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Sophie Ellis, the youngest ever British mesothelioma victim, has died at age 18. Ellis was just 13 years old when she received a mesothelioma diagnosis and is believed to be the only British teen to develop the disease within the last 30 years. Only nine people under age 19 have died of mesothelioma since 1968.

After she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, Ellis became a spokeswoman for asbestos victims, using her story as a way to increase awareness of the terrible cost that asbestos has exacted on the lives of thousands worldwide.

“I hope more can be done to understand this disease,” Ellis stated in an interview with the Daily Mirror. “We need more research into mesothelioma and to raise awareness of it.”

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A new study published by the National Academy of Sciences may have uncovered an answer to the question of how asbestos causes the formation of cancerous mesothelioma in healthy cells.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can become permanently lodged in the mesothelium, the lining that surrounds the body’s internal organs. These fibers may cause the death of mesothelial cells with which they come into contact. Since dead cells cannot form tumors, experts were puzzled as to how malignant mesothelioma cancer cells could form after asbestos exposure.

Researchers from the University of Hawaii found that when healthy mesothelial cells are exposed to asbestos fibers, they undergo a process called “programmed cell necrosis.” This process causes dying cells to release a protein called “high mobility group box 1” (HMGB1). The release of HMGB1 causes the nearby cells to release a second protein, TNF-α, which triggers inflammation and increases the risk of mutation into the malignant cancer cells that cause mesothelioma.

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Two companies facing thousands of asbestos lawsuits, Garlock Sealing Technologies and Bondex International, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. More than 100,000 lawsuits have been filed against the two companies by plaintiffs who allege that they developed mesothelioma or other illnesses after using the companies’ asbestos products.

Garlock, which is owned by parent company EnPro Industries, has manufactured gaskets, hydraulic components, metal seals and other sealing products for more than 100 years. According to its bankruptcy filing, Garlock states that it is spending $100 million per year to settle and defend asbestos lawsuits filed against the company.

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The President’s Cancer Panel and the National Cancer Institute recently issued a new report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now [PDF],” which examines the effect that environmental factors have on cancer risks. The report also contains recommendations from the Panel on lowering the risks posed by many cancer-causing substances, including bisphenol A (BPA), chromium and asbestos.

The panel found that despite efforts to reduce exposure to cancer-causing products, these substances continue to jeopardize the health of American workers and consumers:

With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread.

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