Archive for the ‘Mesothelioma Treatment’ Category

Two new lawsuits recently filed in Kanawha County District Court in West Virginia involve people who developed serious diseases as a result of exposure to asbestos.

The first was filed by Joseph Keller, on behalf of the estate of Paul Norman Keller. The lawsuit names CSX Transportation, formerly known as the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, as a defendant.

According to the lawsuit, Paul Keller worked for the railroad company for several years, and during his employment was exposed to toxic substances, including airborne asbestos fibers and dust.

The lawsuit filed by Keller says, “As a direct and proximate result of his exposure to the harmful dust, fumes and other products without any lack of due care on his part, the decedent contracted lung cancer and other diseases related to such exposure.”

Paul Keller was diagnosed with lung cancer, by which time he had already been suffering from the disease for several years. He died from the cancer on January 15, 2008.

The lawsuit states that the railroad company failed in its duty to provide Keller with a safe environment in which to work, according to the Federal Employer’s Liability Act. Joseph Keller is seeking punitive as well as compensatory damages on behalf of the deceased’s estate.

The second lawsuit involves a Kanawha County couple who have filed an asbestos-related lawsuit which names a total of 85 defendant companies. The lawsuit, filed by Vincent and Antoinette Scriptunas, claims that Vincent Scriptunas developed mesothelioma as a result of long-term exposure to asbestos.

Vincent Scriptunas, who worked for Union Carbide in South Charleston between 1951 and 1988, was diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma on June 20, 2007. Scriptunas claims to have been exposed to asbestos while working for Union Carbide.

According to the lawsuit filed by Vincent and Antoinette Scriptunas, the defendant companies are responsible for the development of the disease because they failed to protect or warn Scriptunas about the dangers of asbestos.

The Scriptunas are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for medical expenses, loss of income and earning capacity, and mental and physical suffering.

Asbestos is the cause of mesothelioma, one of the deadliest cancers around. In the late 70’s asbestos was largely banned but unfortunately products already being produced were not recalled and asbestos still lingers in many peoples homes walls and office buildings. The following is a brief recap of how asbestos and mesothelioma can effect you today.

If you live in an older home and are planning on tearing down walls in efforts of remodeling, it is encouraged you hire a professional to inspect your home first. By stirring up asbestos, you open the possibility of asbestos particles entering the ventilation system, which can effect everyone in the house.

One such recent case was on a scientology cruise ship that has entertained the elite of the religion, including Tom Cruise. It turns out that the ship not only contained a dangerous amount of asbestos but the ship captain knew about it.

This same sort of thing applies to office buildings. In New York City, for example, thousands of people were exposed to asbestos when the world trade center collapsed. The entire city was filled with a cloud of dust, and to varying degrees, asbestos.

Hurricane Katrina was another huge disaster that contaminated many areas with asbestos. Even in parts of Illinois around Lake Michigan (Chicago area) residents have been warned about asbestos exposure at the beaches.

Cancer from this exposure is rare but very possible and mesothelioma treatment is best when found early, so it’s suggested if you suspect exposure has happened, to see a doctor immediately. It should be noted, though, that if you are exposed it may take 10-15 years to appear so stay on your toes.

Studies have recently shown that talc can cause a cancer similar to mesothelioma as well. Just like asbestos, it can cause mini cuts in your lungs or in the case of females, the ovaries. This is big news as everyday products contain talc such as baby powder, make-up and hundreds of other products. Many people use baby powder to stay fresh where the sun does not shine but based on the studies, it seems this can be a very bad thing, especially for women.

So the moral of the story is that you should stay up-to-date on the causes and risks of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. If you should discover exposure of any kind, than see a doctor and more than likely you will be ok.

http://www.fccc.edu

Joyce G. Nichols, Jr., once an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad, claims that exposure to toxins at his former jobsite has affected his life severely—so much so that he is suing the company, and seeks $100,000 or more in damages.

Nichols worked for the Illinois Central Railroad between 1964 and 1982, and was employed as a carman. He claims that during the course of his employment he was exposed to a variety of toxins, including asbestos, diesel exhaust, environmental tobacco smoke, and various other toxic dusts, fumes, and gases.

According to the Federal Employers’ Liability Act lawsuit which Nichols filed on July 2 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, Illinois, Nichols has developed permanent lung injuries due to the workplace exposure he suffered, and may one day develop cancer as a result of these lasting injuries.

Nichols also claims that he suffers from “extreme nervousness as a result of his reasonable concern over the prospects of developing cancer caused by silica, asbestos, environmental tobacco smoke, and/or diesel fumes.”

The lawsuit claims that the Illinois Central Railroad failed to provide Nichols with a safe workplace environment, failed to provide him with proper safety equipment, failed to provide Nichols with proper workplace ventilation, and failed to determine the contamination level of railroad equipment and buildings with regular inspections.

In addition, the lawsuit claims that the company failed to warn Nichols that exposure to substances such as asbestos, silica, and diesel fumes was dangerous and could have lasting negative effects on his health.

Nichols is seeking at least $100,000 in damages, plus his legal costs, as compensation for the toxin exposure he suffered, for the damage already done to his health, and in compensation for the fact that he may one day develop cancer as a result.

The question is, how will a jury view the fact that Nichols is seeking compensation for a disease which he has not yet developed?

Exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of a serious and lethal cancer called mesothelioma, for which there is no cure. However, not all people who are exposed to asbestos will develop mesothelioma. A jury may be likely to decide that Nichols is not entitled to compensation for a disease from which he does not suffer, even though such a history of toxin exposure vastly increases the likelihood of developing some type of cancer.

After recent storms the Kansas Department of Health and Environments has issued a general warning to remind residents of storm-damaged areas that asbestos exposure is a possibility which should be guarded against while cleaning up debris.

Asbestos was a common component of construction materials up until the 1980s due to its high fire resistance and other desirable factors. Asbestos was so cheap and had so many desirable properties that it was added to thousands of products, including many types of construction materials. Asbestos is therefore present in many residential, commercial, and industrial buildings built before this time.

However, due to the hazards associated with asbestos exposure, many problems associated with its exposure are now arising. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause lethal diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma due to the chronic inflammation that the fibers cause in the lungs. These hazards mean it is necessary to take extra safety precautions when working with asbestos and asbestos-containing products.

Department of Health and Environments regulations require that if any resident hires a contractor to remove asbestos, the contractor be licensed. However, homeowners can opt to do the work themselves. In these cases, the DHE recommends that the following practices be used to help minimize the risks of exposure to asbestos:

Wearing gloves, overalls and a respirator during removal, and thorough shower and washing after removal of debris to remove fibers and dust that might be on the body. The clothing which is used during removal should be kept separate from any other clothing and any uncontaminated areas.

When removing materials which are suspected to contain asbestos, the materials should be wetted with low-pressure water, to minimize the dispersal of asbestos dust and fibers. Only materials which absolutely need to be removed should be disturbed, and breakage of asbestos materials should be minimized as much as possible.

During any demolition and removal of asbestos, the materials should be kept wet. In addition, the materials should be kept wet and covered (by a tarp or similar item) during transportation to a licensed landfill. Asbestos must only be disposed of at approved sites which are equipped and licensed to handle the substance.

The DHE also says that residents can consult with the department if they need additional help, including any on-site direction on how to safely proceed with asbestos removal.

According to the DHE, materials likely to contain asbestos including ceiling and floor tiles, textured ceilings, roofing materials, siding, vermiculite insulation, pipe wrapping materials, acoustical panels, and cement materials such as pipes and millboard.

The family of a former Illinois man were disappointed this week after an sbestos lawsuit failed to provide them with the compensation they had hoped for. After a three-week trial, the jury decided in favor of the defendants.

The family of Robert C. Scott sued Honeywell International and Pneumo Abex, claiming that Scott had come into contact with asbestos-containing products manufactured by the companies during the course of his employment. Robert C. Scott worked for thirty years as a maintenance supervisor at Passavant Area Hospital, where the lawsuit claimed he was exposed to asbestos.

However, despite the family’s claims, the lawsuit was unsuccessful. The lawsuit which had asked for $1.5 million in damages was decided in favor of the defendants, and the family received no compensation for Robert C. Scott’s death.

Scott died from lung cancer, a disease which is known to be caused by asbestos exposure. However, since lung cancer can develop in response to other carcinogens—such as cigarette smoke—it can be difficult to pin down the exact cause in a case where asbestos is a risk factor.

In this case, the issue was confused by the fact that Scott had once been a heavy smoker, although he had quit a few years before his death in 2004.

The central issue in the trial itself, therefore, was whether Robert C. Scott’s lung cancer was a result of cigarette smoking only, or could have developed due to a combination of smoking and exposure to asbestos.

According to testimony given during the trial, Scott had never been diagnosed with asbestosis or any other lung diseases known to be caused by asbestos. In addition, tissue samples which had been taken and analyzed after Scott’s death showed no signs that he had developed asbestosis.

People with asbestosis develop obvious lung disease: the asbestos exposure causes the development of scar tissue known as pleural plaques, due to the chronic irritation and inflammation which asbestos causes.

Without this characteristic symptom of asbestos exposure evident in the samples from Scott’s lungs, the jury found it impossible to say that his lung cancer had even partially been caused by exposure to asbestos.

More than two months ago, at the end of April, state and federal health officials discovered that an asbestos-like mineral that is present on around one hundred miles of road in Dunn County, North Dakota, can be inhaled when airborne. Environmental Protection Agency officials still aren’t sure whether the dust poses a risk to locals, but some residents of the area claim that the attention the erionite is getting is simply a storm in a teacup.

The erionite mineral is a residue of volcanic ash. Health officials have been aware since 2006 that the mineral, which may potentially cause cancer, can be found in locally-mined gravel that has been used on public roads and in parking lots.

A map published by the State Health Department indicates that erionite deposits can be found in the Killdeer Mountains, the White and Chalky buttes in Slope County, the “little Badlands” southwest of South Heart in Stark County, and in other locations in southwestern North Dakota.

The Environmental Protection Agency collected and tested samples of the erionite-containing gravel from Dunn County, and found that it has a “complete exposure pathway,” meaning that particles are of a size that allows them to collect in lung tissue.

Dunn County and the State Health Department subsequently recommended that use of the erionite gravel be discontinued.

The EPA has also been trying to determine what the effects of long-term exposure to the Dunn County erionite might be, but an EPA On-Scene Coordinator, Joyce Ackerman, pointed out that it’s difficult to determine what the true long-term effects might be because it’s difficult to estimate how much erionite locals have been exposed to.

Inhalation of erionite has been linked to lung diseases, including some mesothelioma-like cancers in Turkey, however the substance is not regulated by the EPA.

Some of Killdeer’s local residents are nervous about the possible risks of breathing in erionite dust. Rick Rice, a rural mail carrier who frequently drives over the erionite gravel roads, is worried about breathing in the dust and would be happy to undergo EPA tests to help the agency determine whether there are risks present. Rice is 62 and has been delivering mail on the dusty gravel roads for around 35 years.

Rick Rice is just one of around fifty locals the EPA wants to carry out some simple tests on to determine if exposure to erionite has caused any health changes. The protocol for the tests is currently under development, and the EPA hopes to be ready to start testing this summer.

Some residents, however, aren’t worried at all. Terrald Bang is sixty years old and has been living at the end of a white gravel road for decades. He says he’s lived near the “good old mountain gravel” all his life and he has no lung problems.

Art and Viola Lundberg, who live nearby, say the same. Lungberg, at eighty years old, says the EPA’s concerns over the gravel is “a bunch of baloney…I’ve been in this dust all my life…I’m not worried about it.”

EPA On-Scene Coordinator Steve Way says it’s too soon to tell whether or not the gravel is a health risk, “We’re trying not to make a big deal out of it, because we don’t know if it is a problem.”

Joseph Miletto died of peritoneal mesothelioma in 2005, just ten weeks after diagnosis. This year, on June 27, his granddaughter Lexi Miletto will speak at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma gala dinner, about her grandfather and about the importance of finding a cure for mesothelioma.

Lexi said, “I’m speaking at the Gala because we are the future and we have to pick up the torch to end asbestos and find a cure for meso. And because I think it’s important to tell my story of what happened in my family. I know Pop-pop would want me to talk about it …and I want him to still be proud of me.”

Joseph Miletto worked as an aide for Laidlaw Transportation, was a brick-maker, and was in the Navy. At some point, he was exposed to asbestos, a substance so deadly there is no safe level of exposure.

Lexi Miletto is an Honors student at Lower Macungie Middle School in Macungie, Pennsylvania, and will begin eighth grade in the fall.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma will be held Thursday June 26 through to Saturday June 28 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C. It will be attended by leading international experts as well as people with mesothelioma, their families, friends, and caregivers, and mesothelioma advocates.

The Symposium is an annual event designed to highlight the latest advances in research and treatment for mesothelioma, to provide support for patients, families, and caregivers, and provide advocacy and volunteer opportunities for those who wish to provide their own support.

Chris Hahn, Executive Director of the Meso Foundation, says that more than one hundred patients, family members, caregivers, advocates, researchers, and clinicians are expected to attend the symposium. The planned three-day program includes a gala dinner on the evening of Friday June 27, as well as daily meetings and discussions. Lexi Miletto will speak at the Friday gala dinner.

Thursday June 26 is designated as advocacy day, and will highlight the need for legislation banning asbestos, and the need for more funding for mesothelioma research.

Friday June 27, has been designated as science day, and will include discussions by international mesothelioma experts about recent advances in mesothelioma research and treatment, as well as upcoming developments. This day will also provide patients, family members, and caregivers the chance to talk with specialists and experts.

Saturday June 28, is designated as community day, and is devoted to the mesothelioma community of patients, family members, friends, and caregivers. This will include support sessions for people coping with the effects of mesothelioma, and a tribute ceremony to memorialize people who have died from the disease.

People interested in participating can register at www.curemeso.org.

One South Bay school district has spent thousands cleaning up asbestos, but for one long-time school district maintenance worker, that’s not enough. George Gerber claims that asbestos is still a problem in several district schools.

Gerber works in maintenance at the Sweetwater Union High School District and has been employed there for seventeen years. Recently he reported to a San Diego news team that almost all of the schools in the district contain asbestos, and says he’s concerned about possible exposure risks for students and staff members.

Gerber also claims that he has repeatedly tried to get the school district to pay attention to his concerns, and has been repeatedly ignored or brushed off. Gerber says, “There are areas and rooms that I’ve been reporting for extended period of time that’s almost gone on in 2 years that haven’t been addressed.”

The news team’s recent report on the problem initiated action from National City Vice Mayor Frank Parra, who is concerned because three National City schools are part of the
Sweetwater Union High School District. Parra says of the issue, “We’re always an advocate for our citizens, our children.”

Parra wrote in a recent letter to school district Superintendent Dr. Jesus Gandara, “… it has been brought to our attention that public health concerns have been raised that relate to asbestos…” and asks that the school district “… educate us on the mitigation efforts of the District as well as the School Asbestos Management Plan.”

To deal with asbestos in schools, the EPA requires that all schools that contain asbestos maintain a management plan that details the location of asbestos, its condition, and the measures taken to prevent exposure. In schools where asbestos is present, parents and school employees can request to see a copy of the asbestos management plan at any time.

Since 2000, National City and South Bay has approved a total of eight million dollars’ worth of expenditure for cleaning up asbestos in schools. However, seventeen district schools still contain some asbestos.

One major problem is simply that asbestos remediation is expensive. Due to the health risks involved in asbestos exposure, there are several laws and requirements that control how asbestos-containing materials and buildings must be handled. These requirements tend to significantly increase the costs of any renovation or demolition involving asbestos.

Asbestos must be treated with extreme caution, and special procedures must be used when handling or removing the substance. This often means tight school budgets are stretched even further by the need to hire licensed asbestos contractors. Another issue is that disposal of asbestos-containing construction waste is up to three times more expensive than disposal of non-hazardous waste.

The eighteenth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work is scheduled for June 29 to July 02, 2008, and will be attended by four thousand industry leaders, policy-makers, and experts from more than one hundred different countries. The congress will be health in Seoul, in the Republic of Korea.

The World Congress on Safety and Health at Work is jointly organized by the International Labor Organization and the International Social Security Association. The congress meets every three years, and is the largest international event of its kind. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss health and safety in the workplace, and international efforts for improvement, with this year’s theme being “Safety and health at work: A societal responsibility.”

This year, the congress will also unveil the results of some pioneering research which was carried out on the relationship between occupational safety and health and environmentally-sustainable economic growth and development.

In addition, the Congress will include a Safety and Health Summit which will be attended by fifty decision-makers from countries all over the world. Government ministers, CEOs of multi-national companies, senior safety, health, and social security experts, and employer and worker representatives will be among those attending.

Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri, Director, ILO International Program on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment said of the conference, “As the global toll of illness, injury and death from occupational accidents and disease continues to remain at unacceptable levels, this Congress will underline what needs to be done to ensure that a healthy working environment can be achieved. Not only is safety at work desirable, it must be recognized as a fundamental human right in the world of work.”

The ILO estimates that more than two million people die every year as a result of work-related accident, injury, or disease. The estimated cost to the global economy is up to 4% of global GDP. This year, the congress will provide recently revised estimates of the incidence rate and global impact of work-related accident, injury, and death, in addition to examining ways to improve work-place safety.

Participants will focus on several key issues, including the elimination of asbestos-related risk in the workplace, the possible risks of nanotechnology, improvement of workplace environments, HIV/AIDS in the workplace, and many others.

In addition to meetings and discussions the congress hosts an International Film and Multimedia Festival which includes short films about occupational safety. An International Safety and Health Exhibition will showcase products and technology for improving workplace safety. Participants will also visit companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Incheon Oil Refining Company, and KIA Motors to look at safety and health management in these companies.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the company has selected abstracts relating to chemotherapeutic agent KRX-0401 (Perifosine) to present and publish during the American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting which is taking place in Chicago, Illinois between May 31 and June 3, 2008.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals is a company which focuses on developing medically important, novel pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of life-threatening diseases, including several types of cancer. The company’s headquarters are in New York City.

Abstracts presented at the meeting will present details of Perifosine used in the treatment of several types of cancer, including Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, which affects white blood cells, and renal cell carcinoma, which affects the kidneys.

KRX-0401 (Perifosine) is a new oral anti-cancer chemotherapy drug which modulates signal transduction pathways called Akt, JNK, and MAPK. Signal transduction pathways are what allow cells to communicate with one another, and involve the production of body chemicals, including hormones and cytokines, which tell various body cells what to do and when to do it.

The signal transduction pathways which Perifosine affects are associated with a cellular process called programmed cell death, as well as other processes including cellular growth and survival. These pathways are often involved in the development of cancers, because programmed cell death is a process by which mutated cells are induced to undergo a “suicide” sequence. Sometimes a mutated cell evades programmed cell death, and if that happens the cell may become cancerous.

Scientists have previously discovered that the cellular pathway called Akt plays an important role in the development of most types of cancer, and also in the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy treatment. In addition, it has been noted that people with high levels of Akt activity have a poor prognosis and their cancer tends to be more advanced.

So far, more than 1,700 people in the United States and Europe have been treated with Perifosine in clinical trials. The drug has been found to be safer and less toxic than many other types of chemotherapy agents. Perifosine doesn’t cause immune system depression or many other toxic side effects such as hair loss. However, it is known to cause low-level fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.

In Phase I and II trials the drug has been shown to stabilize or cause regression of tumors. It has shown positive results in the treatment of mesothelioma, kidney and liver cancers, and other more rare types of cancer.

Two contractors have this week been fined as a result of improper handling of asbestos-containing materials. They are the Cinter Construction Company, Inc. of Williamsburg, VA and AAPEX Environmental Services Inc. of Liverpool, NY.

Asbestos was a common component of construction materials up until the 1980s due to its high fire resistance and other desirable factors, but the demolition or renovation of older buildings means the asbestos they contain must be dealt with appropriately.

Dumping of asbestos-containing waste in any location other than a licensed landfill is illegal due to the hazards associated with asbestos exposure. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause lethal diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma due to the chronic inflammation that the fibers cause in the lungs.

Due to the hazards of asbestos exposure, removal and disposal of the substance must be carried out in accordance with strict state and federal regulations. This means asbestos must be removed from buildings using specific safe methods, and must only be disposed of at landfill sites which are equipped and licensed to handle the substance.

Failure to adhere to laws and regulations controlling asbestos handling can lead to hefty fines, as the two contractors discovered this week.

The Williamsburg, Virginia incident concerns the Cinter Construction Company, Inc., which was found by the Department of Environmental Quality to have dumped asbestos-containing waste from a $14 million Navy housing construction site in downtown Newport News.

The construction company had illegally dumped asbestos waste at a Suffolk landfill, mistakenly believing it was uncontaminated soil. However, when DEQ officials took samples of the twenty truckloads of waste dumped at the landfill, they found that asbestos was present.

The second incident, in Liverpool, New York, occurred after a contractor admitted in federal court to illegally removing and disposing of asbestos-containing materials. The contractor admitted to having been handling asbestos illegally for more than ten years.

AAPEX Environmental Services Inc. of Liverpool, NY also admitted to defrauding an insurance company. It had done so by failing to inform its insurer that it was carrying out activities in which asbestos handling was involved, in order to obtain lower insurance premiums.

AAPEX Environmental Services Inc. has agreed to pay a fine of $166,700 as part of a plea deal. The deal also involves an agreement to permanently cease handling asbestos-related work.