A team of scientists at Oxford University have reported a more accurate and less invasive test to diagnose mesothelioma. The findings have been reported in a recent edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query mesothelioma. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query mesothelioma. Sort by date Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2009
A New Test for Mesothelioma Reported
Sunday, November 13, 2011
South Florida Miles for Meso 2012
Boca Raton, FL – The 3rd Annual Miles for Meso weekend is set! February 10-12, 2012
Larry Davis, organizer of South Florida Mikes for Meso has announced: We are planning our ever popular Welcome event. Although you will need to check back with us for it’s location, you won’t be disappointed. We will offer the opportunity to meet friends, old & new, while picking up your race packet and information on the latest in Mesothelioma news.
Saturday evening – We will once again host our Health Symposium. We are currently making arrangements with 2 new physicians who will be discussing the latest news in cancer treatments and trials.
Sunday morning – On your mark … get set … get ready for the 3rd Annual Miles for Meso 8K/4K Tribute Walk! The race will start just after the sun rises over the beautiful Atlantic. It’s a beautiful site as you run along A1A patting yourself on the back for helping raise funds for an excellent cause!
This year’s event will have something for everyone involved;
- Racers – A great course, a race T, snacks & friends.
- Patients – It will be an amazing place to meet other patients and supporters of Mesothelioma, the Meso Foundation and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. There is a wealth of information just within those people, not to mention the incredible attorneys we will have on hand who can assist in giving you further information on how they can help and programs they offer.
- Survivors (patients & family members) – Support in numbers. You aren’t alone in your fight against Mesothelioma and the companies who have used asbestos in their products! Talk with us and let the healing begin. Volunteers – We absolutely couldn’t do this without you. Every year we have wonderful people who come out and donate their time to making this event a success. Please join us again and help make this our best race yet.
South Florida Miles for Meso Race Info
Welcome Event
The race's welcoming event will take place Friday, Feb. 10. This event will offer participants to meet friends, old & new, while picking up race packets and information on the latest mesothelioma news. Location & times TBA.
Health Symposium
A Health Symposium will take place Saturday evening before the race. Last year, it featured Dr. Richard Alexander. Plans are under way to feature two physicians who will discuss the latest news in cancer treatments and clinical trials.
TIMES
Pre-Registration begins at 5:45 a.m. the day of the race
The 8K race starts at 7:30 a.m.
Pre-Registration begins at 5:45 a.m. the day of the race
The 8K race starts at 7:30 a.m.
PLACE
Spanish River Park
3001 North Ocean Blvd.
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Spanish River Park
3001 North Ocean Blvd.
Boca Raton, FL 33431
LOCATION & DIRECTIONS
The race starts on AIA in front of Spanish River Park. Take I-95 to Palmetto Park Road, East to AIA, then left (north) 2.5 miles to Spanish River Park.
The race starts on AIA in front of Spanish River Park. Take I-95 to Palmetto Park Road, East to AIA, then left (north) 2.5 miles to Spanish River Park.
COURSE
USATF Certified Course by Evert McDowell
ENTRY FEES
More information coming soon.
8K RUN AWARDS
Awards will be giving to the top 3 overall M/F runners; the top master M/F runners; and the top 3 M/F runners in the following age group categories: 0-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and 80+.
IN-STORE REGRISTRATION
More information coming soon.
More information coming soon.
REGISTER ONLINE
More Information Coming Soon!
More Information Coming Soon!
HEAT WARNING
Temperatures & humidity can be high in South Flordia. Participants should drink plenty of fluids (non-alcoholic) for 48 hours prior to, during and upon finishing the race. Beware of heat injury symptoms: dizziness, no sweating, nausea, cramps, redness, incoherent speech & thoughts. Seek immediate medical attention if symptoms occur. Wear loose, light-colored clothing.
Temperatures & humidity can be high in South Flordia. Participants should drink plenty of fluids (non-alcoholic) for 48 hours prior to, during and upon finishing the race. Beware of heat injury symptoms: dizziness, no sweating, nausea, cramps, redness, incoherent speech & thoughts. Seek immediate medical attention if symptoms occur. Wear loose, light-colored clothing.
RACE HOTLINE: 954-303-5960
RACE PROCEEDS BENEFIT
Learn more at the Boca Raton Road Runners website.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
NJ Appellate Court Upholds $30.3 Million Mesothelioma Verdict
In an unpublished decision a NJ Court of Appeals upheld a $30.3 Million verdict in an asbestos case where the worker was exposed to asbestos fiber during summer employment during his youth. The court held that the standard of causation in a mesothelioma case permitted recovery where there was infrequent exposure to a small amount of fiber.
History
The frequency, regularity and proximity test
History
"Mark Buttitta was born in December 1952. He worked as a “parts picker” at the GM distribution warehouses in Edgewater and Englewood during the summers of 1971 to 1973, and during his winter breaks while matriculating at Colgate University. As a summer employee, Mark was also responsible for sweeping the warehouse floor at the end of the shift. Mark worked with his father, who had been employed by GM since the 1940’s. During the summer of 1971, Mark also worked with Frank Buttitta, Jr. (Frank, Jr.), his brother.
"In his de bene esse deposition, played for the jury at trial, Mark testified that as a “parts picker,” he, along with fifty to seventy-five other employees, were responsible for filling orders for parts submitted to GM by automobile dealers. The picker would retrieve parts from open racks or bins located at various locations within the “very busy” warehouse and place them in a cart. Some parts were packaged in boxes and some were stored loose on shelves. If the parts were packaged in a box, the parts picker would open the box, check to make sure it contained the correct parts and the required quantity, and then either remove the part or reseal the box for transport to the shipping area. Brakes were packaged in boxes containing four units; to fill an order, a parts picker would often retrieve one set of brakes from a box.
"Mark said that, on some days, he would pick as many as fifty brake shoes or pads and twenty-five clutch pads or assemblies. Frank Ripley (Ripley), who had worked with Frank, Jr. and Mark at the GM warehouse, confirmed that brakes and clutches, which then contained asbestos, were the most common products picked at the warehouse.
"Mark, Frank, Jr., and Ripley described the warehouse as being very dusty, with thick layers of dust on the shelves, boxes, and automotive parts, which became airborne when disturbed. The air was “stagnant” and there was visible dust “in the air.” The warehouse had no windows and ventilation was poor. Mark wore street clothes to work; masks and respirators were not provided. He often returned home from work “covered with dust”; Frank said he came home covered in a “gray kind of dirt”; Ripley said that after a day working in the warehouse “you’d blow your nose in a handkerchief and you know there would be dust.” Mark did not see any warnings on the boxes.
The frequency, regularity and proximity test
"The frequency, regularity and proximity test “’is not a rigid test with an absolute threshold level necessary to support a jury verdict.’” James, supra, 155 N.J. at 302 (quoting Tragarz v. Keene Corp., 980 F.2d 411, 420 (7th Cir. 1992)). “The phraseology should not supply ‘catch words’ [and] the underlying concept should not be lost.” Sholtis, supra, 238 N.J. Super. at 29. Tailoring causation to the facts and circumstances of the case, “[t]he frequency and regularity prongs become less cumbersome when dealing with cases involving diseases, like mesothelioma, which can develop after only minor exposures to asbestos fibers.” Tragarz, supra, 980 F. 2d at 420. Thus, exposure in this case must be considered in relation to the uncontradicted expert testimony establishing that mesothelioma is associated with the “smallest exposure” to asbestos and can develop from the cumulative effects of minimal and infrequent exposure.
"Here, with regard to the frequency of exposure requirement, Mark worked for three summers and during his winter breaks at the GM warehouse. He was also exposed through his contact with his father who worked at GM. That rather brief work history must be considered in light of the nature of mesothelioma and the experts’ testimony that the disease can be contracted after infrequent exposure to asbestos. This was sufficient to establish the frequency of exposure. See Rotondo v. Keene Corp., 956 F.2d 436, 442 (3d Cir. 1992) (holding that plaintiff, who developed mesothelioma and had worked several months one summer in close proximity to asbestos, satisfied frequency, regularity, and proximity test).
"Plaintiff presented sufficient evidence to establish that Mark regularly worked in close proximity to asbestos-containing clutches, including those manufactured by Borg-Warner, to permit the issue of causation to go to the jury.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
H.R. 982 is anti-victim, anti-veteran and anti-privacy
My husband, Alan, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2003. We had never heard of the asbestos-caused cancer, mesothelioma, and shortly learned it was incurable.
Alan chose to have a radical surgery which removed a rib and his left lung, stripped off his pericardium from his lungs and surgically replaced his diaphragm – all in hopes of more time with us. In 2005, the cancer came back on his remaining lung. Alan felt like he was breathing through a pinched straw, every breath, every minute, every day. When his oxygen levels became critically low, he was tethered to supplemental oxygen. He fought a hard battle with chemotherapy for nearly a year. In 2006, Alan took his last breaths with our then 13-year-old daughter and me by his side. Alan paid the ultimate price for his job – his life. Our daughter was only ten years old when we began our arduous family battle to fight mesothelioma and work with Congress to ban asbestos. Today I fight on behalf of Alan and those who have been exposed, are suffering, or have been silenced by asbestos. I can tell you that the FACT Act (H.R. 982) is just another special interest bill. Sick and dying patients suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused diseases and their family don't have the time and money to endure one more bureaucratic hurdle that delays compensation, denies justice and puts asbestos warriors privacy at risk. This is just what H.R. 982 would do. H.R. 982 is just the latest tactic in this... |
Sunday, December 11, 2011
$2 Million Verdict to Plastic Compounder Suffering Mesothelioma - Call For Asbestos Ban
Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fiber. Hundreds of thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the asbestos manufacturers and producers since the early 1970's in the US seeking benefits. Despite the continuing epidemic of asbestos related disease and massive weight of scientific evidence of the deadly carcinogenic qualities of asbestos, Canada continues to mine asbestos fiber and sell it worldwide. It is estimated that that 107,000 workers die annually from asbestos-related diseases.
To this day there is no asbestos ban in effect in the US. The Canadian asbestos industry still exports asbestos fiber used in the US and other parts of the world. On Thursday, The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) which combines education, advocacy, and community to provide a unified voice for asbestos victims, today announced with the Canadian Voices of Asbestos Victims the release of the North American Declaration to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases.
The Declaration initiates an enhanced collaboration between the U.S. and Canadian asbestos disease victims and their families, public health organizations, environmental non-governmental organizations, occupational safety and health (OSH) specialists, and politicians. While ADAO has been individually partnering with Canadian counterparts for education, advocacy, and community initiatives for several years now, the North American Declaration for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases unifies the demands voiced by American and Canadian asbestos victims to eliminate asbestos-caused diseases.
To read more about the verdict click here: Jury awards $2 million to Falls man in suit filed over asbestos exposure
To sign the petition to ban asbestos fiber click here: Petition to Ban Asbestos Fiber
.....For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Texas State Senate Passes Bill Establishing Causation Proof in Mesothelioma Claims
The Texas State Senate has passed legislation that will ease the proof in mesothelioma claims.
The bill establishes a standard requiring that a claimant prove that a defendant's product or conduct was a substantial factor in causing an injury and that the exposed person's cumulative exposure to asbestos fibers was the cause of person's mesothelioma.
Sec. 90.013. STANDARD OF CAUSATION FOR CLAIMS INVOLVING MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMA. (a) Requires a claimant, to recover damages for malignant mesothelioma allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos or asbestos containing products, to prove, among other elements of the claim, that a defendant's product or conduct was a substantial factor in causing the claimant's injury.
(b) Provides that a defendant's product or conduct was a substantial factor in causing the exposed claimant's injury if the claimant presents qualitative proof that the asbestos exposure attributed to the defendant was substantial, and not merely de minimis, when considering the frequency of exposure, the regularity of exposure, and the proximity of the exposed person to the source of the asbestos fibers.
(c) Requires a defendant who seeks a determination of the percentage of responsibility of another person under Section 33.003(a) (relating to determination of percentage of responsibility of certain persons), to present qualitative proof in the same manner as is required of a claimant under Subsection (b).
(d) Provides that neither a claimant nor a defendant seeking a determination under Section 33.003(a) are required to prove numerically the dose, approximate or otherwise, of asbestos fibers to which the claimant was exposed that are attributable to the defendant or another person under Section 33.003(a).
(e) Provides that nothing in this section modifies the general legal requirements for the admissibility of expert testimony with respect to the issue of causation.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Mesothelioma, Other Cancers Higher Among Firefighters
Mesothelioma, Other Cancers Higher Among Firefighters
A new study involving 30,000 firefighters strengthens the scientific evidence for a relation between firefighting and cancer, the researchers said.
The findings by NIOSH researchers and colleagues were reported online Oct. 14 by the peer-reviewed journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The article is available at http://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2013/10/14/oemed-2013-101662.full. The researchers found that cancers of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems accounted mostly for the higher rates of cancer in the study population. The firefighters had a rate of mesothelioma two times greater than the rate in the U.S. population as a whole. The researchers said it was likely that the findings were associated with exposure to asbestos, and NIOSH noted this is the first study ever to identify an excess of mesothelioma in U.S. firefighters. The study analyzed cancers and cancer deaths through 2009 among 29,993 firefighters from the Chicago,... |
Thursday, January 13, 2011
New Drug May Be Effective Against Mesothelioma
The scientists used three human MPM cell lines, Y-MESO-14, NCI-H290 and MSTO-211H. In vitro proliferation of human MPM cells was determined by MTT assay. Human MPM cells were orthotopically implanted into thoracic cavity of SCID mice. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with S-1 or vehicle.
"The combination of 5-FU and 5-chloro-2,4-dihydroxypyridine (CDHP) was more effective than 5-FU alone in inhibiting MPM cell proliferation in vitro. This combination was most effective in Y-MESO-14 cells, which co-expressed high protein level of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP). In vivo data showed that treatment with S-1 significantly reduced thoracic tumors and pleural effusion produced by Y-MESO-14 cells. Moreover, treatment with S-1 prolonged the survival of Y-MESO-14 cell-bearing SCID mice."
They concluded, "We demonstrated that S-1 was effective for inhibiting the proliferation of MPM cells, particularly with both DPD and TP expressions, suggesting that S-1 might be therapeutically effective for control of MPM."
Monday, August 6, 2012
This Is Just Plain Sick: US Consumption of Asbestos Increased 13% in 2011
"U.S. apparent consumption of asbestos was calculated to beRead USGS 2011 Mineral Report
1,180 t in 2011, a 13% increase from 1,040 t in 2010 (table 1).
It is likely that much of the additional 140 t of chrysotile
imported in 2011 went into stocks for future use rather than
being used because it was unlikely that markets had expanded.
Roofing products accounted for 41% of U.S. consumption;
diaphragms for the chloralkali industry, 28%; coating and
compounds, 2%; plastics, less than 1%; and other uses, 29%.
Much of the chrysotile for which no end use was specified was
likely to have been imported and (or) used by the chloralkali
industry in 2011, based on trade data reported by United
Business Media Global Trade (undated). Asbestos acts as a
semipermeable diaphragm to separate the chlorine generated
at the cell anode from the starting brine in the electrolytic cell.
Chrysotile was the only type of asbestos used in the United
States in 2011, 49% of which was grade 7, 16% was grade 5,
12% was grade 4, and 23% was unspecified."
More about banning asbestos
Oct 06, 2011
WHO Urges Worldwide Asbestos Ban: Mesothelioma Rates Surge. The World Health Organization urges a worldwide ban on asbestos productions, as deaths from mesothelioma continue to escalate: "In conclusion, malignant ...
Jan 29, 2010
The use of asbestos, a known carcinogen, is not yet banned in the US, but the use of it continues to decline. Asbestos has not been mine in the US since 2002 and therefore the country is dependent upon imports for asbestos ...
Sep 16, 2010
The UN International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for a worldwide ban on asbestos production citing that there is an asbestos related death every 5 minute and asbestos already claims 107000 lives each year.
Jul 22, 2010
Corporate greed resulting in the loss of life is the conclusion of a major investigative report just published concerning the worldwide asbestos trade and global epidemic of disease. The report, strongly urging the rationale for a ...
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Asbestos in Bowling Balls Results in $4.4 Million Verdict
A jury in California sided with the family of a former bowling alley owner who contracted mesothelioma after drilling asbestos-containing bowling balls for years.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
ADAO Resource: How To Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility Specializing in Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Diseases
Posted on December 4, 2013*Note: From the very founding of our organization, ADAO has abstained from providing any medical or legal referrals. ADAO remains an independent organization that is not influenced by outside sources, such as drug companies, law firms, or companies that manufacture or use asbestos.
Many of us can think back to the heartbreaking time when we first heard the news that a loved one had an asbestos-caused disease. “Mesothelioma – can’t pronounce it, can’t cure it,” was my devastated, personal reaction. It took me many weeks to even begin to understand the diagnosis my husband had received and find the very limited treatment options available to him. My learning curve was steep and Alan was diagnosed before the advancement of the smart phone. Navigating the health care system maze is complex – but it shouldn’t be. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is committed to replacing those feelings of fear, loneliness and confusion with the knowledge that there are others who share your experience and want to support you. We want you to have easy access to information about medical resources for asbestos-caused diseases. The National Cancer Institute has an excellent page, in English and Spanish, to answer your questions on “How To Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility... |
Friday, October 10, 2014
Consequences of asbestos: New laboratory installed for research into pleural cancer
 At the Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna of the Medical University of Vienna and the Vienna General Hospital interdisciplinary research collaboration with a focus on translational thoracic oncology has been in place for some years. In addition to lung cancer, the main focus is on pleural mesothelioma (pleural cancer). Michael Grusch from the Institute for Cancer Research at the MedUni Vienna says: "Until recently, pleural mesothelioma was regarded as a rare disease. Unfortunately, this is changing now. One of the main causes triggering the disease is asbestos. The long incubation period for this disease means that the damage done 20, 30 years ago is just coming to light now. A reputable study predicts that, by 2029, 250,000 people will die of pleural cancer in Europe." Says thoracic surgeon Mir Alireza Hoda: "We are very struck by the fact that we are increasingly seeing younger patients between 30 and 50 years old. Earlier it mainly affected people over 65." Pleural mesothelioma is treated with a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. Says Hoda: "Our goal is to find markers for mesothelioma and to develop personalized approaches to treatment. There still aren’t any but they would help us to select the right treatments for the patients affected." This could have a decisive impact on improving the success of treatment as, at present, the average survival rate after diagnosis is nine to twelve months. The... |
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Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
$7 Million Verdict Upheld for Wife of Asbestos Worker for Handling Workers Clothes
A NJ Appellate Court upheld an award of $7 Million dollars to the wife of an asbestos worker. The spouse washed her hushand's street clothes that he used at work. She developed mesothelioma, a cancer associated with exposure to asbestos fiber, as a result of laundering her husband's contaminated clothing.
Related Research Reports
The worker was employed at the Exxon Refinery in Linden, NJ where he was exposed to asbestos while removing insulation from equipment at the plant.. The company held safety meetings and gave the workers helmets but did not furnish respirators to protect them from the hazards of asbestos, a know carcinogen.
Mesothelioma, a cancer associated with the exposure to asbestos fiber, has a long latency period. It may take between 15 to 35 years to develop after the first exposure to asbestos fiber.
It has been long recognized that household contacts, ie. spouses and family members, who come into contact with asbestos workers may develop asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. The first know legal action was brought in New Jersey successfully for a household contact in 1981 who developed mesothelioma as a result of cleaning her husband's clothes. He had worked at the Union Asbestos and Rubber Company in Paterson, NJ during World War II.
The Court also rejected that the spouse, also a former employee at Exxon, should have been required to seek benefits under workers' compensation.
Anderson v, A.J. Friedman Supply Co. Inc., A5892-07, NJ App Div 2010.
"In our view, the judge's decision here to apply the dual persona doctrine is buttressed by the Supreme Court's pronoun-cement in Olivo, supra, 186 N.J. at 405, to impose a separate duty on employers for injuries to a worker's spouse caused by bystander exposure to the asbestos brought home on work clothes. That is, although Exxon could not be held liable to Bonnie based on her direct occupational exposure, it could be held liable pursuant to Olivo, based on her separate exposure to the asbestos brought home by John from his Exxon job."
"Thus, consideration of the relevant legal principles in light of the disputed evidence presented on the summary judgment motions leads us to the conclusion that there were genuine issues of material fact about the actual extent of Bonnie's and John's exposures to asbestos, which precluded summary judgment. Whether Exxon could be held liable pursuant to the dual persona doctrine require a jury determination. Thus, we affirm the judge's denials of summary judgment."
Anderson v, A.J. Friedman Supply Co. Inc., A5892-07, NJ App Div 2010.
Click here to read more about asbestos related disease and claims for benefits. For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered asbestos related illnesses.
Related Articles
Cancer Risk Passes to Kin of Asbestos Workers
Haledon Man Sues Asbestos Plant For Wife's Death Due to Mesothelioma
History of Asbestos and the LawHaledon Man Sues Asbestos Plant For Wife's Death Due to Mesothelioma
Related Research Reports
Protecting Workers' Families A Research Agenda Report of the Workers' Family Protection Task Force
Report to Congress on Workers' Home Contamination Study Conducted Under the Workers' Family Protection Act
Report to Congress on Workers' Home Contamination Study Conducted Under the Workers' Family Protection Act
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