Archive for the 'Lung Cancer' Category

Smithsonian exhibits contaminated with asbestos

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Robert Pullman is the newest hero in the fight for safety in the workplace. For over 25 years, Pullman was an exhibit specialist for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.

Last year, he and the other employees were informed for the first time that the walls they had been drilling into for decades contained asbestos. Every time that Pullman and his coworkers would update or change out an exhibit, drilling would release asbestos fibers into the air without any protective equipment or precautions.

Seeking justice, Pullman contacted the Washington Post and told them about the asbestos danger. He also filed several workplace safety complaints, for which he was reprimanded. He even took private air and dust samples to test for asbestos.

Soon after, Pullman was diagnosed with asbestosis, a form of lung disease linked to asbestos exposure.  He took legal action against the Smithsonian Institute that ended in a substantial settlement and severance pay, retraction of the negative letters in his file, the launching of a more extensive investigation into the health hazards in the Smithsonian buildings, and the implementation of better, safer policies.

It is brave, driven employees like Pullman who make the world a safer place for their coworkers. Despite opposition from his employer, Pullman persevered in his pursuit of justice. Workers should not have to worry about the safety of their work environment. Partly due to Pullman’s efforts, Smithsonian exhibit employees will now receive more comprehensive asbestos training and safety equipment, as well as access to a physician contracted by the company.

Stem Cells in Lungs May Trigger Lung Cancer

Friday, June 5th, 2009

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Bella rip Charlotte’s Web on dvd A team of British and American researchers from Duke University and Cancer Research UK has released a study of mice with lung cancer that produced some interesting results. They found that a set of stem cells within lungs may be what triggers lung cancer.

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By injecting mice with green fluorescent protein-tagged cells, the scientists were able to look at images of their lungs. It seems that after severe lung damage, stem cells in the lungs would activate to repair as much of the lungs as possible. In some cases however, the stem cells would create identical cells, spurring an uncontrollable growth inside the lungs. The stem cells appear to activate growth only after damage to the lungs, which fits perfectly with statistics that show an increase in lung cancer occurrences within cigarette smokers and people with chronic diseases.

The Machine Girl divx This finding is significant because it can help researchers fill in the gaps that existed in our understanding of the development of cancer. This was an international effort that involved funding and support from the National Institutes of Health, Cancer Research UK, the University of Cambridge, Hutchinson Whampoa and the Duke University Department of Medicine.

Asbestos exposure puts textile workers at risk of lung cancer

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

A study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine has found that those who worked in asbestos textile plants between the 1950s and 1970s face a significantly higher risk of lung cancer and death due to chrysotile asbestos exposure.

While asbestos has previously been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, this study specifically looked at four North Carolina plants that produced textile products with chrysotile asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos is the most commonly used form of the industrial fiber, and amosite and crocidolite are two lesser-used forms of the material.

The current study compared the asbestos exposure and medical histories of 5,770 workers who had been employed at the four North Carolina plants between 1950 and 1973. Of this group, more than 2,500 died during the study period; 277 of these deaths were from lung cancer. The plant workers rate of lung cancer was 95 percent higher than that of the general population, and their rate of death from all causes was 45 percent higher.

The findings of the study could drastically change policy decisions currently being made about the deregulation of chryostile asbestos.

Asbestos exposure can lead to many adverse side effects including lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer, asbestosis and  mesothelioma.Workers exposed to asbestos and who have been diagnosed with one of these maladies could be entitled to financial compaensation and should contact an asbestos attorney about a mesothelioma lawsuit.