Posts Tagged lung cancer

28 Year Old Woman Dies from Mesothelioma

Posted by Emily@SokoloveLaw in Mesothelioma on September 3, 2008

Leigh Carlisle, 28, became England’s youngest victim of mesothelioma when she died recently after a two year battle with the disease. It is believed that Leigh was exposed to and inhaled asbestos fibers as a child during school. Leigh’s lawyers have requested a freedom of information request about the buildings where Leigh was taught. It is also a possibility that Leigh breathed in deadly fibers as she walked passed a factory yard, where asbestos sheets were cut up, on her way to school.

In an interview last year, recalling her devastation at being diagnosed, she said, “I was 26 and thought I was invincible and it was the last thing I expected them to tell me. I only walked through the factory yard as a short cut to my class. I used to walk there with my cousins, auntie and mother. Thankfully they are all fine. It was the worst feeling in the world. I have taken a positive approach and I’m just getting on with my life as best I can.”

At the time of her death Leigh was trying to raise awareness about her condition. She battled with the illness for 18 months but died at North Manchester Hospital General Hospital last week with her boyfriend by her side. Michael Price, Leigh’s boyfriend said, “Leigh had so much courage and strength. She was an inspiration to me and to others.” Her parents, Sheila and Mark, sister Sarah and niece Bella, also added that, “Leigh is still very much a part of our family and always a treasured daughter, sister and auntie. Everyone is so proud of her.”

Learn more about mesothelioma news.

About 2,000 people die from mesothelioma in England each year. It is also believed that 90,000 more people in England will die from the disease and that a further 90,000 will die from other lung diseases related to asbestos exposure. About 200 schools workers have died or are suffering serious illness because of asbestos in schools and it is estimated about 13,000 schools still contain asbestos.

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Hope: survival after mesothelioma

Posted by Emily@SokoloveLaw in Mesothelioma, Support on August 27, 2008

“Dying was not an option,” says Heather Von St. James of Minnesota, who has defied the odds and conquered mesothelioma.

She was diagnosed with the disease nearly three years ago now; Heather believes she was exposed as a child to the asbestos in her father’s work clothes. Now, two and a half years after undergoing radical treatment, Heather remains disease-free.

Heather had been experiencing health problems and shortness of breath, but had chalked it up to her first-time pregnancy. When she couldn’t ignore the weight in her chest any longer, she consulted her doctors. Three months after giving birth to her daughter Lily, doctors in Minnesota found a lump in Heather’s lung the size of an orange. She was given three options: do nothing and live maybe 15 months, try chemotherapy and radiation and live an expected 5 years, or go see Dr. Sugarbaker in Boston.

Heather’s husband made the decision immediately, and the family moved to Boston to begin treatment with the head of the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Sugarbaker performed surgery to remove Heather’s left lung, the lining around her heart, half of her diaphragm, her sixth rib and a few lymph nodes. The cancer has not returned and Dr. Sugarbaker is calling Heather a shining example of the progress he is beginning to see in the fight against a disease that traditionally carried a maximum survival of 12 to 18 months.

“I claim cured,” Heather says.

She underwent surgery on Feb. 2, 2006, was in the hospital for 18 days and stayed in Boston for a month. When Heather left Boston, she moved in with her parents for two months. In May, she returned home and began chemotherapy — every three weeks for 12 weeks. Now, she returns to Boston every four months for a CT scan; so far, so good.

In 2006, Heather filed suit against her father’s employers and asbestos manufacturers. The trial was set for September, but was suspended. Heather and her attorney filed an appeal and are waiting for the results. In the meantime, Heather has focused on caring for Lily and maintaining proper health.

“I’m going to be the first meso patient to live 50-plus years. I told my doctor he would retire before I did,” Heather said. “And he’s OK with that.”

To read Heather’s full story, click here.

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Volunteer Suffering from Mesothelioma Honored By City

Posted by Emily@SokoloveLaw in Mesothelioma on August 19, 2008

An Edmonton, Alberta, Canada local was honored yesterday for his countless hours of volunteering. Since 1993, Arnold (Willy) Willet has been tirelessly devoted to helping local families make funeral plans for military veterans. Unfortunately, Willet who is in the final stages of mesothelioma was too ill to attend the event held in his honor.

Willett joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1953 and served as a flight engineer. He was stationed in France, the Middle East and Ethiopia and later moved to Edmonton in 1971. After retiring from the forces in 1993, he volunteered with the military and the City of Edmonton, where he worked with cemeteries staff as the volunteer military liaison.

Over the years, he helped 480 families with funeral arrangements, plot selection and honors guard services for deceased veterans. Gisela, Willett’s wife, remembers her husband’s first volunteer work in 1993. “It involved visiting sick veterans or driving them to various appointments. He would also arrange for buses to transport shut-in legion members to functions such as Remembrance Day and Victory in Europe Day.”

To pay tribute to Willett, the city unveiled a commemorative tree, granite pillar and bronze plaque near the military wall at the Northern Lights Cemetery in northwest Edmonton. He also received a special commendation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for his volunteer work on behalf of veterans, back in June. “Willy is one of those special people that touch your life in ways you never could have imagined,” Terry Wright of City of Edmonton Cemeteries said. “To us, he is our angel, our role model and our friend.”

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos has also been known to cause lung cancer.

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Estate of Virginia Man files Asbestos Complaint

Posted by Emily@SokoloveLaw in Legal on August 15, 2008

The estate of Edgar Goodman, of Charlottesville, VA, is claiming that during his employment between 1947 and 1951 at CSX Transportation he was exposed to and inhaled asbestos fibers that originated from products he was using. The estate has filed a Federal Employers’ Liability Act complaint (FELA). Passed by Congress in 1908, FELA allows railroad workers who are not covered by regular workers’ compensation laws to sue companies over their injury claims.

FELA requires the injured worker prove that the railroad was “legally negligent,” in causing an injury. After proving negligence, the injured worker can seek compensation for past and future wage losses, medical expenses and treatments, pain and suffering, and for partial or permanent disability. In the event of death, survivors are entitled to recover damages which they have suffered because of the death.

Goodman, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma on July, 1, 2005, worked with pipe and block insulation, sheet rock, joint compounds, gaskets, packing, cements and brake shoes, all of which contained asbestos. The estate claims that the exposure to asbestos was foreseeable and CSX failed to acknowledge the dangers it posed. Moreover, the estate claims that CSX failed to provide any or adequate instructions concerning the safe methods of working with asbestos.

Prior to his death, Goodman suffered great pain, extreme nervousness, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and medical expenses. The estate is seeking at least $250,000 in damages including funeral and burial costs.

Asbestos has been known to cause mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Learn more about your mesothelioma legal options.

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Biomarkers Used to Identify Earlier Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Posted by Emily@SokoloveLaw in Mesothelioma, Research on August 14, 2008

A recent study conducted by Italian researchers titled, “Assessment of Biomarkers in Asbestos-Exposed Workers as Indicators of Cancer Risk,” published in a June 2008 issue of Mutation Research, identifies a new method of monitoring the health of people exposed to asbestos, allowing for earlier diagnosis.

Researchers focused on looking at biological biomarkers and there relation to mesothelioma. Biomarkers are substances used as indicators of a biologic state and allow researchers to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells. Being able to identify mesothelioma biomarkers might allow researchers to develop a method of early diagnosis.

A total of 119 subjects with a history of occupational exposure to asbestos underwent clinical examination and were interviewed by trained personnel, responding to a detailed questionnaire related to duration of asbestos exposure, smoking, and occupational task. According to the occupational tasks, asbestos-exposed subjects were analyzed for their asbestos cumulative dose and the association with the biomarkers was evaluated. A significant increase in biomarkers was evident in subjects who had a higher exposure to asbestos showed. Also, among the occupational groups, maintenance workers, pipe fitters and electricians were exposed to a higher cumulative dose of asbestos fibers.

These results are very promising and every day researchers are getting closer to finding a method of early diagnosis. Hopefully more tests and research will be conducted in the coming months to further develop this specific method of diagnosing.

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