Asbestos News Roundup: 9.16.10

September 16th, 2010. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Bellevue, WA: The Longwell Company of Bellevue has been charged by state regulators with violating the state’s asbestos regulations. 

Longwell Company is a privately owned real estate investment and management company, that has acquired, managed and disposed of multi-family real estate assets since 1992. It was during that period that they allegedly improperly removed asbestos-containing materials, or ACMs, from 43 apartments in a single complex in December of 2009. 

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), has consequently fined Longwell $165,400 for violating state statutes governing ACM handling, removal and disposal. 

Washington state mandates asbestos removal only by certified contractors, a list of which can be found on L&I’s website. As the site further notes, if the contractor’s name is not on that list, they are not allowed to perform asbestos remediation or removal. (mesotheliomaweb.org) 

Taconite Miners’ Study Moves to Silver Bay

Silver Bay, MN: A meeting was held recently in Silver Bay to inform people about a University of Minnesota study on asbestos mesothelioma. The study is a continuation of research begun in 2009 in Virginia, and is testing past and present workers exposed to taconite asbestos for lung disease. The researchers hope to determine if working at mines or in processing facilities exposed workers to air particles. 

Specifically, the study is looking at exposure rates to asbestos dust. Dr. Jeff Mandel, who is involved with the study, told the Lake County News Chronicle that it is unlikely they’ll find mesothelioma in any of the people tested. He explained that being aware of the problems taconite miners face working in the Iron Range, will help industry to manage the risk. He added that people who want to participate in the study shouldn’t be afraid, because if something is found, there’s a possibility that help may be provided. 

Only those who receive a letter inviting them to come to the Bay Area Health Center will be part of the random study. Letters were sent out in the Silver Bay area. (istockanalyst.com) 

Biomarker for Asbestos Mesothelioma Discovered

A group of Japanese researchers is working on a laboratory test that could help doctors identify asbestos mesothelioma so patients could begin aggressive treatment earlier in the disease course. 

In their recent paper published in the journal, Modern Pathology, the researchers explain how a protein called CD146 can serve as a biomarker for mesothelioma. While the protein has already been shown to be present in patients with advanced malignant melanoma, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer, this is the first time CD146 has been identified in the lung fluid of mesothelioma patients. 

The research involved testing the lung fluid of 51 patients; 23 of whom had malignant mesothelioma, and 28 had a benign lung condition called reactive mesothelium. Although patients had similar symptoms and all had fluid build-up, only the malignant mesothelioma patients tested positive for the presence of CD146. This enabled the researchers to identify and confirm 90 percent of the patients with malignant mesothelioma. (survivingmesothelioma.com)

Mesothelioma Vaccine Seen as Breakthrough

A new mesothelioma vaccine which affixes antigens to a patient’s dendritic cells (DC), has been shown to evoke a T-cell, or cancer-fighting response, against mesothelioma tumors in four of eight patients tested. 

Conducted by Joachim G. Aerts, a pulmonary specialist at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, this first human study on DC-based immunotherapy in individuals with mesothelioma has been shown safe for human use, according to a subsequent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a publication of the American Thoracic Society.  

Treatment for asbestos mesothelioma currently consists of chemotherapy, radiation, and occasionally surgery. These are administered individually or in tandem, where patients are healthy enough to tolerate them. Currently, there is no approved curative treatment for the disease. (cisionwire.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Mesothelioma

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