Credit: Yale Rosen

Lung cancer is most often associated with smoking, and rightfully so. An average of 130,659 Americans (74,300 men and 56,359 women) died of smoking-attributable lung cancer each year between 2005 and 2010, according to the American Lung Association. On this World Lung Cancer Awareness Day, it is important to note that smoking is not the only cause of lung cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

People who have received radiation to treat lymphoma have a greater chance of developing mesothelioma later in life, according to a new study conducted by Stanford Cancer Center and scientific consulting firm Exponent Inc. Read the rest of this entry »

California is one of the few states in the country that hears take-home or secondhand exposure cases, when a worker transfers asbestos fibers from work through clothing, tools, vehicle, etc., as MyMeso has previously reported. Earlier this month, a California Court of Appeals voted against expanding asbestos liability in take-home exposure lawsuits beyond the scope of precedent. Read the rest of this entry »

Credit: Cassowary/Wikipedia

An asbestos abatement case is making its way to Australia’s Supreme Court, and while the dispute is being adjudicated, plans for a $2 billion eco-development are on hold. Read the rest of this entry »

An estimated 22 percent of malignant mesothelioma patients undergo surgery to treat the deadly disease, according to Mesothelioma Research News, but which surgical option is most beneficial? Yet another study has confirmed pleurectomy surgery rather than extrapleural pneumonectomy (EEP) is the best option. Read the rest of this entry »

Morelmorel/Wikipedia

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is the most advanced type of radiation, allowing for even greater regulation of radiation beams than was possible in 3D planning. It’s a “sophisticated form of 3D planning,” according to OncoLink, and it is used regularly to treat a variety of cancers, including prostate cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, brain cancers and lung cancers.

IMRT has become increasingly important in the treatment of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure that affects the lining of internal organs, but until recently, its benefits had never been proven, according to Surviving Mesothelioma. Dr. Kenneth Rosenzweig’s new study published in the Annals of Translational Medicine concludes IMRT at an experienced institution has led to improved mesothelioma outcomes and is “both feasible and effective” as a treatment option for malignant pleural mesothelioma.  Read the rest of this entry »

Though some residents remain skeptical, a remediation plan for a St. Louis neighborhood plagued by asbestos contamination after a house fire is slowly taking shape. The house, believed to have ties to Mark Twain, caught fire July 12, and as MyMeso previously reported, local officials were slow to act, prompting residents who were concerned about the possibility of asbestos to contact the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA confirmed the residents’ suspicions: Asbestos was present in the charred debris. Read the rest of this entry »

Homeowners in a St. Louis, Missouri, neighborhood took to their yards last week to clean up debris from four-alarm fire that engulfed a nearby historic mansion. The issue? The charred debris contained asbestos. Read the rest of this entry »

Credit: Patrick Mackey

The buildings Londoners visit to improve their health might actually put them at risk of asbestos exposure. According to BBC London, 94 percent of hospitals in the city, where about 1,000 people have died from mesothelioma since 2011, contain asbestos. Read the rest of this entry »

A form of loose asbestos insulation used in the Australian capital of Canberra, Mr. Fluffy has proved much more menacing than its name would suggest. Fear of Mr. Fluffy reemerged in 2013 after a house that had undergone asbestos removal procedures was found to still contain the deadly insulation, according to The Guardian. Millions were spent on the original abatement efforts, and now a second round of removal efforts is underway. Read the rest of this entry »