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.

As previously mentioned on the MesoRC Blog, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s (MARF) International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma, took place on June 26 - June 28 on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C. Researchers, patients, family members, physicians, and politicians gathered to discuss the continued search for a cure for mesothelioma. The symposium featured a number of guest speakers who presented on various topics pertaining to mesothelioma. Listed below, you will find the PowerPoint presentations from several of the guest speakers.

• H. Richard Alexander, MD, University of Maryland: Presentation on the major advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

• Raja Flores, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Presentation on the current approaches to malignant mesothelioma.

• Robert Kratzke, MD, University of Minnesota: Presentation on post-operative intrapleural chemotherapy for mesothelioma.

• Mary Hesdorffer, MS, APRN, Meso Foundation: Presentation on optimizing patient care including - decision making, role of medical team, and screening for depression.

• Raffit Hassan, MD, National Cancer Institute: Presentation on the scientific advancements in mesothelioma research.

A recent death in the United Kingdom reminds us that mesothelioma remains a concern for everyone, not just those subjected to long-term asbestos exposure.

Josephine Dutton, aged 59, died of mesothelioma though she experienced no known asbestos contact.  She worked in the textile industry and her husband had not been exposed to asbestos either.  In a postmortem examination of the body, doctors failed to find asbestos fibers.

This mysterious case indicates the need for heightened mesothelioma research and the development of more effective treatments.  The disease is unpredictable and strikes even unlikely victims.  For the full story, visit this site.  To stay updated on the latest research or to make a donation towards curing mesothelioma, visit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

Last Tuesday, large chunks of vermiculite were found in the Riverfront Memorial park of Libby, Montana. How they got there, however, remains a mystery. While checking the area where a pavilion is to be built along the Kootenai River, Mike Cirian, remedial on-sight project manager with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, found a 6-inch wide, 50-yard long line of vermiculite. It was found in a high traffic area that follows the length of the parking lot near the boat ramp and pavilion building site. He immediately sent vac trucks to the area for emergency cleanup and informed the City of Libby as well as the Libby Police.

Cirian believes the chunks were too big to come from underground and they didn’t come off any of the contractors’ trucks doing the multi-million Superfund asbestos cleanup. “I’m pretty sure it’s been there less than a couple weeks,” Cirian said. “This isn’t something you miss. These are large flake, silver-dollar-sized chunks of vermiculite.” The vermiculite had been tracked up and down the parking lot by vehicles, creating a 12,000-square-foot of space to be cleaned of potential contamination.

The park, formerly the old Export Plant site, has been cleaned at least three times in the past. One was a removal action performed by W.R. Grace; the second occurred during the building of the boat ramp; and the third was the EPA’s cleanup of the park, digging down as far as 18 inches. “If — and the emphasis is on the word ‘if’ — somebody is purposely dumping contaminated vermiculite, it’s a really serious situation of endangering the public,” said Libby Mayor Tony Berget. “People could potentially kick up and inhale the dust containing the deadly fibers while driving through the parking lot.”

Two years ago, Environmental Restoration’s parking lot received a similar mysterious deposit of vermiculite. However, it was reported that no one intentionally put it there. Cirian hopes that it is the same this time as well. He said he can’t speculate as to how the vermiculite appeared, but hoped it was a costly mistake, not something done intentionally.

Libby police chief Clay Coker said they are opening an investigation into last week’s spill, and could potentially punish an assailant under a felony Criminal Mischief law, which includes vandalism or tampering with property to endanger or interfere with its use, with damages over $1,000.“In the future, if we identify the suspect, we’ll not only prosecute, we’ll hand it off to other appropriate federal agencies that would also prosecute.” At this point there are no known suspects but the law enforcement is on the lookout for any suspicious activity. Coker said, “If we see anyone moving around after hours, and lo and behold they have a bag of vermiculite on the seat, we will stop and identify them.”

Researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center say the standard treatment for pleural mesothelioma is currently surgery to remove the patient's lung -- a potentially debilitating consequence. "Current surgical and chemotherapy treatments of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma are unsatisfactory, and have not been shown to significantly prolong survival," Dr. Robert Taub, the study's principal investigator.

The new study, however, focuses on a combination of chemotherapy and radiation targeted directly at the lung's lining. Researchers anticipate that the radiation therapy will kill the cancer cells on the surface of the lung while sparing other parts of the lung and surrounding vital tissues.

To Read More About the Study, Click Here