Calling this number connects you with a Patient Advocate at The Mesothelioma Center, the nation's most trusted mesothelioma resource.
Our Patient Advocates can help guide you or your loved one through the steps to take after a mesothelioma diagnosis. Our team has a combined experience of more than 30 years in assisting cancer patients, and includes a medical doctor, an oncology registered nurse and a U.S. Navy veteran.
In the aftermath of Japan's March 11 earthquake, among the myriad problems that include the spread of deadly radiation, asbestos analysts have been detecting asbestos fibers in the air. When the tsunami waves from the earthquake destroyed homes and buildings, asbestos fibers were probably disturbed and became airborne.
Despite its established threat to human health, asbestos was once extensively used in construction and manufacturing projects. Although asbestos use is now firmly regulated in the United States, construction projects are often conducted at sites where the mineral naturally occurs or at buildings where asbestos products were used.
On April 20, AIG, one of the largest insurers in the United States, approved a transfer of asbestos liability to Berkshire Hathaway. The liability, derived from asbestos claims against the insurer's Chartis business, was expected to total nearly $3.5 billion.
While the United States has enacted a number of protective guidelines that regulate the use of asbestos, many other countries still rely heavily on the mineral. Global industries, including the auto repair industry, are still dependent on asbestos. Until further asbestos bans are enacted, occupational exposure still remains a significant threat for countless workers.
In May 2010, Specialty Products and Bondex Inc., a subsidiary of RPM International, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from asbestos claims. Under bankruptcy law in the United States, companies seeking bankruptcy can set up a trust fund to compensate any current and future claimants in asbestos cases.
A 2011 review of 11 previously published papers concluded that in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, surgical removal of the tumors may be more effective at extending a patient's life span than palliative care.
Recently in Asbestos, Quebec, lawmakers approved a $57 million loan to underwrite the reactivation of the world's most famous asbestos mine, the Jeffrey Mine. The majority of the chrysotile asbestos produced at the Jeffrey Mine will be exclusively shipped to Third World countries to make asbestos cement.
According to research conducted by the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, more than 125 million people around the world come into contact with asbestos on the job each year. This carcinogen causes over 90,000 yearly fatalities, and incidence rates are far higher in industrialized countries.
On April 4 in Orlando, Florida, a research team led by Dr. Harvey Pass discussed the results of a novel test used to detect pleural mesothelioma in its early stages. These researchers believe the incidence of pleural cancer in the United States is approximately 3,000 new cases per year and is not expected to peak until about 2030.
A 2010 study sponsored by the National Institute of Health and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation identified a new biomarker that may make chemotherapeutic treatments for mesothelioma more effective.
