March 19, 2012 – Many United States lawmakers recognize that asbestos exposure is a national problem. Asbestos has been clearly shown to cause many types of cancer, most prominently malignant mesothelioma. According to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) , studies estimate 107,000 workers exposed to asbestos around the world will die every year from asbestos-related cancers. Asbestos affects everyone from construction workers to housewives.

Despite Dangers of Asbestos Exposure Tainted Materials Still Used

Despite warnings, asbestos materials are still used around the world, primarily in pipes and some building materials. Each year, approximately 3,000 people living in the United States are diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer, for which there is no known cure. People are at risk of developing this deadly lung cancer by simply inhaling or ingesting airborne asbestos particles, and yet the United States is among the few developed countries that has not banned asbestos.

U.S. Senator from Montana Advocates For Asbestos Awareness

United States Senator Max Baucus of Montana is a key voice who advocates for national asbestos awareness. Senator Baucus is dedicated to bringing about asbestos awareness because the issue of mesothelioma disease has been prominent in his home state for many years. He has provided support for residents of Libby, Montana where the small town has been virtually wiped out by asbestos exposure. After a vermiculite mine was discovered near Libby, Montana in 1880, many companies began to mine the material that was laced with asbestos. Since then, asbestos diseases including mesothelioma have killed 2,600 residents in Libby, many who never worked in the mines, but innocently lived in close proximity to the mines.

Senator Baucus, along with other senators, has succeeded in introducing a resolution and getting it passed which declares the first week of April as the eighth annual “National Asbestos Awareness Week”.  Efforts by lawmakers to increase awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure and the diseases that it causes, such as malignant mesothelioma cancer, continue to facilitate ongoing research and developments toward the eradication of asbestos exposure.

Philadelphia Asbestos Attorneys at Shein Law Center Assist Mesothelioma Victims

The Philadelphia asbestos attorneys of the Shein Law Center have many years of experience helping mesothelioma patients recover compensation for their deadly exposure to asbestos. It is the firm’s priority to stay on top of any new asbestos-related developments. If you or a loved one has been harmed by asbestos exposure, call our mesothelioma attorneys at 1-877-SheinLaw  (1-877-743-4652)or contact us online.

Health Effects of Diesel Exhaust Exposure

March 14, 2012 – Diesel exhaust is produced when an engine burns diesel fuel, releasing toxic gases and particles into the air where they can be breathed into the lungs.  Diesel fumes can irritate an individual’s skin, nose, throat, eyes, and lungs causing one to suffer from headaches, lightheadedness, nausea, coughing, asthma, and other respiratory symptoms.  Many workers are exposed to the harmful effects of diesel fumes including mine workers, railroad workers, truck drivers, and loading dock workers.  As a result of recent findings by researchers, diesel exhaust can now be added to the group of substances that can lead to lung cancer including asbestos, smoking, and radon.

National Study Shows Miners Exposed to Diesel Exhaust at a Higher Risk of Developing Lung Cancer

A recent study conducted jointly by  the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) concluded that increasing levels of exposure to diesel exhaust leads to an increased risk of death from lung cancer.  The researchers evaluated 12,315 mine workers in eight separate non-metal mining facilities in the U.S. where heavy equipment using diesel fuel was utilized.  These mines also were selected because they had high levels of diesel exhaust, but low levels of other lung cancer risk factors.

The study  released in March 2012 shows that underground mine workers with the highest exposure to diesel exhaust were five times more likely to develop lung cancer and three times more likely to die from lung cancer.  The study also took into account other key risk factors including smoking.  Performing a study of this nature allowed the researchers to isolate the effects of the diesel fumes themselves.  Non smokers with high levels of exposure to diesel exhaust are seven times more likely to die from lung cancer than non smokers with low levels of exposure.

These study results may help researchers determine how to improve the working conditions for miners, and also determine the risks of diesel exhaust exposure among other occupations including longshoremen and truck drivers.

Our Pennsylvania Chemical Exposure Lawyers Can Help Victims of Diesel Exposure

If you or a loved one has a history of a workplace exposure to diesel exhaust, and is suffering from respiratory or breathing problems including lung cancer, contact the highly experienced Pennsylvania chemical exposure lawyers at Shein Law Center.  Our years of experience representing victims of toxic substance exposure such as individuals suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related lung illnesses has equipped us with the knowledge and skill to handle complicated causation and medical-related issues. We are a team of dedicated attorneys who can guide you through the complex litigation process while fighting for your rights in order to achieve justice.  For a thorough review of your case, we encourage you to contact our Philadelphia chemical exposure attorneys at 877-743-4652 or contact us online.

March 7, 2012 – The Pennsylvania mesothelioma lawyers at The Shein Law Center in Philadelphia are dedicated to keeping mesothelioma patients and their families informed on the most current treatments for asbestos-related cancers. Our lawyers are sensitive to the impact a malignant mesothelioma diagnosis can have on you and your family. Attorney Ben Shein and his entire team of Philadelphia Asbestos lawyers make it a priority to keep you informed as researchers continually strive to find effective treatments for this life threatening disease. Mr. Shein is a renowned litigator in mesothelioma and asbestos exposure lawsuits and has successfully represented mesothelioma patients and their families for over 25 years.  

Researchers Study New Techniques to Fight Pleural Malignant Mesothelioma

Researchers are continually studying and testing new approaches to manage pleural malignant mesothelioma. Advancement in early detection and improvement in the treatment of cancer is ongoing, but mesothelioma remains difficult to treat effectively. The latest treatment plans often merge established treatments with totally original innovations striving toward the goal that a certain combination will be proactive in slowing down the process of mesothelioma cancer. In addition, researchers are learning more and more about cancer cells and how they differ from normal cells. This is helpful in determining new drugs that will specifically target the tumor and spare patients severe side effects.

Anti-Angiogenesis Drugs

Researchers know that Anti-Angiogenesis Drugs stop tumors from secreting growth factors. Growth factors stimulate not only healthy cell growth, but cancer cell growth as well. When you inhibit the growth factors, you cut off the signal that tells cancer cells to spread and new blood vessels do not form. By not allowing new blood vessels to form, researchers believe that tumors will remain benign which gives mesothelioma patients the opportunity for additional, effective treatments.

Immunotherapy

The goal o f immunotherapy is to restore or improve the immune system’s normal anti-cancer function. The substances used in immunotherapy improve the body’s capability to battle mesothelioma and other cancer diseases. While some of these substances are naturally produced by the body, they can also be produced in laboratories. The substances have the potential to increase one’s immune system so that it can fight cancer cell growth or make the cancer cells vulnerable to destruction. It is possible that these immunotherapy drugs could obstruct or overturn the process that changes a normal cell to a cancer cell.

In December of 2011, a Penn Medicine study funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Benjamin Shein Foundation for Humanity reported that by combining immune-gene therapy techniques and other current mesothelioma treatments the progression of early-stage mesothelioma is slowed. .  In the study, the Penn team, led by Daniel Sterman, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, and Director of Interventional Pulmonology, tested a new gene therapy approach in which an adenovirus – a modified cold virus – was altered to express high levels of a powerful immune system stimulant called interferon-alpha. The virus was injected directly into the chest cavities of patients with mesothelioma tumors causing the interferon-alpha to be produced at high levels within the tumor. This stimulated an activation of the patients’ own immune systems against the disease, with antibody responses against the tumors in almost all of the patients.

Photodynamic Therapy

In January 2012, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) received FDA approval.  This treatment slows down the process of mesothelioma. The cancer cells are first treated with photosensitive drugs which makes the cells susceptible to the exposure of light. When light is injected into the mesothelioma tumor, the light activates the photosensitive drug which has gathered in the body tissue and as the light is absorbed, an active form of oxygen destroys the cancer cells.

Gene Therapy

The primary target for Gene Therapy is the cancer-causing gene. Gene Therapy is a promising treatment that is focused on “fixing” the disease at the DNA level and balancing abnormal genes. Replacement Gene Therapy replaces an altered or lost gene with a normal copy of a gene that can keep cell growth under control. In an effort to make the cancer cells inactive and reduce their growth, Knockout Gene Therapy can be used to target a gene that may stimulate a tumor to form.

Dual Stage Method of Using Chemotherapy Drugs to Treat Mesothelioma

In June 2011, a clinical study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that a Dual-Stage Method is another approach to increase the amount of drug delivered to the attack tumor cells. The method insures that the healthy cells around the malignant tumor are not harmed while only the tumor cells receive the lethal dose of the chemotherapy drugs. In stage one, a drug seeks out the tumor cells and then signals the stage two drugs to hit the tumor. This two-stage method was found to be more effective than a single stage method. 

New Chemotherapy Drugs Effectively Treating Mesothelioma

In an effort to find the most positive outcome for mesothelioma patients, new chemotherapy drugs are continually emerging, as well as ongoing adjustments to how and when the drugs are used. The drug company that manufactures the chemotherapy drug Alimta is seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration to use it as a maintenance drug in mesothelioma and other lung cancer patients. A recent study showed that patients who continually take Alimta after their initial treatment had longer durations of progression-free time. The side effects from Alimta are also less severe than other chemotherapy drugs.

Another laboratory specializing in chemotherapy treatments recently announced improvements in patients who took Ganetespib. Patients who were on this treatment experienced minimal side effects. This drug was also effective in mesothelioma patients whose diseases did not respond well to conventional chemotherapy drugs. This drug slows down a protein known as “Heat Shock Protein 90” which is needed to create the right conditions that can induce cancer cell growth.

For More Information, Contact the Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Attorneys at the Shein Law Center

Knowing their studies will lead to new treatments for mesothelioma patients, persistent researchers continue to strive to increase their knowledge of cancer cells and how they differ from normal cells. The progression of effective treatments and therapy plans available to mesothelioma patients will continue to expand. As developments in treatment continue to become public, the Philadelphia asbestos attorneys of Shein Law Center, who focus our practice of law on the fight for justice for victims of the asbestos industry and mesothelioma patients, seek to bring our clients the latest information and options in combating mesothelioma. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, contact one of the New Jersey or Pennsylvania Asbestos  attorneys at the Shein Law Center for compassionate, experienced and knowledgeable legal representation.

February 23, 2012 – On May 12, 2012, in Santa Monica, CA, mesothelioma experts from around the world will gather for the 2^nd Annual International Symposium on Lung-Sparing Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. The discussions will continue those started at the 1st annual International Symposium where specialists reviewed the Mesothelioma And Radical Surgery (MARS) trial from the UK and unanimously concluded that patients with mesothelioma no longer should be subjected to lung-removing surgery (EPP).  The goal of the annual Symposiums is to make lung-sparing approaches the standard of care for mesothelioma.

Dr. Robert Cameron, Director of the UCLA Mesothelioma Comprehensive Research Program and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, will again lead the Symposium. Dr. Cameron has nearly 20 years of experience with treating patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and, in particular, lung-sparing therapies, including pleurectomy and decortication surgical procedures and a number of adjuvant therapies. His goal is to treat Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma like a chronic illness, instead of a fatal disease.

Although the Symposium is designed for physicians seeking continuing medical education (CME) credit, it is open to medical students and residents, nurses, mesothelioma victims and their families, students and other interested parties.  The speakers will include faculty and experts from California, Houston, New York and South Africa with a wide range of medical and scientific expertise. Topics will include advances in lung-sparing surgical procedures and lung-sparing adjuvant therapies, as well as pain management, patient options for participation in mesothelioma research, and global trends for the prevention of asbestos exposure.

One Step Closer to Zadroga Act Coverage of Mesothelioma and other Asbestos-Related Cancers

February 22, 2012 – Last week, the 15-member World Trade Center Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, appointed by Congress to review research and decide which health conditions are linked to toxins at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks, concluded that research clearly shows a link between 9/11 exposure and cancer. As a result of the Committee’s findings, hundreds of 9/11 first responders could receive compensation for their cancer treatment  under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. If cancer is officially included as a covered health condition under the Zadroga Act, those who have been diagnosed with cancer and the families of those who have died from it will be able to apply to the $2.8 billion 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to cover their medical expenses and for compensation for pain and suffering.

The Zadroga Act established the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, which ensures that the first responders on 9/11 continue to receive monitoring and treatment services for 9/11-related health problems through at least 2015. The WTC  Health Program also provides residents of the World Trade Center area, as well as students attending school and people employed in the area during the 9/11 terrorist attack, the rescue and the clean-up activities, with an initial health evaluation to determine program eligibility, health monitoring and medical care for 9/11-related health conditions.

The WTC Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee will now draft a list of all the specific cancers they believe should be covered. Based on the existing research, a preliminary list  includes mesothelioma, blood cancers, lymphoma, leukemia, lung cancer, and multiple myeloma.  The Committee’s final recommendation on the inclusion of cancers will be submitted to Congress within the next couple of weeks. Dr. John Howard, the World Trade Center health program administrator for the federal government, will make the final decision by early April on which cancers, if any, should be covered.

Victims of Mesothelioma and Other Occupational Diseases Mourn the Loss of Dr. Stephen Levin

While advocates for the inclusion of cancer under the Zadroga Act were optimistic that their long battle was close to a victorious end, they were also sadden by the recent death of a long-time supporter of their cause.  Dr. Stephen Levin, a professor of occupational medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, died earlier this month.  He helped launch the WTC Health Program under the Zadroga Act that cares for almost  30,000 people.

Born in Philadelphia, Dr. Levin was also a pioneer in the study of asbestos-related diseases and a leader in studying and controlling lead poisoning in construction workers. In the 1990s,  he successfully lobbied New York State and federal authorities to require that respirators and vacuum hoses be provided to protect bridge workers from lead poisoning. More recently, he did important research on the asbestos-tainted vermiculite mine at Libby, Montana, which was linked to cancer and respiratory disease suffered by area residents, including mesothelioma, and which has since been declared a public health emergency by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

As co-director of the Irving J. Selikoff Occupational and Environmental Medical Center, Dr. Levin was known as one of the foremost experts in asbestos-related cancers and diseases  and was a well-respected advocate for workers suffering from occupational disease.  He was one of the first advocates in support of 9/11 first responders and residents near the World Trade Center and predicted widespread health effects from the debris caused by the destruction of the towers.

 Read more.

February 12, 2012 – Brown University professor, Dr. David Egilman, says that the 40-year old study done by McGill University in Quebec, Canada, on asbestos safety is inaccurate, lacks transparency and contains data that was manipulated. Dr. Egilman who specializes in the study of the cause and transmission of diseases within a population has been examining the hazards of asbestos for over two decades. He is a longtime critic of the McGill University study which is used by the Chrysotile Institute, an asbestos industry lobbying association, to support the continued export of chrysotile asbestos overseas.

As people became increasingly aware of the dangers of asbestos, the asbestos industry decided to do its own research and hired Dr. John Corbett McDonald, a scientist at McGill University, to conduct an asbestos industry study. The study tracked the health of 11,000 miners and mill workers in Quebec from 1966 until the late 1990s. Documents have surfaced that show payments from the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association to Dr. McDonald and other McGill University researchers were made while the study was underway totaling almost a million dollars.

The McGill University research suggested that because Tremolite asbestos, sometimes found alongside chrysotile asbestos, is even more dangerous than chrysotile, Tremolite contamination in chrysotile mines caused mesothelioma.  The researched relied on data suggesting that mesothelioma occurred in “most, if not all” miners who had worked in the mines most contaminated with Tremolite. Since Dr. McDonald’s study suggested that Tremolite contamination was the cause of mesothelioma in the miners studied, the researchers concluded that chrysotile was basically harmless at fixed levels and was safe for export to the Third World.

Dr. Egilman, along with John Dement, an asbestos specialist at Duke University and Dr. Richard Lemen, a former US assistant surgeon general, has called for the release of the McGill study data. Asbestos specialists asking for release of the study data have the opinion that the researchers are hiding something or they are afraid that the results will be interpreted differently.  A key McGill researchers is refusing to give the data to Egilman and his fellow specialists, but has stated that he is sharing the data with some American agencies.

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February 6, 2012 – In September 2011, a Montana District Court approved a $43 million state settlement to compensate victims of asbestos exposure from the former W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine at Libby.  To date, more than 200 of the 1,128 claimants named in the settlement have received their portion.  Another 600 claimants are close to receiving their share, while hundreds of others must wait a while longer, as their attorneys work through the process of obtaining releases from Medicare liens before all the settlement proceeds can be distributed.  

Claimants whose medical care was covered by the Grace Libby Medical Plan or private insurance were not subject to Medicare liens.  However, those claimants who did receive Medicare payments for their medical expenses must give back to Medicare what it paid out.  These reimbursements will come from their share of the settlement proceeds.  The claimants’ attorneys and Medicare officials are working closely to “fast track” release of the liens.

Three factors were noted as influencing the $43 million dollar settlement.  First, the Montana Supreme Court held in a previous asbestos lawsuit that the state had a duty to miners and their families under the Industrial Hygiene Act. Second, in the case at hand, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court issued an injunction stopping proceedings against the state of Montana, two levels of appeal followed, and the parties finally executed a memorandum of understanding leading to the $43 settlement.  Finally, the claimants’ expert witness, a renowned pulmonary specialist from the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, had treated the Libby asbestos victims for many years, documented the unique nature of Libby asbestos exposure, and was therefore difficult to dispute with other medical experts.

Read more here

January 17, 2012 – Asbestos-related violations that took place five years ago will be answered for in Federal District Court of Camden, New Jersey. The Environmental Protection Agency has filed suit against a Philadelphia Construction Company alleging that the company performed illegal demolition work at an industrial site in Gibbstown, New Jersey. In 2007, The Lovett Contracting Company removed 5,000 feet of piping and 3,000 feet of asbestos piping insulation. The company is facing six alleged violations of The Clean Air Act and The National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollution.

The alleged violations took place at the former site of a DuPont plant over a two month period. Regulators say that Lovett Contracting Inc. did not take the necessary precautions in removing the piping and the asbestos insulation which allowed the asbestos fibers to become airborne. The Clean Air Act requires work practice safeguards in asbestos removal and demolition projects to prevent the release of asbestos fibers.

The EPA alleges that Lovell Contracting Inc. failed to inspect the building for the presence of asbestos and did not notify authorities of the asbestos removal; therefore, no inspector was present on the site during the demolition. Routine state inspections led to the discovery of the violations. Lovett is facing penalties of $32,500 per day, for each violation, as well as, legal fees incurred by the federal attorney.

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January 13, 2012 – Pinnacle Biologies, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, has received FDA approval for their product, PHOTOFRIN®. PHOTOFRIN® is a new option for the treatment of mesothelioma. Treatment with the new drug is a two step process.

In the first step, the drug is given by intravenous injection. The drug is drawn to and stays in the cancer cells.  The second step is done 40 to 50 hours after the intravenous injection.  A non-burning laser light is projected onto the tumor.  The tumor is destroyed by biochemical reactions, not by heat.  This latest therapy gives doctors and their mesothelioma patients a new option to treat asbestos-related cancers.

Read more.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/treatment-of-patients-with-malignant-mesothelioma-utilizing-photodynamic-therapy-with-pinnacle-biologics-compound-photofrin-obtains-fda-orphan-drug-designation-2011-12-14

December 29, 2011 – The Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency issued a report that should end the unapproved ‘wet method” of asbestos removal. This method called for workers to hose down asbestos debris during building demolition. This poses a danger to the workers and nearby residents because asbestos fibers continue to be released into the air.

The Public Justice Foundation has been fighting to ban government agencies from using this unapproved method of asbestos removal for eight years. The Inspector General has clearly stated that any further use of this method is a serious threat to public safety and government agencies should immediately stop using it. The approved method requires all asbestos material to be removed by workers wearing protective gear prior to demolition.

Read the full report here.