In what seems like a contradiction, scientists are turning off the immune system’s regulatory T-cells, which normally attack mesothelioma and other tumors. The latest research indicates that controlling the T-cells, or Treg cells, in some cases could be more effective against cancer. The body releases large quantities of T-cells when it senses a growing tumor.

After removing the Treg cells from mesothelioma tumors, the scientists report that the tumors grow at a slower rate. Removing the cells can also help increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy, the report said.

The process is a delicate balance, however.

Timing and the dosage of the Treg manipulators must be administered at specific intervals to get the best effect.

Treatment of using the body’s natural defenses to battle cancer is called immunotherapy. Other types of immunotherapy that scientists are studying include an injection of the common cold virus and measles. Many mesothelioma patients are turning to these types of innovative trials to help improve their lives and stabilize their condition, for which there is no cure.

The body’s anti-tumor responses and increased survival rates of those seeking immunotherapy have encouraged both patients and scientists.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer found in the lining of the chest and lung, the abdomen and around the heart. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are diagnosed with the deadly disease every year in the United States. Even more are misdiagnosed or never diagnosed because of doctor error or inadequate healthcare.

Symptoms of mesothelioma include painful breathing, shortness of breath or unexplained weight loss. It’s important to know that not all patients will experience the same symptoms. The symptoms exhibited can depend on the stage and type of cancer.

Asbestos is frequently used in cement, brake lining and other materials because of its superior insulating qualities. However, asbestos is a worldwide killer. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure.  Although it is banned in more than 40 countries, it is still used in the United States and developing countries including India.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 100,000 people die each year from complications from asbestos exposure.

Every state requires a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit after receiving a doctor’s mesothelioma diagnosis, in some cases it’s as short as one year. This time period is called the statute of limitations.

Mesothelioma attorneys suggest seeking legal assistance as soon as possible after diagnosis. While the news of a deadly cancer diagnosis is traumatizing, it’s also important to remember that waiting too long could mean losing the opportunity to fight back against the companies responsible. It’s not uncommon for attorneys to turn patients or families away because they waited too long to file a lawsuit.

Each states’ unique statutes of limitations provides a limited amount of time to sue companies responsible for asbestos-related diseases. The range is typically between one to three years, depending on the state. After the deadline passes there’s not much attorneys can do to help.

A reputable mesothelioma attorney understands the emotional and financial pressures patients face. In most cases, the attorneys will move the case forward while not adding additional stress to patients and caregivers. Attorneys at Baron and Budd work on a contingency basis, which means there are no fees paid unless the case is resolved in favor of the mesothelioma patient. And Baron and Budd attorneys will travel to the patients’ home to begin the casework.

The patient’s priority should be on medical treatment, not legal formalities. Even if a patient doesn’t know when or where he or she was exposed to asbestos, skilled attorneys can track work history and pinpoint the time period and likely location where the exposure likely took place.

Typically, people prone to developing mesothelioma worked near asbestos or asbestos products at some point in their lives. These trades include pipefitters, home insulation installers and longshoremen. Veterans who served on ships were exposed because asbestos was one of the main materials used in shipbuilding. But even people who lived or worked in buildings that contained asbestos are also susceptible. Symptoms usually don’t appear for decades after initial exposure.

It’s estimated that more than 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. About 10,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases annually.

While it may be an unnecessary time to discuss a lawsuit, mesothelioma patients or their family members shouldn’t let the clock run out on getting justice.

Although mesothelioma can be detected with the right tests, some doctors can easily mistakenly diagnose the disease as lung cancer, or as something else completely. The mistake is simple to make, especially with a rare cancer such as mesothelioma.

Both cancers have some of the same symptoms. Patients can experience dry cough, chest pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Doctors have been known to misread slides and test results. Sometimes they may not be able to see all the possibilities and overlook key evidence. That’s why it’s important to share your medical and occupational history with the doctor, especially if you think that you were around asbestos.

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Some mesothelioma patients can pinpoint the cause of their cancer to when they worked with asbestos, or asbestos-containing products.

Asbestos products were once commonly used in thousands of products from hairdryers to home insulation. Hundreds of thousands of people who worked around these products were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. Asbestos is still used in the U.S. today. Throughout the years it’s likely that a number of those exposed have been misdiagnosed.

There are about 3,000 people diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. About 10,000 people die from asbestos diseases annually.

Mesothelioma develops most often in the membrane that lines the lungs called the pleura. Mesothelioma can also develop around the abdomen and the heart.

Doctors can diagnose the type of cancer using several tests including CT scans, scopes and biopsies. Doctors may differ on treatment options depending on the type and stage of mesothelioma.

It’s important to know that seeking a second opinion is not an indictment of the doctor. Doctors are usually glad to recommend other physicians who can help patients get a second opinion. It’s not uncommon for some patients to seek out three or more "second" opinions. Sometimes it’s comforting for patients to hear the opinions from several physicians just to make sure they’re getting the proper treatment and diagnoses.

Of course receiving a second opinion can be expensive. There could be more tests, more travel and more medical costs. But in most cases patients won’t have to undergo the same diagnostic tests twice. Patients are entitled to view and send their medical records to other doctors who will be giving the second opinion.

It’s also important to check with healthcare providers to see if a secondary visit is covered by insurance. Some providers actually require a second opinion before approving major surgery or treatment.

Not to be overlooked during the process is the trust factor. Patients should choose doctors they are most comfortable with. Trust in the medical staff and receiving proper care can drastically improve the quality of life for a mesothelioma patient.

Although it may seem counterintuitive to treat cancer by injecting a virus into patients, researchers believe that the vaccine strain of the measles can help. Investigators expect the measles virus to infect and kill cancer cells while sparing normal cells in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in the lining of the lung.

During phase I of this mesothelioma treatment, the measles virus is anticipated to trigger an antitumor immune response, which will destroy the tumor.

The therapies that use vaccines such as this one are called immunotherapies. Doctors believe that activating our own immune systems against cancer cells plays an important role in reducing the tumors.

Immunotherapy is one of the latest principles in medicine used to treat not only mesothelioma, but other types of cancers as well. Combined with radiation, surgery and chemotherapy, scientists hope that immunotherapy helps extend the lives of pleural mesothelioma patients.

Symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma can include shortness of breath, painful breath and pain or swelling in the abdomen. Symptoms will vary depending on the patient and the stage of the disease.

The experimental study will involve 36 patients who will receive treatment every 28 days for up to six courses. After treatment, the patients will be observed every three to six months for up to five years.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Other types of mesothelioma include peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs near the abdomen, and pericardial mesothelioma, which occurs around the heart.

Before participating in clinical trials such as this one, patients should evaluate the risks and benefits. These clinical trials can offer hope to patients who have mesothelioma. Patients should also consider travel expenses and how often they will need see the coordinating physicians. A complete list of clinical trials can be found at the National Institute of Health database. The Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups also has information about clinical trials for cancer patients.

The principal investigator of the measles study is Dr. Tobias Peikert of the Mayo Clinic.Study sponsors are the Mayo Clinic and the National Cancer Institute.

The identifier number for the mesothelioma trial is NCT01503177. Researchers expect the trial to be completed in November 2013.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania say that a clinical trial using a modified cold virus can help attack mesothelioma tumors. The study was featured in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Researchers studied the effects of nine mesothelioma patients who were injected with the adenovirus, a modified version of the common cold.

Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive and deadliest forms of cancer. It is always found in people who have at some time in their lives came in contact with asbestos. Approximately 3,000 new patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year according to the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School.

In the study, scientists altered the cold virus to contain high levels of interferon-alpha, an immune system stimulant. Interferon-alpha is a protein made by immune cells that boosts the body’s ability to fight off viral infections and some cancers, according to the study.

The nine patients, all with varying degrees of mesothelioma, were injected with the virus into the chest cavity containing the tumor. When the virus began killing the cancer cells, some patients showed signs that their immune systems continued to fight the tumor.

Of the nine who were treated, evidence of stability or tumor regression was seen in five patients. Doctors observed no signs of regression in four patients with advanced stages of mesothelioma.

The study’s author, Dr. Steven M. Albelda, said that the treatment could eventually help patients with early stage malignant mesothelioma. Doctors are continuing to study the technique along with chemotherapy in early stage patients in Pennsylvania. The trial is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the Schulze Family Foundation.

For years, asbestos was used as a common building material because of its resistance to fire, heat and water. Those who have worked around asbestos including factory workers, pipefitters, shipbuilders, construction workers and military veterans are more likely to contract the disease. Family members of those who worked with asbestos are also at risk because the fibers could have been carried home on workers’ bodies and clothing.

Some treatments for mesothelioma have been shown to prolong patients’ lives, but there is no known cure. About 10 percent of people with malignant mesothelioma live at least 5 years after diagnosis, according to the American Cancer Society.

The research, published this year in the European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, examined a selection of patient- and tumor-related factors in people who had been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer in the lining of the lung. All of the patients had undergone an extraplural pneumonectomy, an extensive operation that removes the diseased lung and adjacent tissue. Most had also undergone various other mesothelioma treatments.

Dr. David Sugarbaker, chief of thoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and founder of the hospital’s International Mesothelioma Program (IMP), led the research team. The researchers looked back at almost 20 years of patient records, beginning in January 1988, and found 636 patients who had undergone the extensive mesothelioma surgery. In all, nearly 20 percent of the patients had survived at least three years, a rate that was comparable to that of patients who had surgery for other malignancies in the chest.

Unexpectedly, quite a few of those survivors had more advanced disease—stage III and stage IV mesothelioma tumors. When classified according to American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer guidelines, 67 percent of the three-year survivors had stage III, and 7 percent had stage IV, tumors.

One key factor that was linked to survival was how the mesothelioma tumor was classified when its cells were examined under a microscope. Patients whose tumors were labeled epithelioid—typically 50 to 60 percent of all malignant mesothelioma patients—represented 91 percent of the three-year survivors.

Having normal blood tests before surgery—specifically, normal levels of white cells (which fight infection), hemoglobin (the proteins in red cells that carry oxygen) or platelets (which are involved in clotting)—was linked to much better odds of surviving at least three years. Patients who were female or who were in the younger half of the study population—59 or under at the time of surgery—were also more likely to pass the three-year milestone.

People with pleural mesothelioma who survive three years have roughly 50-50 odds of surviving to five years, the researchers estimated, adding that some patients in their study survived 10 years or more. While successfully treating malignant mesothelioma remains a challenge, the investigators noted that five-year survival rates are improving as doctors get better at selecting the right patients for the right therapies, and as scientists search for better treatments to target stray tumor cells that remain dangerous after surgery.

“The treatment of MPM [malignant pleural mesothelioma] is positioned for a major advance,” the researchers wrote, “based not only on improved patient selection, but also on the development of systemic, immunologic, biologic, hormonal, and/or loco-regional therapies that would eradicate or chronically control microscopic disease.”

Baron and Budd was a cornerstone donor and Executive Advisory Board Member of IMP.

Patients in mesothelioma treatment often undergo an extensive surgery known as a modified extrapleural pneumonectomy, which involves removal of the lung and surrounding tissue and is usually accompanied by radiation of the whole chest area. But the new combination approach for mesothelioma patients adds a treatment called photodynamic therapy to a more conservative, lung-sparing surgery called a pleurectomy.

Photodynamic therapy is a light-based treatment that is designed to eliminate any microscopic bits of residual cancer that surgeons are unable to remove. The therapy, which penetrates just a few millimeters into tissue, has three components that are administered: a nontoxic compound that sensitizes cancer cells to light; then oxygen; then specially tailored light. While the therapy is federally approved for treatment of several cancers, it remains experimental for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia set out to determine whether the lung-sparing surgery could be used instead of an extrapleural pneumonectomy, and whether the use of photodynamic therapy would extend patients’ survival time, compared with typical survival times in mesothelioma patients.

Nine women and 19 men with malignant pleural mesothelioma, ranging in age from 27 to 81, participated in the Phase II study from 2004 to 2008. Half received the more extensive surgery along with photodynamic therapy, while the other half had the lung-sparing surgery along with the light-based therapy.

Twelve patients in each group had stage III/IV mesothelioma—and researchers noted that many of the research subjects, due to the advanced stage of their mesothelioma or to their advanced age, would not be candidates for surgical treatment. In all, 22 patients also had chemotherapy. The two groups were comprised of mesothelioma patients with similar demographic traits such as age, sex and disease characteristics.

Among the patients who had the more extensive surgery and photodynamic therapy, the median overall survival—the point in time after treatment was completed at which half the patients were still alive—was 8.4 months. For the patients receiving the lung-sparing surgery plus the light therapy, that median point had not been reached yet, after more than two years of follow-up.

The surgeon who performed the procedures in the study, Dr. Joseph Friedberg of the Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Program, said researchers had hoped that preservation of patients’ lungs would improve their quality of life, and that the extended survival time of those patients was a complete surprise. The scientists are continuing to investigate exactly how the photodynamic therapy might be helping to fight mesothelioma—possibly by creating a “vaccine” effect with residual disease that sparks the immune system to fight any remaining cancer. Or, the photodynamic therapy might have made any residual cancer more vulnerable to other follow-up treatments.
 

Gemcitabine (marketed as Gemzar) is a chemotherapy drug currently in use to treat lung, breast, pancreatic and ovarian cancers. In the recent, Phase II study—designed to test whether the drug is effective and to measure side effects and other risks—investigators in Slovenia gave patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma a prolonged, low-dose infusion of gemcitabine in combination with cisplatin (marketed as Platinol).

The researchers decided to test this course of therapy against malignant pleural mesothelioma—a cancer in a layer of specialized cells, called mesothelial cells, that line the chest and are adjacent to the lungs—after noting that the treatment appeared to be effective in advanced cases of the most common type of lung cancer, non–small-cell lung cancer.

Patients in the mesothelioma study were eligible if they had not previously received any chemotherapy, and other than the mesothelioma, were in fair to good health with normal liver and kidney function. The treatment entailed six three-week cycles of therapy. For the first four cycles, patients received six-hour infusions of gemcitabine on the first and eighth days, plus cisplatin on the second day; the last two cycles included the gemcitabine but not the cisplatin. A total of 78 patients—58 men and 20 women, ages 33 to 82 years old—participated. More than 70 percent of the patients had mesothelioma tumors of the most common subtype, known as epitheloid, a categorization based on certain characteristics of the cancer cells.

Four of the patients, or 5 percent, showed a complete response—meaning their cancer was undetectable—after the therapy. Thirty-five had a partial response—meaning the size of their tumors was reduced substantially. Another 35 patients had tumors that either responded minimally or remained stable, while only four patients experienced tumor progression during the treatment.

Sixty-seven percent of the mesothelioma patients survived one year after therapy; almost 33 percent survived two years, and about 20 percent survived three years. Patients who had epitheloid tumors were more likely to survive longer without their tumor progressing, and to survive longer overall, compared with patients who had other tumor subtypes.

Most of the patients experienced an improvement in mesothelioma symptoms, and a quality of life that either remained the same or improved, the researchers reported. Notable side effects included neutropenia (a shortage in a type of white blood cells, which can impair the immune system), anemia (a shortage of red blood cells, which can cause fatigue) and hair loss, as well as thrombocytosis (an excess of blood platelets, which cause clotting). Because the therapy appeared to slow down the mesothelioma’s progress and didn’t prove to be too toxic, the scientists advised that this mesothelioma treatment approach warranted further research.

Unlike many well known vaccines—such as a shot to protect against onset of illnesses such as the flu or the mumps—this vaccine is intended to be given to people who already have malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung. Very preliminary tests have suggested that the experimental vaccine can mobilize a patient’s own immune system to attack mesothelioma cells.

Specifically, the vaccine appears to target WT1, a type of protein that binds to a specific part of the DNA code, affecting the transfer of genetic information and impacting how cells function. WT1 is especially abundant in cells from many people’s mesothelioma tumors.

The preliminary tests, whose results were published in fall 2010 the journal Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, found that the vaccine worked to mobilize two different types of immune cells known as T cells, and those T cells were able to kill the cancer cells with abundant WT1. Also, the vaccine was well tolerated, causing minimal problems with side effects among test patients, the researchers noted.

Participants in the preliminary trial, which included both malignant mesothelioma patients and those with non–small-cell lung cancer, received six doses of the vaccine, injected under the skin, along with an immune-boosting substance. Injections were given at the start of the study, and four, six, eight, 10 and 12 weeks later. People whose tumors responded received additional injections once a month.

While only a handful of patients received the vaccine in this early trial, a majority of them showed an immune response to the treatment, setting the stage for the current, Phase II randomized clinical trial. The new trial is for adult patients who have had their pleural mesothelioma tumors surgically resected and have received chemotherapy or radiation. Half the participants will receive a series of shots over 10 weeks containing the WT1-targeted vaccine, along with some general immune-boosting medicines, while the other half will receive those general immune boosters alone. Neither the patients nor the researchers will know who received which treatment.

The research team, which hopes to enroll 78 participants whose tumors test positive for the WT1 protein, will evaluate whether or when their mesothelioma recurs for a period of one year after the vaccine treatment is completed. The principal investigator conducting the study is thoracic oncologist Dr. Lee Krug, director of the Mesothelioma Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Dr. Krug can be contacted at 212-639-8420 or 646-888-4201.

The identifier number for the new mesothelioma clinical trial is NCT01265433. Researchers expect the trial to be completed in December 2014.

That’s because survival figures for mesothelioma, as well as for other cancers, are based on outcomes of patients in the past, who received whatever treatment was available back when they first learned of their mesothelioma diagnosis. Even minor innovations in surgery or postoperative care, as well as more substantial advances in chemotherapy or other medicines, can immediately benefit individual patients. That impact, though, can take years to begin to show up in average survival statistics. For instance, the mesothelioma treatment pemetrexed disodium (Alimta), which is given with another chemotherapy drug to patients who aren’t candidates for surgery, received U.S. government approval just seven years go, meaning that any ability to nudge up survival statistics is only beginning to appear.

In the broader war on cancer, there is even more reason for hope. In the war on cancer, many powerful weapons are in development, and in some cases, already on the battlefield. Consider a rare cancer of the white blood cells known as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Until the introduction of a new drug, called imatinib (Gleevec), in the United States in 2001, less than one-third of patients with CML survived for five years. The new medicine, clinical trials show, boosted that survival rate to around 90 percent or more—and is now the standard of care for that disease.

Also, knowledge from the development of one such weapon—even if it isn’t designed to specifically attack malignant mesothelioma—can yield insights that will help in the battle against asbestos-caused disease. Every day scientists are learning more about how to attack specific tumors, how a tumor’s environment in the body can help or hinder its growth, and what special tricks tumors use to thrive and spread. A multitude of research studies are under way to translate that knowledge into action.

Meanwhile, the medical literature on mesothelioma reflects how individual miracles happen. A report in January 2011 in the Journal of Medical Case Reports described a woman in her 40s who is alive and well seven years after diagnosis with peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the abdomen. Her physicians attribute her good fortune to the contained nature of the disease, her successful surgery and chemotherapy, and specific characteristics of her tumor tissue. Another case report, appearing just a month earlier in the journal Diagnostic Pathology, describes a patient who developed pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, after asbestos exposure and was healthy 14 years after symptoms appeared, and a dozen years after surgery and chemotherapy. And a report from 2007, appearing in the journal The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, recounts a surgical patient whose pleural mesothelioma spontaneously regressed. The patient experienced just a single recurrence six years into a 12-year follow-up period, and that tumor in the chest was successfully removed.

In short, as oncologists and other experts will readily acknowledge, statistics reflect the history of a group—not the future of an individual.

DALLAS (December 9, 2011) –The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron and Budd is honored to support the efforts of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) to end the importation, exportation and production of asbestos in North America. Working with the Canadian Voices of Asbestos Victims (CVAV), ADAO has launched the North America Declaration to Eliminate Asbestos Related Disease, an online petition that urges Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama to ban the use of asbestos.

"Most Americans are stunned to learn that the importation and use of asbestos is NOT banned in the United States and that the USA still annually imports hundreds of tons of asbestos from Canada despite decades of knowledge that it is a deadly human carcinogen,” said Linda Reinstein, co-founder of ADAO. “As a mesothelioma widow and co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), I urge President Obama and Prime Minister Harper to support the North American Declaration to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases, to end the deadly legacy of asbestos."

To learn more or to sign the North American Declaration petition, visit http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/archives/8499. Stand up and let your voice be heard in the fight against asbestos.

Every year, more than 10,000 Americans die from asbestos diseases, such as asbestosis, asbestos lung cancer and mesothelioma. Only approximately 55 countries have banned the use of asbestos, and the U.S. is not one of them. According to 2010 statistics from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), last year the U.S. imported approximately 820 metric tons of asbestos, 90 percent of which came from Canada.

Canada is one of only a handful of developed nations that still mines and exports asbestos, though the use of asbestos has been banned in their country. Approximately 1,000 Canadians die every year from asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma.

As a law firm dedicated to the global asbestos battle, Baron and Budd is proud to be a 2011 Gold Sponsor of ADAO and to support the organization in its outreach and advocacy efforts.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.
The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has a more than 30-year history of "Protecting What’s Right" for asbestos sufferers and their families. As one of the first law firms to successfully litigate an asbestos lawsuit, Baron & Budd continues to actively represent veterans, industry workers and others who are suffering as a result of exposure to asbestos. Baron & Budd achieved the largest mesothelioma verdict ever in the state of Texas, a $55 million verdict for an asbestos sufferer and his family in El Paso, Texas. Contact Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229 for additional information on mesothelioma treatments, mesothelioma cancer doctors and treatment centers and mesothelioma attorneys.

The experimental medicine that is being tested – IMC-A12 – is a human antibody. The trial is a Phase II study, meaning the medicine has already shown promise in preclinical testing in the laboratory and has been tested in people to assess safety and proper dosage. The current research will continue to investigate safety and evaluate IMC-A12′s effectiveness against mesothelioma tumors.

The medicine, also called cixutumumab, is given intravenously in the trial once every 21 days to patients with pleural mesothelioma (cancer in the thin layer of tissue that surrounds the lungs and lines the chest cavity) or peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer in the lining of the abdomen). The study is open to adults whose tumors can’t be fully removed with surgery, and whose cancer has not responded to chemotherapy with drugs known as platinum-based agents, such as cisplatin, which is commonly used to treat mesothelioma. Patients might also be admitted if they have refused previous chemotherapy as part of their mesothelioma treatment.

Treatment will be ongoing unless patients develop severe side effects or their mesothelioma progresses. The primary goal is to see whether mesothelioma tumors partially or completely respond to the medicine.

The antibody works somewhat in the way that glue gums up the works of a lock and prevents a key from opening a door. IMC-A12 (the “glue”) stops up certain receptors (“locks”) that sit on the surface of a mesothelioma cell. That way, a protein called Type I insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1R—the normal “key” that would open the door to the cancer’s growth and survival – no longer works. This particular type of “lock” and “key” is also being studied in other cancers.

All participants in the IMC-A12 trial must have acceptable kidney and liver function as well as the adequate ability to form blood cells, and must not have had any major surgery, radiation treatment, chemotherapy or biologic therapy within 28 days of the start of the new mesothelioma treatment. Potential participants will be given a complete physical exam to assess their mesothelioma and overall health.

Patients must cover their own travel expenses to be screened for possible enrollment in the trial, but those selected to participate will receive payment for out-of-town transportation costs for study treatment and follow-up. All medical care related to the trial will be provided for free at the NIH Clinical Center, but patients should maintain any current health care coverage to pay for other medical expenses.

Additional information about the mesothelioma study and its requirements can be obtained from the cancer institute’s referral office, at 1-888-NCI-1937. The study’s identifying tag at ClinicalTrials.gov is NCT01160458.

Pemetrexed received approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest cavity lining, after a randomized clinical trial showed that the drug, given with cisplatin, extended patients’ average survival time longer than cisplatin alone. As the first drug shown to be effective against pleural mesothelioma, pemetrexed received priority review from the FDA.

As with most chemotherapy treatments, mesothelioma patients are vulnerable to experiencing side effects from the combination of pemextrexed and cisplatin. In more than half the patients in the clinical trial, the treatment suppressed bone marrow function, which might lead to low counts of white blood cells, the body’s infection fighters. It’s important that mesothelioma patients on pemetrexed and cisplatin tell their doctors immediately about any signs of infection, such as fever or chills or mouth ulcers. Vitamin B-12 and folic acid are administered with pemetrexed to reduce the risk of a low white cell count, as well as the likelihood of other side effects.

Cisplatin and pemetrexed also lowered red blood cell counts in about one-quarter of the mesothelioma patients in the clinical trial. This condition, known as anemia, can cause fatigue. Medicines are available to treat both low white and low red blood cell counts. Also, research has shown that moderate exercise can help reduce cancer patients’ fatigue, and perhaps lessen pain.

Mesothelioma patients on pemetrexed could also experience a drop in their platelet count. Platelets help the blood to clot, and patients with reduced levels of platelets should report any signs of bleeding. These patients also might be asked to take precautions to avoid even minor injuries that might cause bleeding, such as using a soft toothbrush to prevent gum bleeding.

Nausea and vomiting are very common side effects of the pemetrexed-cisplatin combination; fortunately, effective anti-nausea medicines can be prescribed. Patients should promptly tell their doctors about those symptoms—as well as rash, diarrhea, constipation, sore or gritty eyes and other health concerns. It’s important that mesothelioma patients keep their health care teams fully informed of side effects and avoid choosing over-the-counter treatments without medical consultation.

Many building products used in homes, schools, office buildings, commercial sites and other structures are known to contain asbestos. When after a natural disaster these buildings are left intact, the asbestos is not a threat, but, when damaged, asbestos fibers can be released into the air and enter people’s bodies.

Asbestos was heavily used in construction materials between the 1930s and 1970s due to its durability, fire and heat resistance. However, after the material’s health issues were exposed, the use of asbestos has been restricted in the U.S. and, in many countries, banned completely.

The increased incidences of earthquakes, floods, cyclones and bushfires in Australia, for example, have put citizens at a higher risk for developing asbestos-related diseases. The disasters prompted the Australian government to establish the Asbestos Management Review initiative, which will provide recommendations on developing a plan to improve Australian asbestos awareness, management, and, ultimately, to eradicate the material from the country completely.

Over 600 people in Australia die of mesothelioma each year, but this problem isn’t restricted to Australia. With natural disasters striking virtually everywhere, many experts have become concerned about increased human exposure to asbestos and an increase in cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer in the coming decades.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that, after a natural disaster, no one should handle any damaged material and homeowners should wait for federal, state or local emergency relief personnel to safely remove any potentially hazardous debris.

Symptoms of shortness of breath can include trouble breathing during certain activities, including meals, conversations or exercise; a racing heart; a blue tinge to skin; and overt signs of labored breathing, such as wheezing.

Many factors can contribute to breathlessness in patients with mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma tumors frequently interfere with lung functions. Damage from different mesothelioma treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, also can be a factor. Chronic lung disease, such as asbestosis or emphysema, can also cause, or exacerbate, breathing difficulties.

It’s important for mesothelioma patients suffering from an acute bout of breathlessness to stay calm. The American Cancer Society advises that patients should first sit up, loosen tight clothing, take any prescribed medicines or use oxygen to help breathing, and inhale deeply through the nose, then exhale slowly through pursed lips. Sitting in front of an open window or a blowing fan can sometimes help. Call 9-1-1 if the problem doesn’t improve.

Patients can keep a log of when breathing difficulties are likely to arise—noting where, when and what activities the patient is engaged in. Such a log can help mesothelioma patients discuss the problem in detail with their doctors, and determine whether oxygen therapy or medicines (for instance, pain-relieving pills called opioids, or anti-anxiety drugs) might be useful. Treating other conditions, such as anemia, could also diminish the frequency of breathlessness a mesothelioma patient experiences.

A respiratory therapist can provide instruction in effective breathing exercises, help patients figure out how to manage the condition during their daily activities, and educate family members about how to assist. Simple modifications in a patient’s behavior, such as pausing to rest briefly on each step when climbing stairs, or wearing a bathrobe instead of drying off after bathing can reduce the odds of experiencing breathing difficulty. Therapists also advise patients with breathlessness who are engaged in any physical activity to breathe out on the exertion and breathe in during the resting portion of the activity, rather than hold their breath during exertion.

Additionally, an exercise or rehabilitation program might improve conditioning and ease symptoms. Also, training in anxiety management, for both patients and caregivers, can alleviate distress.

DALLAS (November 15, 2011) – As part of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Baron and Budd is raising awareness about the many misconceptions of lung cancer. Though smoking is a known cause of lung cancer, studies have found that a growing number of lung cancer cases are occurring in nonsmokers and are linked to environmental toxins, such as asbestos. Despite this, lung cancer continues to have a stigma of the “smoking cancer,” and, in many cases, people are unaware of these other causes and of how to tell if their lung cancer was caused by something other than smoking.

Having worked closely with asbestos cancer patients for more than 30 years, the mesothelioma attorneys at Baron and Budd know that it can be difficult for someone to figure out if their lung cancer was caused by asbestos. While significant asbestos exposure can often be linked to lung cancer, there are also a few distinct markers that indicate prior asbestos exposure:

• Pleural Plaque –deposits of fibrous tissue that develop in the chest cavity from asbestos exposure that are usually found on the membrane that lines the chest wall. These growths are the most common symptoms of asbestos exposure and are benign with little impact on a person’s health.

• Pleural Thickening –thickening of the pleural wall that is the result of scarring or inflammation in the pleura, usually making breathing more difficult.

• Interstitial Fibrosis –lung disease that occurs when scar tissue forms in the space between the lungs’ air sacs. Symptoms usually include difficulty breathing and dry cough.

If you were exposed to asbestos and also smoked, that does not mean that smoking was completely responsible for your lung cancer. In fact, smoking combined with asbestos exposure only increases your risk for lung cancer, and it does not prevent you from seeking legal compensation for asbestos-related lung cancer.

To learn more about how asbestos and lung cancer are connected, or to see if you may have an asbestos lung cancer case, call Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229.

Join our Facebook group Fight Mesothelioma | Mesothelioma News, sponsored by Baron and Budd, to learn more about Lung Cancer Awareness Month and asbestos.

While lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States, and kills the most people, malignant mesothelioma is relatively rare. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 221,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year, compared with about 3,000 cases of mesothelioma.

The primary risk factor for malignant mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos is, however, also linked to an increased risk of lung and other cancers. Scientific studies have shown that a combination of smoking and asbestos exposure elevates lung cancer risk.

Lung cancer and mesothelioma can have similar symptoms, including difficulty breathing, unexplained weight loss, hoarseness, persistent cough and fatigue. Treatments are similar as well. Both mesothelioma and lung cancer patients might undergo thoracic (chest) surgery to remove all or part of the tumor, and radiation or chemotherapy to help slow cancer growth. Other treatment options including using laser beams to track and destroy malignant cells, or targeted therapies that attack specific structures on the cells are more established for lung cancer.

Very few medicines have received Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Roughly two dozen additional medicines have been approved to treat the most common type of lung cancer, known as non-small-cell lung cancer.

Despite the fact that mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer, it has taken a huge toll worldwide. A study published by the World Health Organization estimated that mesothelioma has claimed the lives of more than 92,000 people in 83 countries between 1994 and 2008.

DALLAS (November 11, 2011) – On Veteran’s Day 2011, the mesothelioma lawyers at Baron and Budd are pausing to honor the many men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. Sadly, many of these brave men and women later developed mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos while serving, most notably aboard Navy ships.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos that affects the lining of the lung. Though there are only approximately 3,000 cases of mesothelioma cancer diagnosed each year in the United States, a surprising percentage of these cases occur in veterans because asbestos was so widely used in the military, primarily on Naval ships.

"Many of our veterans were unknowingly exposed to asbestos-containing products while serving, even though the asbestos companies knew that their products could cause cancer," said Allen Vaught, mesothelioma lawyer at Baron and Budd and Iraq War veteran. "As a mesothelioma law firm, we are proud to have a history of defending America’s veterans and continue to assist veterans with mesothelioma lawsuits today. We are asking everyone to take a moment to remember our veterans who died on and off the battlefield."

Baron and Budd has been honored to represent many veterans who have suffered from mesothelioma. Most notably, the firm represented Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, a highly decorated veteran who served as the Chief of Naval Operations during the Veteran War, in a mesothelioma lawsuit against the asbestos companies responsible for his exposure. 

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has a more than 30-year history of "Protecting What’s Right" for asbestos sufferers and their families. As one of the first law firms to successfully litigate an asbestos lawsuit, Baron & Budd continues to actively represent veterans, industry workers and others who are suffering as a result of exposure to asbestos. Baron & Budd achieved the largest mesothelioma verdict ever in the state of Texas, a $55 million verdict for an asbestos sufferer and his family in El Paso, Texas. Contact Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229 for additional information on mesothelioma treatments, mesothelioma cancer doctors and treatment centers, mesothelioma attorneys and veterans’ issues.

DALLAS (November 1, 2011) – Baron and Budd is working to raise awareness about lung cancer, a disease that is all too misunderstood and underfunded, during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. As a law firm that helps lung cancer and mesothelioma patients, Baron and Budd understands the importance of increased awareness about these cancers and, more specifically, the need for education. Though lung cancer has been labeled as the “smoking cancer,” research points to a growing number of lung cancer diagnoses in nonsmokers from exposure to environmental toxins such as asbestos.

Baron and Budd is encouraging individuals to participate in the Shine a Light on Lung Cancer Vigil, hosted by the Lung Cancer Alliance. Vigils will take place across the country Nov. 1 to honor loved ones who have suffered from lung cancer and help raise awareness.

In the United States alone, nearly 200 women die of lung cancer every day. But despite the long-standing beliefs that lung cancer is only caused by smoking, more than 70 percent of new lung cancer diagnoses occur in nonsmokers. According to a new study, people who have never smoked, but live in areas with elevated air pollution levels, are approximately 20 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live in areas with cleaner air. Asbestos is one of the air pollutants often associated with lung cancer.

Despite the well-documented health risks of asbestos, the material is not banned in the U.S. and, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, hundreds of metric tons of asbestos are still imported into the U.S. today.

“Lung cancer has developed a stigma as the “smoking cancer,” as if people diagnosed with the cancer knowingly chose to put themselves at risk,” said Russell Budd, president and managing shareholder at Baron and Budd. “But approximately one in 10 people who are diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked, and that number of nonsmoker cases is growing.”

Baron and Budd is dedicated to battling cancers that are related to environmental exposure. The firm has donated to the Lung Cancer Alliance and has sponsored the print and digital distribution of CURE media group’s Understanding Mesothelioma. Russell Budd, the firm’s president and managing shareholder, also serves on the Foundation Board of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the philanthropic arm of NCCN, and the firm has sponsored the NCCN Patient Guidelines for Mesothelioma.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has a more than 30-year history of “Protecting What’s Right” for asbestos sufferers and their families. As one of the first law firms to successfully litigate an asbestos lawsuit, Baron & Budd continues to actively represent veterans, industry workers and others who are suffering as a result of exposure to asbestos. Baron & Budd achieved the largest mesothelioma verdict ever in the state of Texas, a $55 million verdict for an asbestos sufferer and his family in El Paso, Texas. Contact Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229 for additional information on medical treatments, mesothelioma cancer doctors and treatment centers, high risk jobs, mesothelioma attorneys and financial assistance for asbestos cancer care.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Mandel, the lead researcher on the state health study of area workers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, a “back-of-the-envelope” analysis shows that mesothelioma rates are higher than they should be in the area. Thus far, it is still unclear where the victims were exposed to asbestos.

The “Iron Range” is an area in the northeastern region of Minnesota with multiple distinct bands of iron ore. Interestingly enough, state health officials have found that a large number of mesothelioma cases seem to stem from the region, though there are no local asbestos mines. Early reports on the elevated number of mesothelioma deaths suggest that the exposure may have came from workers who dealt with commercial asbestos, such as pipe insulation, furnaces and boilers.

Though rare, mesothelioma is a deadly cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos exposure. The cancer does not manifest until decades after a patient’s initial exposure, which can make the disease’s case somewhat difficult to pinpoint, though it can usually be connected to occupational exposure, second hand exposure through a family member, or even exposure through working in a building that had asbestos in it.

Also, because mesothelioma tends to have symptoms of other, more common diseases such as the flu or bronchitis, mesothelioma tends to be misdiagnosed, or not properly diagnosed until it is in its later stages.

Once a diagnosis is suspected, doctors often use imaging tests such as x-rays, CT scans, positron emission tomography (PET) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans as diagnostic tools for mesothelioma.

These imaging tests use x-rays, radioactive particles or magnetic fields to create pictures of the inside of the body. Imaging tests can find suspicious areas that might be cancerous, can indicate how far the cancer may have spread, and can determine if previous treatment has been effective.

Despite the technology available today, most people with mesothelioma are diagnosed when they go to the doctor with troubling symptoms that sometimes resemble pneumonia or just difficulty breathing. There may also be back pain, weight loss, fever and muscle weakness when someone has mesothelioma.

More recently, doctors have discovered that people with mesothelioma often have high levels of substances like osteopontin and soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRPs) in their blood.

Blood tests for these substances are not generally used to diagnose mesothelioma, but high levels of these substances may help the doctor with the diagnosis. Usually these blood tests are helpful for people who have already been diagnosed – so doctors and other health care professionals can follow their patients’ progress both during and after cancer treatment.

When mesothelioma is diagnosed, other blood tests are usually done to check the blood cell counts and levels of certain chemicals. Tests like these can give the doctor an idea of how extensive the mesothelioma is and how well key body functions are working.

A person’s physical symptoms and the results of many exams, imaging tests, and/or blood tests may strongly suggest that they have mesothelioma, but the actual diagnosis is generally made by removing cells from the abnormal area and looking at the cells under a microscope. This procedure is known as a biopsy and it may be done in different ways, depending on the situation and the health of the patient.

Though pleural plaques are not a disease, they could be a precursor to much more serious cancers, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. A pleural plaque describes the scarring of the lining of the lungs, which is evidence of a person’s exposure to asbestos. In Scotland, this condition most commonly affects workers who work, or once worked, in heavy industrial careers, such as shipbuilding or the railroad.

Mr. Ron Marsh, a Scottish resident, suffers from pleural plaque. Now 70, Marsh can traces his exposure to his first job at what was once the British Rail works ] in the 1960s. Though Marsh’s job took him in and out of the factory, he was frequently exposed to asbestos as a bystander, as the material was widely used in insulation around pipes and boilers at that time.

“The floor was thick with dust, dirt and asbestos,” Mr. Marsh told the BBC. “They [the engineers] made snowballs out of asbestos dust, and we had little fights…We thew the snowballs at one another.”

It was only meant to be fun, but it made the air thick with asbestos fibers.

It was not until the 1990s that Marsh started to feel the effects of his asbestos exposure. Though Marsh has taken legal action against the company who now owns British Rail, the company is contesting his claims.

But it was a big move forward for Marsh when the UK Supreme Court ruled on the validity of a Sottish law on compensation for patients suffering from pleural plaque. Insurance companies can no longer resist making payments to these patients, though the industry argues that pleural plaques are nothing more than an indicator that someone has been exposed to asbestos. And most importantly, a pleural plaque is a benign condition that many people could have, but live their entire lives without knowing it.

Unfortunately, American laws do not allow for compensation based on asbestos exposure alone or pleural plaques, but because of the hard work and dedicated of the mesothelioma lawyers at Baron and Budd, American asbestos claimants have the right to pursue individual claims for asbestos cases, specifically mesothelioma.

DALLAS (October 6, 2011) – For the seventh time, the national law firm of Baron and Budd, P.C. was selected to the prestigious Plaintiffs’ Hot List. Compiled by the National Law Journal, the Plaintiffs’ Hot List profiles law firms who have done exemplary, cutting-edge work on the plaintiffs’ side in the past year. Out of dozens of plaintiffs’ firms throughout the country, Baron and Budd was one of only 20 firms that were selected for inclusion on the list. Baron & Budd was the only firm with a strong history of representing asbestos cancer and mesothelioma victims.

The National Law Journal profiled three of the most significant cases that Baron and Budd most has participated in within the past year, including a $21.2 million award for the city of San Diego in an online hotel tax case, a $9 million asbestos verdict against Dow Chemical in a mesothelioma cancer case, and a $410 million settlement with Bank of America over excessive bank overdraft fees.

“I am so proud to be selected for such a distinguished honor,” said Russell Budd, president and managing shareholder of Baron and Budd. “As a law firm dedicated to protecting what’s right across the board, it’s rewarding to be recognized for our willingness to take on significant litigation to defend consumers and injured victims of hazardous products.”

Baron and Budd prides itself on remaining at the forefront of meaningful litigation. Though the firm’s original mission was to protect the rights of asbestos victims and their families, Baron and Budd has expanded into other litigation areas, such as the Gulf Oil Spill and numerous consumer fraud issues. The firm currently serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the Gulf Oil Spill litigation and represents the state of Louisiana in the litigation.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Austin, Los Angeles and Miami, is a nationally recognized law firm with a 30-year history of “Protecting What’s Right” for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd’s size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals, governmental and business entities in areas as diverse as water contamination, Gulf oil spill, Qui Tam, California Proposition 65 violations, dangerous medications and medical devices, Chinese drywall, insurance claims, commercial litigation, consumer fraud, securities fraud and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma. Learn more about the mesothelioma attorneys at Baron & Budd, asbestos exposure and how to choose a mesothelioma attorney at:

http://www.mesotheliomanews.com

http://baronandbudd.com

LOS ANGELES (October 4, 2011) –Merlin Olsen, known around the world for his 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and his post-football career as an actor on “Little House on the Prairie,” died in 2010 as a result of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused only by exposure to asbestos. The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. represented Olsen’s family in a lawsuit against 11 companies that manufactured products leading to Olsen’s asbestos exposure and untimely death.

The lawsuit concluded in an out-of-court, confidential settlement. The mesothelioma attorneys handling Merlin Olsen’s family’s case were John Langdoc and Denyse Clancy.

“The death of Merlin Olsen, a world-class athlete and embodiment of healthy living, is emblematic of the tragedy of asbestos cancers,” said mesothelioma attorney John Langdoc. “Scientists were predicting today’s cancers fifty years ago, but because some of the asbestos companies continued to push asbestos into the market, we see an estimated 10,000 deaths a year in this country alone from asbestos-related diseases today.”

Merlin Olsen was a football legend and beloved actor who enjoyed a successful football and acting career in the 1960s and 1970s. Regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in the history of football, Olsen enjoyed a long career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl 14 times. He was also later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Fall of Fame. After his NFL career, Olsen developed a successful career as a broadcaster and television actor, appearing on “Little House on the Prairie.”

The case was filed in Los Angeles, California.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has a more than 30-year history of “Protecting What’s Right” for asbestos sufferers and their families. As one of the first law firms to successfully litigate an asbestos lawsuit, the asbestos lawyers at Baron & Budd continues to actively represent veterans, industry workers and others who are suffering as a result of exposure to asbestos. Baron & Budd achieved the largest mesothelioma verdict ever in the state of Texas, a $55 million verdict for an asbestos sufferer and his family in El Paso, Texas. Contact Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229 for additional information on medical treatments, mesothelioma cancer doctors and treatment centers, high-risk jobs, veterans issues, how to choose a mesothelioma attorney and financial assistance for asbestos cancer care.

Websites: www.mesotheliomanews.com | http://baronandbudd.com

LOS ANGELES (September 30, 2011) –John Langdoc, a consumer advocate attorney with the Baron and Budd law firm, hosted an informational session today for homeowners about the potential hazard that lurks in popcorn ceilings, which may contain small amounts of asbestos.

Asbestos in popcorn ceilings is not likely to result in a release of asbestos when undisturbed on the ceiling, according to health officials.

“The problem,” Langdoc said, “is when homeowners attempt to update their dated ceilings and attempt to remove the popcorn ceiling material.”

Not all popcorn ceilings contain asbestos.

“Only certain companies insisted on adding asbestos as an ingredient,” Langdoc said.

States like California banned the use of asbestos in popcorn ceilings in the early 1970s. But some of the makers of asbestos popcorn ceilings just sent their product to other states like Texas, Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania which had not yet outlawed the spraying of asbestos popcorn ceilings. Trying to determine which popcorn ceilings contain asbestos cannot be done with the naked eye.

“You just can’t tell from looking at it,” said Langdoc, “you have to have it tested.”

The overwhelming consensus of health officials is that a popcorn ceiling in place, even if it contains asbestos, is not likely to release any asbestos fibers into the air. But before removing even a small amount, the homeowner should have a certified asbestos inspector test the popcorn ceiling to determine whether it contains asbestos. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health maintains a list of certified asbestos consultants who can do this test. Langdoc found the tests to be relatively simple and inexpensive.

“For between $100 and $150 the asbestos consultants we contacted sealed off the room, created a negative pressure room with a HEPA vacuum system, performed the sampling in Tyvex ‘space suits’ with full respirator systems and glove bags, and then had the results back to us within a day,” Langdoc said.

About John Langdoc

John Langdoc is an environmental attorney who works on behalf of consumers. As a tireless consumer advocate, Langdoc has investigated dozens of environmental cancer causes and worked with scientists and legal teams to address the concerns.

DALLAS (October 3, 2011) –To help educate mesothelioma patients and their families about the asbestos cancer, the national law firm of Baron and Budd is sponsoring the e-book release of CURE media group’s Understanding Mesothelioma. Previously available as a hard copy, Understanding Mesothelioma is now available for the Kindle, Nook and Sony e-reader for $9.99. Proceeds from the book’s sales will benefit the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy and community and, most importantly, to banning global use of asbestos.

The first in a series from CURE media group, Understanding Mesothelioma offers mesothelioma patients and their families an in-depth look into the causes of this deadly, but rare asbestos cancer, the latest treatment information, legal issues, caregiving, survivorship and other valuable resources for those dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis. Most importantly, Understanding Mesothelioma continues CURE’s mission to translate complex medical information into understandable, consumer-friendly materials that inspire patients and caregivers.

“Electronic books are the future, so it only makes sense for us to offer this wonderful resource in the e-reader format,” said John Langdoc, lead trial attorney at Baron and Budd. “We are proud to help bring this information to a wider audience of readers in a more environmentally friendly format.”

Baron and Budd has a history of giving back to the mesothelioma community. The firm was a cornerstone donor and executive advisory board member of the International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and has donated generously to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and the Lung Cancer Alliance. Russell Budd, Baron and Budd’s President and Managing Shareholder, is the only attorney who serves on the Foundation Board of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).

The e-book Understanding Mesothelioma is now available on Amazon.com for the Kindle, BarnesandNoble.com for the Nook, through the iTunes store, and for the Sony e-reader. Find the book on Amazon here. Physical copies of the book are available at CURE’s website and the Baron and Budd website.

DALLAS (September 30, 2011) –John Langdoc, mesothelioma lawyer at the law firm of Baron and Budd, is warning homeowners and other residents about the potential hazards of asbestos in popcorn ceilings, a type of spray-on treatment that was once popular for its highly textured look. Left alone and intact, the ceiling material is not dangerous, but replacing a popcorn ceiling requires expert skill and abatement so that asbestos fibers are not released and inhaled.

“People need to be incredibly careful when they remodel and decide to change the look of a popcorn ceiling, because most of the materials used in these ceilings prior to 1979 contained asbestos,” said John Langdoc, mesothelioma attorney at Baron and Budd. “Any sanding or cutting of the materials risks the release of asbestos fibers if the work is not done by technicians accustomed to asbestos abatement procedures.”

“Popcorn ceiling” is the name given to a spray-on or paint-on ceiling treatment used in homes and other residences built between the 1950s and the 1980s. Since it was less expensive than painting, the technique was popular in residential construction. The treatment could be quickly and easily sprayed on during new construction and was very useful in hiding stains, uneven ceilings, poor workmanship or other defects.

Unfortunately, the texture often contained asbestos, a known toxin that has been linked to cancer and other diseases. However, many homeowners are not aware of the risk associated with popcorn ceiling remodeling and do not take proper safeguards.

“The look of a new ceiling is just not worth the terrible health risks, like mesothelioma, associated with sanding, cutting or otherwise disturbing the ceiling,” said John Langdoc. “I especially hope that young homeowners who want to restore older homes understand the danger and take the appropriate precautions.”

For additional information on asbestos testing or asbestos removal, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s guide to asbestos, or call Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has a more than 30-year history of “Protecting What’s Right” for asbestos sufferers and their families. As one of the first law firms to successfully litigate an asbestos lawsuit, Baron & Budd continues to actively represent veterans, industry workers and others who are suffering as a result of exposure to asbestos. Baron & Budd achieved the largest mesothelioma verdict ever in the state of Texas, a $55 million verdict for an asbestos sufferer and his family in El Paso, Texas. Contact Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229 for additional information on medical treatments, mesothelioma cancer doctors and treatment centers, high risk jobs, veterans issues and financial assistance for asbestos cancer care.

Twitter:    http://twitter.com/#!/johnlangdoc

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/johnlangdoc

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlangdoc

DALLAS (September 26, 2011) –Just in time for Mesothelioma Awareness Day, the national mesothelioma law firm of Baron and Budd, P.C. is sponsoring Unions.org, a database of over 15,000 union organizations in the United States for more than 25 years. Baron and Budd was selected by Unions.org as the organization’s authorized service provider for legal issues regarding mesothelioma and other asbestos cancer issues. Together, Baron and Budd and Unions.org, along with their affiliate website UnionSmart.org, will provide medical and legal information on mesothelioma and asbestos to union workers to help raise awareness about mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos.

“Many people do not realize that mesothelioma symptoms can take decades to manifest, or even that it is caused by asbestos exposure,” said John Langdoc, shareholder at Baron and Budd. “Mesothelioma is a rare, but deadly cancer that is usually not diagnosed until it is highly advanced and sadly, the prognosis is usually poor. Despite the fact that mesothelioma is such a terrible cancer, it gets little funding, and the majority of the public are not aware of its existence. We hope that building this partnership with Unions.org will help raise awareness about this cancer.”

Over the past 30 years, the mesothelioma attorneys at Baron and Budd have had the honor of representing numerous union members in asbestos-related matters. The firm also has a long-time relationship with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (ACL-CIO) and has sponsored many of the organization’s events. Baron and Budd prides itself on being an advocate for hard-working men and women in the U.S.

The mesothelioma lawyers at Baron and Budd also gives back to the community to help raise awareness about mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos, as well as assist in providing important medical information to patients and their families who are dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis. The firm has underwritten two books about mesothelioma, The NCCN Patient Guidelines for Mesothelioma from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and Understanding Mesothelioma from CURE media group, the publisher of CURE magazine. To help raise awareness, Baron and Budd has also donated to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and the Lung Cancer Alliance.

Just last week a Montana judge approved a $43 million settlement for more than one thousand asbestos victims in the town of Libby, Montana. According to the lawsuit, the state failed to warn Libby residents about the dangers of living near an asbestos mine.

Interestingly, the case had been initially dismissed nine years ago by a district court, but the decision was later overturned by the state Supreme Court.

This settlement comes from a collection of lawsuits that were brought against a number of Montana agencies for failing to protect the town’s residents.

According to estimates, more than 400 people Have been killed and approximately 1,750 have been sickened by asbestos released from the nearby W.R. Grace mine that closed more than 20 years ago. For many years, lethal dust containing asbestos blanketed the town, causing damage that is still being felt by residents today. Though the town has been designated as a Superfund site and is undergoing cleanup under EPA supervision, there is still much more work that needs to be done. To date, the cleanup has cost more than $370 million.

Surprisingly, most of the asbestos victims in Libby did not work in the mine. In fact, many of those affected by asbestos diseases likely experienced “second-hand” exposure to asbestos, which typically means that they were exposed in an indirect way to asbestos, usually through a family member –such a washing a husband’s asbestos-laden clothing or being hugged by a father who worked around asbestos all day –or, in the case of Libby, by being exposed to asbestos through the contaminated cloud of dust from the mine that reportedly blanketed the town for much of the mine’s operation.

Unfortunately, W.R. Grace has escaped much of its liability for the town’s toxic contamination by filing for bankruptcy when the extent of the public health crisis in Libby was discovered. However, according to one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys in the case, active steps have been taken to negotiate a possible settlement with W.R. Grace for the people of Libby.

When the towers collapsed, a thick sheet of dust spewed into the air around ground zero, and many first responders, such as New York firefighters, as well as employees working in the towers and other bystanders, were exposed to the dust.

The now infamous 9/11 dust has been described as: “Something we had never seen before,” according to Paul Lioy, director of exposure science at Rutgers University and the UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Lioy was asked by the federal government and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to collect and analyze samples of the dust to see what the potential health effects might be.

Lioy’s analysis showed that substances in the dust included cement, gypsum, asbestos, glass fibers, calcium carbonate, lead and other metal particles. The dust was also found to have high alkalinity.

“That means it’s extremely caustic and would be like inhaling powered lye or Drano,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, dean for global health at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Thus far, the high toxicity level of the dust has had a significant impact on the health of many first responders, and those effects were especially severe for those who were exposed to the dust on the first day and for an extended period of time. Common side effects discovered thus far include sever asthma attacks, gastroesophagal reflux disease (GERD) and a number of respiratory diseases, including something that has been labeled the “World Trade Center cough.”

“Asbestos is a human carcinogen,” said Landrigan. “It causes lung cancer, laryngeal cancers and malignant mesothelioma, and these typically develop anywhere from 10 to 30 years after exposure.”

And sadly, the 9/11 dust was highly toxic, which made it difficult for the body to filter out certain substances naturally.

“The concentration of toxic materials was so high that when those people took a breath, the junk in the air overwhelmed the normal mechanisms we have in our nose and throat,” said Landrigan.

While we hope that most of the people who experienced 9/11 firsthand are not affected by serious diseases due to toxic exposure, the effects of the 9/11 dust could be felt for decades as more information about the health risks of the dust became apparent.

Researchers studying the issue have reported that hundreds of compounds were evident in ground zero dust, and that these compounds included several known carcinogens. One of these carcinogens was asbestos which was used to coat the World Trade Center buildings’ lower columns when the towers were originally constructed in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

While there is no quantitative data beyond evidence that there were “hundreds of tons” of the asbestos-containing material in and on the towers, it is readily accepted that the 9/11 disaster released a great deal of asbestos into the atmosphere and that the early cancers revealed in the Lancet study are only the beginning as many cancers, such as mesothelioma, take decades to develop.

Although a ban on the spray – on asbestos coating used on the towers/columns went into effect near the end of the towers’ construction, asbestos covered the steel skeletons throughout  most of the height of each of the World Trade Center towers.

The study suggests that the cancer risk from Libby’s unique type of asbestos, known as Libby Amphibole asbestos, is fairly similar to the dangers posed by other types of asbestos. However, the study also reveals that there is a significant non-cancer health risks and shows people can be sickened by inhaling just the slightest trace of Libby, Montana asbestos fibers.

A summary of the report was released in May, which outlined the potency of asbestos in the Libby area. The study’s release now opens a 60-day public comment period. In fact, the EPA has released a statement asking for public comment and independent scientist review on the study. After the study is properly analyzed, it will help the EPA create an effective plan to cleanup the Libby, Montana asbestos contamination.

The 60-day comment period will last until Oct. 24, and a public listening session is planned for Oct. 6. To learn more about the draft toxicity assessment, how to submit comments and participate in the listening session, visit the EPA’s website.

The EPA has been working to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure in Libby since 1999, and EPA administrators declared a public health emergency in the area in 2009. To date, the agency has spent more than $370 million and safely removed more than 873,350 cubic yards of asbestos-contaminated soil from numerous properties in the area. The EPA expects to issue its final health assessment on Libby in September 2012.

Libby, Montana’s asbestos issues have been decades in the making. Now-bankrupt asbestos company W.R. Grace once operated one of the largest asbestos mines in the U.S. near Libby. The mine operated for decades, producing tons of Libby Amphibole asbestos every year. It was so heavily mined that residents claimed there was a constant blanket of asbestos, dust and other contaminates in the air.

The mine closed decades ago, after the U.S. placed severe restrictions on asbestos, and W.R. Grace was forced to file bankruptcy –primarily to protect itself from mounting asbestos cancer lawsuits, but the toxic legacy of the mine is still being felt today.

Since the 1980s in the eastern areas of England, the male death rate from mesothelioma has increased more than four-fold, from 14.8 per million between 1982 and 1984 to 66.4 million between 2006 and 2008. This increase is far ahead of those in neighboring Scotland and Wales, and outstrips most other regions in England, according to numbers from the Health and Safety Executive.

In Essex alone, coroners reported 115 deaths from industrial disease in 2010.

Asbestos was used extensively in building materials throughout the UK up to 1999, when the material was banned. However, asbestos is still lurking in many older building materials, and even though there has been a big push to place warning signs on any materials or areas that may be contaminated, asbestos is still a serious hazard in the UK today.

Commonly labeled the “silent killer,” asbestos is responsible for more than 107,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Sadly, asbestos is not banned everywhere, and some countries continue to import asbestos and asbestos-containing products today.

Asbestos is linked to a number of horrible asbestos-related diseases, including cancers such as mesothelioma and certain types of lung cancer. Asbestos has also been known to cause other diseases, such as asbestosis. And, sadly, while many people think that asbestos is thing of the past, the number of people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases is still very high, even in the developed world. In fact, a New York Times article cited a study that asbestos-related diseases could severely increase in Asia in the next 20 years.

The global battle against asbestos is still going on today. Amazingly, asbestos is still not banned in the U.S., primarily due to powerful lobbying by asbestos companies. Yet, this has rarely received any kind of media attention and there is very little national awareness about the issue. In fact, many families impacted by asbestos disease know little about the sad truth of asbestos before someone they loved is affected.

Please visit Mesothelioma News’ dedicated Facebook page Fight Mesothelioma, for information, community and outreach. Most importantly, this page stands as a reminder of the devastating power of asbestos and the importance of knowing that you are not alone in dealing with this horrible cancer.

Michaela Keyserlingk, whom we have previously reported on, has been making waves in Canada over her campaign to stop the country’s exportation of asbestos. Recently, the executive director of the Canadian Conservative Party, which backs the country’s asbestos industry, sent Mrs. Keyserlingk a cease-and-desist email because she was using the party’s logo in an online ad for her anti-asbestos website.

Mrs. Keyserlingk admits that she does not have the right to use the logo, and that she only used it to get the attention of the Conservative Party. However, she says, she will not take the offending banner down until a senior member of the Conservative government meets with her to explain the export policy and hear her story. So far, no one from the party has offered to meet with her, and they have remained silent since Ms. Keyserlingk went public with their threat.

Thus, while the party set out to squash someone who disagreed with them, they have inadvertently created something of a national hero and public figure for the Canadian asbestos tragedy. Previously, Mrs. Keyserlingk had been mostly ignored in her anti-asbestos campaign, now she’s all over the Canadian media.

Mrs. Keyserlingk lost her husband, Robert Keyserlingk, to mesothelioma in December 2009. He was a retired university professor, navy worker and one-time supporter of the Conservative Party. Mr. Keyserlingk never smoked and was an avid marathon runner, so it was even more shocking when he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

After he passed, Mrs. Keyserlingk continued his letter-writing campaign to stop the exportation of asbestos. When that didn’t get any attention, she asked her son to design the online banner ad which has now caused so much controversy.

The irony is that asbestos is virtually banned in Canada, and the Canadian Parliament buildings are currently undergoing a $58 million renovation project that would strip the buildings of harmful asbestos.

The cash infusion from the government’s loan would allow the consortium, led by Balcorp Ltd., to complete an expansion of the Jeffery asbestos mine, which has operated in the town of Asbestos, Quebec for more than 130 years. A loan guarantee could help keep the mine open for another 25 years.

Canada is the world’s fifth largest exporter of chrysotile asbestos, with the Jeffery and Thetford minds in Quebec accounting for the majority of production.

The country produced more than 150,000 tons of asbestos in 2009, and the vast majority was exported, primarily to developing nations such as India.

Once a commonly used building material, asbestos use is now strictly prohibited and even banned in a number of countries. In Canada, the material is not banned, but has strict regulations under the Hazardous Products Act and the Environmental Protection Act.

A number of public health advocates and others have repeatedly criticized the Canadian government’s attempts to re-open the Jeffrey asbestos mine, calling it “immoral” to export a cancer-causing material to other countries for profit.

The Canadian Cancer Society has estimated that more than 100,000 people die every year worldwide due to workplace exposure to asbestos, while proponents of the asbestos industry claim that the chrysotile asbestos mined in Quebec is not as dangerous as other types of asbestos, such as amphibole, and it can be handled safely.

The Quebec government has been notorious for defending the controversial industry, having recently blocked the inclusion of asbestos on a UN-sponsored list of hazardous materials. The Conservative party, who is currently in power in Quebec, even went so far as to send a cease-and-desist letter to a mesothelioma widow for using their logo in advertising to promote her anti-asbestos website.

Sadly, asbestos has been connected to a number of horrible cancers, such as mesothelioma. While mesothelioma is currently incurable, the only way to stop the disease completely is to ban all use of asbestos.

The widow, Michaela Keyserlingk, lost her husband to mesothelioma in 2009. Soon after, she took a stand against the deadly material, and with the impending re-opening of a Quebec asbestos mine, Keyserlingk has escalated her battle to ban the exportation of asbestos in Canada.

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer of the lining of the lung caused by exposure to asbestos. Sadly, it can strike anyone who may have come in contact with asbestos at some point in his or her life. Keyserlingk’s husband, Robert, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2007, despite being a non-smoker and avid marathon runner. His doctors traced his mesothelioma to a string of summers he had spent as a naval cadet working on a ship with asbestos-insulated pipes. Forty years later, that exposure led to mesothelioma.

Ironically enough, while Canada is working on revitalizing its asbestos exportation industry, the material is virtually banned from use in Canada. The Canadian Parliament buildings are even undergoing a massive $850 million renovation project that would remove asbestos from the buildings. And former transport minister Chuck Strahl has labeled asbestos as the cause of his lung cancer, which forced him to resign earlier this year.

In the meantime, the owners of the Jeffery asbestos mine are fighting to raise the money needed to re-open the mine, with just days left to meet the government-mandated minimum. And in June of this year, Canadian delegates successfully blocked the inclusion of asbestos in a UN-sponsored list of hazardous materials.

Ever since the Canadian government began a campaign to increase the country’s asbestos exports, public health and anti-asbestos advocates have attacked the decision, some labeling it “immoral” to export a material that is linked to horrible diseases, including cancer. In many cases, Canada’s asbestos is being exported to India and other developing nations. Sadly, with the large amount of asbestos being imported into the country, studies point to a potential increase in asbestos-related diseases in these developing nation in the coming years.

The Natural Resources Canada memo, which has been released under the Access to Information Act, estimates that the life of the Lac d’aminate du Canada mine in Quebec will likely end in 2012.

Canada’s controversial asbestos industry has nearly disappeared in recent years, mostly due to concerns over the material’s connection to cancer. While the Canadian government continues to insist that its type of asbestos, chrysotile, is safe when used properly, many opponents still call it immoral for Canada to export asbestos to developing countries, especially when the use of the materials was been almost completely banned in Canada.

And according to government assessments, the Lac d’amiante du Canada mine could be gone within months.

“The open-pit Lac d’amiante du Canada (LAC) operation will be the last remaining chrysotile mine in Canada, with an estimated mine life of two to four years,” said the February 2008 government assessment.

Despite the many national and international warnings about the dangers of asbestos, the government still insists refuses to change its stance on the material. In fact, just last month, the government blocked asbestos from being added to an international list of hazardous chemical.

And the government continues to advocate for the re-opening of the Jeffery asbestos mine in Asbestos, Quebec. The Quebec government is even prepared to give a $58 million bank loan guarantee to the mine, provided it can raise $25 million from private investors by August 15. Local asbestos advocates claim that the financing would relaunch the mine for another 25 years.

While this is great news, there is still a global battle to fight when it comes to asbestos. Though we have read that the Jeffrey mine is having trouble raising funds, there is still the possibility that it may be revived. But together, our voices can be heard and we can make a difference.

To learn more about how to get involved, visit the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)’s website at http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.

Budd’s Legal Acumen Considered Integral to Comprehensive Patient Education

Dallas, TX (February 15, 2011) — Russell W. Budd, president and managing shareholder of Baron & Budd, PC, has joined the Board of the National NCCN Foundation. The NCCN Foundation is the philanthropic affiliate of the National Comprehensive Cancer Care Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers.

“Given the complexity of today’s cancer care and new research emerging in the field, this board has the tremendous opportunity to educate people with cancer, such as mesothelioma, about their treatment options,” said Budd. “I am honored that the NCCN Foundation has made the visionary step of inviting an attorney to serve on their board and hopeful that together we can address the many needs of cancer patients.”

Mr. Budd,a shareholder of Baron & Budd since 1985 and president and managing shareholder since 2002, presides over one of the nation’s largest plaintiffs’ firms, and has devoted his three-decade career to championing the rights of individuals, communities and municipalities. Notably, Mr. Budd has played a significant national role in protecting the rights of people injured by exposure to cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, which has been linked to mesothelioma, and water contaminants such as MTBE.

The NCCN Foundation, chaired by Sam Donaldson, was founded in 2010 with the goal of creating and distributing the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in oncology (NCCN Guidelines™) into patient-centric materials. The Foundation seeks philanthropic support for effective distribution of the NCCN Guidelines for Patients ™ as well as the translation of these guidelines into multiple foreign languages.

Mr. Budd has a recognized history of service and philanthropic involvement. In 2010 he was awarded the prestigious Harry M. Philo Award Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the American Association for Justice (AAJ), presented in recognition of his dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals through the civil justice system. Three years earlier he earned the prestigious Wiedemann Wysocki National Finance Council Award from AAJ for his commitment to the legal profession and his efforts to improve the civil justice system.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

Established in 1977, Baron & Budd, P.C. is a prominent plaintiffs’ law firm committed to protecting the rights of individuals, municipalities, businesses and other entities. One of the first law firms to successfully litigate an asbestos lawsuit, Baron & Budd continues to actively represent veterans, industry workers and others who have mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer. Determined to fight for the public interest, Baron & Budd is an advocate for asbestos awareness and a generous contributor to causes such as the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, the International Mesothelioma Program and Lung Cancer Alliance. Visit Baron & Budd’s dedicated mesothelioma website Mesothelioma News at http://www.mesotheliomanews.com/ or call 1.866.855.1229 for information on medical treatments, mesothelioma cancer doctors and treatment centers, high risk jobs, veterans issues and financial assistance for asbestos cancer care.

Accusations were first brought against the retailer months ago, after some of their abatement methods in 2006 and 2007 were called into question. In one location, asbestos abatement workers did not take the necessary precautions to guard against asbestos exposure, in another, it appears that no proper surveys were done to identify asbestos-containing materials.

But, most importantly, because of these violations, unwitting shoppers, employees, and other bystanders were possibly exposed to asbestos. Thankfully the possibility of developing an asbestos-related disease is low, but even a small amount of exposure can lead to a horrible disease decades down the road, such as certain types of lung cancer, asbestosis or even mesothelioma cancer. It’s hard to believe that something as innocent as shopping could possibly lead to cancer, but when a company takes shortcuts when it comes to toxic substances, it can lead to disaster.

Health and Safety Executive Principal Inspector Charles Gilby said: “This prosecution exposed serious failures by Marks and Spencer and its contractors that we hope others will learn from. This verdict is a wake-up call for the retail industry. Client accountability and responsibility is at the heart of this case, because asbestos can and does kill. There are very real lessons here for the country’s large retailers, and other organizations engaged in programs of refurbishment, that they must allow enough time and resources to carry out work without endangering anyone.”

Sentencing in the case is scheduled for September.

The EPA has previously reported that it learned last fall that the wood chips and bark stockpiled at the former Stimson Lumber mill was being sold in Libby, the agency also found asbestos in samples taken from the pile in 2007, but never disclosed how much.

During the 2007 testing, four out of 20 samples taken from the wood chips piles showed the presence of asbestos. Air samples from the site were negative. While the results didn’t trigger an investigation at the time, the EPA is now taking a second look at the piles.

The town of Libby has been suffering from asbestos exposure for years. Decades ago, W.R. Grace operated an asbestos mine near the town, which was one of the most profitable asbestos mines at the time. But as the health issues of asbestos use become more apparent, asbestos use became significantly more regulated, which curbed the business of the asbestos companies. That, combined with a number of lawsuits seeking compensation for victims of asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, has ultimately driven many asbestos companies, including W.R. Grace, to bankruptcy.

Because of decades of mining, asbestos contaminated the air around Libby, as well as many of the plants and other materials, which has led to a massive government clean-up that has cost more than $370 million. Some residents have spent their entire lives ingesting asbestos from the mine. According to EPA estimates, asbestos from the W.R. Grace mine has killed nearly 400 Libby residents.

The contamination is so bad that EPA test results from last year found that trees up to eight miles from the mine were contaminated with asbestos.

It’s sad to hear that the contamination issues in Libby are still not over. The EPA has been working on cleaning up the area for years, and while reports released earlier this summer indicate that progress is being made, there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done in order to restore Libby. 

We will be keeping a close eye on this story as it develops. You can find out more on the EPA’s website.