A recent study published in the September 2009 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine reports workers at four U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities have elevated risks for developing cancer, and former construction workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state are 11 times more likely to develop mesothelioma, in particular.

The study, Mortality of Older Construction and Craft Workers Employed at Department of Energy (DOE) Sites, was funded by the DOE and involved a medical screening program that began in 1996 and followed older construction workers at four DOE nuclear weapons complex sites. Sites in the study were Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina; Hanford near Richland, Wash.; and facilities at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Amchitka, Alaska.

The study indicated Hanford workers were 11 times more likely to develop mesothelioma, and three times more likely to develop multiple myeloma, a cancer found in white blood cells. Additionally, Hanford workers died of asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs resulting from asbestos inhalation, at rates 30 times higher than the general population. The study also found higher rates of deaths from cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lungs among Hanford workers.

According to the report, significantly excess mortality was observed for all cancers, lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis at all four sites studied. Additionally, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was in excess at Oak Ridge and multiple myeloma was in excess at Hanford. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was significantly elevated among workers at the Savannah River Site.

Workers participating in the study, called the Building Trades National Medical Screening Program, were followed to determine their vital status and mortality experience through Dec. 31, 2004. There were 8,976 workers included in the initial screening program, all of whom had participated in the building trades at the sites. Their data was gathered between 1998 and 2004, and compared to the National Death Index.

Approximately 31 percent of the people in the study – or close to 3,000 workers – had done construction work at the Hanford facility. Since the beginning of the study, 266 Hanson workers had passed away, and 94 of those deaths were attributed to cancer. That number reflects 14 more cancer deaths than would be expected in the general U.S. population.

According to its web site, the Building Trades National Medical Screening Program was developed to identify health problems caused by hazardous substances that workers may have been exposed to while working on a Department of Energy site. It is led by the CPWR, The Center for Construction Research and Training, in Washington, D.C. The consortium includes the University of Cincinnatie Medical Center (Ohio), Duke University Medical Center (N.C.), and Zenith Administrators, Inc., Seattle, Wash. The program is sponsored by the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO and endorsed by various state and local Building and Construction Trades Councils.

Additional sources:

Seattle PI
Aiken Standard
The News Tribune

It seems that I am surrounded by stories of strong women who are enduring the loss of their husbands as a result of mesothelioma. In the middle of last week, I had lunch with my friend Cheryl Cotton, in Anniston, Ala., who lost her dear husband, Virgil, to mesothelioma three years ago. She and I met at the Meso Symposium in Washington, D.C., in June and have been corresponding by email ever since, but it was a treat to get to visit her in person. I’ll be featuring her story on this site in September, during the week leading up to Mesothelioma Awareness Day, on Sept. 26.

I was also contacted by a woman in Texas, who hoped that I could put her in touch with another woman who had lost her husband to mesothelioma. Her anniversary was approaching, and she needed to reach out to someone who would understand. Of course Cheryl willingly contacted her to lend an ear.

Then, on Friday I posted a story about a photographer in Australia, Chris Ireland, who has created an exhibition of stunning images of mesothelioma widows, called Breathe. The fourteen portraits capture the sadness and strength of these suffering ladies, and also hope to capture a bit of the men they loved. Ireland spent two years on the project, becoming closely acquainted with each of the ladies he photographed. I contacted Chris and was delighted to learn that he does have plans to bring the exhibit to the UK and to the U.S. in the coming months, and I hope that myMeso can be a part of that. I will keep you posted.

Next, I came across a story in the Morgan County Herald, a community newspaper based in McConnelsville, Ohio, which featured the story of Karen Huffman, who recently donated $3,000 to her area Kiwanis-Jaycees for the construction of a new walking trail at the community park in Malta in honor of her late husband, Danny, who passed away from mesothelioma on July 31, 2006, just four months after his diagnosis.

According to the report in the Herald, Mrs. Huffman says her husband most enjoyed his daily walks, not just for exercise, but as his quiet time to commune with God. She said he walked two or three miles each day except Sunday. It was during one of these walks that he became breathless, and unable to make it back to his home. At that point, she says, he couldn’t deny something was terribly wrong.

“Danny would have been the first walker on that trail,” the Herald quotes Mrs. Huffman as saying about the new park.

I wonder, as I read this latest news, why it seems there are so many stories of this kind around me now. Have they always been there, but my work with mesothelioma has made them more visible to me? I hope that it means that there is more awareness in the United States, and around the world, of mesothelioma, and the dangers of the asbestos that causes it.

I hope, somehow, that this site can make connections or provide the news that will bring some sort of ease, or at least a sense of community, of not being alone. It is a terrible sisterhood these women share. But perhaps just knowing there is someone else who understands will bring a small measure of comfort.

On Tuesday, June 9, House Bill No. 211 was introduced in the Ohio legislature, which would designate September as “Mesothelioma Month” in the state. The bill is sponsored by Ohio State Representative Kenny Yuko (D-7th District), and co-sponsored by Reps. Hagan, Ujvagi, Evans, Domenick, Oelslager, Newcomb, Fende, Skindell, Winburn, Okey, Letson, Luckie and Bacon.

H.B. 211 would enact section 5.2239 of the Revised Code to read as follows:

Sec. 5.2239. The month of September is designated as “Mesothelioma Month” to bring attention to mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs, and is commonly linked to asbestos exposure.

Rep. Yuko has a special passion for supporting quality of life initiatives for Ohio’s working families. He has established himself as an advocate for increased health care access, and is strong supporter of Multiple Sclerosis awareness. IN 2006 he introduced and achieved passage of H.B. 379, which designated March as MS Awareness Month in the state of Ohio. He is chair of the House Commerce and Labor Committee.

If you live in Ohio, please contact your legislative Representative and ask him or her to support this bill designating September as Meothelioma Month in Ohio!

Contact the Ohio Legislature.

Researchers from Ohio State University believe they may be the first in the world to study the “molecular underpinnings” of cancer through study of the individual bonds between asbestos fibers and human cells, according to a news release from NewsWise. The scientists will present their findings at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco this afternoon.

The report, titled “The Strength of Disease: Molecular Bonds between Asbestos and Human Cells,” is authored by Eric Taylor, a doctoral candidate in earth sciences at Ohio State, and Steven Lower, associate professor of earth sciences at the university. According to the news release, “the researchers used atomic force microscopy to observe how a singe asbestos fiber binds with a specific receptor protein on cell surfaces.” They believe this attachment of a lethal type of asbestos sets in motion a series of events within a cell that will eventually lead to illness years, even decades, later.

Asbestos exposure is almost exclusively identified as the cause of mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen and other organs. There is currently no known cure for mesothelioma. Asbestos also causes chronic respiratory diseases including asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs; and lung cancer.

The Ohio State study focused on crocidolite (blue) asbestos, which has been identified as one of the most deadly forms of asbestos. The substance is banned in most industrialized nations, but for years was used in products such as insualtion.

Taylor, who is presenting the study’s findings at the meeting today, said the purpose of the study is to find ways to prevent illness even after exposure to asbestos. Because of the long latency period of mesothelioma, with symptoms often not appearing for up to 50 years after exposure, diagnosis often comes too late for effective treatment.

The Ohio State University research is supported by the National Science Foundation.

A friend of mine just sent me this update:

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a 2004 law imposing stricter rules on those suing for asbestos-related injuries can be applied to cases pending before the legislation was passed, a move that could frustrate thousands of people seeking claims.

The 6-1 decision Wednesday means that many of the 40,000 Ohio cases filed before the law was enacted are likely to be dismissed. It also has potential ramifications in Florida, Georgia, Kansas and other states that have sought to use such laws to reduce litigation related to the cancer-causing substance.

Am I the only one that finds it incredible that all this legislation is being passed to protect businesses, while legislation intended to protect consumers has been stalled for over 10 years?

I am very interested to hear your opinions on this developing story. Please use the comment feature, below.

Read the full story here: http://www.mesothelioma.law.pro/news/2008/10/16/ohio-supreme-court-changes-the-rules-for-asbestos-victims-seeking-justice/