Billy Lavender, a 63 year old man from the UK, was diagnosed with mesothelioma early in 2008. He believes that he was exposed to asbestos while he was working as a fitter’s mate at the Rank Flour Mill, which is now the Baltic Art Gallery during the 1960’s and 70’s.

Lavender is now fighting against the clock to find former co-workers to help him make a claim against their former employers.

Lavender is being represented by industrial illness specialists Irwin Mitchell. In an attempt to hopefully jog some of Lavender’s former co-workers’ memories the firm has released some photographs. Lavender is not in the picture as it was taken shortly after he left, but many of the people he worked with will be in the photo.

As of now, Lavender has picked out a joiner and two fitters that he definitely worked with but cannot recall their names. Because mesothelioma is such a fast acting disease, Lavender is truly racing against the clock in his task to file a claim against his former employer.

Roger Maddocks of Irwin Mitchell said, “If people spot themselves or a relative in this photograph, we strongly urge them to get in contact as it could make a huge difference to the level of comfort in which Mr. Lavender will spend the rest of his life.”

Four Texas men have filed an asbestos exposure suit on behalf of their deceased father against Chevron and Gulf Oil.

Gliese Bergeron lost his battle to mesothelioma on October 31, 2008 according to a suit filed on December 22. The four sons of Bergeron say that their father worked for the two companies in 1942 and 1946 through 1983 as a pipe fitter, operator, truck driver, insulator, and maintenance planner.

The suit filed by thefour men states that exposure should have been anticipated by the two defendants, claiming negligence due to failing to test the air at work sites, and neglecting to educate their employees of the dangers of asbestos exposure. The suit goes on to say that the defendants also failed to put the appropriate safeguards in place to protect workers, conduct adequate industrial hygiene monitoring, provide and recommend the use of personal protective equipment.

In addition to their failures listed above, both companies also failed to create engineering controls to eliminate workers exposure to asbestos as well as failing to develop and enforce an occupational medicine program to watch workers exposure to asbestos according to the suit.

The suit was filed in the Jefferson County District Court.

Rosetta Genomics has introduced a new diagnostic cancer test, the miReview Meso. According to the company, the miReview Meso test is able to differentiate between mesothelioma and other carcinomas in the lung. The miReview Meso test is available commercially through Rosetta Genomics’ CLIA certified lab in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Harvey Pass, chief of thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology at the New York University Langone Medical Center, said "I am very excited to finally see a molecularly based test that can objectively differentiate mesothelioma from several types of carcinomas in the lung with such high level of accuracy. Ruling out mesothelioma from lung cancer for individuals that were exposed to asbestos can be difficult and challenging. I am sure that this test will become an important tool for both oncologists and pathologists in obtaining the right diagnosis in these patients." 

Rosetta Genomics expects to perform approximately 2,000 tests during 2009.

The holiday season is a time when family and friends gather to observe long-held traditions (not to mention indulge in a smorgasbord of tempting foods). But when your world is turned upside down by mesothelioma or asbestos cancer, the holidays may not hold their usual charm.

As a caregiver for someone with mesothelioma, you may find yourself struggling just to keep up with the daily demands of your loved one's illness–expenses, transportation, physical care and household chores¬. Then along comes the annual onslaught of music, media messages and social activity to tell you how happy you should be at this time of year.

If the stress and pressure of the holiday season fill you with more dread than excitement, you're not alone. In fact, the notion that everyone is happy during the holidays is simply not true. But while the holidays are hard to ignore, simple coping strategies can help you manage holiday stress and enjoy the season with your loved one. If you and your family are dealing with mesothelioma here are some suggestions that might help.

If you would like to continue reading this article, please click here.

The holiday season is meant to be a time filled with joy and celebration. But when you're battling mesothelioma, this can be a particularly challenging time of year. While family and friends exude holiday cheer, you may be experiencing a mix of emotions that make you feel out of sync with the rest of the world. Feelings of happiness and excitement may be clouded by sadness, uncertainty and even anger. When you have mesothelioma or asbestos cancer the hustle and bustle of the season can leave you overwhelmed and physically exhausted.

If you're finding it hard to get into the holiday spirit this year, know that you're not alone. Many people—even those who aren't affected by serious illness like mesothelioma—suffer from heightened stress, anxiety and depression during the holidays. However, there are things you can do to help make the holidays more manageable and enjoyable, even with mesothelioma:

To find out what they are, click here.