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 

Merck & Co., Inc announced today its investigational trial of vorinostat (ZOLINZA®), the Company's oral histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, in patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma has progressed into Phase III investigation and is currently enrolling patients who previously failed or are intolerant to prior therapies such as chemotherapy. The decision to move forward follows the review of currently available safety and efficacy data from the Phase II portion of the trial.

Eric Rubin, M.D., vice president, oncology clinical research, Merck Research Laboratories said "With no currently approved regimens for relapsed or refractory mesothelioma, continued research focused on identifying targeted therapies and differentiated approaches is critical. We are pleased that the investigation of vorinostat for the treatment of advanced mesothelioma has advanced into Phase III development.”

There are several key endpoints of the Phase III trial. They include overall survival as well as characterization of the overall safety and toxicity of ZOLINZA in patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma. Several secondary endpoints include overall objective response, response duration, and progression-free survival.

To Read the entire Press Release, Visit the Mesothelioma Applied Resource Foundation HERE

When Arkansas business owner Brandon Benoit, 35, went to the doctor regarding a football injury, he never expected the news he would receive.  Doctors examined Brandon's broken ribs, but what they found was much more concerning: a severe build-up of fluid around his abdomen.

Now, doctors have confirmed that Brandon has a rare case of mesothelioma called malignant peritoneal epithelial mesothelioma.  This variety of the disease accounts for about 15% of mesothelioma cases.  With mesothelioma, fluid build-up usually occurs around the chest and lungs, but in Brandon's case, the majority is located around his abdomen.  There are only a handful of doctors nationwide qualified to treat Brandon's rare case. 

Most mesothelioma patients are between 50 and 70 years old because the disease's latency period is so great.  Brandon is young to have been diagnosed; he suspects that he was exposed to asbestos before age five.  But like he does with his football opponents, Brandon is determined to tackle the cancer.  Because it was detected early, doctors are confident they can treat the mesothelioma with surgeries and chemotherapy.  The treatment schedule is demanding and expensive; the plan requires nine flights and hotel stays in New York City, all out of the couple's pockets.  They are looking into available travel resources.

To read the rest of Brandon's story, go here.

On Sunday, March 30th, a group of people affected by mesothelioma gathered at the Marriott in downtown Detroit's Renaissance Center for a remembrance brunch. The event was sponsored by California-based Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Michigan.

Some, like Latanyta Manuel, who lost her husband Andrew to mesothelioma, were there in honor of their lost loved ones. Manuel said she just wants to honor Andrew's wishes and spread awareness about the disease. Others, however, were there because they had been diagnosed with the deadly disease themselves.

Those gathered Sunday said they and their loved ones got sick in different ways. For instance, Andrew Manuel's father worked in a pipeline, bringing asbestos back into the home while another man believes he was exposed secondhand, too, but said he also believes that contact with everyday products contributed.

The remembrance brunch is held annually to support each other and to spread the word about asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.