Protecting Veterans From Mesothelioma
In the latest news, a San Francisco-based chemical risk assessment company said that the US Navy was ahead of the game when it tried to protect veterans and civilians from mesothelioma in the 1960s. At the time, US Navy ships were heavily laden with asbestos, making them one of the most common victims of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, a protective layer surrounding the body's organs. Since then, it has been determined that there is a direct correlation between asbestos exposure and the likelihood of an individual contracting mesothelioma.
Understanding the risks associated with asbestos
The researchers, Kara Franke and Dennis Paustenbach, examined dozens of published and unpublished documents on asbestos knowledge between 1900 and 1970, and found that the Navy had truly understood the health risks associated with asbestos in the 1930s. However, despite the known risks and dangers of asbestos, the Navy continued to request its use on board ships. The Navy also recommended that certain precautions be taken to handle asbestos-laden materials with greater care. After mesothelioma was clearly linked to asbestos in the 1960s, ChemRisk researchers claimed that the Navy "attempted to implement procedures that would minimize the risk of adverse effects on the military and the military. civilians. "
Too small; Too late
Despite the precautions taken by the US Navy, many veterans of the US Navy have subsequently developed mesothelioma. Part of the danger inherent in mesothelioma comes from its latency period, which can take up to 40 years to become symptomatic after exposure to asbestos. For many veterans of the Navy, this meant that they had already prepared for the likelihood of developing mesothelioma based on their asbestos exposure in the 1940s and 1950s. people working in other non-naval industries have also been exposed to asbestos and are at risk of developing mesothelioma, either because their employers were unaware of the hazards, or simply because they had deliberately chosen to ignore increasing evidence of material toxicity and carcinogenicity.
The results of the study by Franke and Paustenbach were published in the journal Inhalation Toxicology and indicated that, by 1930, "it was clear that occupational exposure to asbestos caused a single disease (asbestosis)". The understanding of asbestos gradually increased between about 1938 and 1965, during which time "considerable data on exposure and epidemiology were collected" by private and government scientists. The Franke and Paustenbach study was recently presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the International Society for Exhibition Science in Baltimore. Maryland.
Treat Mesothelioma in the United States Today
Today, in the United States alone, more than 2,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year. And while treatments for some forms of cancer are improving, the prognosis for those diagnosed with mesothelioma remains difficult. Today, multimodality treatments, immune therapies, and gene therapies are being explored as potential therapeutic modalities for mesothelioma victims.
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