Mesothelioma Pages

A recent Los Angeles Times report covers asbestos threats in California. Known to hold some of the largest asbestos deposits in the US, Clear Creek Management Area in San Benito and Fresno counties has been a concern for many years. A popular area for motorcyclists, off-roading and all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts, continued vehicle traffic may be causing toxic airborne asbestos levels.

Asbestos is known to cause rare cancer mesothelioma, a disease specific to abdominal organ lining. Most often found in lung lining, mesothelioma begins to develop after asbestos fibers are inhaled. These fibers instigate a cancerous growth process in affected areas leading to malignant mesothelioma development. Mesothelioma tumors grow in an irregular web like pattern without causing external symptoms. Characterized by a latency period typically ranging from twenty to fifty years, mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose.

Mesothelioma treatments include surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, most often administered as palliative care. Treatments focus on extending patient life expectancy and raising quality of life. Alternative and more aggressive treatments are available for patients who meet a strict set of criteria. There is no known mesothelioma cure.

Environmental Protection Agency considers the potential for human asbestos exposure in Clear Creek Management Areas to be one of high risk; the area has been closed for several years. In an effort to decide how best to handle this, and other similar asbestos situations, federal government has had US Geological Survey release a map including marked locations of asbestos containing areas throughout California.

Not only could the US public be at risk from natural asbestos deposits, but much of the world could be at risk as well. Many nations continue to knowingly use manufactured asbestos containing materials, despite the knowledge of related health threats.  Developing countries specifically have fallen prey to the hard-to-match building properties of asbestos, and continue to import asbestos containing materials for use in building and construction projects. Unfortunately, unlike countries that have banned or heavily regulated asbestos, developing nations use limited, if any, asbestos safety precautions in the workplace.

A Times Herald article reports of an upcoming beef and beer fundraiser to honor Plymouth Pennsylvania local, Mario De Simone. An Italy native, De Simone is a long time resident of Plymouth. Diagnosed in March with rare cancer mesothelioma, De Simone is a husband, father grandfather and sibling of four.

Malignant mesothelioma is caused by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers, closely associated to industries and manufacturing lines prevalent in the mid-1900s. De Simone believes he may have been exposed to asbestos during his employment at a steel company in the 1970s.

Asbestos was mined, bought and sold around the world through the last century as nations building their industrial markets realized the innate qualities of the material. Asbestos is fire resistant, extremely durable and provides stabilizing qualities when added to other materials. In the US, asbestos earned the nickname, “backbone of American industry,” for its heavy use.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a latency period of twenty to fifty years. This not only makes mesothelioma difficult, if not impossible, to diagnose early, but it separates demonstrating symptoms from the cause by decades. Many mesothelioma patients have no idea they were ever exposed to disease causing asbestos. Even when health hazards of asbestos began to be understood, it was decades too late for thousand of victims.

Mesothelioma treatments include surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. These are often administered in combination as palliative care, focusing on patient quality of life and extending life expectancy. Following diagnosis, mesothelioma patient life expectancy ranges from just six months to two years.

Today, in many countries, strict regulations are in place for handling and working with asbestos. However, much of the developing world continues to use asbestos products with limited or no safety precautions.

Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can begin a mutative process in otherwise healthy lungs. As the body reacts to the invasion of these toxic fibers, pod-like tumors are formed, beginning development of cancerous masses that grow through surrounding areas. Mesothelioma is most often found in protective lung lining and is called pleural mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is less common and specific to protective linings of other abdominal cavities. Both types are considered fatal.

De Simone is home now from hospitalization and major treatments. With the help of a medical aid he is keeping up his medication while trying to enjoy time with friends and family.

The past several decades have seen a rising number of mesothelioma cases in US, UK and other countries with a history of heavy asbestos use. While the mid 1900s witnessed an incredible worldwide industrial boom, due much in part to asbestos use, the late 1900s and past decade has witnessed the subsequent boom of related diseases.

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure, then typically undergoes a latency period of twenty to fifty years. This explains why thousands of mesothelioma cases continue to be diagnosed each year in spite of asbestos regulations becoming more and more stringent since the 1980s. World Health Organization expects a mesothelioma and asbestos related disease peak to be still in the future, particularly due to the continued heavy use of asbestos in many developing countries.

Also due to characteristic long latency period, most mesothelioma patient are diagnosed with the disease between the age of fifty and seventy. However, as one Massachusetts family has learned, there are occasional abnormalities in disease trends.

According to a Boston news article, Kevin Morrison of Norwood, Massachusetts was diagnosed with mesothelioma in February, at age twenty-one. Decades younger than almost all mesothelioma patients, Kevin is about the age most patients are when they are first exposed to asbestos, decades before symptoms demonstrate. The specific time or means by which Kevin’s mesothelioma development began in a mystery at this point.

Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can begin a mutative process in otherwise healthy tissues. This most often occurs in protective lung lining and is called pleural mesothelioma. However, malignant mesothelioma development can also take place in lining of other abdominal cavities, which is called peritoneal mesothelioma. Kevin was diagnosed specifically with peritoneal mesothelioma.

Although both types of mesothelioma are considered fatal and without cure, more treatments options tend to be available for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma.  Treatment response depends heavily on patient heath and malignant tumor location. However, peritoneal mesothelioma is less likely to affect the heart or lungs, raising the chances for treatment accuracy and effectiveness.

Kevin’s doctors have suggested alternative treatments for his case, which are not available in the Boston area. His age puts him in a health bracket not usually applicable to patients in their elderly years; his own immune system and physical strength will be a great benefit during his treatments time.

Treatments and medical care so far have depleted Kevin’s family’s funds. Friend and family are organizing events to raise additional funds for his medical attention.

A bad storm in New Mexico has left the Belen Municipal Court building in a broken state. Just weeks before remodeling was scheduled to begin at the historic site, the storm has put a halt to plans. Not only did parts of the building collapse, but also asbestos was found in the wreckage afterwards.

Asbestos is known to cause severe respiratory illnesses, including rare cancer mesothelioma. Present in countless buildings and construction components after a century of heavy manufacturing use, asbestos can be found in most homes and structures built before the nineteen eighties in the US. Although relatively safe when contained inside another material, asbestos fibers pose a severe health threat when exposed.

Once inhaled, asbestos fibers can begin a mutative process in protective organ lining. Most often affecting lung lining, this mutation begins development of malignant mesothelioma tumors. Mesothelioma tumors grow in irregular patterns through the surrounding area without showing external signs and symptoms. Mesothelioma is characterized by a latency period typically ranging from twenty to fifty years.

Most mesothelioma patients have no idea they are developing the fatal disease until decades after original exposure. However, when symptoms do demonstrate, they mimic those of bronchitis or pneumonia, making mesothelioma difficult to diagnose. Following diagnosis, mesothelioma patient life expectancy is short and grim, ranging from just six months to two years.

Mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These are considered palliative in nature—focusing on extending patient life expectancy and raising quality of life—as there is no known cure for mesothelioma.

Although insurance will cover the repairs to Belen’s buildings, asbestos abatement will not be covered. Anticipated remodel costs were budgeted between twenty-nine thousand and forty thousand dollars, but factors have unfortunately changed.  Because of its unique dangers, removing asbestos can prove to be a tedious and costly project. Given the storm damage and asbestos complications, city officials are waiting to see if the building can be saved at all.

About three thousand American suffer with mesothelioma each year. An estimated twenty thousand suffer with it worldwide. World Health Organization suggests this global estimate is greatly undercut by lack of disease recognition and appropriate reporting. What is known for sure is that the mesothelioma case numbers will continue to rise as long as asbestos continues to be used.

To date, over six hundred thousand asbestos related cases have been heard in court since the early 1900’s. Many of these involve a prosecution representing victims suffering from fatal mesothelioma cancer after work-related asbestos exposure. In the UK, asbestos diseases are the leading work-related cause of death, accounting for about 4000 deaths each year.

Asbestos was heavily used around the world through the 1900s, and mesothelioma, a cancer it causes, is characterized by a latency period spanning several decades. These factors ensure continued employee-verses-employer lawsuits long after associated employment is over.

Before the 1980s many employers were uneducated about asbestos and its deadly effects; they had no idea they were exposing themselves and their workers to a toxic carcinogen. However, there have been numerous cases in which employers have been found guilty of intentional fraud, negligence and harm by choosing to mishandle asbestos materials or misrepresent exposure risks. In many of these situations employees have either been lied to about the presence of asbestos, or risks have been greatly minimized and safety precautions have been inadequate. As in many such cases, it is costs of respiratory protection and insurance that led to cut corners.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance that can be mined from the earth. Known for it’s fire resistance and durability, asbestos was used as an additive in thousands of products through the last century. Specifically, products expected to endure high heat, like insulation or roofing sheets, and high traffic, like floor tiles, were fortified with asbestos. Relatively safe when contained in other materials, asbestos fibers pose a real threat when exposed. Unfortunately, many products, once new, begin to wear out and break down over time. From slow wear and tear, or intentional demolition, asbestos fibers are released into the air.

If inhaled, asbestos fibers can begin a mutative process in protective organ lining. This develops into tumor growth and spreads irregularly through surrounding areas. Malignant mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period typically lasting between twenty and fifty years. During this time, tumors are spreading, but patients are showing no signs.

Once mesothelioma patients are properly diagnosed, prognosis is grim. Mesothelioma patient life expectancy ranges from just six months to two years. Mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, most often administered in combination to provide patients with a higher quality of life and extended life expectancy.

To date, over six hundred thousand asbestos related cases have been heard in court since the early 1900’s. Many of these involve a prosecution representing victims suffering from fatal mesothelioma cancer after work-related asbestos exposure. In the UK, asbestos diseases are the leading work-related cause of death, accounting for about 4000 deaths each year.

Asbestos was heavily used around the world through the 1900s, and mesothelioma, a cancer it causes, is characterized by a latency period spanning several decades. These factors ensure continued employee-verses-employer lawsuits long after associated employment is over.

Before the 1980s many employers were uneducated about asbestos and its deadly effects; they had no idea they were exposing themselves and their workers to a toxic carcinogen. However, there have been numerous cases in which employers have been found guilty of intentional fraud, negligence and harm by choosing to mishandle asbestos materials or misrepresent exposure risks. In many of these situations employees have either been lied to about the presence of asbestos, or risks have been greatly minimized and safety precautions have been inadequate. As in many such cases, it is costs of respiratory protection and insurance that led to cut corners.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance that can be mined from the earth. Known for it’s fire resistance and durability, asbestos was used as an additive in thousands of products through the last century. Specifically, products expected to endure high heat, like insulation or roofing sheets, and high traffic, like floor tiles, were fortified with asbestos. Relatively safe when contained in other materials, asbestos fibers pose a real threat when exposed. Unfortunately, many products, once new, begin to wear out and break down over time. From slow wear and tear, or intentional demolition, asbestos fibers are released into the air.

If inhaled, asbestos fibers can begin a mutative process in protective organ lining. This develops into tumor growth and spreads irregularly through surrounding areas. Malignant mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period typically lasting between twenty and fifty years. During this time, tumors are spreading, but patients are showing no signs.

Once mesothelioma patients are properly diagnosed, prognosis is grim. Mesothelioma patient life expectancy ranges from just six months to two years. Mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, most often administered in combination to provide patients with a higher quality of life and extended life expectancy.

Mohammed Zulfiquar, CEO of Datatecnics in Birmingham, UK, has used innovative technology to develop an asbestos alert system for residential and commercial use. ADAAS (Asbestos Disturbance Automated Alert System) is a clear, film-like, adhesive surface covering made up of tiny asbestos censors connected in web-like fashion. ADAAS can be applied on walls or other asbestos containing materials much like wallpaper. Using a basic wire hook-up system the invisible film sounds an alarm when asbestos is detected.

Asbestos causes severe respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma, a rare and fatal cancer. While the world’s mesothelioma cases are on the rise from an estimated twenty thousand annually to an estimated ninety thousand, Zulfiquar’s invention comes at a crucial time. Much less expensive than standard asbestos abatement, and not nearly and disruptive, ADAAS can be applied while life and work continue, for a fraction of the cost of having the toxic materials removed.

Mesothelioma is characterized by an extensive latency period. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lungs, a process of tumor development begins and quietly spreads irregularly through inner organ lining. Typically patients do not demonstrate mesothelioma symptoms until two to five decades after asbestos exposure. This long latency period makes early detection next to impossible, while symptoms that mimic those of pneumonia and bronchitis further postpone proper mesothelioma diagnosis.

Once patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma, life expectancy is short, most often ranging from six months to two years. Mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, all of which focus on extending life expectancy and raising quality of life. Some alternative, ‘radical’ treatments do exist for mesothelioma, including removal of affected organs and internal tissues.

The UK, US, Australia, Japan, and other countries are realizing the dangers of asbestos materials once used heavily by industries and manufacturing lines. Now, as asbestos containing materials begin to age and break down, what were once considered safe and reliable products are becoming a threat to public safety. Asbestos exposure can be found in countless structures, products and equipments used in homes and workplaces around the world.  ADAAS was inspired by Zulfiquar’s desire to minimize negative impact of asbestos exposure—his desire to save lives.

“Asbestos is in a lot of public buildings. The Government estimated that 70% of UK schools contain it and the guidance from the Health and Safety Executive is to manage most of it, not remove it,” Zulfiquar said in a recent Electronics Weekly article.

In the same article, Zulfiquar says of his product, “You paper the wall, and have just two wires connected to a control; something like an alarm. My first prototype was just aluminium foil on sheets of paper.” Development of ADAAS was a process, the end result, a celebration. Zufiquar’s innovation has taken mesothelioma prevention to a whole new level.

Mesothelioma victim John Pearson works to spread awareness about the fatal cancer and its cause, asbestos. Pearson, 57, was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in the midst of an active and healthy life. Now, he wants to tell others how this disease can be avoided.

In a July 5^th article in The Star, Pearson says, “Action Mesothelioma Day is very important for raising awareness of asbestos-related diseases. I want to make as many people as possible aware of the dangers of asbestos and the impact it can have on people’s lives.

“After years of living with no effects, the illness can come on very quickly – it’s been a frightening and life-changing experience.”

Action Mesothelioma Day is set aside annually in Britain to celebrate and remember the lives lost to mesothelioma and to raise awareness about the disease for the public.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring chemical classified as a Type 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Pearson was allegedly exposed to asbestos during his employment at a South Yorkshire steelworks plant between the 1970s and 1980s.

Pearson says in The Star article, “It’s been over 30 years since I was exposed to asbestos, and since then I have continued to work hard and live life to the full with my wife. I loved cycling and walking – not only was it enjoyable but it also kept me fit. Thanks to my condition I struggle to do any of those things any more.”

Pearson experienced a characteristic mesothelioma latency period. Often, mesothelioma patients have no idea they are developing cancer during a twenty to fifty year stretch between original asbestos exposure and symptom demonstration. This latency period, and symptoms that mimic those of bronchitis or pneumonia, make mesothelioma a challenge to diagnose.

The last century saw asbestos nicknamed the “backbone of industry” and industrial growth spread the toxic material through residential, commercial, military and consumer arenas worldwide. Now, decades later those components have begun to break down, releasing asbestos fibers in the most unexpected places. Not only are victims coming out of industrial backgrounds, like Pearson, but also teachers, shopkeepers and homemakers have added to the list of mesothelioma patients.

Irwin Mitchell law firm’s Adrian Budgen commented on these global changes in the recent article in The Star. He said, “Asbestos has long been associated with heavy industry but sadly we are seeing an increasing number of people from other sectors – such as health and education – falling victim to diseases like mesothelioma.

“Over the years, as asbestos-containing materials began to deteriorate and crumble, many UK workers were inhaling the lethal fibres as they went about their daily tasks, completely unaware of the dangers they were facing, putting them at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease.

“The rising numbers of white- collar workers who are going on to suffer from mesothelioma highlights the need for a proper record of which public buildings – whether they are council offices, hospitals or schools – contain asbestos to prevent future, needless tragedies.”

When considering the circumstances and situations related to Israel and its surrounding lands, asbestos presence is not among common known facts. And yet, the area is held up, run through and covered with asbestos containing materials. Floors, ceilings, roofs, walls; Israeli homes and buildings are filled with toxic asbestos. For two researchers, this most certainly suggests the area could be filled with something else: genetic mutations.

University of Haifa’s Dr. Rachel Ben-Shlomo and Dr. Uri Shanas are aware of the mutative properties of asbestos fibers. Known to cause rare cancer mesothelioma, asbestos begins cancerous development by mutating healthy cells in protective organ lining. Tumors begin to grow and spread through the surrounding area without showing signs for decades. Mesothelioma patients are usually diagnosed with the fatal cancer after it has entered its most aggressive stage and demonstrated symptoms, twenty to fifty years after asbestos begins its mutative process.

Mesothelioma is on the rise worldwide as asbestos continues to be used. In many developing country asbestos is used without proper safety precautions or protective measures. Due to the long mesothelioma latency period, early diagnosis is a challenge, even in places were adequate medical facilities exist. The World Health Organization estimates ninety thousand cases of mesothelioma yearly, worldwide, if asbestos use is not immediately stopped or greatly curbed. Although there are mesothelioma treatments available, there is no cure.

Israeli Ministry of Health records show a rising number of asbestos-caused cancer cases in areas of Western Galilee. Using wild mice, Ben-Shlomo and Shanas researched the connection between these cases and the concentration of asbestos fibers present in the same area. “This study clearly indicates that there is a link between the higher levels of asbestos in the environment and the frequency of genetic somatic mutations in the mammals,” they said.

To begin, they conducted a study of two separate wild mice populations. Considering mice renew an entire generation every three months, the researchers used these rodents as a prime test group for genetic changes.

One group of mice tested lived near a recently active asbestos products manufacturing plant, the other group inhabited an area some distance away with no history of high asbestos presence or exposure. Mice living near the manufacturing plant had ample opportunities for both inhalation and ingestion of asbestos fibers. Tests proved higher genetic mutation levels in mice taken from the area of higher asbestos presence.

Ben-Shlomo and Shanas concluded, “These findings teach us that the pollutive, mutagenic asbestos increases somatic mutational frequency, which can in turn heighten the chances of developing cancerous growths.”