Asbestos And Mesothelioma Informations

Incidence of mesothelioma In the United States

2009-05-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

In 1890 Biggs reported a case of ‘endothelioma’ of the pleura. This report may have been the first recognised case of malignant mesothelioma in North America. Since then the incidence of mesothelioma in North America and the world has steadily climbed.
Studies of the incidence of mesothelioma in North America have been hampered by a paucity of data. Before 1988, the United States did not even have a specific code for mesothelioma, so many cases were misclassified on death certificates as lung cancers or abdominal cancers. In the United States, the best estimates of mesothelioma incidence are derived from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute. The SEER database includes about 9.5 per cent of the United States population. It covers 10 regional areas, in five states (Connecticut, Iowa, New Mexico, Utah and Hawaii), and five major urban areas – San Francisco–Oakland, New Orleans, Seattle, Atlanta, and Detroit. Although the SEER regions are reasonably representative of the United States population in terms of demographic and epidemiological factors, the programme may not accurately reflect the country as a whole. It includes some shipbuilding areas, but large urban areas where asbestos was used in manufacturing and construction are underrepresented. The database is organised by case; each case is identified by age, sex, race, date of diagnosis and cancer type. The data for mesothelioma are published only intermittently. However, this database provides the most comprehensive national incidence data available for this disease. In 1997 Price analysed the SEER data for mesothelioma. He divided the data into five-year age groups in each diagnosis year. He found a consistently higher rate of mesothelioma in men than in women. The rate for women remained relatively constant over the years. On the other hand, the rate for men increased until 1992, when it peaked at 1.9 per 100 000 people. Since then the incidence rate in men has been slowly decreasing .This trend is presumably due to occupational asbestos exposure, which was highest during the years 1930–60. The highest lifetime risk was for the 1925–30 birth cohort – a group that would have been at work in shipyards, manufacturing and construction during the years 1930–60. In recent years in the United States, the incidence has beenapproximately 2000–3000 cases per year, or 11.4 cases per million men and 2.8 cases per million women. The mortality rate in people with prolonged heavy exposure to asbestosvaries from 2 to 10 per cent in different studies, and the latency period between initial exposure and manifestation of disease is usually 20–50 years. From 1987 to 1996 an average of 520 people died per year in the United States of malignant mesothelioma. Data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services show that states with the highest incidence of mesothelioma are all coastal or Great Lakes States. Florida has displaced New York as the State with the highest number of deaths per year from mesothelioma. In 1996, 78 people died of mesothelioma in Florida. The states with the highest age-adjusted mortality rates were Washington and Oregon, probably due tothe presence of shipyards. The most frequently recorded occupation on death certificates of people with mesothelioma in the United States was homemaker (10.6 per cent of all deaths), followed by managers and administrators, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters,production supervisors, labourers, electricians, farmers, carpenters and machinists. The most common industry was construction, followed by ship building and railroads. Other areas with significant mesothelioma incidence were schools and government.

Mesothelioma life expectancy...

2009-04-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma life expectancy at the time of diagnosis will traditionally be announced at being somewhere between a few months to only a year or two. Statistically speaking, mesothelioma life expectancy is frighteningly short. The mesothelioma life expectancy rate is a mere average, mean or median of mesothelioma patients with wildly different independent variables. Many of these mesothelioma patients have lived years past their expected “date of death” estimate. Mesothelioma treatment and mesothelioma treatment options for these patients differed. Physicians for some patients may have been more experienced than physicians for the less fortunate. Not all patients follow through with chemotherapy or cancer treatment plans upon hearing the low mesothelioma life expectancy statistics, and many are not in shape to handle surgery. But, others fight to live for just one more day.

Survival stories that can affect mesothelioma life expectancy rates range from the rarer cases of a young woman being “cured” – or having no remittance for decades, to the extremes on the other side, an 80+ year old gentleman with lifetime asbestos exposure, smoking heavily and suffering from numerous pre-existing diseases who dies a month after diagnosis. Others die during surgery. Most mesothelioma patient circumstances are somewhere in between. Many mesothelioma sufferers and their life expectancy statistics go unrecorded. Mesothelioma life expectancy will depend on your individual variables, your medical treatment, and your perseverance and outlook. Mesothelioma life expectancy diagnosis will always depend on how early or late the disease was discovered. Because mesothelioma has been largely unrecognized in the past, the bulk of mesothelioma life expectancy statistics are mesothelioma patients who were diagnosed late in the disease. A greater awareness of the disease exists in the medical community, and although the majority of physicians do not have experience treating mesothelioma, most are aware of the potential presence of mesothelioma if a patient has been exposed to asbestos, and can refer a potential mesothelioma patient to a specialist. Early detection and early treatment leads to longer life expectancy. Individuals who have been exposed to asbestos can be pro-active in diagnosing and treating mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused diseases. Patients can monitor their health and mesothelioma symptoms and begin early detection X-ray and CT scan tests. Mesothelioma patients can research mesothelioma treatment options available in clinical trials and discuss these with their physician. A physician can not be aware of every clinical trial that exists, and a mesothelioma patient’s own research could add years on to mesothelioma life expectancy. Statistics for mesothelioma life expectancy will logically improve rather than become worse. Clinical trials on mesothelioma treatment options are increasing with an urgency to halt the disease. Many clinical trial participants live years past the initial diagnosis due to innovative mesothelioma treatment. Others may have participated in a mesothelioma clinical trial that was not as successful, but their participation has cleared the way to successful mesothelioma treatment for others. Chemotherapy and drug combinations have been proven to lengthen mesothelioma life expectancy. Imaging and radiation technology has made significant advances. Mesothelioma life expectancy can pass the low mesothelioma life expectancy rates of the past. Nobody in the statistics of mesothelioma has the identical combination of the physical, emotional, and environmental variables that you do. Medicine advances, it does not go backwards. Mesothelioma treatment and mesothelioma treatment options for your early stage or advanced malignant stage mesothelioma will be up to you. There is a strong chance that you can defy mesothelioma life expectancy statistics. Research. Stay alert to new mesothelioma treatment options. And look at yourself, not statistics.

Prognosis for mesothelioma?

2009-04-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

Like most cancers, the prognosis for mesothelioma often depends on how early it is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is often found at a stage in which a cure is unobtainable. Many will succumb to the disease within one year of diagnosis.

How long does it take after asbestos exposure for mesothelioma to show up?

People exposed in the 1940s, '50s, '60s, and '70s are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma because of the long latency period of asbestos disease.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

2009-04-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma has earned a reputation as a cancer that is very difficult to treat effectively. This reputation is partly due to the fact that in early stages, mesothelioma symptoms are quite non-specific, making early diagnosis very difficult. In addition, the disease usually lays dormant for 15 to 50 years and symptoms do not appear until the cancer has reached its late stages.

The initial symptoms of mesothelioma are often similar to symptoms of other diseases that are much less serious. For example, early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma (which develops in the pleural lining of the lungs) often resemble symptoms of influenza or pneumonia. Similarly, symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma (which develops in the pericardial lining of the heart) are similar to symptoms of other cardiac conditions.

If you have a history of asbestos exposure and experience any of the following symptoms, it is best to seek immediate medical advice. Also, in the interest of early detection, those who were exposed but have not yet exhibited symptoms should undergo regular chest x-rays or pulmonary function tests to monitor any adverse affects of asbestos inhalation.
Since the symptoms of mesothelioma are often generic, many people are unaware of the severity of their condition. When a doctor informs a patient that they have mesothelioma, patients and their loved ones are often very confused since the cancer is relatively unknown.

Earliest Effects Of Mesothelioma

2009-04-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

The earliest effects of Mesothelioma are often mistaken for the symptoms of cold, virus or flu. It is often not diagnosed until it has progressed beyond the treatable stage. Even when Mesothelioma does not develop, asbestosis and other asbestos- related conditions can cause pain, restricted breathing and other difficulties. When asbestos exposure combines with smoking, it increases the risk of developing lung cancer.
One can be exposed to asbestos in many ways but the most common type of asbestos exposure is occupational or work-related. Asbestos was previously used in the construction industry, auto industry, on the railroads and shipyards and in many factories that made items coated with or woven with asbestos. Thus workers employed in these places were exposed to the ill-effects of asbestos. People who live in the vicinity of asbestos plants also get exposed to asbestos present in the environment. In addition, there is a significant risk of exposure to asbestos in some older buildings where asbestos- laced materials were used in construction. When they are disturbed during renovations, demolition or when flooring, ceilings and walls become damaged, there is considerable risk from breathing in the life-threatening fibers of asbestos.

If an employer working in an industry is diagnosed with Mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease, he may have the right to recover asbestos compensation for his injury or loss. He can be awarded compensation on the ground that the owner of the industry continued to use asbestos despite information of the health hazards it entails. Care should be taken to find out about ones rights to file an asbestos lawsuit.

Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been exposed to asbestos?

2009-04-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Did You know?

Low levels of asbestos fibers can be measured in urine, feces or lung washings of the general public. Higher than average levels of asbestos fibers in tissue can confirm exposure but notdetermine whether you will experience any health effects. A thorough history, physical exam, and diagnostic tests are needed to evaluate asbestos-related disease. Chest x-rays are the best
screening tool to identify lung changes resulting from asbestos exposure. Lung function tests and CAT scans also assist in the diagnosis of asbestos-related disease.

What Is Asbestos?

2008-09-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Asbestos is a mineral fibre. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance.

The word "unquenchable" is the Greek word "asbestos" which has also become an English word. The English word "asbestos" means, according to Webster's Dictionary "a kind of material unaffected by fire." This is a very different meaning than the "religious" meaning of the word and different than the way the Greeks used the word in Jesus' day.

How Can Asbestos Affect My Health?

From studies of people who were exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards, we know that breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of:

lung cancer;
mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity;
and asbestosis, in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue.

The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater if you smoke. People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.

Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop these health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. The fibers can remain there for a long time, increasing the risk of disease. Asbestos material that would crumble easily if handled, or that has been sawed, scraped, or sanded into a powder, is more likely to create a health hazard.

Asbestos removal

2008-09-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Are you being exposed to asbestos?

2008-09-12T08:45:00.001-07:00

General industry employees may be exposed to asbestos during the manufacture of asbestos-containing products or when performing brake and clutch repairs. In the construction industry, exposure occurs when workers disturb asbestos-containing materials during the renovation or demolition of buildings. Employees in the maritime environment also may be

exposed when renovating or demolishing ships constructed with asbestos-containing materials. In addition, custodial workers may be exposed through contact with deteriorating asbestos-containing materials in buildings.

What are the dangers of asbestos exposure to workers?

2008-09-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

The inhalation of asbestos fibers by workers can cause serious diseases of the lungs and other organs that may not appear until years after the exposure has occurred. For instance, asbestosis can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and death. Asbestos fibers associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye, and smokers are at higher risk of developing some asbestos-related diseases.

Stages of malignant mesothelioma - explanation

2008-09-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

Once malignant mesothelioma is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. A doctor needs to know the stage of the cancer to plan treatment. The following stages are used for malignant mesothelioma.

Localized malignant mesothelioma

Stage I

The cancer is found in the lining of the chest cavity near the lung and heart or in the diaphragm or the lung.

Advanced malignant mesothelioma

Stage II

The cancer has spread beyond the lining of the chest to lymph nodes in the chest.

Stage III

Cancer has spread into the chest wall, center of the chest, heart, through the diaphragm, or abdominal lining, and in some cases into nearby lymph nodes.

Stage IV

Cancer has spread to distant organs or tissues.

Recurrent malignant mesothelioma

Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the lining of the chest or abdomen or in another part of the body.

How malignant mesothelioma is treated?

2008-09-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

There are treatments for all patients with malignant mesothelioma. Three kinds of treatment are used:

Surgery (taking out the cancer).
Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells).
Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer).
Drug : Alimta recently approved by FDA

Surgery is a common treatment of malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also 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 uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, the doctor may drain the fluid out of the body by putting a needle into the chest or abdomen and using gentle suction to remove the fluid. If fluid is removed from the chest, this is called thoracentesis. If fluid is removed from the abdomen, this is called paracentesis. The doctor may also put drugs through a tube into the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be put directly into the chest (intrapleural chemotherapy).

Intraoperative photodynamic therapy is a new type of treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before surgery. During surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, a special light is used to shine on the pleura. This treatment is being studied for early stages of mesothelioma in the chest.

Treatment by stage

Treatment depends on where the cancer is, how far it has spread, and the patients age and general health.

Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the most up-to-date information. Clinical trials are ongoing in many parts of the country for many patients with malignant mesothelioma.

Asbestosis?

2008-09-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. It occurs after long-term, heavy exposure to asbestos, e.g. in mining, and is therefore regarded as an occupational lung disease. Sufferers have severe dyspnea (shortness of breath) and are at an increased risk regarding several different types of lung cancer.
As clear explanations are not always stressed in non-technical literature, care should be taken to distinguish between several forms of relevant diseases. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these may be defined as; asbestosis (the subject of this article), lung cancer, and mesothelioma (generally a very rare form of cancer, but increasing in frequency as people exposed to asbestos age).

The primary symptom of asbestosis is generally the slow onset of shortness of breath on exertion. In severe, advanced cases, this may lead to respiratory failure. Coughing is not usually a typical symptom, unless the patient has other, concomitant respiratory tract diseases.
People with extensive occupational exposure to the mining, manufacturing, handling or removal of asbestos are at risk of developing asbestosis. There is also an increased risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestosis and lung cancer require prolonged exposure to asbestos. However, cases of mesothelioma have been documented with even 1-3 months of exposure, and only indirect exposure (through air ventilation system.) Most cases of asbestosis do not become apparent until 5-10 years after the initial exposure to the material.

Asbestos: Types

2008-09-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

Six minerals are defined as "asbestos" including: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite.

White

Chrysotile, CAS No. 12001-29-5, is obtained from serpentine rocks which are common throughout the world. Chrysotile fibers are curly as opposed to fibers from amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite which are needlelike. Chrysotile, along with other types of asbestos, has been banned in dozens of countries and is only allowed in the United States and Europe in very limited circumstances. Chrysotile has been used more than any other type and accounts for about 95% of the asbestos found in buildings in America.Applications where chrysotile might be used include the use of joint compound. It is more flexible than amphibole types of asbestos; it can be spun and woven into fabric. The most common use is within corrugated asbestos cement roof sheets typically used for outbuildings, warehouses and garages. It is also found as flat sheets used for ceilings and sometimes for walls. Numerous other items have been made containing chrysotile including brake linings, cloth behind fuses (for fire protection), pipe insulation, in floor tiles and in rope seals to boilers.

Brown

Amosite, CAS No. 12172-73-5, is a trade name for the amphiboles belonging to the Cummingtonite - Grunerite solid solution series, commonly from Africa, named as an acronym from Asbestos Mines of South Africa. One formula given for amosite is Fe7Si8O22(OH)2. It is found most frequently as a fire retardant in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles.

Blue

Crocidolite, CAS No. 12001-28-4 is an amphibole found primarily in southern Africa, but also in Australia. It is the fibrous form of the amphibole riebeckite. One formula given for crocidolite is Na2Fe2+3Fe3+2Si8O22(OH)2. Notes: chrysotile commonly occurs as soft friable fibers. Asbestiform amphibole may also occur as soft friable fibers but some varieties such as amosite are commonly straighter. All forms of asbestos are fibrillar in that they are composed of fibers with widths less than 1 micrometer that occur in bundles and have very long lengths. Asbestos with particularly fine fibers is also referred to as "amianthus". Amphiboles such as tremolite have a crystal structure containing strongly bonded ribbonlike silicate anion polymers that extend the length of the crystal. Serpentine (chrysotile) has a sheetlike silicate anion which is curved and which rolls up like a carpet to form the fiber.

Other materials

Other regulated asbestos minerals, such as tremolite asbestos, CAS No. 77536-68-6, Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2; actinolite asbestos (or smaragdite), CAS No. 77536-66-4, Ca2(Mg, Fe)5(Si8O22)(OH)2; and anthophyllite asbestos, CAS No. 77536-67-5, (Mg, Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2; are less commonly used industrially but can still be found in a variety of construction materials and insulation materials and have been reported in the past to occur in a few consumer products.

Other natural and not currently regulated asbestiform minerals, such as richterite, Na(CaNa)(Mg, Fe++)5(Si8O22)(OH)2, and winchite, (CaNa)Mg4(Al, Fe3+)(Si8O22)(OH)2, may be found as a contaminant in products such as the vermiculite containing zonolite insulation manufactured by W.R. Grace and Company. These minerals are thought to be no less harmful than tremolite, amosite, or crocidolite, but since they are not regulated, they are referred to as "asbestiform" rather than asbestos although may still be related to diseases and hazardous.

Substitutes for asbestos in construction

2008-09-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Fiberglass insulation was invented in 1938 and is now the most commonly used type of insulation material. In Europe stone- and glasswool are the main insulators in houses.

Many companies that produced asbestos-cement products that were reinforced with asbestos fibres have developed products incorporating organic fibres. One such product was known as Eternit and another "Everite" now use "Nutec" fibres which consist of organic fibres, portland cement and silica. Cement-bonded wood fiber is another substitute. Stonefibres are used in gaskets and friction materials.

Another potential fiber is Polybenzimidazole or PBI fiber. Polybenzimidazole fiber is a synthetic fiber with high melting point of 760 °C that also does not ignite. Due to its exceptional thermal and chemical stability, it is often used by fire departments and space agencies.

Asbestos construction

2008-09-12T05:28:00.000-07:00

Asbestos construction in developed countries

The use of asbestos in new construction projects has been banned for health and safety reasons in many developed countries, including the European Union, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. A notable exception is the United States, where asbestos continues to be used in construction such as cement asbestos pipes.

Prior to the ban, asbestos was widely used in the construction industry. Many older buildings contain asbestos. In the United States, there is a minimum standard for asbestos surveys as described by ASTM Standard E 2356-04. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes some but not all asbestos-contaminated facilities on the Superfund National Priorities list (NPL). Renovation and demolition of asbestos contaminated buildings is subject to EPA NESHAP and OSHA Regulations. Asbestos is not a material covered under CERCLA's innocent purchaser defense.

Asbestos construction in developing countries

Some developing countries, such as India and China, have continued widespread use of asbestos. The most common is corrugated asbestos-cement sheets or "A/C Sheets" for roofing and for side walls. Millions of homes, factories, schools or sheds and shelters continue to use asbestos. Cutting these sheets to size and drilling holes to receive 'J' bolts to help secure the sheets to roof framing is done on site. There has been no significant change in production and use of A/C Sheets in developing countries following the widespread restrictions in developed nations.

Asbestos: Health iusses

2008-09-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

Chrysotile asbestos, like all other forms of industrial asbestos, has produced tumors in animals. Mesotheliomas have been observed in people who were occupationally exposed to chrysotile, family members of the occupationally exposed, and residents who lived close to asbestos factories and mines.Brown asbestos, like all asbestos, is hazardous. Blue asbestos is commonly thought of as the most dangerous type of asbestos. Tremolite often contaminates chrysotile asbestos, thus creating an additional hazard.

Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long time period.People who become ill from asbestos are almost always those who are exposed on a day-to-day basis in a job where they work directly with the material. As a person's exposure to fibers increases, either by breathing more fibers or by breathing fibers for a longer time, that person's risk of disease also increases. Disease is very unlikely to result from a single, high-level exposure, or from a short period of exposure to lower levels.

Other asbestos-related diseases

Asbestos warts – caused when the sharp fibers lodge in the skin and are overgrown causing benign callus-like growths.

Pleural plaques – discrete fibrous or partially calcified thickened area which can be seen on X-rays of individuals exposed to asbestos. They do not become malignant or cause other lung impairment.

Diffuse pleural thickening – similar to above and can sometimes be associated with asbestosis. Usually no symptoms shown but if extensive can cause lung impairment.

Mesothelioma cancer?

2008-09-12T05:06:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos!!!

Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest diseases known to man; the average life span of an inflicted person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months. It’s a disease that strikes approximately 3,000 United States citizens each and every year; hard working people who have labored for a lifetime to provide for their families, doing the work that keeps this country running and a great place to live. They worked in factories, at shipyards, in mines, for the US military, as engineers, as pipefitters, as steel workers, as auto mechanics, and in so many other professions. They came home to their loved ones exhausted and covered in dirt and dust; tired, but content that they had a job and were providing for their family. Content that they were putting food on the table and a house over their loved one’s heads. Content that they were working to make a better life for their families in this generation and the next...

But what they didn’t know was that while they were working so hard, they were not only slowly killing themselves, but those that they were working so hard to help; their family, their loved ones.

Mesothelioma is a disease that is almost 100% preventable; the only known cause is via exposure to the deadly mineral Asbestos. It comes from inhaling the particles of dust as the asbestosdegrades; eating away at the lining of your lungs and developing into a deadly cancer. Dust that was inhaled in clouds of white powder, dust that was carried home on the clothes of the men who built this country, dust that was cleaned from the clothes by the wives and children who supported their sole provider at home, dust that was packed around the heating systems in houses and offices and schools, dust that carried a deadly price; and dust made a fortune in blood money for the companies that produced it.

Unfortunately, the effects of asbestos on the human body were known to be deadly for years by the companies who employed the ‘greatest generation’ and made hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars off of their backs. But instead of taking simple steps to alleviate the problem and save the lives of thousands of their workers, they choose to do nothing and continue to make a “healthy” profit with a “deadly” product. Many even went so far as to hide the truth from their workers and their families. And because the normal latency period for Mesothelioma (The time from exposure until the patient falls ill) is 20 to 30 years, many got away with this for years. We are only now beginning to see the full effects of the disease, and feel the terrible outcry of the people against those who put profits before human lives to a degree that is simply unfathomable.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Difficulty breathing & shortness of breath
Constant cough
Chest, or abdominal pains
Fluid in lungs, chest, or abdomen
Lack of appetite
Abnormal weight loss
Sleeplessness
Hoarse voice
Problem swallowing

Asbestos : historic usage

2008-09-12T04:57:00.000-07:00

Asbestos was named by the ancient Greeks who also recognized certain hazards of the material.The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noted that the material damaged lungs of slaves who wove it into cloth. Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, is said to have had a tablecloth made of asbestos.

Wealthy Persians, who bought asbestos imported over the Hindu Kush, amazed guests by cleaning the cloth by simply exposing it to fire. According to Biruni in his book of Gems, any cloths made of asbestos (Persian: آذرشست, āzarshast or Persian: آذرشب, āzarshab) were called (Persian: شستكه) shastakeh. Some of the Persians believed the fiber was fur from an animal (named samandar, Persian: سمندر) that lived in fire and died when exposed to water.

Some archeologists believe that ancients made shrouds of asbestos, where in they burned the bodies of their kings, in order to preserve only their ashes, and prevent their being mixed with those of wood or other combustible materials commonly used in funeral pyres.

Others assert that the ancients used asbestos to make perpetual wicks for sepulchral or other lamps. In more recent centuries, asbestos was indeed used for this purpose. Although asbestos causes skin to itch upon contact, ancient literature indicates that it was prescribed for diseases of the skin, and particularly for the itch. It is possible that they used the term asbestos for alumen plumosum, because the two terms have often been confused throughout history.

Asbestos became more widespread during the industrial revolution; in the 1860s it was used as insulation in the U.S. and Canada. Development of the first commercial asbestos mine began in 1879 in the Appalachian foothills of Quebec. By the mid 20th century uses included fire retardant coatings, concrete, bricks, pipes and fireplace cement, heat, fire, and acid resistant gaskets, pipe insulation, ceiling insulation, fireproof drywall, flooring, roofing, lawn furniture, and drywall joint compound.

Approximately 100,000 people in the United States have died, or will die, from asbestos exposure related to ship building. In the Hampton Roads area, a shipbuilding center, mesothelioma occurrence is seven times the national rate.Thousands of metric tons of asbestos were used in World War II ships to wrap the pipes, line the boilers, and cover engine and turbine parts. There were approximately 4.3 million shipyard workers in the United States during WWII; for every thousand workers about fourteen died of mesothelioma and an unknown number died from asbestosis.

Asbestos fibers were once used in automobile brake pads and shoes. Since the mid-1990s, a majority of brake pads, new or replacement, have been manufactured instead with linings made of ceramic, carbon, metallic and Aramid fiber (Twaron or Kevlar—the same material used in bulletproof vests).

Kent, the first filtered cigarette on the market, used crocidolite asbestos in its "Micronite" filter from 1952 to 1956.

The first documented death related to asbestos was in 1906.In the early 1900s researchers began to notice a large number of early deaths and lung problems in asbestos mining towns. The first diagnosis of asbestosis was made in England in 1924. By the 1930s, England regulated ventilation and made asbestosis an excusable work related disease, about ten years sooner than the U.S.The term Mesothelioma was not used in medical literature until 1931, and was not associated with asbestos until sometime in the 1940s.

The United States government and asbestos industry have been criticized for not acting quickly enough to inform the public of dangers, and to reduce public exposure. In the late 1970s court documents proved that asbestos industry officials knew of asbestos dangers and tried to conceal them.

In Japan, particularly after World War II, asbestos was used in the manufacture of ammonium sulfate for purposes of rice production, sprayed upon the ceilings, iron skeletons, and walls of railroad cars and buildings (during the 1960s), and used for energy efficiency reasons as well. Production of asbestos in Japan peaked in 1974 and went through ups and downs until about 1990, when production began to drop severely.