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• Tough choice looms for people suing over 9/11 health claims: to apply for gov’t aid or not (December 25, 2011): More than 1,600 people who filed lawsuits claiming that their health was ruined by dust and smoke from the collapsed World Trade Center must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop the litigation and apply for benefits from a government compensation fund. Although the fund would cover ailments such as asthma, scarred lungs and other respiratory system problems, patients who develop mesothelioma or other forms of cancer are not eligible for compensation.
• Asbestos victim awarded $2M in mesothelioma lawsuit (December 21, 2011): A New York man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 2010 was awarded $2 million in a mesothelioma lawsuit filed against his former employer. Gerald Failing received the verdict after a jury found a materials company for responsible for exposing him to cancerous asbestos fibers.
• Settlement reached in Missouri mesothelioma lawsuit (December 15, 2011): A mesothelioma lawsuit filed against U.S. Engineering Co. in Missouri has been settled for $10 million. Nancy Lopez filed the lawsuit alleging that the company failed to follow proper procedures in removing asbestos from the courthouse where she worked.

Emergency workers and other personnel who were present at the site of the 9/11 attacks may be at risk of developing mesothelioma or other diseases from the toxic dust that was spread by the attacks. Ten years after the attacks, Ground Zero workers have already begun to show signs of respiratory diseases and other illnesses that may worsen into cancer or other conditions as time goes on.

According to a study conducted by scientists at Rutgers University (PDF), the dust that was spread after 9/11 contained a number of hazardous substances, including asbestos, gypsum, glass fibers, lead and other metal particles. Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma—a deadly cancer of the chest or abdomen—and many other cancers or respiratory diseases. Gypsum—which is found in drywall—has been linked to respiratory problems, while lead and other metals can be toxic to the brain.

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According to a new report published by Reuters news service, the number of mesothelioma lawsuits filed in the U.S. has continued to rise in recent years. According to one estimate, the total liability for the asbestos industry could eventually stretch to $75 billion in damages and settlements to victims of asbestos-related diseases.

Although some have reported that the number of new cases of malignant mesothelioma have fallen in recent years, projections by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics show the number of deaths from mesothelioma and asbestosis continuing to rise through at least 2016.

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Here are some of the latest mesothelioma and asbestos stories that we are currently following:

• Turkish asbestos ban goes into effect (Feb. 17, 2011): A total ban on the use and manufacturing of asbestos-containing products went into effect in Turkey on New Year's Day.
• One in five mesothelioma cases goes unreported, study finds (Feb. 12, 2011): A new study has found that nearly 40,000 mesothelioma cases may have gone unreported over the last 15 years.
• North Dakota road material may increase mesothelioma cancer risk (Dec. 22, 2011): New evidence suggests that exposure to erionite dust may be linked to an increased risk of developing mesothelioma.
• Quebec health officials criticize Canada’s support of asbestos industry (Dec. 2, 2011): Canadian health officials have criticized the government for supporting the nation's asbestos industry depite evidence of its harmful effects.

In November 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution (H. Res. 771 [PDF]) declaring September 26th as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. The House resolution is the counterpart to the Senate’s National Mesothelioma Awareness Day resolution (S. Res. 288 [PDF]), which was passed in 2009.

The House resolution calls on the President to “issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States, Federal departments and agencies, States, localities, organizations, and media to annually observe a National Mesothelioma Awareness Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

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Lawmakers in California are working on a new bill (PDF) that would strip serpentine—a naturally occurring mineral that often contains a type of asbestos known as chrysotile—of its status as the official state rock.

In a recent Associated Press article, Senator Gloria Romero, who proposed the bill, states that having an asbestos-containing substance as the Golden State’s official rock sends a poor public health message due to the link between asbestos and mesothelioma:

This is a question of health and public awareness. We know that California has the highest rates of mesothelioma deaths in the nation and we don’t think it’s appropriate to be celebrating as the state rock something which contains asbestos.

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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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