It is easy to believe that we know what patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma need. But beyond state-of-the-art medical treatment and the compassion and love of those around them, patients with this rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos face unique challenges. They must confront the grief that a terminal diagnosis brings, while at the same time dealing with the anger that comes from knowing that their illness could have been prevented had asbestos companies only put people in front of profits. In recognition of the need for greater understanding of how best to care for these victims. the charity Mesothelioma UK has recently announced that they are bestowing a $33,000 grant for senior nursing research fellow Dr. Catherine Henshall of Oxford Brookes University to study the issue, with a particular eye to their follow-up care needs.
Month: June 2018
W.R. Grace’s Asbestos Legacy Continues, And So Does Care for Mesothelioma Patients
When you picture the state of Montana,a you imagine wide open ranges and blue skies: yet the town of Libby in Montana will be remembered as one of the areas most devastated by malignant mesothelioma. The town was the site of an asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mine originally owned by the Zonolite Company and later purchased by W.R. Grace & Co. Those companies’ reckless disregard for the environment and the people in the neighboring area resulted in more than 400 deaths and thousands of illnesses that continue to afflict the town’s residents decades later. Fortunately, a clinic that treats those who are out at risk has just been granted funding to allow them to continue their important work. read more
Mesothelioma Patients Shown to be at Higher Risk for Suicide
When you hear about somebody being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma – or any particularly aggressive form of cancer – you envision a lot of inevitable outcomes, but few people picture the victim opting out and taking their own lives. Yet that is a choice that many people select, and according to a recently published study out of the United Kingdom, mesothelioma patients choose suicide at a higher rate than many other types of cancer.
Hidden Asbestos in Your Home – Could it Lead to Mesothelioma?
Your home is supposed to be your safe harbor, and should be the last place you might think of as a source of asbestos exposure leading to malignant mesothelioma. But as thousands of Australians sickened by loose asbestos-contaminated insulation can tell you, your home has the potential of hiding secrets that could cost you your life. Asbestos was a popular building component prior to the Environmental Protection Agency’s revealing it as a carcinogen, and though its use was largely stopped, most houses built prior to the 1980s used it in one way or another. So how can you tell whether your home’s environment is safe?
The first thing you need to do is educate yourself about both mesothelioma and asbestos. The rare and fatal form of cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos, and in the United States most often that exposure comes from occupational settings rather than from the home. The insulation that was blown into attics in Australia was a loose fill, which was able to seep through homes’ cracks and crevices, contaminating all surfaces and impacting air quality. The asbestos that was used in American homes was largely in ceiling and floor tile, in the glues and compounds that were used, and though these posed a risk to installers who were cutting and working with the products on a regular basis, for homeowners it would only pose a risk if they were planning a renovation or demolition project that would disturb the material.
If you are planning on having any work done in your home and it was built prior to 1985, it is a good idea to bring in a licensed asbestos inspector who can tell you whether there is any mesothelioma risk from hidden asbestos. Though the Clean Air Act of 1978 largely prohibited the use of asbestos materials, it did allow contractors to use their remaining inventories in order to avoid causing financial harm.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you need assistance in determining how they were exposed to asbestos, we can help. Contact us today at 1-800-966-2244.
Asbestos App Improves Safety, Offers Protection From Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-Related Diseases
Among those who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, there are countless victims who say that had they only known that asbestos was present, they would have protected themselves, or avoided the substance entirely. Though this level of information may not have been available in the past, efforts are being made to improve workplace safety and awareness. One of the most exciting examples of this is the development of an app that was announced recently in the United Kingdom. Risk Management company Lucion Services worked hand in hand with engineers at Northumbria University to create an asbestos risk data application to allow those in the construction industry to easily and immediately assess the asbestos dangers present in a building and make strategic decisions based on the information it provides.
Toledo Asbestos Site Poses Mesothelioma Danger
Those who pass through the Toledo neighborhood that was once the site of the Champion Spark Plug factory have long been concerned about mesothelioma, the rare and deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Their fears are well founded: the company has repeatedly been named in lawsuits regarding asbestos exposure, and even with the factory having been razed several years ago, the grounds have been known to be contaminated, and nothing has been done to clean it up. But now, a statement released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revealed that a two-month, $1.8 million clean-up effort is about to begin following a concerted effort by the city’s mayor, Wade Kapszukiewicz.
Virginia Firefighters, Already at Risk For Mesothelioma, Subjected to Unnecessary Additional Asbestos Exposure
A quick bit of research into which occupations remain at risk for malignant mesothelioma reveals that some of our most trusted public servants rank high on the list: teachers, firefighters and first responders are frequently subjected to exposure to asbestos in their work environments, either through the pre-1980s buildings in which they work or as a result of rushing into buildings that were built using the carcinogenic materials. These and other professionals are supposed to be protected by safety regulations that limit their exposure and provide them with protective gear, but those safeguards are only effective when they are adhered to, and that is unfortunately not always the case. A recent example of this was found in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where regulations were ignored and firefighters were ordered to participate in a training session that involved a building that was contaminated with asbestos.
Veterans With Mesothelioma Need to Know Their Rights
Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos, a mineral that was widely used in the United States following the Industrial Revolution, right up until the time that its dangers were made public. Asbestos was used in factories, in construction, in textiles and more, and one of the areas where it was found in the greatest concentration was in military settings. As a result, roughly one third of America’s mesothelioma victims are veterans of the Armed Forces. Though nothing can be done to change asbestos’ grim effects, the federal government has taken steps to ensure that veterans receive the care and compensation that they need to face the realities of asbestos-related diseases. read more
