The Illinois Personal Injury Weblog of Schaeffer & Lamere P.C.

The Asbestos Epidemic in American

Here's more from the EWG Action Fund:

Ten thousand Americans die each year -- a rate approaching 30 deaths per day -- from diseases caused by asbestos, according to a detailed analysis of government mortality records and epidemiological studies by the EWG Action Fund. Asbestos kills thousands more people than skin cancer each year, and nearly the number that are slain in assaults with firearms. The suite of diseases linked to asbestos exposure overwhelmingly affect older men.

Asbestos and Fertilizer

From the Associated Press, via Cincinnati Enquirer: "Report: Fertilizer Made Workers Sick"--

A revolutionary fertilizer blend that helped transform the Scotts Co. into the nation's biggest and best-known producer of do-it-yourself lawn and garden products also contributed to the deaths of at least five workers, The Columbus Dispatch reported Sunday.

Dozens of other current and former workers have been sickened by microscopic asbestos fibers they unknowingly inhaled on the job, the newspaper reported, citing court documents, regulatory reports, workers' compensation claims, medical records and interviews.

The workers were exposed to a pinkish-tan ore called vermiculite. It has been used in fertilizer, sold straight and mixed with potting soil to retain moisture.

But the newspaper said vermiculite used by Scotts was — and still might be — contaminated with tremolite, a rare, but lethal form of asbestos that contributed to the deaths of the workers who handled the materials at the Scotts plant in this city about 30 miles northwest of Columbus. Exposure to asbestos can cause asbestosis, an incurable lung disease.

Asbestos: The Grim Reality

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Asbestos deaths are soaring"--

Asbestos deaths in the United States have skyrocketed since the late 1960s and probably will keep on climbing through the next decade because of long-ago exposure to the substance, once widely used for insulation and fireproofing, the federal government said Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has determined that 77 people died from asbestos in 1968, and nearly 1,500 people died from it in 2000.

The CDC reached its findings by reviewing the death certificates of nearly 125,000 people who had lung conditions linked to inhaling dust or fibers from minerals such as coal or asbestos.

Cancers Linked to Asbestos Exposure

It's not just lung cancer that's been linked to exposure to asbestos, but other cancers as well: cancers of the colon, larynx, throat, stomach, and others. For details, see here and here.

Types of Mesothelioma

Here is information about the types of mesothelioma from the Asbestos Resource Center:

Tumors of the mesothelium can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Since malignant mesothelioma is much more common than benign mesothelioma it is often simply called mesothelioma. Characteristics of a malignant tumor are that it has the ability to spread to other parts of the body, making it much more dangerous.

Malignant mesothelioma is divided into three types: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and mixed/biphasic. 50% to 70% of mesothelioma cases are epithelioid, which also has the best prognosis (outlook for survival). 7% to 20% are of the sarcomatoid type, and 20% to 35% are the mixed/biphasic type. Epithelioid affects the membranous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the body. Sarcomatoid arises from supportive tissue, such as bone, muscles, cartilage, or fat. Biphasic mesothelioma has features of both epithelioid and sarcomatoid. The treatment options are the same for each type.

Approximately three-fourths of mesothelioma cases start in the chest cavity and are known as pleural mesothelioma. Another 10% to 20% begin in the abdomen and are called peritoneal mesothelioma. Those starting in the cavity around the heart, or pericardial mesothelioma, are very rare. The covering layer of the testicles is actually an outpouching of peritoneum into the scrotum. Mesothelioma that affects this covering of the testicles is quite uncommon.

If you need more information about asbestos, mesothelioma, or your legal rights, you can call Schaeffer & Lamere at (618) 467-8200 or toll free at (888) 783-9679. Consultations are always free.

How Common Is Asbestos-Induced Mesothelioma?

According to the Asbestos Resource Center:

Mesothelioma is still fairly rare. There are about 2,000 to 3,000 new cases per year in the United States. Most of the people who are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma are over fifty years old and is seen more often with people in their seventies, since they were exposed to asbestos in the 1940s-50s or earlier. Those who were exposed to asbestos in the 1960s-70s may be diagnosed in years to come. The disease attacks men 3 to 5 times more than women. Men are more likely then women to get this disease because men held more construction positions than women in past decades (before the women's rights movement had taken place).

If you need more information about asbestos, mesothelioma, or your legal rights, you can call Schaeffer & Lamere at (618) 467-8200 or toll free at (888) 783-9679. Consultations are always free.

Asbestos Timeline: What the Industry Knew, and When

For an account of the way the asbestos industry closed its eyes to the dangers of asbestos, see "Asbestos Timeline: What the Industry Knew, and When They Knew It." And take a look at a related page: "Something in the Air: The Asbestos Document Story."

More About Mesothelioma: Its Treatment, and More

From the website Health A to Z:

How Is Mesothelioma Treated?

What Can Put Me at Risk for Mesothelioma?

Industries with Asbestos Exposure Risk

The latency period for developing mesothelioma following exposure to asbestos fibers can be as long as forty years. What industries were particularly notorious for exposure to asbestos? Here are a few:

• Steel mills


• Automotive repair


• Construction


• Maritime


• Oil refineries


• Power plants


• Railroads


• Shipyards

Finding a Cure for Mesothelioma

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) is a "national nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease." In October, 2004, the group will host the first International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma (PDF).

Looking for an Alton Illinois mesothelioma lawyer or attorney? You can call us at Schaeffer & Lamere at (618) 467-8200 or toll free at (888) 783-9679, or read more about our firm at the Schaeffer & Lamere website.