Mesothelioma risk buried by Ottawa government, scientist alleges

Mesothelioma risk buried by Ottawa government, scientist alleges
Trevor Ogden is the British scientist who headed the Health Canada panel that studied the risk of mesothelioma and other cancers from Canadian chrysotile asbestos. Dr. Ogden says that the Ottawa government tried to suppress the panel’s report because it was a threat to the Canadian province’s asbestos industry. Canadian asbestos is exported to countries in the developing world, and the Ottawa government has spent almost $20 million in the last 25 years promoting its asbestos exports.

The expert panel was convened in late 2007, and the report was completed in March 2008. But it took more than a year for the report to become available—and even then, only through public information requests made by the media.

Health Canada has still not published the report on its website, as it generally does for scientific studies that are funded by the organization. It says that the delay has been necessary to fully review the report and discuss the findings with “other federal and provincial partners.”

The report confirms that chrysotile asbestos causes cancer—as has been generally accepted by health organizations around the globe. The report also discussed the frequently contamination of chrysotile asbestos with tremolite fibers, the same type of asbestos that contaminated the vermiculite ore in Libby, Montana and caused hundred of deaths there.

A British expert who oversaw a report on the dangers of the chrysotile variety of asbestos says he believes Ottawa tried to suppress his work to protect the Quebec industry that mines the cancer-causing mineral.

"I can only speculate, and my speculation is that there were interests in continuing Canadian production of chrysotile and they saw the report as a threat," Trevor Ogden, editor-in-chief of the Annals of Occupational Hygiene and a former top adviser to the British government on asbestos hazards, said in an interview.
Dr. Ogden headed an expert panel that Health Canada assembled in late 2007 to study the cancer risk of chrysotile. The report has been ready since March, 2008, but has been available only since last week after Access to Information Act requests from the media, including The Globe and Mail.

Health Canada isn't publishing the report on its website, the usual practice for scientific studies that it funds, but says anyone who asks for a copy will be given one.

Although the link between asbestos and cancer is accepted internationally, the saga of the report indicates just how sensitive the issue is within the federal government.

Canada and other developed countries use little asbestos, and many nations ban it because of the health and liability risk. Most of Quebec's production is exported to the developing world for use as an inexpensive additive to strengthen cement building products.

Ottawa has spent nearly $20-million since 1984 promoting the mineral abroad.

Health Canada said it delayed releasing the report because of the need to study it. "Health Canada took the time necessary to carefully review the findings of the report, and to consult with other federal and provincial partners," it said in a statement to The Globe.

The introduction to the report, written by Dr. Ogden, concludes that chrysotile shows "a strong relationship of exposure with lung cancer, but a much less certain relationship with mesothelioma," a cancer in the lining of the chest wall.

The report also concludes that chrysotile generally contains trace amounts of a more harmful variety of asbestos known as tremolite.

As well, the panel noted but couldn't explain why the results of two studies suggest that it is far more of a health hazard for people to work with asbestos than to mine it.

The studies showed that lung cancer risk in South Carolina textile workers who use asbestos was about 70 times greater than that of Quebec's miners, according to the report. Asbestos causes cancer when its fibres are inhaled.

In an interview, Leslie Stayner, an epidemiology professor at the University of Illinois who was on Health Canada's asbestos panel, said researchers do not know why the textile workers were at greater risk. He said one theory is that the longer asbestos fibres used to make textiles are more deadly.

Dr. Stayner says he would be reluctant to work with Health Canada again because he feels the government "violated" an understanding that the work would be published in a timely fashion on a government website.

Health Canada said in its statement that it "sought the advice of leading international scientists on the risks posed by chrysotile asbestos so that it could better understand the scientific debate. No other country has encouraged such a debate amongst scientists with widely varying opinions."

Health Canada isn't alone in having trouble handling the issue of asbestos.

Late last month, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff responded to a questioner at a town hall in Victoria about Canada's asbestos exports by saying the sales "of this dangerous product overseas has got to stop."

The remarks were recorded by the Tyee, the British Columbia-based online magazine.

"I'm probably walking right off the cliff into some unexpected public policy bog of which I'm unaware, but if asbestos is bad for parliamentarians in the Parliament of Canada, it just has to be bad for everybody else," he said.

But when he was later asked about the remark by reporters, he dropped the call for an end to exports.

Reference links

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Find out if you’ve been exposed to asbestos at work

Find out if you’ve been exposed to asbestos at work

The mesothelioma attorneys of Weitz & Luxenberg would like to share the experience of a man who inquired about his legal options after having spent many years working in jobs that exposed him to asbestos. At the time he contacted the mesothelioma lawyers of Weitz & Luxenberg, he only had 68% lung capacity left.

In the 1970s, he worked as an auto repairman. Asbestos is frequently used in automobile parts such as brakes. This is because asbestos does not burn and is therefore suitable for use in friction products such as brakes. Mechanics who work with car brakes employ two procedures that can expose them to airborne asbestos fibers: Air-blowing brake wear debris, which frequently contains dusty chrysotile asbestos; and grinding and beveling new asbestos brake linings or pads, which can release asbestos fibers into the air.

Asbestos fibers are often not visible to the human eye. Thus, a mechanic working with asbestos containing brakes is at risk for inhaling asbestos fibers without even being aware of it. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers remain within the body and can cause serious diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer decades later.

Although asbestos is banned in new U.S. vehicles, globalization and outsourcing allow automobile components (formerly assembled inside the United States) to come from outside the United States, where asbestos regulations are lax or even non-existent. Thus, auto workers continue to be at high risk for asbestos exposure.

New Mesothelioma Test Improves Diagnosis

New Mesothelioma Test Improves Diagnosis
Since introducing miRview™ meso in December 2008, Rosetta Genomics has already begun distributing the breakthrough test in Israel and Turkey.

miRview™ meso is a microRNA-based molecular diagnostic test that differentiates malignant pleural mesothelioma from other carcinomas in the lung. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Those who are typically at risk of contracting the disease have either worked in the shipyard, construction, electrical, or automotive industry.

The test uses up-to-date molecular technologies for the processing and measuring of microRNAs. MicroRNAs, which are a newly-discovered family of genes in protein complexes, have been shown to be very specific to different types of tissues and tumors.

During the test, two separate scores are calculated to indicate the amount of mesothelioma and non-mesothelioma microRNAs in the sample. The scores are then analyzed to determine whether or not the sample is a mesothelioma or non-mesothelioma sample.

Although miRview™ meso is only being distributed to the public in Israel and Turkey, Rosetta Genomics has made the test commercially available to the United States through its Philadelphia-based CLIA-certified lab.

The test, which can only be ordered by a physician, simply requires a formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue sample to be shipped to Rosetta Genomics’ Philadelphia-based lab. Once the sample is received, results can be available within 10 business days.

This test is a critical breakthrough for diagnosing mesothelioma. Currently, there is no single marker that is entirely conclusive for either malignant mesothelioma or metastatic tumor, which often makes it difficult for physicians to make a complete diagnosis. However, Rosetta Genomics’ miRview™ meso test applies microRNA biomarkers and molecular technology to address this clinical need. High confidence cases have already shown 100 percent accuracy in determining the presence of mesothelioma.

Through the duration of 2009, Rosetta Genomics expects to conduct about 2,000 miRview™ meso tests in its laboratory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Treatments for Mesothelioma Under Investigation

Treatments for Mesothelioma Under Investigation

Researchers continually find ways to treat diseases that seem counter-intuitive to the rest of us. There are hundreds of clinical trials underway at any given time. Clinical trials are research programs that are approved for trial on humans. These trials are restricted to people who meet inclusion and exclusion criteria for that specific study. Clinical trials conducted through four trial phases, each involving a larger number of participants. The fourth phase is a post marketing study.

Several clinical trials are using gene therapy to stimulate immune responses in humans. One treatment in Phase I involves injecting a dose of a gene therapy involving a virus thymidine kinase into the intrapleural space (between the two pleural mesothelial membranes that line the lungs and ribcage) twice daily for 3 days. This treatment showed sufficient promise in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma to recommend it for Phase II testing. Several other gene therapy trials by different groups of researchers use variations of gene therapy with promising results. These trials involved patients with localized pleural mesothelioma.

A double-blind study in Phase II Trial will compare the results of administering the combination of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin with, and without Bevacizumab, a drug that inhibits the growth of blood vessels that can nourish new cancer cells in the hope that the tumor will shrink.

Pemetrexed combined with Cisplatin was compared to Cisplatin alone in a Phase III trial involving patients with metastatic pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The combination of both drugs with the addition of vitamin B12 and folic acid “resulted in superior survival time, time to progression, and response rates…” Adding the vitamins reduced toxicity.

Another study in Phase I involves Pemetrexed and Carboplatin in patients with MPM. During Phase I some of the patients experienced toxicity related to the dosage, however, 70% of the patients experienced improvement in their symptoms after only two courses of treatment. Time to progression was delayed 305 days (about ten months) and median survival time 451 days (about fifteen months.)

Photodynamic therapy is another approach that is currently being studied. Patients are pretreated with light-sensitive molecules that cause the cancer cells to become sensitive to light. During surgery, these cells are exposed to light of a specific wavelength. Though there have been positive results, this treatment also requires more study.

In comparison, the patients who qualified for these clinical trials had a life expectancy of six to nine months at the time they entered the trials. While there is still a long way to go, scientists are working to find the key to curing mesothelioma. In the past surgery was done as a palliative treatment.

Fifteen years ago researchers were hopeful that surgery combined with chemotherapy, radiation therapy would provide more significant results than each give separately. Today, therapy combining surgery with chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy and gene therapy are producing encouraging results.

You may be entitled to compensation if you have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma or asbestosis. Please visit the website of Parker, Dumler & Kiely, LLP, the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Weitz & Luxenberg Asbestos Lawyers and Mesothelioma Lawyers Among the Best

Weitz & Luxenberg Asbestos Lawyers and Mesothelioma Lawyers Among the Best

Asbestos lawyers and mesothelioma lawyers at the law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg were recognized as being among the “Best Lawyers in New York” in 2008 by New York Magazine. The firm is proud to announce that it received this distinction in previous years as well. The repeated inclusion of the firm in the list of distinguished lawyers attests to the firm’s commitment to excellence.

Inclusion in the list of “Best Lawyers” is based on votes by other lawyers. Thus, the list reflects the judgment of a substantial number of lawyers. According to New York Magazine, the “Best Lawyers” list “remains the gold standard of reliability and integrity in lawyer ratings.”

The law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg has been successful in handling a wide variety of personal injury cases since its founding in 1986. The firm however, specializes in asbestos and mesothelioma cases. Weitz & Luxenberg’s asbestos lawyers and mesothelioma lawyers are the leaders in asbestos cases. Unlike other law firms that claim to handle mesothelioma cases but actually, refer those cases to other law firms, Weitz & Luxenberg lawyers work on mesothelioma cases on their own from start to finish. Weitz & Luxenberg’s asbestos lawyers and mesothelioma lawyers are nationally recognized as the leading lawyers in asbestos cases. The firm has had and continues to have outstanding success in mesothelioma cases.

The asbestos lawyers of Weitz & Luxenberg advise the public to carefully consider which law firm it hires to handle their mesothelioma case. Hiring the wrong law firm can lead to a costly defeat. Before hiring an asbestos lawyer or a mesothelioma lawyer, one should inquire about the following:
Will the lawyer actually work on the asbestos case or simply refer it to another lawyer?
What kind of verdicts and settlements has the lawyer won in asbestos cases?
How much experience does the lawyer have with asbestos cases?

Weitz & Luxenberg’s asbestos lawyers and mesothelioma lawyers have the skill to work on asbestos cases from beginning to end. Weitz & Luxenberg’s asbestos lawyers and mesothelioma lawyers have won some of the highest verdicts and settlements in asbestos cases. Finally, Weitz & Luxenberg’s asbestos lawyers and mesothelioma lawyers have been specializing in asbestos cases for over two decades.

Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers

Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.


1.What is the mesothelium?

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.


2.What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.


3.How common is mesothelioma?

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.


4.What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.

Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.


5.Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma?

Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not known. However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.

The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.

There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.


6.What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.


7.How is mesothelioma diagnosed?

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful. A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.


8.How is mesothelioma treated?

Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.


Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.


Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).


Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).

To relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving symptoms.


9.Are new treatments for mesothelioma being studied?

Yes. Because mesothelioma is very hard to control, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring clinical trials (research studies with people) that are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments. Before any new treatment can be recommended for general use, doctors conduct clinical trials to find out whether the treatment is safe for patients and effective against the disease. Participation in clinical trials is an important treatment option for many patients with mesothelioma.

People interested in taking part in a clinical trial should talk with their doctor. Information about clinical trials is available from the Cancer Information Service (CIS) (see below) at 1–800–4–CANCER. Information specialists at the CIS use PDQ®, NCI's cancer information database, to identify and provide detailed information about specific ongoing clinical trials. Patients also have the option of searching for clinical trials on their own. The clinical trials page on the NCI's Cancer.gov Web site, located at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials on the Internet, provides general information about clinical trials and links to PDQ.

People considering clinical trials may be interested in the NCI booklet Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies. This booklet describes how research studies are carried out and explains their possible benefits and risks. The booklet is available by calling the CIS, or from the NCI Publications Locator Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/publications on the Internet.