March 4, 2013

School Districts Fined in Arizona for Asbestos Contamination

School buildings are often at the center of a community, carrying the hopes of each successive generation as it gains the education it needs to fully join that community. The buildings frequently serve multiple purposes and often grow and receive alterations over their decades of service. But, because they often have been present for many [...]
February 22, 2013

Where there’s smoke, there may be asbestos

Firefighters are highly admired for their selfless devotion to saving lives. They place their own lives at risk every time they enter a burning building. The dangers they face are many, from the threat of the flames themselves to the inhalation of smoke and toxic fumes and the risk of an engulfed building collapsing. But [...]
February 5, 2013

World Cancer Day Highlights issues Involving Cancer Around the World

World Cancer Day was February 4, this year, and is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). One focus this year is debunking myths surrounding cancer. The organization wants to improve general knowledge of cancer and dispel misconceptions. The UICC is working to highlight that cancers like mesothelioma are not merely a [...]
January 16, 2013

Supercomputer Used to Help with Cancer Diagnosis

One of the ongoing difficulties with properly treating patients afflicted with cancer like mesothelioma is determining if a patient, in fact, has mesothelioma. This lung cancer presents many symptoms that resemble other diseases of the lung. A patient may develop a cough that doesn’t get better and doesn’t go away. They may have fluid show [...]
January 8, 2013

Biomarkers May Provide Hope for Early Detection of Mesothelioma

Early cancer detection is a very important strategy for effective treatment. The earlier a cancer is found, the greater the treatment options. Often with cancer that is discovered late, treatment options are limited and the cancer is so widespread that effectiveness of any treatment is diminished. This is true of mesothelioma, which is difficult to [...]
January 6, 2013

Women at Risk for Mesothelioma From Second-Hand Exposure

A report from Ireland discussing mesothelioma cancer in woman, points out the global reach of this disease. The most disturbing finding of the study from the National Cancer Registry, was that wives of men who worked in asbestos-using industries are at risk for developing mesothelioma. They found 90 percent of female mesothelioma victims were married. [...]
December 27, 2012

Asbestos and Mold Concerns Force Cleanup of Elementary School

This story is from Alabama, but this situation could occur in any school district in the United States. The problems are the same across the country, from Maine to California. The town of Montevallo is south of Birmingham, and is facing the issue of cleaning up an elementary school. The cleanup was prompted by high [...]
November 30, 2012

Will home remodeling projects lead to more cases of mesothelioma?

A newspaper article from Australia raises the prospect that home remodeling, in part promoted by television programs, will create more victims of asbestos. The story reports that many of the victims could be women. Barry Robson, the president of the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia, was reported as saying that TV shows in Australia had [...]