The state of Vermont is trying to determine if waste from an abandoned mine near Lowell and Eden, VT was used in construction and roadwork.

Last week we wrote about Vermont telling citizens to steer clear of the abandoned mine, as people were using the area to ride all-terrain vehicles. Research has shown that the closer people live to the abandoned mine the higher their odds are of dying due to asbestosis or mesothelioma.

Linda Elliot of the Department of Environmental Conservation says that the state will look to the public in the communities in question, to see how the waste from the mine was used, if it was in fact used at all.

Elliot said it is not clear how much asbestos fiber was contained in the rock, but that it is very important to find out how the rock may have been used.

In Calgary, the city has made the decision to stop using recycled asphalt that contains traces of asbestos. The recycled asphalt has been used for repairs and to fill potholes in the roads.

Over the summer, monitoring of 34 main roads in the city showed that 21 of the roads contained some amount of asbestos. The change is coming due to some complaints from civic leaders, union bosses, and activists. 

Although studies performed through August and September show that the levels of asbestos exposure in the air were below what is required, the city has made it a priority to remove all asphalt containing asbestos.

Ryan Jestin, the city’s Director of Roads, says the decision was made to keep their workers safe. The city still plans to continue recycling asphalt but will remove particles containing asbestos. 

As for the asphalt that still contains asbestos, it will be sold off to other sources. If the city finds that use of the asphalt containing asbestos is not harmful, the city could possibly use the material again.

Stephen Bolon has become the first person in Australia to be cured of mesothelioma. Doctors were able to cure the deadly form of lung cancer due to early detection brought on by new, innovative tests.  

Typically, it takes 20-40 years before mesothelioma becomes detectable through biopsy but the new test is able to measure raised levels of soluble mesothelin-related peptide, allowing the cancer to be detected much earlier on.  

The early diagnosis allowed for two radical surgeries to remove Bolon’s right lung. These surgeries were combined with radiotherapy treatment and, after 2 years, Bolon is now healthy and cancer free. "We are very cautiously excited," said respiratory physician Deborah Yates. "We see so many people dying from mesothelioma, it would be wonderful if this works, it really would."

Australia is at the forefront of mesothelioma research. The country has the highest rates of asbestos-related illnesses in the world. 

Doctors are hoping that they can continue to advance early detection of the disease. A $60,000 grant will allow them to do more work on a simple breath test that will make early detection even easier.

According to “The Independent Journal of Clinical Practice,” age is not an independent factor in cancer survival rates and should not influence decisions about how to treat older patients that have been diagnosed with cancer.

Elderly patients who have been diagnosed with cancer have been systematically excluded from clinical trials despite the fact that 60% of cancer occurs in patients over the age of 65.  Elderly participation in clinical trials does not exceed 25%, and as a result, it is extremely difficult to predict how these older patients would have responded to the latest cancer treatments. 

Dr. Eva Domingo and a team of researchers from the University of Barcelona conducted a study in which they looked at 224 patients that had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. The patients ranged from 32-92 years of age; with 75% of the participants being male and 61% of the patients being at least 65 years old. In addition, 43% of the patients had respiratory tumors, 29% had gastrointestinal tumors, and 42% had a localized tumor. Unfortunately 62% of the participants did not survive through the one year follow up period.

There were four independent factors that played a significant role in predicting survival.

·        Metastatic dissemination, a measure of how wide the cancer has spread.

·        The level of functional impairment the patient experienced.

·        The patient’s physical quality of life.

·        Serum albumin level, a major protein produced in the liver, and is essential in maintaining pressure in the vascular system. 

Domingo and her team concluded that patients have a better chance for survival if the cancer has not spread; the patient has a good physical quality of life, high serum albumin levels, and fewer problems with functional impairment. According to Domingo, "The patient's age was not an independent factor that predicted how likely they were to survive cancer. Because of this, age, in itself, should not be used to limit diagnostic or therapeutic decisions."

In St. Louis, MO, a company who makes heat resistant products has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to manage their legal liabilities concerning asbestos exposure lawsuits. 

Christy Refractories filed its petition for bankruptcy last week. The company has been subject to many lawsuits that stem from products sold by a company they acquired back in 1995. The company began to be named in asbestos-related cases back in the early 1980s, but the frequency of these lawsuits significantly increased about 8 years ago.

The manager of Christy Refractories, Frank O’Brien, says that on a monthly basis, asbestos settlements average out to be about $1 million per month and estimates that there are an additional 1,000 lawsuits pending. These lawsuits include people that were exposed to asbestos in schools, steel mills, and other commercial and industrial spaces.

A trust fund is being established for the lawsuits, and the bankruptcy court will decide how much money should be put in to the trust fund. O’Brien says there will be at least $18 million in the fund. 

O’Brien plans to keep the company running through its reorganization process. He speculates that it could take up to one year.