On Friday, a French court ordered the former employer of 17 workers forced to retire early because of asbestos exposure to pay compensation of up to €85,000 ($133,800 USD) for lost earnings.

The employer, papermaker Ahlstrom Labelpack, was ordered to pay the 17 workers between €9,000 and €85,000 ($14,044 and $132.634 USD) each for the loss of 35% of their earnings up to the legal retirement age. In addition, it ordered the company to pay €10,000 ($15,604 USD) for stress and anxiety to the workers, none of whom has so far contracted an asbestos-related disease.

If confirmed by an appeal court ruling in September, the decision could add significantly to compensation costs for asbestos-related diseases, expected to total between €11.7 billion and €22 billion ($18.26 billion and $34.33 billion) over the next 20 years, according to a report to parliament in 2004.

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NEWTON, MA, June 27, 2008 — The Law Offices of James Sokolove (LOJS), dedicated to providing greater access to the civil justice system, introduced more features to the ground-breaking community site, Mesothelioma Resource Center (MesoRC) to include a Community Marketplace and a Tribute Wall. The MesoRC website also provides a powerful one-stop informational resource for victims and families affected by this rare and aggressive cancer. Since its launch in September 2007, the site has seen continuing growth in traffic, and more importantly, in the dedicated involvement of its community.

The new MesoRC Community Marketplace offers insightful books on mesothelioma and other cancers, and novelties that seek to raise awareness of mesothelioma. With 2,500 new cases diagnosed annually in the US, mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos, is often called an orphan cancer. As such, there are few research funds and often little help for patients who want to seek treatment at the twelve medical centers focused on advanced treatment options. LOJS may receive compensation from some of websites with links on MesoRC.com. LOJS donates all compensation received from websites based on these links to charitable organizations that benefit mesothelioma patients.

Another new MesoRC feature is the Tribute Wall to remember those affected by mesothelioma. This rolling recall of names by family, friends and loved ones is dedicated to the memory of mesothelioma victims.

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Asbestos exposure has long been a concern for firefighters, as working with crumbling buildings puts them at a high risk of inhaling fibers.  In Portage, Michigan, one fire department is rallying around a fellow worker recently diagnosed with stage three mesothelioma. 

It is likely that Brad Wilson was exposed to asbestos while on the job.  Though he has been given only between 6 and 18 months to live, Brad holds his head high and is focusing on how to handle his disease rather than pinpoint its cause.

Brad has accepted that asbestos exposure is "part of the job" he loves; his wife Cinda said that being away from firefighting is making Brad restless.  "The hardest part is knowing how much he misses coming into work, it just kills him," she said.  The Portage Fire Department is feeling his absence just as much.  They bring Brad's helmet with them on all calls, so he remains part of the team, even from home.  The members of the PFD are covering Brad's shifts in turns, so that he may maintain long-term disability benefits through September.

The support Brad is receiving is particularly gratifying for members of the Portage Fire Department, who say they are excited to repay Brad's selfless help from over the years.  "If someone had to switch days, had an emergency or if someone was down on their luck, Brad would be the first guy to offer to work a shift for them or organize some effort to help," said Rick Nason, a firefighter and president of the Portage Professional Firefighters Union.  Brad's 25-year career with the PFD was full of kind and generous acts such as these, and co-workers are honored to return the favor.  The department has even solicited the help of the public and will hold a fundraiser to cover some of Brad's medical and travel expenses.

Brad, his wife, and his mother will journey to Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center soon for expert advice on treatment plans and ccomplementary medicine.  Brad expects to return at least once, most likely for lung surgery. 

Even in the face of terminal illness, Brad has not compromised his integrity.  "[He] has a character that you don't see in everybody," Nason said. "Who he is as a person, it's a credit to the city and the profession."

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.

One of the most promising materials for the future of technology, carbon nanotubes, might be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled, according to a new study published today in the scientific journal Nature Nanotechnology.

The study presented in Nature Nanotechnology used an animal model developed in the 80s to study the development of mesothelioma, which can be caused by asbestos exposure. In this model, the nanotubes were injected into the abdominal cavity of mice, which is lined by the same kind of tissue as the human lung, and which is a sensitive predictor of mesothelioma. After one week, there was an inflammatory response.

"The problem of asbestos was caused when it was released into the air, if it was handled inappropriately or incorrectly. Carbon nanotubes could do the same. With this information we should assume the worst, we should think of them as asbestos. But more research might relax that point of view," said Andrew Maynard, chief science adviser to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies in Washington and one of the authors of the study.

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