What is the MESOMARK assay and how does it relate to mesothelioma?The MESOMARK assay is a simple blood test, using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) format, for the quantitative measurement of Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides (SMRP) in human serum. SMRP is a biomarker produced by mesothelioma cells that can be elevated in the serum of patients suffering from mesothelioma.]]>Why is the MESOMARK test performed?The MESOMARK test is performed to measure the level of SMRP present in the serum. The MESOMARK blood test will be used to help determine the presence of mesothelioma. The MESOMARK test can also help measure a mesothelioma patient's response to therapy and determine if additional testing is required.
What do the results of the MESOMARK test mean?Physicians use the MESOMARK test results to assist them in making decisions about the management of patients with mesothelioma. Increasing results may be indicative of progressive disease conditions; decreasing or constant results may be indicative of response to therapy, or stable disease.
Dr. Pass, a leading mesothelioma researcher, explained why asbestos exposure remains a serious threat to the health of Americans, "the mesothelioma victims of today built our country as pipe fitters, insulators, boilermakers, electricians and shipbuilders, among others, and a third of today's mesothelioma victims served the U.S. on Navy ships or shipyards. Families have been destroyed by second hand fiber exposure when these heroes brought asbestos from their livelihood into their home." Pass praised the legislation Senator Murray introduced today for placing a high priority on federal funding for mesothelioma research and mandating a collaborative effort be made among the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs to find the disease in its early stages so that newer therapies can prolong patients' lives.
Any steps toward eradicating the use of asbestos in the United States and aboard is great news for this author. As a mesothelioma asbestos lawyer, I see countless of lives and families affected by years and years of prolonged exposure to asbestos on a daily basis. There are safer and better alternatives out there, maybe this legislation will help promote and achieve change in an area where it is so desperately needed. I too applauded the efforts of Senator Murray in this regard.
His estate alleges that the defendants failed to exercise ordinary care and caution for his safety by including asbestos in their products, even though it was completely foreseeable and should have been anticipated that people working with or around them would inhale, ingest, or otherwise absorb great amounts of asbestos.The estate claims the defendants intentionally or with a reckless disregard for Briggs safety:
· included asbestos in their products, when the defendants knew or should have known that the asbestos fibers would have a toxic, poisonous and highly deleterious effect upon her health;
· included asbestos in their products when adequate substitutions were available;
· failed to provide adequate warning to people working with and around the products of the dangers of inhaling, ingesting or otherwise absorbed fibers in them;
· failed to provide adequate instruction concerning the safe methods of working with and around asbestos products; and
· failed to conduct tests on the asbestos-containing products, manufactured, sold or delivered by the defendants in order to determine the hazards to which workers might be exposed.
The family of Briggs is seeking both compensatory damages and punitive damages from the named defendants' part in causing Briggs to contract Mesothelioma and subsequently die from it as a result.
Briggs' estate claims he had become disabled and disfigured, became liable for medical expenses, experienced great physical pain and mental anguish, and had been prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment, losing large sums of money.Sarah Randle, the administrator of the estate, is also seeking damages claiming her brother's illness has deprived her of the companionship, society and services of her brother.
The case has been assigned to the Honorable Daniel J. Stack.
According to transworldnews.com:
"Too many veterans are suffering from Mesothelioma from their exposure to asbestos in the military, said Ken Smith, principle advocate of VAclaim.org." We are a Free service to veterans. We help them find the right NSO and help them understand the complex nature of their affliction. We are not lawyers posing as veterans, we are all veterans posing as veterans. We act as a scout to help veterans with mesothelioma find resources. We are interested in the best interests of our brothers.]]>
Paul Kraus said, "I have come to the belief that cancer can be cured and overcome, mesothelioma included. I have outlived my prognosis by many years and the medical specialist I visited not long ago told me that 'you will be around for a lot longer yet.' My survival has been hard work. The underlying assumption with all that I have done, and continue to do, is a strong belief that our bodies are designed with amazing self-healing capacities."
Mr. Kraus, as illustrated in his self proclaimed novel "Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient's Guide.", has provided hope and inspiration to thousands of people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos related illnesses.
Today, to inspire other mesothelioma patients, Mr. Kraus makes himself available by telephone so other patients and their family members can speak directly to him and learn about his treatment choices and approach to regaining health. For the schedule go to http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com/speak-to-paul-kraus.cfm or call 619-261-7922. During these inspirational calls patients can also share experiences and insights with each other. Space is extremely limited and registration is available on a first come first serve basis.]]>
The fundraiser was truly a breakthrough for advocates of mesothelioma research. Caused by asbestos exposure, "meso" has long been considered an orphan disease as it receives relatively little funding from traditional cancer research channels, even though 3,000-4,000 people are newly diagnosed each year. Research funding greatly lags behind the disease's impact.]]>Terry Lynch, PHLBI Director and Vice President and Health and Hazard Administrator for the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Union, said, "This was an impressive event, raising money for an important cause. The research projects underway at PHLBI are important to help treat mesothelioma patients. The union supports that mission."
To better unerstand the devastating effects these profit driven decisions can have you have to look no further than Rick Erickson's story who grew up in Libby, Montana.
When Rick Erickson looks into the future, he sees his own death. And while no death is easy, the one that awaits this former mine worker is horrifying. The asbestos that already contaminates his lungs will continue to scar them, causing a slow suffocation that will take years to run its course."When W.R. Grace did this to the community, it basically sentenced us to death," Mr. Erickson said of the chemical giant, which mined asbestos-contaminated vermiculite on a mountain above the town for 27 years.
"I can picture my son going through that [kind of death]. I can picture myself going through that. It becomes really overwhelming to look into the future," he said.
Mr. Erickson's tragic story is one that asbestos attorneys and mesothelioma attorneys like myself see and hear on a regular basis. It by no means makes it any less acceptable, but instead shows a continued and deliberate array of decisions that has unnecessarily caused thousands of deadly consequences and lives.
]]>To recover, claimants must be seriously ill from exposure to asbestos at a job site where Owens Corning's products were used. The spouses of people killed by exposure can also recover. About 200,000 claims likely will be filed nationwide... Asbestos causes several diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. They can develop 20 years after exposure to asbestos, making it difficult to predict exactly how many people will share in the settlement fund.The plan shifts Owens Corning's $7 billion in asbestos liabilities off company books and into a trust to be established for the plaintiffs. As part of the plan, the company will pay $5.1 billion to asbestos claimants and as much as $2.27 billion to holders of bank debt
This is great news for former Owens Corning workers and employees because in 2000 the company filed for bankruptcy after facing thousands of asbestos related claims and other business related problems. Now with the approval of this fund, many of those adversely affected and exposed to its asbestos containing products and materials may finally get the compensation they deserve after all these years.
]]>"Dust created by working with and around asbestos and asbestos-containing products would permeate the person and clothing of the plaintiff's family members," the complaint states. "This dust contained asbestos fiber.""The plaintiff would be repeatedly exposed to this asbestos dust from his family member's person and clothing," the complaint states.
He claims he also was exposed to asbestos during non-occupational work projects including home and automotive repairs, maintenance and remodeling.
The complaint as filed named 111 defendant corporations that were believed to be liable for his contraction of the deadly cancer. As part of the damages sought, Holzworth is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
According to the complaint:
"It was foreseeable to a reasonable person/entity in the respective positions of defendants, that said documents and information constituted evidence, which was material to potential civil litigation-namely asbestos litigation,""An award of punitive damages is appropriate and necessary in order to punish defendants for their willful, wanton, intentional and/or reckless misconduct and to deter defendants and others from engaging in like misconduct in the future,"
The case which has been assigned to Circuit Judge Dan Stack marks yet another in a growing trend of potential second hand asbestos exposure that leads to someone's diagnosis of mesothelioma. As the case progresses, updates will be provided here that will track it progress and findings.
]]>Mr. Rettig contends that he contracted mesothelioma, a fatal lung cancer almost always caused by asbestos, on the job from exposure to asbestos-containing steampipe insulation and wiring.
The case will now be sent back to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to continue the case for final adjudication and resolution. Maybe this time around this mesothelioma sufferer will get the just compensation he deserves for having been knowingly been exposed to so much asbestos containing material both in and around his work place over the 40 something years he worked there.
]]>More research is needed "to develop a better understanding of potential health effects of what is currently called 'naturally occurring asbestos,'" the report concluded.Asbestos-bearing rock is a concern in communities across California. The mineral is found in 44 of California's 58 counties, usually in serpentine, the state rock.
It is generally considered harmless unless the rock is disturbed, such as during construction of new roads and homes. The EPA considered the problem to be worse in El Dorado Hills because rocks near the surface often contain a more toxic form of asbestos, tremolite.
The more information that is discovered now on the potential exposure in El Dorado Hills, the better off the citizenry will be in terms of knowing what to expect for the future. For the sake of all the residents there, lets all hope that the asbestos fibers found there will not lead to anyone's future diagnosis of mesothelioma or other health related issues on down the road.
]]>Alfacell Corporation (Nasdaq: ACEL), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel ribonuclease therapeutics for cancer, today announced it has filed an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to obtain orphan designation for its lead drug candidate ONCONASE® (ranpirnase) for the treatment of patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma (UMM).
Although the long term effects of ONCONASE (also know as P-30 protein) are still being studied, the drug's approval could be good news for those who suffer from this type of mesothelioma. In its earlier studies , ONCONASE (ranpirnase), has been shown to increase the median survival rates in patients who take the drug as prescribed.
If approved, the drug manufacturer will have the exclusive rights to market this drug for the next seven years.
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