Blog
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Johnson & Johnson Halts Talcum Powder Sales, Continues to Deny Asbestos Risks
Johnson & Johnson announced on May 19, 2020 that it would discontinue the sale of talcum powder product Baby Powder in the U.S. and Canada. This move comes as lawsuits over asbestos-related illnesses in regular, long-term users of talc products continue to grow. In spite of those claims, and studies linking asbestos in talc to …Read More
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Coronavirus Delays EPA Advisory Panel on Asbestos Risks
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) postponed a meeting of a science advisory panel that was supposed to happen on April 27. The panel is set to critique the EPA’s draft of an analysis of the risks posed by ongoing asbestos use. Asbestos, which can cause serious illnesses, including mesothelioma, is not completely banned I …Read More
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COVID-19 and Mesothelioma Patients
The coronavirus pandemic is affecting everyone, but in different ways. Among those most at risk for a serious, life-threatening infection are cancer patients. This outbreak impacts sensitive patients, like those with mesothelioma, and also their loved ones and caregivers. Know the facts about this illness, how it may put you at risk if you have …Read More
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Largest Study of Women and Mesothelioma Complete
The incidence of mesothelioma in men is significantly higher than in women. This is likely because workplace exposure to asbestos decades ago is the leading cause of this type of cancer. However, women do get mesothelioma, and studying the cancer in this population is important. They may have different underlying causes, varying symptoms, and even …Read More
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Philadelphia Teachers Fight Back Against Asbestos in Buildings
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) recently brought a lawsuit against the city’s school district. The teachers allege that the district has failed to protect staff and teachers, numbering approximately 13,000 and 125,000, from asbestos in old buildings. Several schools have been closed in recent months due to damaged asbestos that has the potential to …Read More
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Investigative Report Finds FDA Bowed to Industry Pressures over Asbestos in Talc
A recent, in-depth investigation into the controversy surrounding talcum powder, asbestos, mesothelioma, and Johnson & Johnson conducted by Reuters turned up troubling information. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was found to have been deferring to the cosmetics industry for decades, letting companies like J & J regulate their own products and potential contamination …Read More
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Johnson & Johnson Disputes FDA Finding of Asbestos in Talcum Powder
Johnson & Johnson recently recalled thousands of bottles of its popular baby powder after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported finding asbestos in samples. Already facing thousands of lawsuits over mesothelioma and other types of cancer potentially triggered by talcum powder, the company is denying the FDA’s findings. A new problem has arisen, …Read More
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Benefits of Immunotherapy Match Those of Chemotherapy, New Mesothelioma Study Finds
A trial of immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in patients with mesothelioma has had promising results. The trial shows that the benefits of the therapy equal those of standard chemotherapy, which can cause a lot of uncomfortable side effects. Researchers hope that the study will also shed light on why some patients respond better to immunotherapy than …Read More
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Phase II Clinical Trial Recruiting Mesothelioma Patients for Immunotherapy
A clinical trial testing two immunotherapy drugs in the treatment of mesothelioma is still recruiting patients who want to participate. The trial, led by Dr. Arkadiusz Dudek of HealthPartners Regions Cancer Care Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, needs 35 adults with mesothelioma. The trial is ready for phase II and will be held at several locations …Read More
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White House Staff Relocated as Asbestos Discovered and Abated
Several White House staffers, including senior aides like Ivanka Trump and Larry Kudlow, have been forced to relocate from their offices due to the hazards posed by asbestos in the historic building. The $250,000-abatement project to remove the harmful materials is expected to take a few weeks. This highlights the ongoing need to recognize the …Read More
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Disappointing Results in Ofev Mesothelioma Clinical Trial
Immunotherapies, treatments that harness the immune system to fight cancer cells, hold a lot of promise for all types of cancer and even treatment for mesothelioma, a difficult type of cancer. Some treatments have been successful in some patients, while others have fallen short. One immunotherapy drug that held great promise for mesothelioma patients has …Read More
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Researchers Developing Breath Test for Earlier Mesothelioma Diagnoses
Mesothelioma is a difficult disease to treat, in part because it is aggressive and grows in the form of multiple small tumors. It spreads quickly and because of the way the tumors grow, it is difficult to eliminate all cancerous cells. Researchers are working toward developing better treatments, but some are also tackling the problem …Read More
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First New Approved Treatment for Mesothelioma in More Than a Decade
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new therapy indicated for the treatment of mesothelioma. Using electric currents rather than toxic chemotherapy drugs, the therapy can inhibit tumor growth. The last new treatment approved by the FDA specifically for treatment of this type of cancer was the chemotherapy agent pemetrexed in 2004. …Read More
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EPA Falls Short of Total Asbestos Ban with New Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a new asbestos rule that limits asbestos imports and use but does not completely ban the material. Advocate groups are disappointed with the new rule after the head of the Agency said he would support a full ban. Asbestos is connected to serious illnesses and cancers, including mesothelioma …Read More
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Asbestos Found in Children’s Cosmetics – Voluntary Recall Issued
Asbestos, the carcinogenic mineral known to be the leading cause of mesothelioma, has recently been identified as a contaminant in some children’s cosmetic products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning of the risks of these products and recommended that people not use them. The company, Claire’s, has since issued a voluntary …Read More
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Cancer Vaccine Presents Promising New Treatment for Mesothelioma
Immunotherapy is a growing area of research in the treatment of all types of cancer. But for mesothelioma, which is among the most difficult cancers to manage, treat, or cure, these new therapies that harness the immune system are especially promising. They are offering new hope to patients diagnosed with this deadly, asbestos-related cancer. The …Read More
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Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that its baby powder contained asbestos: Lawsuit
Giant corporation Johnson & Johnson is currently facings thousands of asbestos lawsuits, and for good reason: the company apparently knew its baby powder contained the lethal mineral asbestos for decades and did nothing about it, according to Reuters. An investigative report released on Friday claimed Johnson & Johnson never informed the Food and Drug Administration …Read More
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Department of Justice scrutinizes asbestos trust funds, calls for more transparency so victims get rightful compensation
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is calling for asbestos trust funds handlers to provide more accountability and transparency after reportedly learning of alleged fraud and mismanagement inside asbestos trusts. What is an Asbestos Trust Fund? Asbestos trust funds are a way for victims to asbestos-related diseases to receive compensation without the hassle of …Read More
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New study shows one-third of schools in the U.S. still contain asbestos
A comprehensive study regarding asbestos and schools has found that around one-third of the schools in the United States contain asbestos. The Los Angeles Times reports that the study came from the staff of Senator Edward J Markey of Massachusetts. Marquis, of the Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight, an investigation into the …Read More
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Another mesothelioma lawsuit victory: Johnson & Johnson to pay $4.7B to asbestos victims
More families were victorious earlier this month when 22 women and their loved ones won a mesothelioma lawsuit against giant company Johnson & Johnson after it failed to warn its customers that its talc products could cause life-threatening illnesses, such as malignant mesothelioma. According to the Associated Press (AP), a jury at the St. Louis Circuit …Read More