This is the second year the Meso Foundation has spearheaded the Today Show awareness effort. Festivities will kick off on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. with a gathering at Bill’s Bar and Burger Rockefeller Center. Meet the Meso Foundation staff and volunteers. Everyone who attends this event will receive an orange “curemeso.org” t-shirt to wear the next morning to attract attention of the TV crews.

Monday, Sept. 26, Meso Warriors will meet on Rockefeller Plaza at 5:30 a.m. ET. If you were not able to attend the meet and greet at Bill’s Bar and Burger on Sunday night, you can get your orange “curemeso.org” shirt from a Meso Foundation volunteer that morning. The foundation also will have a limited number of pre-made signs available. The show starts at 7 a.m. ET, but places on line in the Plaza cannot be held, so make sure to get there early to stand with the other Meso Warriors.

For more information, visit www.curemeso.org. You also can view a list of recommended Meso Awareness Day Hotels in New York City that are located close to Rockefeller plaza.

SOURCE: myMeso › Meso warriors will assemble on the Plaza for Mesothelioma Awareness Day

In addition to publishing the study, The Lancet prepared a podcast featuring an interview with Dr. Prezant. He said mong the priorities of this study was to ensure that it included every firefighter who was employed at the NYFD that was at 9/11, and also everyone who was employed as a firefighter at the NYFD. They examined data sets including what types of cancers the firefighters had, and where it was reported, and made sure that there were no duplications in the records to make sure no cancer was counted twice. They compared results among exposed firefighters, non-exposed firefighters and a similar general population, as well as the time period during which the screening was done to make sure screening methods were similar.

The study indicates an increased risk for the development of all cancers, combined, in firefighters exposed to the toxic dust, smoke and fumes at the Ground Zero site on 9/11, Dr. Prezant said. He said data shows a 19 percent increase for WTC-exposed firefighters, compared to non-exposed firefighters.

Listen to the podcast.

SOURCE: myMeso › Listen to an interview with lead author of NYFD cancer study

According to The Lancet, “Respiratory illnesses and post-traumatic stress disorder are known to be increased in those who survived the World Trade Center disaster, but data reported in this issue show that 9 years after the attacks, rescue and recovery workers continue to have substantial physical and mental health problems.”

While it is too early yet to find evidence of increased mortality among these workers, the research indicates that “An excess of cancer cases is reported in firefighters who survived the disaster..” according to The Lancet.

The study, titled “Early assessment of cancer outcomes in New York City firefighters after the 9/11 attacks: an observational cohort study” was published in Volume 378, Issue 9794 of The Lancet. Researchers studied cancer incidence and its potential association to exposure of New York City firefighters to known and suspected carcinogens at Ground Zero. The study examined the effect of these possible carcinogens on FDNY first responders in the first 7 years after 9/11/01.

According to the report, the study included 9,853 men who were employed as firefighters on Jan. 1, 1996. Researchers determined that “on and after 9/11, person-time for 8,927 firefighters was classified as WTC-exposed; all person-time before 9/11, and person-time after 9/11 for 926 non-WTC-exposed firefighters, was classifed as non-WTC exposed.” Explaining their methods, researchers state in the report, “We estimated the ratio of incidence rates in WTC-exposed firefighters to non-exposed firefighters, adjusted for age, race and ethnic origin, and secular trends, with the US National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) reference population.”

In its Findings summary, the report concluded that cancer incidence in firefighters exposed to toxins at the World Trade Center was about 1 in 10, while cancer incidence in the general male population in the U.S. was about 1 in 19. This incidence among the non-WTC-exposed firefighters also was about 1 in 19. This leads researchers to believe there is a “modest excess of cancer cases in the WTC-exposed” group.

However, researchers also caution that there has been a relatively short time period since the events of 9/11 and the exposures, while many cancers, such as mesothelioma, may have long developmental periods. They recommend continued follow-up including cancer screenings and prevention strategies.

Read the full FDNY post-9/11 cancer assessment.

The Lancet has a full report on the events of 9/11 in this special section.

SOURCE: myMeso › Studies continue to show increased cancer risk for 9/11 first responders

The study included 12,781 workers who were present at the WTC site between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 24, 2001, which is 91.6 percent of the workers that were present. The report notes that the event exposed the workers – as well as those living and working in the surrounding area – to a dense cloud of pulverized building materials and chemical byproducts, including pulverized glass and cement, insulation fibers including asbestos, and toxic chemicals.

According to a report in The New York Times that summarizes the study findings, this is the first study to document long-term harm in a large group of firefighters and emergency medical workers who worked at Ground Zero. All of the subjects of the study had had previous lung function tests, providing a baseline for the study.

The study was authored by Dr. David J. Prezant, chief medical officer in the Office of Medical Affairs at the New York City Fire Department. The study was approved by the institutional review board at Montefiore Medical Center.

Results of the study revealed that firefighters, who had heavier exposure to dust by the nature of their work had greater first-year declines than EMS personnel, especially for firefighters who were present in the morning on 9/11, when the dust cloud was most intense after the buildings fell. However, researchers noted they were surprised to see “little or no recovery of average lung function during the 6-year follow-up period.” In fact, they noted continued decline in lung function among the study groups.

Normally, the study notes, “smoke inhalation during firefighting causes relatively mild and reversible respiratory impairment.” Additionally, according to the report, long-term effects of firefighting on pulmonary function also are normally mild.

The average loss of lung function for 9/11 rescue workers is about 10 percent. Most of the loss occurred within the first year after 9/11 exposure, with little or no subsequent recovery.

Thousands of workers injured at Ground Zero have been fighting for compensation from the City of New York. Last month about 10,000 plaintiffs reached a settlement agreement totaling $657.5 million, but a judge rejected the settlement shortly afterward, saying it did not provide enough compensation for the plaintiffs. The matter is now back in negotiations, and a new hearing is set for Monday, according to the Times.

SOURCE: myMeso › Study reveals persistent, significant reduction in lung function for 9/11 responders, workers

A CBS News investigative report spoke with individuals and families coping with this second disaster, a disaster that robs them and their loved ones of health and quality of life. Rescue workers, very few wearing any type of special gear, toiled day after day in dusty clouds of toxins including asbestos, jet fuel, mercury, lead and pulverized cement and glass. According to the CBS News report, health officials say such multi-chemical exposure as these workers experienced is “unprecedented.”

A variety of health screening and tracking programs were established in the days and months following 9/11/2001, when workers and even people who simply lived and worked near the disaster site began complaining of a variety of illnesses, particularly respiratory distress. To date, according to the CBS report, about 43,000 people have been physically screened for 9/11-related health issues, 28,000 are participating in the official World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program, and an additional 18,000 people in a similar program operated by the New York Fire Department.

Many 9/11 responders are angry, saying they have to wade through mounds of regulations, restrictions and other roadblocks to fight for access to care and compensation. Many who die are not classified as technically having died “in the line of duty,” and their families are denied those benefits.

Physicians say it is difficult to definitively link health conditions to 9/11 exposures because of the wide variety of toxins present on the site, and the varying levels of exposure among workers to amounts and types of chemicals and other substances. Some trouble signs presented immediately, such as respiratory distress, while others, such as immune system cancer multiple myeloma, and colon cancer, are now showing up in responders age 45 and younger.

Some diseases could take even longer to develop. Mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen and/or heart, is a result of asbestos exposure. It is now known that the 9/11 site was contaminated with asbestos at levels at least two times higher then the EPA’s “safe” level. The latency period for mesothelioma averages between 10 and 50 years, so the effect of this asbestos exposure may not be known for years to come.

How tragic that one of the most tragic days in recent American history should be borne the hardest by those who were bravest, those who dedicated their lives to caring for their fellow man, who rushed into the danger zone while others rushed away. My heart goes out to these brave souls, and I pray that they are not forgotten.

There is a link below to the comprehensive CBS News report about this. There is a wealth of information at this site, including video interviews with 9/11 responders, medical reports about 9/11 health issues, and links to resources and information about World Trade Center responder health programs and studies. I urge you to add a comment at the CBS web site voicing your support for more programs to help these brave folks.

Source: CBS News

SOURCE: myMeso › As we remember 9-11, the disaster’s first responders suffer from toxic exposure

The ad references fire alarms, most likely referring to a Feb. 13, 1975 fire that broke out on the 11th floor of the North Tower. But it hits a little too close to home after the events that would take place a little over 25 years later.

On the anniversary of the 2001 tragedy last year, we discussed the ongoing studies being conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygeine on the effects of exposure to the dust released in the catastrophe. The study included close to 5,000 samples of airborne asbestos collected by the EPA in lower Manhattan between Sept. 11, 2001 and Jan. 22, 2002, many of which exceeded “safety” standards.

It is ironic that the ad for asbestos prominently features the tag line “when life depends on it, you use asbestos.”

In 1981, the asbestos industry was already under scrutiny for the link between asbestos and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, and sometimes the stomach and/or heart. Most recent studies by the National Cancer Institute show that people with even brief exposure to asbestos are at risk. There is no “safe” level of asbestos exposure.

We recently have added a petition to this site urging the U.S. Congress to finally support a total ban of asbestos in the United States, and to provide funding for mesothelioma research. Please sign the petition, and add your voice to this fight.

The New York State Department of Health has been collecting information about deaths among World Trade Center responders, recovery workers and volunteers since shortly after the tragedy.

As of June 2008, the program had identified 382 people who worked at the WTC site who had passed away, and confirmed 204 causes of death, including 30 deaths resulting from respiratory and intrathoracic organ disease. In an updated report released in December 2008, the number of deaths of people who worked at the WTC had jumped to 713 people, with 548 confirmed causes of death. The number of deaths attributed to respiratory and intrathoracic organ disease is noted at 56, accounting for 14.1 percent of the deaths.

Of course, these numbers are general, and not specifically linked to asbestos inhalation, but the report does note that 30.2 percent of the confirmed causes of death of people who worked at the WTC are releated to “exposure to harmful substances or environments,” and 27.3 percent specifically related to “ingestion of substance.”

SOURCE: myMeso › Creepy ad touts benefits of asbestos, features photo of WTC

According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygeine, the EPA collected and analyzed close to 5,000 samples for airborne asbestos in lower Manhattan between Sept. 11, 2001 and Jan. 22, 2002. Thirty-one of the samples collected prior to Sept. 30, 2001 indicated asbestos in excess of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) standard, as did four other samples collected on four other dates during the testing period.

At the time, the health department assured the public that they did not expect brief exposures to low levels of airborne asbestos to create long-term health effects.

However, the National Cancer Institute states that people with only brief exposure to asbestos are at risk for the development of asbestos diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. They cite a study titled Environmental Health Perspectives, published in 2006, that examined results of a five-year assessment of the health of workers. Results of the program, called the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program, noted that nearly 70 percent of World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers suffered new or worsened respiratory systems while performing work at the WTC site.

In 2002, the Center for Disease Control’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the New York City Health Department established the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry, hoping to monitor the health of those exposed to the WTC disaster. The program plans to follow up with enrollees for the next 20 years, and will examine both physical and mental health.

The Registry includes 71,437 participants, including rescue and recovery workers, Lower Manhattan residents, area workers, commuters and passerby. The voluntary program was open to anyone who lived, worked or went to school in the area of the WTC disaster, or were involved in rescue and recovery efforts. It is the largest public health registry in U.S. history, but registered particpants still only comprise about 17.4 percent of the people who would have been eligible to participate, program officials estimate.

According to the report, released yesterday, half the registrants reported being in the dust cloud from the collapsing towers; 70 percent witnessed a traumatic sight; and 13 percent sustained an injury that day. The reports says 3 percent of all adults in the program reported they have developed new asthma, 16 percent had post-traumatic stress disorder, and 8 percent have severe psychological distress.

The report finds that first responders – rescue and recovery workers who worked on the debris pile – have the highest rate of new asthma, at 6 percent.

Additionally, examining the health of participants two to three years after the event revealed 3 percent of Lower Manhattan adult residents and workers had developed asthma – twice what is believed to be the baseline rate of development of asthma over that period.

The Health Department has issued a follow-up survey that examined program participants’ health issues five to six years after the 9/11 attack, and expect to release those findings in the next few months.

Additionally, since the attacks of Sept. 11, the New York State Department of Health has been collecting information about the deaths among World Trade Center responders, recovery workers and volunteers – no matter how or why the death occurred – through its World Trade Center (WTC) Responder Fatality Investigation. It is hoped the data will help track and identify all fatalities and allow the department to analyze the root causes.

As of June 2008, the program has identified 382 people who worked a the WTC site and have since passed away, and has confirmed 204 causes of death. The report states that 30 of those people have died of respiratory and intrathoracic organ disease, making up 19.4 percent of the overall confirmed deaths. Twenty-six of the deaths, or 16.8 percent, were specifically related to lung disease.

SOURCE: myMeso › Mesothelioma lingering concern at Ground Zero

The Newsday.com article mentions that Reeve worked at a morgue in the toxic dust of Ground Zero following 9-11.

While her death has not been officially linked to exposure to materials released from the collapsing buildings, there is a great deal of study about the link between the disaster and mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, which affect many of the immediate responders and those who worked on the site in the many days and months afterward.

Today, the official New York City Fire Department web site has the story:

EMS officers, paramedics and EMTs attended the plaque dedication for Paramedic Deborah Reeve on March 11 at EMS Station 20 in the Bronx. Paramedic Reeve died of mesothelioma (lung cancer) on March 15, 2006. “This loss was a great blow to the members of this EMS station, the Department and the City of New York,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. “But we hope this ceremony will serve as a reminder to her family that we understand your pain has not diminished and your loss has not been forgotten.” Paramedic Reeve served with the EMS Command for 17 years before her death. She was remembered as smart, hard working and an outstanding paramedic. “She was the strongest person I ever met,” said Reeve’s husband, Paramedic David Reeve, also of Station 20. He recalled how they met at the EMS Training Academy, when she sat behind him in class and made fun of his southern accent. He was joined at the ceremony by their children, Elizabeth, 12, and Mark, 8. “All new members should try to model themselves after Debbie – the commitment and dedication she showed every day,” said Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano. Chief of EMS John Peruggia read the poem “She is Gone” in Paramedic Reeve’s memory, saying it emphasized “the importance of remembering Debbie, who gave so much to this city.” The plaque was unveiled to cheers and tears from her family, friends and fellow EMS personnel. It will be hung at EMS Station 20, located at Jacobi Medical Center in the Morris Park/Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx. “She was an excellent, outstanding paramedic … she really knew her stuff,” said Captain Felipe Periu of Station 20.

SOURCE: myMeso › FDNY honors Paramedic Deborah Reeve