Immune-based therapies continue to show promising signals for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and mesothelioma, but better predictive biomarkers are needed to determine who is most likely to benefit, according to Justin F. Gainor, MD. The rationale for immunotherapy in SCLC is growing because it is a very molecularly complex disease, … [Read more...]
Data on mesothelioma mortality: a powerful tool for preventing asbestos-related disease
Asbestos is a disaster. It has been responsible for over 200?000 deaths in the USA, for 400,000 deaths in Europe and continues today to cause an estimated 180,000 deaths each year worldwide. Asbestos is a known cause of cancer, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers all forms of asbestos—including chrysotile, the form in … [Read more...]
Costs related to asbestos exposure much higher than original estimates
The annual cost of newly diagnosed mesothelioma and lung cancer due to work-related asbestos exposure is significantly higher than first thought, according to a study by the Institute for Work & Health. The original tab was $1.9 billion, but a review of figures now puts that cost at $2.35 billion, according to research by senior scientist … [Read more...]
Asbestos Case Beats Statute of Limitations
A federal judge has denied a pump manufacturer's argument that an asbestos-related lung cancer case should be tossed because it wasn't filed in time. As asbestos litigation continues its steady decline and fewer lawsuits against companies for asbestos-related illnesses make it past the early stages of litigation, plaintiff Kathleen Conneen's case … [Read more...]
Asbestos-related cancer won’t be overcome anytime soon, doctors say
New methods are giving doctors a better handle on diagnosing and treating asbestos-related cancers, but no cures are on the horizon. “I think it would be overly optimistic to say it’s going to be cured. I mean we can always dream,” said oncologist Dr. Christopher Lee, an expert on mesothelioma. Paul Demers, a senior scientist in prevention at … [Read more...]
Deadly Remnants of Asbestos in Italy (photos slideshow)
Although Italy joined asbestos-producing nations in banning the carcinogenic material at the end of the 20th century, thousands of people working in factories and living in public housing had already been exposed. In other words, as the Italian photographer Cinzia Canneri explained, the damage had been done by the 1980s. Ms. Canneri said it could … [Read more...]
Asbestos-related cancer costs Canadians billions
A first-ever estimate of the toll of asbestos-related cancers on society pegs the cost of new cases at $1.7-billion per year in Canada, and notes that is likely an under-estimate. The economic burden of lung cancer and mesothelioma from work-related asbestos exposure in Canada amounts to an average of $818,000 per case, according to a team led by … [Read more...]
Commentary: Firefighters and teachers bear outsize burden of asbestos deaths
Asbestos does not discriminate. It doesn’t matter who you are – young or old, strong or frail, rich or poor, factory worker or CEO – if you inhale or ingest even one microscopic asbestos fiber, you’re at increased risk of developing a deadly disease whose symptoms may not show up for decades. But of the estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Americans … [Read more...]
Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer Cases Where There Is A History Of Smoking By Plaintiff: See How A Defense Law Firm Looks At These Lawsuits
Recently we came across an article written by two attorneys in Miles & Stockbridge’s Products Liability and Mass Torts Practice Group that provided some insights about how defense lawyers might assess asbestos lung cancer lawsuits. From the Introduction part of this article, "Asbestos, Smoking and Lung Cancer: Valuing the Venue and Verdict", … [Read more...]
Five Basic Medical Facts About Bronchogenic Carcinoma or Lung Cancer Caused By Asbestos Exposure
For some basic facts about asbestos-related lung cancer, or bronchogenic carcinoma, we will draw upon an article, “Asbestos: When the Dust Settles—An Imaging Review of Asbestos-related Disease”, which was published in the October 2002 edition of RadioGraphic medical journal. The link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer has been … [Read more...]