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In April of 2017, Patrick O’Reilly passed away from malignant mesothelioma after over forty years of working as a union pipefitter in Chicago. After his death, his daughter, Sharon Daniels, filed a lawsuit on behalf of his estate, seeking compensation for the damages that he had suffered.  By the time of trial, only gasket and packing …Read More

When mesothelioma victims pursue litigation against the companies whose asbestos-contaminated products made them sick, they face a long, challenging journey. Even when they win in court, they are often warned that the defendants are likely to push back against jury verdicts and file appeals, arguing that they should not be held liable despite being found …Read More

A Rochester, New York jury spent several days listening to testimony in a lawsuit filed by a 73-year-old mesothelioma victim, and after they’d heard it all they awarded him $8 million dollars. Wayne Meissner had been a civil engineer working for Eastman Kodak in the 1970s when he was exposed to asbestos by a construction …Read More

A long-time public school teacher has agree to a settlement with the Philadelphia School District over her recent diagnosis with malignant mesothelioma. Though the state of Pennsylvania has a legal gap of $250,000-to-$500,000 on personal injury claims brought against a government entity, the district responded quickly, overcoming obstacles to make the settlement happen. …Read More

Johnson & Johnson announced on May 19, 2020 that it would discontinue the sale of talcum powder product Baby Powder in the U.S. and Canada. This move comes as lawsuits over asbestos-related illnesses in regular, long-term users of talc products continue to grow. In spite of those claims, and studies linking asbestos in talc to …Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) postponed a meeting of a science advisory panel that was supposed to happen on April 27. The panel is set to critique the EPA’s draft of an analysis of the risks posed by ongoing asbestos use. Asbestos, which can cause serious illnesses, including mesothelioma, is not completely banned I …Read More

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting everyone, but in different ways. Among those most at risk for a serious, life-threatening infection are cancer patients. This outbreak impacts sensitive patients, like those with mesothelioma, and also their loved ones and caregivers. Know the facts about this illness, how it may put you at risk if you have …Read More

The incidence of mesothelioma in men is significantly higher than in women. This is likely because workplace exposure to asbestos decades ago is the leading cause of this type of cancer. However, women do get mesothelioma, and studying the cancer in this population is important. They may have different underlying causes, varying symptoms, and even …Read More

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) recently brought a lawsuit against the city’s school district. The teachers allege that the district has failed to protect staff and teachers, numbering approximately 13,000 and 125,000, from asbestos in old buildings. Several schools have been closed in recent months due to damaged asbestos that has the potential to …Read More

A recent, in-depth investigation into the controversy surrounding talcum powder, asbestos, mesothelioma, and Johnson & Johnson conducted by Reuters turned up troubling information. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was found to have been deferring to the cosmetics industry for decades, letting companies like J & J regulate their own products and potential contamination …Read More

Johnson & Johnson recently recalled thousands of bottles of its popular baby powder after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported finding asbestos in samples. Already facing thousands of lawsuits over mesothelioma and other types of cancer potentially triggered by talcum powder, the company is denying the FDA’s findings. A new problem has arisen, …Read More

A trial of immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in patients with mesothelioma has had promising results. The trial shows that the benefits of the therapy equal those of standard chemotherapy, which can cause a lot of uncomfortable side effects. Researchers hope that the study will also shed light on why some patients respond better to immunotherapy than …Read More

A clinical trial testing two immunotherapy drugs in the treatment of mesothelioma is still recruiting patients who want to participate. The trial, led by Dr. Arkadiusz Dudek of HealthPartners Regions Cancer Care Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, needs 35 adults with mesothelioma. The trial is ready for phase II and will be held at several locations …Read More

Several White House staffers, including senior aides like Ivanka Trump and Larry Kudlow, have been forced to relocate from their offices due to the hazards posed by asbestos in the historic building. The $250,000-abatement project to remove the harmful materials is expected to take a few weeks. This highlights the ongoing need to recognize the …Read More

Immunotherapies, treatments that harness the immune system to fight cancer cells, hold a lot of promise for all types of cancer and even treatment for mesothelioma, a difficult type of cancer. Some treatments have been successful in some patients, while others have fallen short. One immunotherapy drug that held great promise for mesothelioma patients has …Read More

Mesothelioma is a difficult disease to treat, in part because it is aggressive and grows in the form of multiple small tumors. It spreads quickly and because of the way the tumors grow, it is difficult to eliminate all cancerous cells. Researchers are working toward developing better treatments, but some are also tackling the problem …Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new therapy indicated for the treatment of mesothelioma. Using electric currents rather than toxic chemotherapy drugs, the therapy can inhibit tumor growth. The last new treatment approved by the FDA specifically for treatment of this type of cancer was the chemotherapy agent pemetrexed in 2004. …Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a new asbestos rule that limits asbestos imports and use but does not completely ban the material. Advocate groups are disappointed with the new rule after the head of the Agency said he would support a full ban. Asbestos is connected to serious illnesses and cancers, including mesothelioma …Read More

Asbestos, the carcinogenic mineral known to be the leading cause of mesothelioma, has recently been identified as a contaminant in some children’s cosmetic products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning of the risks of these products and recommended that people not use them. The company, Claire’s, has since issued a voluntary …Read More

Immunotherapy is a growing area of research in the treatment of all types of cancer. But for mesothelioma, which is among the most difficult cancers to manage, treat, or cure, these new therapies that harness the immune system are especially promising. They are offering new hope to patients diagnosed with this deadly, asbestos-related cancer. The …Read More