One of our favorite Meso Warriors, Debbie Brewer, was disappointed this week to learn that her mesothelioma had progressed. Many of you have been following Debbie’s story through the past several years, since she originally shared it with us. Debbie has become a leader in the fight for mesothelioma awareness, and is an outspoken advocate both in her home in the U.K. and worldwide. Read the rest of this entry »

Professional golfer Fred Couples designated $25,000 from the 2011 Presidents Cup tournament to go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The Presidents Cup tournament raised a record-setting $4.5 million in proceeds to be distributed to charitable organizations around the world. Beneficiaries are chosen by the 30 players, captains and captains’ assistants. Couples chose the Meso Foundation with his girlfriend and caddy, Midge Elo Trammell, whose father, George Sheldon Elo, passed away in 2009 after a battle with pleural mesothelioma. Read the rest of this entry »

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has selected Charles L. Sawyers, M.D., as its 2012-2013 President-Elect. Sawyers is chair of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), one of the leading medical facilities in the United States treating mesothelioma, a deadly cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

A young lady in Lake Stevens, Washington, wrote a touching essay about her grandfather, who passed away from mesothelioma in May 2009. Roberta Pierce said she is dedicating her participation in Relay for Life to him. His death is still with her, she writes. “I still have the scar on my heart. It’s puckered and pink, and is still sore.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) offers live teleconferences featuring experts in the field of mesothelioma, who will discuss developments in research and treatment. If you miss the live broadcast, the Meso Foundation offers the program as a podcast on its website. There is no cost to participate. Read the rest of this entry »

Organizations dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of asbestos and providing a voice for people with mesothelioma are joining in today’s recognition of “Rare Disease Day.” Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer related to asbestos exposure. It usually affects the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma) or abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma), but may also sometimes affect the heart (pericardial mesothelioma). Rare Disease Day is a program of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Read the rest of this entry »

A memorial service is set for today, Feb. 21, 2012, for Dr. Stephen Levin, who was instrumental in addressing the needs of first responders and other workers whose health was negatively affected during the events of 9/11. Dr. Levin passed away Feb. 7 at age 70 at his home in Uppper Grandview, New York. The memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. ET at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Stern Auditorium, 1468 Madison Avenue at East 100th Street, New York, NY. Read the rest of this entry »

The borough of South Tyneside, a metropolitan area in Tyne and War in North East England, is setting records, but not the sort about which city leaders would be eager to boast. Deaths linked to asbestos exposure here number at twice the national average. Deaths from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart, are the eighth highest in England and Wales, according to figures published Monday in the Shields Gazette. And, experts tell the news agency, those numbers are only expected to rise in the coming years. Read the rest of this entry »

This week the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) announced it will provide an additional $500,000 in grant money for research projects directed toward finding treatments and a cure for mesothelioma. This will bring the Foundation’s current level of financial commitment to mesothelioma research projects to $7.6 million. Read the rest of this entry »

A landmark verdict handed down by a three-judge panel in Turin, Italy, could set a precedent for manufacturers dealing with toxic environmental substances, like asbestos. Following a two-year trial, two former executives of a Swiss building-products company were found guilty on criminal charges, held responsible for the deaths of more than 3,000 people who lived and worked around four Italian asbestos cement factories. Asbestos has been proven to cause deadly diseases, including mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen and, in rare cases, the heart. The verdict was handed down Monday, Feb. 13, 2012. Read the rest of this entry »