Category: Featured News
Jobs on Navy Ships that Put Veterans at Risk of Mesothelioma
Veterans who worked on Navy ships often worked directly or indirectly with asbestos and are at a greater risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Although there are many different jobs that exposed Navy veterans to asbestos, these seven jobs on Navy ships put veterans at a very high risk of developing mesothelioma:
- Boilermen. Boilermen, also referred to as boiler tenders, boilermakers, boiler technicians and boiler repairmen, operated, repaired and maintained the powerful steam boilers that propelled US Navy vessels. These men and women were exposed to the dangerous fibers through the widespread use of asbestos in boiler rooms in valves and valves on ships.
- Engine Mechanic. Engine mechanics were generally responsible for the operation, maintenance and upkeep of numerous types of equipment, such as engines and turbines, anchor equipment and pumps. This equipment used asbestos – and released deadly fibers when repairs had to be made.
- Maintenance Mechanic. Maintenance mechanics repaired a wide range of machinery aboard ships, including pumps and valves. Their duties generally required them to handle and remove asbestos gaskets, and packing from equipment. Once asbestos is broken, it releases fibers that, when inhaled, cause those who breathe the fibers to have a greater chance of developing mesothelioma.
- Shipfitter / Pipefitter / Steamfitter. Shipfitters, pipefitters and steamfitters, maintaining the structural integrity of the hull and the deck, connect pipes to equipment and help repair machinery. Shipfitters’ duties often included cutting, shaping and replacing asbestos packing and gaskets. Pipefitters and steamfitters also installed and repaired pipe systems for propulsion, electric power and temperature control. They also often handled gaskets, seals and insulation laced with asbestos.
- Hull Technician. Hull technicians are responsible for numerous tasks, including:
- installing, maintaining and repairing valves, piping, plumbing system fittings and fixtures
- pipe cutting, threading and assembly
- repairing installed ventilation ducting
- installing and repairing insulation and lagging
- operating marine sanitation systems
Hull technicians were also exposed to asbestos in insulation materials, packing, electrical seals and pipe gaskets.
All of the above jobs exposed veterans to asbestos in one way or another and are only some of the many jobs that exposed millions of civilian workers and veterans to asbestos. For questions, check out our FAQ page.
Holding Manufacturers, Distributors & Sellers Responsible
Asbestos manufacturers, distributors and sellers knew that asbestos products increased the risk of contracting mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. However, they failed to warn civilian workers and veterans about the known dangers of asbestos – thereby preventing them from protecting themselves by wearing respiratory protection.
Every manufacturer has a legal duty to warn of their products’ known dangers. When they don’t, they can and should be held responsible for their actions.
Navy veterans, civilians and their families may have a claim against asbestos manufacturers – even if exposure to asbestos occurred 50 or more years ago. The statute of limitations for filing most asbestos lawsuits isn’t triggered until you discover that you’ve been injured such as when you receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma.
Anyone who has been injured is encouraged to contact an experienced mesothelioma injury attorney who understands this debilitating and deadly disease and knows how Navy veterans and civilians were exposed.
SMART Protocol Shows “Encouraging Results” for Mesothelioma Patients
Researchers report that treating late-stage mesothelioma patients with a high dose of radiation prior to performing radical extra pleural pneumonectomy surgery results in “encouraging results” and should be further studied.
According to an article in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, a study conducted by researchers from the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto with 25 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, who were deemed candidates for EPP, underwent SMART treatment [Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy.] The patients had a three-year survival (72%) that was more than double the survival (32%) of patients who underwent other treatment protocols.
Mesothelioma, a terminal form of cancer caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, often has a complex growth pattern making complete surgical removal a very difficult task. The goal of surgery is to achieve a macroscopically-complete resection, which refers to the removal of all visible tumor cells. There has been an ongoing debate among mesothelioma physicians as to the best surgical approach for improving the survival of mesothelioma patients.
Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) is a radical and complex surgery that features the removal of the affected lung and parietal pleura, as well as the possible removal of the diaphragm, the pericardium and other extra pleural tissue. The alternative surgical option, pleurectomy/decortications (P/D) strips away the diseased membrane lining the lung and visible mesothelioma tumors, but spares the lung.
The research, led by Marc de Perrot, MD, Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto, included giving the previously untreated mesothelioma patients five doses of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy. IMRT enables the radiation oncologist to conform the radiation beams to tumors that are actually wrapped around other structures. Within one week of receiving IMRT, the patients underwent EPP.
According to an article in MedPage Today, de Perrot reports an additional 20 mesothelioma patients have undergone SMART treatment and their three-year overall survival is approaching 90%.
The researchers concluded that the results support “future studies looking at long-term outcome in patients with epithelial subtypes [of mesothelioma].”
Mesothelioma is diagnosed in approximately 3,000 Americans each year. The average survival time varies from 4 – 18 months after diagnosis.
Sources:
MedPage Today
ADAO Sponsors First Ban Asbestos Conference in Pakistan
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization has announced its support of the first ever one day national stakeholder’s conference Ban Asbestos Pakistan in Karachi, Pakistan on February 1. The event, with the theme “Awareness, Health & Safety,” is the result of years of research, persistence and collaboration between a Pakistani family and an international team determined to ban the toxic substance in the country.
Although the harmful effects of asbestos have been documented extensively, and the World Health Organization estimates over 100,000 people die each year from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, asbestos use is banned in just 55 countries, according to a tally maintained by International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. Asbestos use remains legal in the United States.
However, the Ahmed family, determined to prevent other families from losing a loved one to the hazards of asbestos, have shown that with diligence and resolve, they can make a difference. When Syed Mezab Ahmed and Syed Haroon Ahmed lost their father and brother, respectively, to cancer in 2007, they feared his death was due to asbestos exposure at his job at Dadex in Karachi, Pakistan. Dadex, which operates three factories in Pakistan – in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sunder Industrial Estate (near Lahore) – boasts on its website that it “has been manufacturing Chrysotile Cement (CC) pipe systems for over 45 years in Pakistan.”
The Ahmed family filed a criminal complaint in 2009 against the factory saying Mr. Ahmed’s cancer was caused by the “polluted environment of the industrial unit.” Although the case is still pending, the action spurred local and global anti-asbestos organizations into action to help raise awareness of the far-reaching dangers of asbestos in Pakistan and to rally others to urge the government to ban the product.
Through a report commissioned on the petition of the Ahmed’s, over two million residents in Karachi were found to be at danger of exposure to asbestos. According to the ADAO, in 2012, Pakistan National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Resource Development “recommended a complete ban on the import and use of dangerous chemical ‘asbestos’ in 22 industries of the country to safeguard the health of workers.”
Linda Reinstein, co-founder and President/CEO of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, wrote in an article announcing the conference:
“The Ahmed family wants the same treatment for Pakistanis that other countries have fought for and won. They want the company that exposed people to deadly asbestos to be responsible for their medical care. They want the company to take action and to dispose of asbestos debris safely to prevent future asbestos exposure to workers, children and nearby residents of Karachi. And above all, they want Pakistan to ban asbestos.”
Ms. Reinstein and Lou Williams, a mesothelioma sufferer who lives in Australia and is the Asbestos Awareness, Information and Support Officer of the Bernie Banton Foundation, will be presenting to the attendees, including Pakistani dignitaries and experts in the field of mesothelioma and on the dangers of asbestos, via Skype.
“I am very, very proud of what they are doing with their conference and with the global support of everyone – it will be a good success and a start in the right direction,” said Lou in an email to MesotheliomaHelp.
The International Commission on Occupational Health, the world’s leading international scientific society in the field of occupational health, along with many other global organizations, calls for a global ban on the mining, sale and use of all forms of asbestos and the elimination of asbestos-related diseases. To accomplish the elimination of asbestos-related diseases the Commission urges “each and every individual country to implement a total ban on production and use of asbestos.”
The World Health Organization supports this position and reports that “the only way to prevent mesothelioma is by eliminating exposure to asbestos.” WHO is calling for a ban of asbestos use throughout the world.
See the ADAO website for more information about taking action to ban asbestos to prevent millions of cancer deaths.
Sources:
- Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
http://www.cvent.com/events/2012-annual-asbestos-awareness-conference/archived-e6277e3d443b4c059bed43fc0937b530.aspx - ADAO website
http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/archives/19485 - International Commission on Occupational Health
http://www.icohweb.org/site/news-detail.asp?id=83 - two million residents in Karachi
https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/631672-two-million-karachiites-face-cancer-threat - Dadex
http://www.dadex.com/product_services/pipesystems_and_roofings/chrysotile_cement.shtml - International Ban Asbestos Secretariat
http://ibasecretariat.org/alpha_ban_list.php
A Fond Farewell to Jan Egerton – Friend and Mesothelioma Warrior
Jan Egerton, wife, author, friend to countless people worldwide, and a decade-long mesothelioma warrior, lost her battle to the cancer this morning. The mesothelioma community rallied around Jan, and her husband Gary, during this last week as Jan was released from the grips of the disease that she despised.
Since being diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2004, Jan has undergone nearly every procedure available to mesothelioma patients including multiple rounds of chemotherapy, several surgeries, cryoblation, radiation and various other procedures to hold the cancer cells at bay. The journey with the “nasty cancer,” Jan told me one day, “is like a nonstop roller coaster.” Yet, throughout all she endured, Jan’s love of her husband, her beloved dogs, Bear and Lexi, and life itself never failed to shine through.
I reached out to Jan just over a year ago to ask her if she would allow me to share her story on Mesothelioma Help of her ups and downs with her battle against mesothelioma. However humble, she supported my stories about her, and also wrote her own articles for us to post to ensure a patient’s voice is heard. She said, “I hope that by sharing my information here, I can help others find the reality of what happens to people with mesothelioma.” I could not have known that a year later I would be mourning the loss of not just a courageous woman, but of a friend who welcomed me into her world with open arms.
Jan was a true inspiration and her positive attitude and fighting spirit gave strength to everyone in the mesothelioma community, and anyone lucky enough to have met her. And that was evident in the outpouring of support on Facebook over the last few days: “You are an inspirational fighter who will be sadly missed.” “Your survival story has and will be a beacon of hope to me for years to come.” “We are proud of the gallant fight you are fighting.” One person echoed everyone’s thoughts best, saying simply, “I hate you mesothelioma.”
Jan not only created a Facebook community for mesothelioma patients and families to meet and support each other, but she carefully chronicled her journey and hopes through her blog, “Mesothelioma – Jan’s Journey.” For Jan, writing was a release for her and it helped her deal with her cancer. Instead of “mesothelioma eating away at me from the inside, writing has given it a way to come out and keep me sane,” she said.
Jan wanted others facing a similar battle to know what to expect and to have someone to turn to for support. “We need to help each other, as we know more about this cancer than anyone else.”
Jan melded her love of writing with her desire to help find a cure for mesothelioma by writing a novel, “The Dreamweaver’s Choice,” and by donating the proceeds to the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund. For Jan’s work with the MKMRF and her continued generosity to help fund research efforts by the organization, Chris Knighton named Jan Ambassador for MKMRF.
“Jan is a source of inspiration and hope to so many people living with mesothelioma,” Chris said. “What better person could we have as an ambassador than Jan?”
Jan never gave up in her fight to raise awareness of mesothelioma and to encourage others to fight with her. She reiterated this in her last blog entry on January 12: “To my fellow warriors, keep the torch burning.”
Godspeed, my friend.
All of us at Mesothelioma Help send our deepest condolences to Gary and to all of Jan’s family and friends during this very difficult time.
Find more of Jan’s insights into life with mesothelioma on “Faces of Mesothelioma.”
Jan’s book, “The Dreamweaver’s Choice,” is available for Kindle at Amazon.com. USA readers can order here, UK readers can access the book here. [Note: Jan also wrote a second book, “The Vial of Darkness,” and just received the hard copies from the printer.] If you would like to download our free e-book, please visit this page.
Million Dollar Donation to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Just last week we suggested several mesothelioma support organizations to consider donating to in 2014. While non-profit organizations rely heavily on private donations to offer services to mesothelioma patients and their families, many hospitals also rely on private donations to continue to fund mesothelioma research. Now, six “elite U.S. cancer research facilities” will receive a share of $540 million, donated by the estate of the late American shipping magnate Daniel Ludwig, to apply towards fighting cancer.
According to an article from Reuters, the money will be divided equally among “Ludwig Centers” already established at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Stanford University and the University of Chicago.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is the world’s oldest and largest private cancer center, and is also one of the premier centers for treating mesothelioma patients. According to MSKCC’s website, the cancer center “is a leader in the treatment of mesothelioma and has one of the nation’s largest volumes of patients with this illness.” In addition, scientists at MSKCC are focused on developing new therapies and approaches to treat mesothelioma patients.
“This amazing gift will enable outstanding basic and translational scientists at the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering to engage in high-risk, high-impact, cutting-edge research at the intersection of immunology, cancer biology, and clinical oncology,” said Alexander Rudensky, PhD, Director of the Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in a press release announcing the gift.
MSKCC reports its Ludwig Center focuses on harnessing the power of the immune system to fight cancer. Doctors at MSKCC have recently been conducting a clinical trial using the Wilms Tumor-1 vaccine to help the body build an effective immune response to kill cancer cells. The trial was tested on mesothelioma patients to see if it delays or prevents malignant pleural mesothelioma from growing back after surgery. Don Smitley, father of MesotheliomaHelp writer Jennifer Gelsick, was a participant in that trial after which he enjoyed a year of life nearly free of mesothelioma symptoms before passing away in October 2013.
Cancer research is expensive and time-consuming, and for research related to a rare disease, such as mesothelioma, the costs can be even higher. This donation from Ludwig, among the largest publicly recorded gifts to cancer research made by a private organization, provides MSKCC with $90 million to not only fund research, but to attract “the best and the brightest new scientists and clinicians to the field of tumor immunology.”
“The extraordinarily generous gift from Ludwig Cancer Research will have a transformative impact on the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering,” said Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist, immunologist, and Associate Director of the Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Director of the Swim Across America/Ludwig Collaborative Research Laboratory.
Free Mesothelioma Patient & Treatment Guide
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