MesoRC is constantly growing, and thanks to the input of our community members, we are pleased to announce the addition of a new resource to the site.

As suggested in the discussion board, MesoRC now provides a link to contact your Congressmen and urge them to support mesothelioma research and funding. The link brings you directly to the government web page where messages to Congressional representatives may be submitted. Bring mesothelioma to the forefront of political attention. Write your representatives and tell them to support mesothelioma funding and the ban against asbestos.

We are honored, grateful, and excited that community participation has once again generated a great feature for MesoRC. Please continue to discuss your thoughts and ideas in the forum or in blog comments, and we will gladly read them. We are committed to providing you with the most comprehensive and user-friendly mesothelioma resource center possible.

Doctors often mistakenly fear that frank conversations with their patients about death will harm them. Now, a new study confirms that these fears are unfounded; avoiding conversations about death provided no benefit while being direct with patients yielded a host of advantages.

Patients who received straight talk from doctors were no more likely to become depressed than patients whose doctors did not address death. They were less likely to spend their final days in hospitals, connected to machines, paying for futile care. Once they died, their families were more at peace. These findings come from a study of 603 patients whose cancer did not respond to chemotherapy. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston is publishing the results.

Being well-informed about death and their diagnosis gives patients the opportunity to explore options such as hospice care. Having a conversation early on about dying affords them the time to seek out resources pertaining to death and loss.

Every patient responds differently to a terminal diagnosis, but from an ethical standpoint, patients have the right to know their likelihood of survival. Mental and emotional preparation for death can help ease the process for both the patient and their family. The California Assembly believes so strongly in frankness about death, that they recently passed a bill requiring health care providers to give complete answers to dying patients who inquire about their options.

Some doctors are protesting the bill, insisting it interferes with proper medical practice. Why do so many doctors dodge the death discussion? Some fear that it will smother the patient's hope. For others it generates a sense that they have failed the patient if they quit battling the disease. But for many individuals, candid and honest conversations about death are a way to build trust, remove anxiety, and eliminate feelings of isolation.

"I like being told what my health condition is. I don't like beating around the bush," said one 67-year-old cancer patient. "We all have to die. I've had a very good life. Death is not something that was fearful to me."

Click here to read more. For resources on facing death and coping with loss, click here.

In the Minnesota Iron Range, the 59th case of mesothelioma among miners has been identified.  The high incidence of mesothelioma in the region prompted Minnesota lawmakers to enact a research bill alotting $4.9 million to asbestos studies.  The 59th diagnosis serves as further confirmation that their concerns are substantiated.

Politicians and researchers convened yesterday afternooon to discuss preliminary studies. Currently, the Natural Resources Research Institute is analyzing iron ore samples and dust in the air in Iron Range communities, to see how closely they match asbestos dust.

Next summer, research teams will randomly screen the respiratory health of 1,200 former and current miners and spouses in the Iron Range area.  This summer, past research is being gathered, synthesized, and analyzed.

Yesterday, a $10 million verdict against Ford Motor Company was overturned in Texas.

Carolyn Miller died at age 54 from mesothelioma; she was exposed to asbestos fibers that clung to her father's clothing when he returned from work. He was employed by Ford on and off for over a decade, where he worked directly with asbestos. In 2001, Carolyn, her father, and her husband were awarded $10 million in damages from Ford. Now, an appellate court ruled that because Carolyn never entered Ford property, the company is not responsible for her asbestos exposure. They court also revoked Carolyn's father's award, claiming that he "only might" develop cancer.

In overturning the decision, this appellate court is doing a significant injustice to a family whose daughter unexpectedly and suddenly died as a direct result of asbestos exposure. It is likely that Carolyn's father will experience health complications caused by the asbestos, and revoking his settlement will substantially limit his medical treatment options. Companies should be ready to take full responsibility for overlooking the dangers of asbestos and failing to use safe substitutes. To read the full story, click here.

Tomorrow, the wife of deceased mesothelioma victim Bernie Banton will officially launch the Asbestos Research Group in Brisbane. Banton campaigned for aggressive asbestos legislation in Australia, acting as an advocate for safer asbestos policy.

The new research group will focus on studying mesothelioma and non-cancerous asbestos-related diseases. Beyond research, the group aims to improve treatment and quality of life for victims of asbestos exposure. Read the article here.