

Mesothelioma has a poor prognosis and can take up to 50 years to fully develop, making both diagnosis and treatment difficult. On average, a patient diagnosed with mesothelioma dies within 18 months of learning that he or she has the disease.

Screach, who died in 2003 at age 73 from mesothelioma, was survived by a daughter, Ruth Durham. After her father’s death, Durham made an insurance claim of £150,000, but the insurance company denied it, claiming that they could not be held responsible for asbestos contamination that occurred 40 years prior. The case went to court, and a High Court judge ruled that liability begins at the time of exposure to asbestos, not at the time when the asbestos-related disease develops or is diagnosed.

The insurance companies were granted the opportunity to appeal, which they did. A London Court of Appeals will now hear the case, which involves not only Durham but a number of other families who have lost loved ones to this devastating cancer. The hearing, which will be before the nation’s top judges, is expected to last three weeks.

[Via-asbestos.net]

Mesothelioma Lawsuit Process Described by Belluck & Fox Attorney

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:38:19 +0000

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

When someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma they are often faced with disbelief not only for the impact of the disease, but for the fact that most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after their initial exposure to asbestos. Many patients are not even aware of when or where they may have been exposed to asbestos. The latency period for mesothelioma can be as long as 50 years.

Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for the disease.

In a recent interview, Joseph W. Belluck, a partner in Belluck & Fox LLP, a New York law firm that focuses on representing victims of asbestos-related disease, says,”to be frank, if you have mesothelioma, we know you were exposed to asbestos – it’s just a matter of reverse-engineering your life and figuring out where that exposure occurred.”

Exposure to deadly asbestos fibers most often occurred on-the-job, primarily in construction and general industry workers, but has also been known to be passed on through second-hand exposure through fibers from clothing.

Belluck stresses that mesothelioma is not limited to construction workers. A dentist may have used asbestos-containing material in making castings for fillings, or a jeweler may have used it in crucibles, whereas a lab technician may have been exposed to it through various heating chemicals.

In New York, as a matter of public policy, there is no “statute of repose” that would prevent a person from suing a manufacturer a number of years after the asbestos-containing product was produced. However, a person could lose his or her right to file a mesothelioma lawsuit if action is not initiated within three years of discovering the disease. This is called the “statute of limitations.”

If an individual in New York decides to move forward with a mesothelioma lawsuit, Belluck & Fox will file an individual legal claim on the individuals behalf in a state court and serve a summons on the companies suspected of being responsible.

The companies usually have one month to answer the complaint. The case will then go to “discovery,” which consists of depositions and written exchanges called interrogatories and requests for production. Finally, experts will be brought in to review your case and testify on your behalf.

The process generally takes 7-12 months to complete.

[Via-Mesotheliomahelp.net]

Cancer-causing asbestos still an issue at Wisconsin college campus

admin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:31:47 +0000

Manomonie, Wisconsin – December 9, 2009
At the University of Wisconsin-Stout, asbestos concerns have resurfaced. Just last month, concerns were raised about the safety of an elevator in Price Commons thought to contain asbestos. Now, a leak in a steam pipe at the college’s Harvey Hall has exposed parts of the ceiling which are thought to contain asbestos. This has prompted university officials, including Chief Union Steward Steve Riley, to raise concerns about appropriate asbestos containment and safety issues.

Earlier this year, Union President John Gast lodged two formal complaints to the state Department of Commerce regarding asbestos exposure during the renovations of Price Commons.

A report supplied by Gast indicated that a “freight elevator was contaminated with asbestos during the abatement process.” A report compiled after that incident listed 51 violations of health and safety codes.

The area affected by the steam leak has been covered with plastic sheeting to contain any asbestos that might be present. Airborne asbestos fibers can be easily inhaled or ingested by human beings, and over time these fibers irritate the lining of internal organs like the lungs. Exposure to asbestos can lead to the onset of mesothelioma many decades later. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this type of cancer within two years of being diagnosed.

Doug Mell, director of university communications, stated, “We were notified by maintenance that there was a potential small problem with a pipe in the ceiling of Harvey Hall. We had two certified asbestos people who went in to inspect the ceiling. They closed the room, sealed the pipe, and then reopened the room. The whole system worked the way it was supposed to. Our written policy was followed to the ‘T’, and that policy is posted on our website.”

[Via-mesothelioma.com]

Steroids in WWE

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:01:59 +0000

Throughout the world, the fan following of WWE is increasing at an exponential rate. People of all ages and sex are attracted by the daring exhibited in the arena by these huge men, have Hercules built, with huge muscles and unmatched stamina. But if investigated too deep, it is reported that the bodies of the wrestlers are not developed as due to sheer exercises and diet intakes. Steroids play an important role in this development.

These wrestlers take steroids as “Dianabol” for muscle development and stamina buildup. The steroids enhance the rate of body metabolism, hence permitting the wrestlers to fight for a longer duration. The popularity of WWE is such, that now a large number of teenagers and youngsters are taking a regular dose of such steroids, for the sake of building the same muscular and sexy bodies as their favorite wrestler.

They are not aware of the harms such steroids have on their bodies. Dianabol, for example, can increase the chances of heart attack if taken regularly. Even the wrestlers admit that the steroids have serious side effects. But the young folks seem unaware of this. To have hunk figures, the folks are following a simple mantra of “Buy Steroids!, buy steroids and buy steroids.”

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