Month: October 2011

As an attorney who has represented clients suffering from mesothelioma for over 30 years, I joined the fight against asbestos long ago.  Recent events demonstrate that the fight continues.  According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the Basel Action Network seeks to ban the export of asbestos and other hazardous materials to developing countries.  On October 21, 2011 over 170 countries agreed to accelerate the adoption of the global ban on hazardous materials.  The executive director of the Basel Action Network, Jim Puckett stated “I am ecstatic, I’ve been working on this since 1989 and it looks like it the shackles are lifted and we’ll see this happen in my lifetime.”

Asbestos is an extremely hazardous material.  I am continually stunned when I read stories that countries continue to export this deadly substance to developing countries.  My firm and I have been working hard for over 30 years to raise awareness of asbestos hazards that continue to exist even today.  We will continue to work hard until this lethal substance is no longer a threat to innocent people.

Mesothelioma Cases Increase In Developing Countries

Recent reports have indicated that asbestos-related deaths in Asia are expected to significantly increase over the next 20 years.  Asian countries continue to use large amounts of asbestos products in power plants, roofing and cement.  Currently, the use of asbestos in Asia is unregulated.  In a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization Dr. Ken Takahashi warned the Asian government to prepare for an “asbestos tsunami”.

India is also expected to experience a large increase in asbestos related deaths and diseases.  In cities such as Mumbai and Ahmedabad asbestos usage can be found in everyday life, roof tiles, broken asbestos blocks on the street, children building statues with asbestos cement.  Alang, India is known as the heart of India’s shipbreaking industry.  Ships covered in asbestos products are sent off to Alang to be dismantled.  Workers breaking apart the machinery and piping covered with asbestos insulation can be seen without masks or respirators of any kind.  The Indian government currently has no regulations or laws in place for the usage of asbestos products.

Raising Awareness about Asbestos

Spreading awareness about the dangers of asbestos is the only way to someday ban its usage.  Governments, citizens and workers in developing countries need to be made aware of their risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases due to their unregulated asbestos usage.

Through the decades I have represented clients with mesothelioma I have seen the utter devastation asbestos can cause.  Banning the export and usage of asbestos will shield people from the harm of this deadly material.

For more than three decades, my law firm and I have represented victims of mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos.  My clients have been exposed to asbestos in many different settings – from shipyards and Navy vessels which utilized tons of asbestos to foundries, factories, and homes all of which contained asbestos products.

Although the use of asbestos has been greatly minimized over the years, there are still many structures today where deadly amounts of asbestos remain.  Many times when renovation and repair work begin, this extremely hazardous material is discovered.

For these reasons, it is important that people remain vigilant about the hazards of asbestos.

Recent Asbestos Concerns

I recently read about two instances in which there was concern that individuals were exposed to asbestos that had been in place for years, but was disturbed during renovations.

In St. Louis, the Department of Health was very worried that asbestos-containing materials were in a condemned building.  The Department of Health feared the workers who were working in this building were exposed to lethal asbestos dust during demolition.

In North Carolina, in the town of Ayden, a woman hired contractors to clean up her home after it was damaged by Hurricane Irene.  It was later discovered that her home contained asbestos.  The contractors stopped working on the home immediately.  The home owner is now trying to find a safe way to remove the deadly substance from her home before renovation and clean-up work can resume.

Remaining Aware of Asbestos Hazards

Keeping stories like these in the news helps to raise public awareness and bring this issue to the forefront of public concern.  We all must continue to be cautious about the dangers of asbestos exposure.  There is no safe level of asbestos exposure as even low dose exposures to asbestos can cause mesothelioma.

The symptoms and medical conditions associated with asbestos appear years or even decades after the initial exposure.  Although the effects are not immediate, we must act to ensure that individual citizens, and even entire communities, are aware of the potential danger of asbestos exposure.

Over the many years my firm and I have represented clients with mesothelioma.  We have helped to raise awareness about asbestos and mesothelioma.  We will continue to be diligent in our task.

I recently read an article in the New York Times that described an incredible breakthrough in the war against cancer, including the battle against mesothelioma.  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a new T-cell treatment in which a patient’s own T-cell are removed, genetically engineered, and re-introduced into the patient’s body to help kill the cancer cells.  This innovative treatment is one of the most significant advancements in cancer treatment to date and creates hope and promise of someday finding a cure for hard to treat cancers like mesothelioma.

T-Cell Treatment

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently concluded a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of this new dynamic treatment for cancer involving genetically engineered T-Cells.  A T-cell is a type of blood cell.  T-cells belong to a group of white blood cells (WBCs) called lymphocytes which protect the body from infection.  T-cells have a key role in the immune system because they identify and attack any body cells that are infected with viruses or otherwise identified as harmful.  There are a number of different types of T-cells that act in many ways to identify, directly attack, and destroy infectious agents.  

This new treatment involves removing billions of T-cells from a patient, genetically engineering them, and then infusing them back into the patient’s body.  Researchers hope this will train the patient’s own immune system to kill cancer cells. The T-cell treatment recently had great success on two patients suffering from terminal leukemia.  

Hope For Mesothelioma Patients

As a mesothelioma attorney, I see firsthand my clients suffer from this terrible disease.  I am very encouraged by this research and  the implications for patients with mesothelioma.   According to Dr. Carl June who led the research “[We hope] to use T-cells against solid tumors including some that are hard to treat like mesothelioma and ovarian and pancreatic cancer.” 

However, this treatment does not come without risks.  Genetically engineered T-cells have been known to attack healthy tissue in patients and cause serious damage and even death.  Researchers are still working to perfect the T-cell treatment, but this new innovation is a great step towards finding a cure for certain types of cancer including mesothelioma.

Clinical Trials

The main goal of clinical trials is to determine if a new treatment is safe and at what dosage.  Clinical trials offer new, revolutionary treatments to patients suffering with cancer.  Treatments, like this one that researcher at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered,  offer great hope for someday finding a cure for terminal diseases such as mesothelioma.  Many of my clients have participated in clinical trials to treat their mesothelioma.  I commend them for their courage in participating in these trials that will someday help find a cure for this horrible disease and urge all of my clients  to talk with their doctors about  whether they may be a candidate for one of the many clinical trials related to mesothelioma.