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In honor of National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, we’re launching a three-part blog series highlighting the newest scientific research regarding mesothelioma. New science has emerged in the last two years that may have significant implications for the future treatment ofmalignant mesothelioma. In this series, we will look at three important scientific breakthroughs that have the largest potential to affect the future of mesothelioma treatment.

In early 2010, results of a study were published in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that proved the safety of a possible vaccine for mesothelioma.

In late 2010, Dr. Rachel Ostroff, the clinical research director of Somalogic Inc., presented results of an ongoing study at the Fourth AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development about new biomarkers she discovered for mesothelioma that would impact early diagnosis and provide insight into new therapies for the disease.

Just last month, NIH-funded research discovered a genetic link to mesothelioma.

History of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure

As far back as the early 1900’s, cases of mesothelioma and lung cancerhave been linked to asbestos exposure. It wasn’t until 1970 with the United States Clean Air Act that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was permitted to start regulating asbestos as a hazardous pollutant. With asbestos being more and more regulated in the United States over the past forty years, the rate of new mesothelioma diagnosesin the U.S. each year has risen steadily in men and sporadically in woman.

Currently in the United States, there are an estimated 2000 to 3000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed each year. The increase in incidence may be the result of lag time between asbestos exposure and diagnosis, which can be up to 50 years. For this reason, the number of new mesothelioma diagnoses is expected to continue to rise through the year 2020.

New Science – Mesothelioma Vaccine

The continued increase in the rate of mesothelioma diagnosis and the current lack of treatment options is what inspired researchers at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands to study new therapies. Immunotherapy, which stimulates the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells, had previously shown promise. Based on this previous research, Dr. Joachim G Aerts, a pulmonary physician at Erasmus Medical Center, set out to create a vaccine for mesothelioma. The vaccine, which uses a patient’s own dendritic cells (DC) with antigen from the patient’s tumor, was able to induce a T-cell response against mesothelioma tumors.

In other words, three out of ten patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma of the epithelial subtype showed signs of tumor regression and four others showed evidence of cytotoxicity against their own tumors after vaccination. There is much more work to be done before results can be irrefutably attributed to the vaccine and side effects can be minimized, but the study showed real promise.

Dr. Aerts says of the study: “We hope that by further development of our method it will be possible to increase survival in patients with mesothelioma and eventually vaccinate persons who have been in contact with asbestos to prevent them from getting asbestos related diseases.”

In the next post of this series, we’ll look at mesothelioma biomarkers and the implications they have for possible future treatments

Mesothelioma

If you read the last article we posted about asbestos trust funds, you’ll remember the clever hammock analogy used to describe what they are. If you didn’t read it, you can do so here.

Now, the Government Accountability Office (GOA) – a sort of congressional watchdog group that keeps an eye on government spending of taxpayer dollars – has published a report that reveals the somewhat secretive system of asbestos trust fund payouts.

The report looked at 52 asbestos trust funds that have paid out over 3,000,000 claims for a total of about $17.5 billion. The investigation was prompted by the fact that these asbestos trust funds don’t publish details about their activities, yet do make general information available. Attorneys representing asbestos companies or defendants — in asbestos lawsuits filed by mesothelioma victims – raised a stink about the secrecy of the details and implored congress to get involved. The investigation proceeded to determine if, in fact, these asbestos trust funds were keeping details secret.

The investigation revealed only “one trust’s financial report contained claimant names and amounts paid to these individuals.”

The defendants in asbestos lawsuits have been the critics of asbestos trust fund secrecy. They allege that asbestos lawyers andmesothelioma law firms oversee the operation of these asbestos trust funds to prevent them from revealing how much their clients have been paid. This, they further allege, allows some asbestos attorneys to file claims with multiple trusts that could contradict each other.

The GAO report stated that 98% of asbestos trust fund claims go through what is called an expedited review process, which requires a claim form and some documentation that asbestos exposurehappened. Perhaps the lawyers representing the asbestos companies want mesothelioma victims to have to go through much more than that to get the compensation they deserve?

According to the report, 65 percent of asbestos trust funds treatclaims information as confidential and privileged. Defendants and insurers want the details to be available to them so they can reduce the value of the claims awarded to mesothelioma victims in court.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and suspect it’s due to asbestos exposure, contact amesothelioma attorney at Sokolove Law for a free consultation. Also, write to your local congressman about keeping the details of asbestos trust fund settlements confidential and out of the hands of the asbestos companies.

Asbestos

If you read the last article we posted about asbestos trust funds, you’ll remember the clever hammock analogy used to describe what they are. If you didn’t read it, you can do so here.

Now, the Government Accountability Office (GOA) – a sort of congressional watchdog group that keeps an eye on government spending of taxpayer dollars – has published a report that reveals the somewhat secretive system of asbestos trust fund payouts.

The report looked at 52 asbestos trust funds that have paid out over 3,000,000 claims for a total of about $17.5 billion. The investigation was prompted by the fact that these asbestos trust funds don’t publish details about their activities, yet do make general information available. Attorneys representing asbestos companies or defendants — in asbestos lawsuits filed by mesothelioma victims – raised a stink about the secrecy of the details and implored congress to get involved. The investigation proceeded to determine if, in fact, these asbestos trust funds were keeping details secret.

The investigation revealed only “one trust’s financial report contained claimant names and amounts paid to these individuals.”

The defendants in asbestos lawsuits have been the critics of asbestos trust fund secrecy. They allege that asbestos lawyers and mesothelioma law firms oversee the operation of these asbestos trust funds to prevent them from revealing how much their clients have been paid. This, they further allege, allows some asbestos attorneys to file claims with multiple trusts that could contradict each other.

The GAO report stated that 98% of asbestos trust fund claims go through what is called an expedited review process, which requires a claim form and some documentation that asbestos exposure happened. Perhaps the lawyers representing the asbestos companies want mesothelioma victims to have to go through much more than that to get the compensation they deserve?

According to the report, 65 percent of asbestos trust funds treat claims information as confidential and privileged. Defendants and insurers want the details to be available to them so they can reduce the value of the claims awarded to mesothelioma victims in court.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and suspect it’s due to asbestos exposure, contact a mesothelioma attorneyat Sokolove Law for a free consultation. Also, write to your local congressman about keeping the details of asbestos trust fund settlements confidential and out of the hands of the asbestos companies

Asbestos

The University of Hawai’i Cancer Center has received a generous gift of more than $3 million to continue its important research regarding the causes of mesothelioma as well as potential cure for the disease.

An anonymous donor has given a $3.58 million donation to the Hawaii cancer center to help aid the mesothelioma research work of its director, Dr. Michele Carbone, and her colleagues.

“Mesothelioma is a serious public health problem,” said Dr. Virginia Hinshaw, Chancellor of UH Mānoa. “We’re proud that Dr. Carbone’s team is leading the world in this area of discovery. This gift validates their efforts and will help them remain at the forefront of thoracic oncology research.”

The gift is the second largest one ever given to the UH Cancer Center. Dr. Carbone’s and researchers at the center recently released new findings relating to the presence of erionite – a material that causes mesothelioma – in rock materials that are used to pave roads in North Dakota.

The center has also conducted studies in Capadoccia, Turkey, a region where nearly 50 percent of the residents die of mesothelioma. There are currently plans for Dr. Carbone and collaborators to conduct a clinical trial co-sponsored by the Early Detection Research Network of the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the Turkish Ministry of Health to validate serum biomarkers they discovered for the early detection of mesothelioma.

“Private support is essential to solidify the UH Cancer Center’s role as the world leader in mesothelioma research,” said UH System President MRC Greenwood. “We look forward to furthering our work with donors to help the UH Cancer Center fulfill its vast potential as a transformative research enterprise for our state.”

Mesothelioma and asbestosis are both deadly illnesses that are caused primarily by prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers. If you were exposed to asbestos while working for a company and have since developed one of these illnesses, it may be worth pursuing amesothelioma lawsuit that could potentially result in a substantialasbestos settlement. If you think that a mesothelioma attorney could help prove your illness was caused by a specific entity’s negligence, please contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation.

Mesothelioma

A midwife in New Hampshire who has been involved in a birth injury lawsuit agreed to settle and give $730,000 to the family of a child who suffered a birth injury during a birth she was involved in.

According to the Concord Monitor, Jeanne Browne settled a lawsuit and agreed to pay the settlement to Sarah and Jonathan Sadowski, two Concord parents who brought the lawsuit against her following the birth of their daughter Emily in January 2009. Browne earlier surrendered her license to practice as a midwife.

In their lawsuit, the Sadowskis alleged that Browne – the founder of the Concord Birth and Wellness Center – did not properly manage their child’s birth and ignored several warning signs that Sarah experienced. Despite these risks, Browne did not bring in an obstetrician, or send Sarah to a hospital during the birth once she could not find the baby’s heartbeat.

Even after the birth when the child still had no heartbeat, Browne ignored Jonathan’s requests to quickly call an ambulance.

As a result, the Sadowski’s daughter was born with a severe brain injury. When the family brought a lawsuit against Browne, she voluntarily surrendered her license amid an investigation by the state Midwifery Council regarding the Sadowski’s case as well as others in which complaints were levied.

If you or a loved one have a child who suffered a birth injury due to a doctor or midwife’s error and now must pay for mounting medical bills and treatments, there may be legal action worth taking to pursue a birth injury settlement. Speak to a birth injury attorney at Sokolove Law today for a free consultation and to learn more about your legal options regarding a potential lawsuit.

Birth Injury

W.R. Grace Mesothelioma victims up in arms over asbestos-contaminated woodpiles

For the many hundreds of Libby, Montana asbestos victims who have died, become gravely ill, or have lost loved ones to the negligent and criminal actions of W.R. Grace, the latest news from the proud and rugged town is almost too much to bear.

According to an Associated Press investigation, the Environmental Protection Agency has known since 2008 that two large piles of woodchips on the edge of town might be contaminated with unknown levels of deadly tremolite asbestos, but kept the information quiet. They even allowed Libby residents to haul the material away by the truckload for use in city parks, cemeteries and playgrounds.

Now Libby, the worst Superfund site in America, might be entering a fresh wave of contamination from the very material that the EPA has been trying to eradicate for the past 11 years. The EPA did not stop the hauling of the wood chips until March when the AP began its investigation. All of this despite $370 million spent by the EPA over the past 11 years cleaning up Libby.

Although regulators are unsure about the exact levels of contamination, tests conducted in 2007 showed asbestos fibers on four out of 20 wood samples. While this might appear to be a relatively small sampling, any new asbestos exposure is deeply troublesome for the asbestos victims who have already lost so much to Grace’s folly.

W.R. Grace (of Cambridge, MA) bought the Zonolite vermiculite mine in Libby in the 1960s, and was fully aware that the vermiculite was contaminated with tremolite, a particularly dangerous form of asbestos. Exposure to tremolite asbestos can cause asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, asbestos lung cancer and mesothelioma cancer. At its peak, the mines employed 200 townspeople, who worked in dirty, dusty conditions to mine the vermiculite, which was used for a popular insulation material.

Mine owners dismissed workers’ health concerns over the dust, calling it “nuisance dust” and allowing them to work without safety equipment. Workers carried the dust home, exposing family members to the deadly asbestos. Waste rock from the mines was doled out to townspeople and was used for fill in playgrounds, running tracks, baseball fields, yards and other home construction projects.

The dangers spread far beyond Libby. Zonolite was spread across the nation via a network of processing plants. A popular DIY pour-in insulation, Zonolite can still be found in an estimated 35 million homes across the country.

To date, hundreds of Libby residents have died and many more have become sick. It’s unknown how many have died nationwide from Libby asbestos. Grace was never prosecuted for their negligence.

“We thought we were coming to an end and now we have this issue all over again,” said Lerah Parker, who used truckloads on the material on her property.

It’s estimated that over 1,000 tons of the potentially dangerous material was used within Libby, and as much as 15,000 tons were sent outside of the town.

Montana U.S. Sen. Max Baucus said he would start his own inquiry into the use of the bark and wood chips.

“The people of Libby have already been poisoned in the name of greed and I won’t allow them to be poisoned again because of negligence,” said Baucus.

Any concerns about the danger of the piles was brushed off by the man making money from selling the material. Paul Rummelhart said he was “sick and tired of those (asbestos) victims” hampering the town’s economic revitalization. He said he intends to sell more of the material if given the chance.

Asbestos

A Kentucky man who spent nearly 30 years in the U.S. Navy as a fireman and boiler tender and is now suffering from mesothelioma has won a $32 million asbestos settlement for injuries and pain/suffering he has endured.

According to WSAZ-TV, a New York jury awarded Ronald Dummitt $16 million for past pain and suffering, along with an additional $16 million for future pain and suffering he must endure as he battles mesothelioma that was caused by asbestos exposure in the Navy.

During the eight-week trial, it was determined that Dummitt was exposed to asbestos while working in the fire and boiler rooms of U.S. Navy ships between 1960 and 1977. Much of this exposure occurred when he had to repair Crane Co.-manufactured valves that utilized asbestos-containing pads, gaskets and packing. Furthermore, the jury found he was also exposed to asbestos when working with Elliott Turbomachinery Co., Inc.-manufactured deareating feed tanks that also used asbestos pads and manhole gaskets.

“Mr. Dummitt may not have been awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor or a Purple Heart but I, and all that have come to know him, recognize that he is a true American hero… Unfortunately, no man can give Ronald Dummitt’s health back to him. This verdict represents all that a just and civil society can do to redress the harm caused by culpable companies who fail to protect innocent workers whether on the job or in the line of duty,” said Timothy Eves, Dummitt’s attorney.

Navy veterans who previously worked in naval bases and have now been diagnosed with mesothelioma may be able to bring a mesothelioma lawsuit against companies who manufactured or sold asbestos products that were used on the ships. Contact amesothelioma lawyer in order to learn more about asbestos law and find out if you or a loved one may be able to receive an asbestos settlement.

Mesothelioma

Filmmaker Douglas Bollinger wants people to learn more about the day-to-day struggles and triumphs that individuals who were born withcerebral palsy deal with regularly, and he’s using his friend as the protagonist to do so.

In an attempt to shed light on the life of his friend Glen Haerle, as well as two other men who were born with cerebral palsy, Bollinger’s first documentary film will focus on the medical condition and the challenges it can bring to the everyday lives of those who are afflicted with it.

Called The Cohesion Project, the film is independently produced between Bollinger and Kim Surowicz and is expected to have a budget of approximately $20,000.

In addition to documenting events such as a hike Bollinger took with Haerle up the 6,288-foot Mount Washington, the documentary will also feature New York comedian Josh Blue and hedge fund manager Rich Donovan, both of whom have cerebral palsy. The film will also include interviews with other notable individuals who were born with cerebral palsy, such as Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor David Olney and author John Quinn.

“John Quinn has cerebral palsy and he summed it up like this: I want to be judged on my ability and not dismissed because of my disability,’’ Bollinger said, according to the Asbury Park Press. “One of the things I get from all the people we have interviewed is they want to be judged on what they do and who they are, and that’s it.’’

Hopefully Bollinger’s film will help to reveal the issues that cerebral palsy victims must regularly endure and raise awareness for a condition that is sometimes caused by medical error. If you or a loved one have a child who was born with a birth injury such as cerebral palsy that may be attributable to medical error, contact a birth injury attorney at Sokolove Law today to learn more about your legal options.

Cerebral Palsy

The family of a deceased Jackson County Courthouse employee recently settled the woman’s Missouri asbestos lawsuit for $10 million, the largest asbestos settlement in the state’s history.

Nancy Lopez filed the asbestos lawsuit against the U.S. Engineering Co. for failing to take proper precautions to protect courthouse worker while handling asbestos, writes the Associated Press. For 27 years, Lopez had worked at the courthouse in Kansas City. Her complaint claimed she developed mesothelioma cancer from her asbestos exposure at the courthouse.

Lopez died from the disease in October 2010. The asbestos lawsuit settlement was awarded to her family late last month.

If you or a loved one were exposed to asbestos and later diagnosed with mesothelioma, call an asbestos attorney at Sokolove Law today for a free consultation.

Asbestos

A Zoloft lawsuit has been filed against drug maker Pfizer by a group of parents who claim the antidepressant caused their children to be born with severe birth defects, including heart damage.

According to the Madison Record, six couples filed Zoloft lawsuits on December 2, 2011 and allege that, despite the medical studies published on the dangers of drugs similar to Zoloft in pregnant women, the mothers were all prescribed the antidepressant drug during their pregnancies. thedangerous drug lawsuits claim that Pfizer was aware of the possible risks Zoloft posed, and that the company did not properly design or test their antidepressant.

The Zoloft lawsuits also claims that the drug did not have proper labeling to warn consumers about the possibility of birth defects associated with its use in pregnant women, and that Pfizer violated Consumer Protection Laws.

The drug maker is being charged with breach of implied warranties, fraud, misrepresentation and negligence.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by Zoloft or another dangerous drug, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to learn about your options.

Zoloft Lawsuit