In the wake of this week’s devastating mile-wide tornado that leveled a wide swath of Moore, Okla., folks are mourning the loss of loved ones, the loss of their homes and in some cases their livelihoods. Survivors are pulling each other close and counting their blessings. People are taking a deep breath and surveying the damage, but thankful the danger has passed. However, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies urge caution as residents and volunteers descend on the town to begin the arduous task of cleanup. The rubble holds danger of its own, from toxins including asbestos and lead. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday the U.S. House Judiciary Committee passed a controversial bill that many say will provide protections for corporations that manufacture asbestos, while stripping victims of asbestos exposure of their rights. Asbestos exposure has long been linked to the development of many asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, and mesothelioma, a cancer that affect the lining of the lungs or abdomen and, sometimes, the heart. There is currently no cure for mesothelioma. Read the rest of this entry »

The American Association for Justice (AAJ), through its new blog site, Take Justice Back, is asking the public to speak out to help protect the rights of asbestos victims. At issue is legislation currently before the U.S. Congress that would protect corporations that knowingly exposed workers to asbestos. Asbestos exposure is directly linked to the development of mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or abdomen, and, rarely, the heart. There is no known cure for mesothelioma. Read the rest of this entry »

Those of you who have been following the myMeso blog for a while remember our friend Heather Von St. James, a meso survivor and warrior from Minnesota. Heather was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma just a few months after giving birth to her daughter Lily, at the young age of 36. There is currently no known cure for mesothelioma, which is related ot asbestos exposure, and traditionally patients are given a matter of months to live following a diagnosis. This was unacceptable to Heather and her husband, Cameron, were determined to find an answer, and to fight. Read the rest of this entry »

The results of a five-year, $4.9-million study into the link between taconite mining in Minnesota’s Iron Range and mesothelioma provided a mixed bag of results. Scientists confirmed a definite link between the taconite industry and an increased risk of mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that has previously been associated exclusively with asbestos exposure. But the study does not adequately answer the question of “why” or “how.” Read the rest of this entry »

There is legislation pending in Missouri that would require employees seeking compensation for “occupational diseases due to toxic exposure,” including mesothelioma, to rely on workman’s compensation benefits. The bill, Senate Bill 1, would prevent employees from seeking justice in a court of law for injuries and deaths related to on-the-job exposure to toxins. Read the rest of this entry »

A public meeting has been scheduled for April 12, 2013, to discuss findings of the Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study. The study was established to determine the causes of an unusually high number of cases of mesothelioma among taconite mine workers. Read the rest of this entry »

Please remember the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) 9th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference is currently underway in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. More than 30 speakers from seven countries will gather to present the latest information about “The Asbestos Crisis: New Trends in Prevention and Treatment.” Read the rest of this entry »

After another successful Symposium in Las Vegas, accompanied by a live stream of the most of the presentations, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is back to the daily business of raising awareness and raising funds for mesothelioma research. You can help! Read the rest of this entry »

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) 2013 Symposium kicks off Thursday, March 7, in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you can’t attend in person this year, don’t worry! You can attend “virtually” with a live streaming broadcast of the conference! Read the rest of this entry »