"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.

A recent explosion at the Sunrise Propane facility in Toronto, Canada has left local residents alarmed. While the immediate dangers of the explosion have passed, many residents are still uneasy as they believe asbestos fibers were released into the atmosphere during the explosion.

Despite their concern, experts believe that residents should not be too concerned. Experts believe that a one-time exposure to asbestos, such as that experienced in the area around the Sunrise Propane blast, is unlikely to raise an individual's cancer risk. "People need to know if they inhale a little, it's not game over," said Mark Smith, a senior consultant with GTA Environmental. “It's not like a poison gas. The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of the Environment both identify low levels of asbestos exposure, which they deem acceptable,” he said.

Paul Bozek, a professor from the University of Toronto's school of public health, believes that even if experts find that there were very high asbestos levels in the air for a few hours after the explosion, there is no data to say that a one-time intense exposure to asbestos will cause cancer or asbestosis in 20 to 40 years.

Experts note that the real danger comes from asbestos fibers that might remain on the ground several weeks and months after the exposure. If those fibers get ground up underfoot and released into the air, the exposure to asbestos would become a major problem. "If residents were exposed to that over the next couple of months, then there would be slight elevations in cancer rates around there," said Bozek.

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In the UK, one community has rallied around a neighbor who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma.  Stuart Smith, age 64, believes he contracted the disease when sweeping asbestos-laden buildings belonging to the air force.   To honor Stuart, local businessmen and craftspeople donated goods for an auction to benefit charities of Stuart's choice.

In just one day, the town raised over £2,600 for the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund and Macmillan Cancer nurses.  The kindness of his neighbors meant much to Stuart, who said, "I'm overwhelmed that people wanted to hold this auction for me. I feel quite emotional, to be honest. I cannot believe that people can be so generous. Some of the people who have arranged it, I have only briefly met.  It seems a lot of people around here have empathy for my problems."

Stuart's wife Wendy, age 65, echoed his sentiments: "We have lived in Horsford 11 years and I would not now move even if we won the Lottery.”

In reaching out to Stuart, the community not only affected his life, but also the lives of other mesothelioma patients.  A single event raised nearly £3,000 towards finding a cure and assisting those currently suffering from the disease.  The support Stuart encountered has armed him with the strength he needs to face the cancer: “My attitude is that I have got to be positive, and make the most of my life,” he said.

For more on Stuart, click here.

A national registry has been announced to help identify former mine workers of the defunct Baie Verte Asbestos Mine, in Newfoundland, Canada, who may have developed asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos was commercially mined in Baie Verte from 1963 to 1992, employing about 3,000 workers. The announcement of the registry, which is considered a major breakthrough for workers' health, was made today in Baie Verte by the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) of Newfoundland and Labrador, together with the USW and the Baie Verte Peninsula Miners' Action Committee.

"This is a breakthrough agreement for the USW and workers everywhere and, with the critical information obtained through the registry, it will be a turning point for fair compensation for victims of occupational disease," said USW Ontario/Atlantic Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator Nancy Hutchison. "We hope this announcement will set the pattern for other compensation boards and governments across Canada as we continue to strive for justice for workers and their survivors."

Memorial University has been selected to carry out the work to complete the information for the registry, which will include employment history, asbestos exposure information and health status. Also, the USW will actively work with its members across Canada, the WHSCC, and with the Baie Verte community to help locate all former mine employees, regardless of their health status, and encourage them to register. “The registry is an important first step and USW will be there to support the next stages to turn this announcement into positive action,” said USW Staff Representative Boyd Bussey.

To contact the Baie Verte Miners' Registry, call 1-888-737-7250.

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In the United Kingdom, a proposed law may affect workers' ability to receive compensation for industrial illnesses such as mesothelioma.

Currently, insurance liability forms must be retained on record for forty years.  A new proposition suggests removing this requirement.  Employees who face work-related illnesses may not be able to obtain liability records and will therefore be ineligible for compensation.

According to the president of the Association of Personal Injury lawyers, "Repeal of this regulation means that highly vulnerable people could be left without the means to obtain the compensation they need, and to which they are entitled."

A widow of a mesothelioma victim presented this argument: “[My husband] died without compensation because his employer’s insurance policies were not retained and his employer had ceased trading. For the Government to remove the duty on employers to retain insurance policies for 40 years is an insult to my late husband and to hundreds of asbestos victims and their families who have lost compensation. It is a disgrace.”

To read more about the proposed law, click here.