Australian researchers develop promising mesothelioma blood test (April 25, 2012): Researchers in Australia have developed a new blood test that may be able to identify patients with mesothelioma cancer. The new test could allow doctors to diagnose mesothelioma cases without the need for invasive biopsies or other tests, allowing for faster diagnoses and earlier treatment.

Avondale Shipyards still slated for 2013 closure, CEO says (April 20, 2012): The Avondale shipyard—which was at one time the largest employer in the state of Louisiana—is still scheduled to be closed in 2013, the CEO of its parent company has stated. Opened in 1938, the shipyard once employed more than 26,000 workers and was the site for the construction of more than 2,500 ships.

Workers file asbestos lawsuit over hockey arena contamination (April 16, 2012): More than 75 workers have filed an asbestos lawsuit alleging that the NHL arena they work in contains the deadly material. The lawsuit claims that Nassau County never removed asbestos from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum—which holds as many as 16,000 fans for New York Islanders games.

Firefighters reach settlement with city in asbestos lawsuit (January 20, 2012): A group of Washington firefighters have reached an agreement with the city of Everett after filing a $9 million asbestos lawsuit. Under the agreement, the city will pay for any medical tests the firefighters could require as a result of asbestos exposure that may have occurred during a training program run by the city.

Shipyard worker wins Washington mesothelioma lawsuit (January 19, 2012): A Washington ship worker has won his mesothelioma lawsuit against his former employer. Roger Hammet was awarded $1.45 million after a jury found that Sea-Land Service Inc. was responsible for the mesothelioma diagnosis Hammet received after working on the company’s ship.

New York woman files asbestos lawsuit after husband’s death (January 14, 2012): A New York woman has filed an asbestos lawsuit against her husband’s former employers after he died from lung cancer. Carolina Malone alleges in her lawsuit that Alcoa Inc. exposed her husband to asbestos while he worked for the company, which caused him to develop cancer.

Environmental agency files asbestos lawsuit against contractor (January 11, 2012): The U.S. Department of Environment Protection (DEP) has filed an asbestos lawsuit against a Pennsylvania contractor. The lawsuit alleges that Lovett Contracting improperly removed nearly 3,000 feet of asbestos insulation from a commercial building and failed to properly dispose of the materials.

Accepting the award on her late husband’s behalf, Barbara McQueen expressed her gratitude to the ADAO for their work in spreading awareness of the health risks of asbestos:

Steve’s death was a long and painful ordeal and my heart goes out to those who have been exposed to asbestos as well as their loved ones. We’re all in the same family and I commend ADAO for the great work they do on behalf of asbestos awareness.

A noted auto enthusiast, McQueen was exposed to asbestos from the protective suits that he wore during races, as well as from asbestos on movie sound stages. However, the actor stated in interviews that his disease was likely the result of his service in the Marines, during which time he removed asbestos insulation from pipes that were found onboard troop ships.

McQueen was one of the first celebrities to be diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure that can affect the lining of the heart, lungs or abdomen. Other celebrities who have died from mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure include NFL Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen and singer Warren Zevon, the namesake of the award given to McQueen.

Despite the tragedy of his death, McQueen’s celebrity help bring widespread attention to mesothelioma and the health risks of asbestos exposure for the first time. His courageous fight against mesothelioma cancer and the legacy of his career are an inspiration to the thousands of asbestos victims worldwide who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

• Colorado man files mesothelioma lawsuit (October 25, 2011): A Colorado man has filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against companies he alleges are responsible for asbestos exposure that occurred during his work as a laborer and electrician.
• Colorado landlord on trial for exposing workers to asbestos (October 18, 2011): A Colorado landlord is on trial for allegedly exposing workers to asbestos on the job without their knowledge.
• British company pledges free asbestos awareness training (October 13, 2011): British company Expedient Training Services has pledged to provide free training to educate employers about the dangers of occupational asbestos exposure.
• Inhalants may ease mesothelioma cancer treatment (October 12, 2011): Scottish researches have found that administering cancer drugs via inhalants to treat mesothelioma and other forms of the disease may reduce harmful side effects of treatment. 
• Concerns rise over cancer-causing mineral (October 7, 2011): A fibrous mineral, known as erionite, that is prevalent in western states such as North Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona and California has been linked to cases of mesothelioma.

The researchers found that individuals who carry a mutation of the BAP1 gene are more likely to develop mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos than individuals without the mutation. The study also found that individuals with the BAP1 mutation may be more likely to develop melanoma of the eye, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or renal cancer.

This is the first study to demonstrate that individual genetic makeup can greatly influence susceptibility to mesothelioma. People exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos or erionite, those with a strong family history of mesothelioma, or those who have been previously diagnosed with a rare tumor of the eye known as uveal melanoma, may benefit from this new discovery.

Testa said that the findings from the study could lead to new drugs to treat patients with mesothelioma and enable earlier detecting of the disease in patients who are exposed to asbestos. Patients who are diagnosed with mesothelioma during the early stages of the disease live an average of five times longer than those whose cancer is detected in the late stages, Testa said.

While genetic mutations might play a factor in an individual’s risk of developing mesothelioma, their role is small compared to the health hazards posed by asbestos exposure in the workplace or other locations. Exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma. While new drugs and other treatments are important to helping patients who are already afflicted with the disease, it is important to remember that the risk of workers developing mesothelioma would have been significantly lower were it not for the decades in which asbestos products were still sold by manufacturers who knew the health risks posed by their wares.

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

Some mesothelioma cases may be misdiagnosed as ovarian cancer (July 18, 2011): A new study has uncovered evidence that some women who were suffering from mesothelioma may have been wrongly diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The study is one of the first pieces of evidence that some ovarian cancer cases may have actually been misdiagnosed cases of mesothelioma.

Libby woodchip contamination reignites asbestos fears (July 15, 2011): An investigation by the Associated Press has revealed that officials with the Environmental Protection Agency have known about the existence of asbestos-contaminated woodchip piles in the town of Libby, Montana for at least three years, but failed to notify residents about their potential danger.

West Virginia couple names 85 companies in mesothelioma lawsuit (July 6, 2011): A West Virginia couple filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against 85 companies alleging that the man received a mesothelioma diagnosis due to workplace asbestos exposure. Vincent and Antoinette Scriptunas filed the suit in Kanawha County in June 2008.

New tests may aid in early detection of mesothelioma (July 6, 2011): U.S. researchers have discovered significant biological differences, or biomarkers, that distinguished blood samples of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is most commonly detected at an advanced stage, leaving the possibility of a cure minimal.

According to a February 2010 study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine by the American Thoracic Society, the new vaccine relies on immunotherapy techniques, which utilize a patient’s immune system to fight cancer cells. Scientists in the study cultured immune cells from 10 patients who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma and exposed them to chemicals produced by their own tumor. The treated immune cells were then injected back into the patients’ bodies in a three-dose regimen.

Dr. Joachim Aerts—the lead author of the study—wrote that researchers are optimistic about the potential of the vaccine for extending the lives mesothelioma patients and for the broader treatment potential of the new therapy:

We hope that by further development of our method it will be possible to increase survival in patients with mesothelioma and eventually vaccinate persons who have been in contact with asbestos to prevent them from getting asbestos related diseases.

The average patient survives for only 12 months after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Even with chemotherapy, patients only survive for an average of three additional months. Although this new vaccine still has a long way to go before achieving its full treatment potential, scientific confirmation of its safety and effectiveness at treating mesothelioma is an important step in the race for a cure to this deadly disease.

The free packet contains information about the latest treatments for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, resources for asbestos victims and their loved ones, information on how to obtain legal assistance from an attorney and instructions on how to receive free asbestos testing to determine if you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos.

To receive your free mesothelioma information packet, please visit Mesothelioma Lawyers Hotline. After providing us with a small amount of information, a free packet will be shipped directly to your home.

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.”

During the five years since she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, Ellis underwent eight months of chemotherapy and two months of radiotherapy in an effort to slow the progress of the cancer. In spite of these and other treatments, Ellis continued to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, performing with an amateur drama group and studying performing arts at Suffolk College until the symptoms of her disease made these activities too difficult.

Sophie Ellis’ brave fight against mesothelioma is a reminder that people from all walks of life can be affected by diseases caused by asbestos exposure. Although mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are often thought of as problems effecting only industrial workers and other laborers, thousands of individual in the U.S. have been sickened without ever working directly with asbestos-containing products.

These individuals include the family members who are exposed to asbestos fibers brought home on the clothes and skin of asbestos workers; residents of towns like Libby, Montana, where asbestos mining caused widespread contamination and individuals like Sophie Ellis, where the details regarding exposure are unknown.

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.

Scientists are planning further research to test anti-inflammatory medications that may be able to slow the HMGB1 process. If successful, these tests may help to delay or fully prevent malignant mesothelioma for those who have been exposed to asbestos.

The University of Hawaii study is welcome news for those engaged in the fight against mesothelioma, as well as workers and other individuals who have been exposed to asbestos. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 2,500 people in the United States die each year from mesothelioma.

While scientists are still a long way from being able to cure mesothelioma, this new understanding of the role that asbestos plays in its development represents a significant step forward in the search for a cure to this deadly disease.