The use of asbestos half a century ago has triggered an epidemic that will kill 200,000 people in Britain through lung cancer and mesothelioma, an untreatable cancer of the mesothelium, a thin membrane that lines the chest.
The disease can develop up to 60 years after exposure to asbestos. Around 3,500 die each year as a result to exposure before its use was banned. Most die from cancer but another 200 succumb to the breathing difficulties of asbestosis.
Now a drug that can may eventually help protect those who have been exposed has resulted from a study, published in Science, that for the first time explains how the fibres lead to the chronic lung inflammation that causes cancer.
Prof Jürg Tschopp of the University of Lausanne and colleagues in Europe and the United States report that the inflammation is linked to a complex of proteins, known as the Nalp3 inflammasome.
This protein complex is also involved in other inflammatory processes such as gout, which can be treated with a drug called Anakinra.
Now the team believes that this same drug may also be useful for slowing the progression of asbestosis, silicosis or other lung diseases linked with inhaling mineral fibres.
Asbestosis is the scarring of lung tissue resulting from the chronic inflammation triggered by the particles, which in turn makes the lung less efficient and breathing more difficult.
"Because exposure to asbestos increases not only the risk of asbestosis, but also lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other uncurable cancers, this suggested new treatment is highly desirable," says Prof Tschopp.
He said that use of Anakinra would be used for prevention and not a cure. "Rather persons exposed to asbestos in the past and thus at high risk to get asbestosis or lung cancer could be treated with an inhibitor drug."
Given the success of treating gout this way, "we are therefore quite optimistic that the same treatment will work for asbestosis."
"We have not started yet, but I am sure that somewhere in the world clinicians will."
Dr Joanna Owens, Cancer Research UK senior scientific officer, comments: "This important laboratory research brings us a step closer to understanding how asbestos causes the chronic inflammation that can lead to cancer.
"These results should help scientists find better ways to treat people who have been exposed to asbestos in the past. But Anakinra will need thorough testing in clinical trials before we'll know if it's safe and effective at preventing asbestos-related cancers."
The Greeks termed asbestos the "miracle mineral" because of its soft and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand heat.
Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century due to its resistance to heat, electricity and chemical damage, its sound absorption and tensile strength.
Asbestos was used, for example, in brake shoes for its heat resistance, and in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals.
When it was found that inhalation of asbestos fibres caused serious illnesses, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, most uses of asbestos have been banned in many countries since the mid 1980s.
Experts have warned that carpenters and builders exposed in the 1960s and '70s faced a grim future as the incidence of mesothelioma was still rising.
Overall, 30,000 Britons have already died of the disease since 1970, and another 60,000 are expected to die over the next 40 years, mainly because asbestos was used extensively as a building material from the 1950s to the mid-1980s.
Around one man in every 150 born in the 1940s - the highest risk group - will be killed by the disease, unless this kind of novel approach pays off.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
$30.3 million Jury Verdict for Mesothelioma Victims
Employees who work around asbestos may bring home the fibers on their clothes. This is what happened to 50-year-old Mark Buttitta. For years, his father brought home the deadly fibers on his clothes from working as a parts picker at GM warehouses. He handled the clutches and brakes that were made with asbestos, causing the fibers to attach to his work clothes. In addition to the years of his father bringing home the fibers on his clothes, Mark and his brother worked summers during their college years at the GM warehouse.
The Buttittas would wear the same work clothes for days at a time, which meant the cancer-causing fibers would accumulate and settle through the home. What is even worse is the fact that Mark would sit on his father's lap when his father got home from work, not knowing that the harmful fibers were on his dad's clothes.
Clothing FibresAsbestos may not have an immediate effect on those exposed to it, but over time it can cause complications. This is what happened to Mark Buttitta who was an advertising rising star. Buttitta had managed to acquire advertising clients such as Northwest and Continental Airlines, Coca-Cola, and various other large clients. But his life was cut short just days before his 50th birthday.
He had graduated college, got married, and had three daughters. He was holding the position as vice president of MediaVest when he received the diagnosis that said he had Mesothelioma back in 2001. It was just a year later when he died. After his death, his family had created the Mark Buttitta Memorial Foundation. The foundation is geared toward finding ways to prevent, treat, and cure Mesothelioma. Many of the victims are employed in construction businesses and automotive manufacturing companies, but Mark was neither of these. What his case shows is that someone doesn't necessarily have to work an occupation that exposes them to asbestos that causes them to develop Mesothelioma. All it takes is repeated exposure unknowingly and death can occur.
As a result of Mark Buttitta's death, his wife and his three daughters will receive what is believed to be the largest verdict in a Mesothelioma lawsuit in New Jersey. The amount of the verdict is $30.3 million. What his case is showing is that anyone can be exposed to harmful asbestos and develop Mesothelioma without ever knowing that the exposure occurred. Hopefully, this awareness will help save more lives.
The Buttittas would wear the same work clothes for days at a time, which meant the cancer-causing fibers would accumulate and settle through the home. What is even worse is the fact that Mark would sit on his father's lap when his father got home from work, not knowing that the harmful fibers were on his dad's clothes.
Clothing FibresAsbestos may not have an immediate effect on those exposed to it, but over time it can cause complications. This is what happened to Mark Buttitta who was an advertising rising star. Buttitta had managed to acquire advertising clients such as Northwest and Continental Airlines, Coca-Cola, and various other large clients. But his life was cut short just days before his 50th birthday.
He had graduated college, got married, and had three daughters. He was holding the position as vice president of MediaVest when he received the diagnosis that said he had Mesothelioma back in 2001. It was just a year later when he died. After his death, his family had created the Mark Buttitta Memorial Foundation. The foundation is geared toward finding ways to prevent, treat, and cure Mesothelioma. Many of the victims are employed in construction businesses and automotive manufacturing companies, but Mark was neither of these. What his case shows is that someone doesn't necessarily have to work an occupation that exposes them to asbestos that causes them to develop Mesothelioma. All it takes is repeated exposure unknowingly and death can occur.
As a result of Mark Buttitta's death, his wife and his three daughters will receive what is believed to be the largest verdict in a Mesothelioma lawsuit in New Jersey. The amount of the verdict is $30.3 million. What his case is showing is that anyone can be exposed to harmful asbestos and develop Mesothelioma without ever knowing that the exposure occurred. Hopefully, this awareness will help save more lives.
$18 Million Verdict in Mesothelioma Case in Kentucky
James Baccus died from Mesothelioma. He contracted malignant mesothelioma after working around asbestos while he served in the U.S. Navy in Philadelphia. However it is believed that the majority of his injuries are said to have occurred while he was working for American Synthetic Rubber in Kentucky.
His family lives in Kentucky, and they filed a case against The Crane Company. The plaintiffs wanted the Kentucky laws to apply because it uses an apportioned liability standard. The jury applying Kentucky law found Yarway and Crane “grossly negligent for failure to warn of the dangers of asbestos in reckless disregard of the safety of others.”
The jurors came back with a damages verdict on February 14. The jury awarded a penalty of $11.9 million in punitive damages and $6.3 million in actual damages.
MPS vow to help mesothelioma sufferers
MPs sitting on the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, Sub Committee on Asbestos made the promise after watching a short film with a hard-hitting message calling on the Government to amend the law on asbestos compensation.
During the film the North East Mesothelioma Self Help Group called for bereavement compensation paid to families of mesothelioma victims in England and Wales to be increased in line with payments currently made in Scotland. Mesothelioma is the fatal cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos exposure.
The group is backing Thompsons Solicitors' campaign, Justice for Asbestos Families.
The Justice for Asbestos Families campaign highlights unfairness in the way compensation for bereavement is awarded to families who have lost a relative to mesothelioma.
Families in England and Wales receive tens of thousands of pounds less in compensation than their counterparts in Scotland.
The film, which features mesothelioma sufferers as well as those who have lost family members to the disease, shows the full extent of the suffering and grief of those affected.
They talk frankly about how mesothelioma has devastated their lives.
The film has been posted on Youtube and has been viewed more than 300 times. It was shown at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, Sub Committee on Asbestos, chaired by Barnsley West and Penistone MP, Michael Clapham,
Members of the Mesothelioma Self Help Group, set up by Wallsend asbestos widow Chris Knighton said MPs at the meeting vowed to put pressure on the Government.
Chris said:
“The film really caught the attention of the MPs and brought home to them how the difference in compensation in England and Wales compared to Scotland affects people.
“Our members feel very strongly about this injustice. This issue affects every one of us and hundreds more across the North East alone. Why should the grief and sorrow of families in England and Wales be treated any differently to our neighbours in Scotland?
“We are pleased the MPs are now going to write to the Ministry of Justice and we hope as a result we will see a change in the law.”
Thompsons Solicitors head of asbestos policy, Ian McFall said:
“This campaign is intended to benefit families affected by mesothelioma, like those in North East Mesothelioma Self Help Group.
“£10,000 is a derisory sum for the grief caused by the death of a close family member. Whole families suffer terribly when they lose a loved one to mesothelioma. They carry the emotional burden with them the rest of their lives.”
Please use the Abeceder weblink to watch the film.
Hundreds of supporters have already signed an online petition supporting the campaign.
During the film the North East Mesothelioma Self Help Group called for bereavement compensation paid to families of mesothelioma victims in England and Wales to be increased in line with payments currently made in Scotland. Mesothelioma is the fatal cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos exposure.
The group is backing Thompsons Solicitors' campaign, Justice for Asbestos Families.
The Justice for Asbestos Families campaign highlights unfairness in the way compensation for bereavement is awarded to families who have lost a relative to mesothelioma.
Families in England and Wales receive tens of thousands of pounds less in compensation than their counterparts in Scotland.
The film, which features mesothelioma sufferers as well as those who have lost family members to the disease, shows the full extent of the suffering and grief of those affected.
They talk frankly about how mesothelioma has devastated their lives.
The film has been posted on Youtube and has been viewed more than 300 times. It was shown at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, Sub Committee on Asbestos, chaired by Barnsley West and Penistone MP, Michael Clapham,
Members of the Mesothelioma Self Help Group, set up by Wallsend asbestos widow Chris Knighton said MPs at the meeting vowed to put pressure on the Government.
Chris said:
“The film really caught the attention of the MPs and brought home to them how the difference in compensation in England and Wales compared to Scotland affects people.
“Our members feel very strongly about this injustice. This issue affects every one of us and hundreds more across the North East alone. Why should the grief and sorrow of families in England and Wales be treated any differently to our neighbours in Scotland?
“We are pleased the MPs are now going to write to the Ministry of Justice and we hope as a result we will see a change in the law.”
Thompsons Solicitors head of asbestos policy, Ian McFall said:
“This campaign is intended to benefit families affected by mesothelioma, like those in North East Mesothelioma Self Help Group.
“£10,000 is a derisory sum for the grief caused by the death of a close family member. Whole families suffer terribly when they lose a loved one to mesothelioma. They carry the emotional burden with them the rest of their lives.”
Please use the Abeceder weblink to watch the film.
Hundreds of supporters have already signed an online petition supporting the campaign.
Truths About Asbestos Lung Mesothelioma
There are various types of mesothelioma but asbestos lung mesothelioma is an asbestos-induced cancer of the mesothelium of the lung, more familiarly known as the pleura, which is the external lining of the lung.
Many of the major organs of the body have a mesothelium, that of the heart being called the pericardium and of the heart the peritoneum. However, it is with the pleura that we are concerned here, and the symptoms of asbestos lung mesothelioma are what you would expect: coughing, discomfort in the chest cavity and eventual pain.
Before we come to possible treatments and palliative care, let’s have a look at what causes it and why we are still seeing new cases today after asbestos was banned for construction use in the 1970s.
Asbestos comes in several forms, the most dangerous thought to be crocidolite, commonly known as blue asbestos. This form of asbestos is in a highly fibrous form, and it is the inhalation and ingestion of these fibers that cause the problem. They tend to remain in the body for a considerable period of time and it can take up to 40 – 45 years before the symptoms of mesothelioma begin to appear, though some people contract it in their 30s.
To complicate the situation, it is not only asbestos that causes the symptoms, but any fibrous silicate, which it is why some compensation cases are not as cut and dry as they could be. To add to this complication, smoking adds to the possibility of cancer and it is argued that many patients would not have contracted mesothelioma had they not smoked.
This is not only an argument made by solicitors in court, but has been established by statistics. It is pretty certain that smokers have a greater tendency of contracting asbestos lung mesothelioma than non-smokers, since attorneys for the employers have used this as a reason for having the otherwise high compensation significantly reduced.
There is a popular misconception that mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, but it is just a misconception. Lung cancer is mesothelioma, and in the USA 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by smoking. That is an indisputable fact. In order to prove the intervention of asbestos in a case, therefore, not only would the patients have to prove that they had worked with asbestos, but also not to have smoked. Had they smoked, then the award could be greatly reduced.
The term “asbestos lung mesothelioma” is therefore a correct one because that form of the disease to which we are referring is caused by asbestos, and not smoking, is of the pleura of the lung and not of the pericardium or peritoneum, and is mesothelioma.
Its treatment is largely palliative, or intended to ease suffering, because the prognosis is fairly grim. Only about 20% of cases live to 5 years after diagnosis, with most surviving only one year, though much depends on how far the condition had developed by the time it was diagnosed. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are used, but not successfully, and various degrees of surgery are also used. Removal of the affected lung, pericardium and half the diaphragm is the most major of these, and even that only extends life to a maximum of around five years from diagnosis.
There are new treatments being tested, but all treatment is expensive, and a good attorney is likely necessary to secure the compensation to pay for these. Ultimately hospice care will be required and again compensation money should be kept back for this. Ultimately, in spite of all the treatment given, it is palliative care that will make the last days of the patient bearable, as will the help and support of the family, and this is what compensation can fund.
Many of the major organs of the body have a mesothelium, that of the heart being called the pericardium and of the heart the peritoneum. However, it is with the pleura that we are concerned here, and the symptoms of asbestos lung mesothelioma are what you would expect: coughing, discomfort in the chest cavity and eventual pain.
Before we come to possible treatments and palliative care, let’s have a look at what causes it and why we are still seeing new cases today after asbestos was banned for construction use in the 1970s.
Asbestos comes in several forms, the most dangerous thought to be crocidolite, commonly known as blue asbestos. This form of asbestos is in a highly fibrous form, and it is the inhalation and ingestion of these fibers that cause the problem. They tend to remain in the body for a considerable period of time and it can take up to 40 – 45 years before the symptoms of mesothelioma begin to appear, though some people contract it in their 30s.
To complicate the situation, it is not only asbestos that causes the symptoms, but any fibrous silicate, which it is why some compensation cases are not as cut and dry as they could be. To add to this complication, smoking adds to the possibility of cancer and it is argued that many patients would not have contracted mesothelioma had they not smoked.
This is not only an argument made by solicitors in court, but has been established by statistics. It is pretty certain that smokers have a greater tendency of contracting asbestos lung mesothelioma than non-smokers, since attorneys for the employers have used this as a reason for having the otherwise high compensation significantly reduced.
There is a popular misconception that mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, but it is just a misconception. Lung cancer is mesothelioma, and in the USA 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by smoking. That is an indisputable fact. In order to prove the intervention of asbestos in a case, therefore, not only would the patients have to prove that they had worked with asbestos, but also not to have smoked. Had they smoked, then the award could be greatly reduced.
The term “asbestos lung mesothelioma” is therefore a correct one because that form of the disease to which we are referring is caused by asbestos, and not smoking, is of the pleura of the lung and not of the pericardium or peritoneum, and is mesothelioma.
Its treatment is largely palliative, or intended to ease suffering, because the prognosis is fairly grim. Only about 20% of cases live to 5 years after diagnosis, with most surviving only one year, though much depends on how far the condition had developed by the time it was diagnosed. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are used, but not successfully, and various degrees of surgery are also used. Removal of the affected lung, pericardium and half the diaphragm is the most major of these, and even that only extends life to a maximum of around five years from diagnosis.
There are new treatments being tested, but all treatment is expensive, and a good attorney is likely necessary to secure the compensation to pay for these. Ultimately hospice care will be required and again compensation money should be kept back for this. Ultimately, in spite of all the treatment given, it is palliative care that will make the last days of the patient bearable, as will the help and support of the family, and this is what compensation can fund.
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