It all started about 10 years ago, when Dr. Michele Carbone, director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the University of Hawaii and an accomplished chef, visited Turkey as a keynote speaker. He discovered that in several villages, 50 percent of the residents died of mesothelioma. Houses in these villages were constructed from soft volcanic rock containing erionite, a naturally occurring fibrous mineral similar to asbestos. Furthermore, “houses of death” were usually destroyed, sending the contaminated dust into the air for all to breathe. Carbone discovered that in some houses, everyone died, yet in other houses, made from the same material a few yards away, everyone remained healthy. This led to Carbone researching why some people remained harmless from the deadly toxin. Years of research resulting in a study Carbone published in the prestigious journal Nature revealed a genetic predisposition for mesothelioma.

Scientists call it a "gene-environment interaction." Carbone says he and his team are close to isolating that gene, which means more hope for early detection, treatment and a cure. They also identified the exposure to erionite as the likely trigger for developing the disease. Carbone became determined to reduce residents' contact with the mineral fiber and persuaded officials in Cappadocia, Turkey to construct a new village to prevent more illnesses and deaths. They wasted no time and eventually more than 2,000 people had new brick and mortar houses.

Carbone decided to take things a step further. He invited the Turkish surgeon general to attend the National Cancer Institute meeting last August at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in which he hosted. Of course, the visit included a multi-course gourmet dinner that Carbone prepared himself. During the visit, he convinced the surgeon general and members of the cancer institute that he needed to study early detection of mesothelioma in Cappadocia, where the high incidence allowed him to “get an answer in a short time at a fraction of the cost.” Unfortunately, no infrastructure existed, but the surgeon general agreed that the research called for a new hospital, and by April, the structure was completed.

Carbone has taken his research to the states and is currently studying three families with a high incidence of mesothelioma. For this work, the American Association for Cancer Research presented the prestigious Landon Innovator Award for the best international collaboration related to the advancement of cancer prevention research - a $100,000 grant over two years - to Carbone and his team of researchers in April. Carbone says, “This is a big issue and it’s my passion.”

For Full Article, Click Here

When Lexi Miletto's grandfather died three years ago, she found an outlet for her grief in writing letters -- to medical foundations, congressmen, and even Oprah Winfrey and the president. Lexi wrote these letters to call attention to the disease that killed him, mesothelioma.

Although she never heard back from Oprah or the president, she did get a call back in May from June Breit of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF). Breit invited Lexi to give the keynote address Friday, June 27, at the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma held in Washington, D.C. Lexi enthusiastically accepted the invitation. ''I was very excited about it,'' she said. ''It means a lot to me because I want to raise awareness for others so they won't have to suffer like my grandfather did.''

Lexi’s grandfather, Joe Miletto, worked a string of hard-labor jobs, including demolition and brick-making, where he could have been exposed to asbestos. His widow, Diane, thinks he inhaled the asbestos that would kill him when he served in the Navy, building ships.

Lexi’s goals are to increase mesothelioma research and raise money for it through fundraisers. She also wants to push a strong Capitol Hill lobby for a national asbestos ban.

To Read Lexi's Full Story, Click Here

On Thursday, state legislators sent a bill to Governor Tim Pawlenty that would fund University research for mesothelioma affecting Iron Range miners. In total, fifty-eight Iron Range miners have died from mesothelioma.

Pending Pawlenty's signature, the University will have $4.9 million to study the disease. Pawlenty has previosuly voiced support for the bill. If the bill is passed, the University plans to analyze death records, perform environmental reviews and conduct screenings of current and former miners. The research is scheduled to take five years.

If Pawlenty doesn't sign the bill, the University would have to get funds from grants.

Read More

Mike Skoler, CEO, of The Law Offices of James Sokolove, LLC speaks about the need for a comprehensive community resource center, such as the MesoRC, that allows victims of Mesothelioma and other asbestos related cancers to obtain information, resources, and support from leading mesothelioma authorities.

Furthermore, the MesoRC acts as a 'true' community by allowing victims and their families to connect with others through a discussion forum, read up-to-date news and developments on the blog, and even speak with a licensed social worker.

Listen to the Podcast

An investigation into the death of 92-year-old James Newland was held at the Eastbourne Magistrates Court (UK) on April 1st. Newland, a former floor layer, who retired at the age of 65, was exposed to asbestos some time during his long career.

Coroner Alan Craze said Dr. Jane Mercer, who carried out the post mortem on November 21, had given the cause of death as advanced mesothelioma brought on by exposure to asbestos. Craze explained that Newland's lungs revealed he had suffered a 'much greater than average exposure'.

Mr. Newman and his family were unaware of the problem until his death. Widow Margaret Newland said that her husband had worked all around the country and that it would be difficult to determine exactly where he came into contact with the asbestos. The coroner agreed it would be difficult to 'pin point' a firm or employer but said the buildings Mr. Newman worked in would, most likely, have contained asbestos.

Full Story