Louisville Personal Injury Blog

Mesothelioma, as Louisville residents may know, is an aggressive cancer usually caused by long-term exposure to asbestos. Among mesothelioma patients, there are several factors that can determine how long they have to live, and Chinese researchers have recently pointed to systemic inflammation as one of those factors. Their results were published in Cancer Management and Research.

The body responds to mesothelioma by sending out certain types of proteins and white blood cells, called lymphocytes and neutrophils, to fight it; this causes systemic inflammation. The systemic immune-inflammation index refers to the various degrees of inflammation and can be measured via blood test. A high SII will mean shorter survival for patients.

While many Louisville residents may think only of longtime workers in the asbestos industry when they consider the rare cancer called mesothelioma, one recent verdict points to a far more common risk. Johnson & Johnson, the large pharmaceutical and personal-care products corporation, was ordered to pay $25 million to one woman who sued the company after developing mesothelioma. She said that the malignancy was caused by her daily use of talc-based products produced by the company, particularly J&J Baby Powder and Shower to Shower.

The 66-year-old woman's case is not yet complete; the company was ordered to pay out $25 million in compensatory damages for her lost wages, medical bills and other expenses, but the jury will return to consider potential punitive damages against the company. The woman alleges that the company knew of the risks associated with talc and mishandled the product. There are over 14,000 pending claims related to the development of mesothelioma after exposure to talc products. J&J denies any link between talc and mesothelioma. It further argues that its products were never contaminated with asbestos.

Mesothelioma specialists have conducted a study that may be of interest to those in Louisville who know someone with this cancer. Results of the study have been published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology revealing that many mesothelioma patients 80 years and older are dying without receiving any cancer-related treatments. These treatments could have increased the median survival rate, which came to only 4.1 months.

Of the 4,526 elderly patients who were analyzed, 63% were not treated beyond an observation from their physician while 22% received chemotherapy. Of this latter group, the median survival rate was a much longer 9.5 months. Elderly patients may thus want to bring up the possibility of cancer therapies with their oncologist.

Workers in Louisville who were exposed to asbestos continue to suffer a risk for mesothelioma that does not decline despite stopping the exposure. In many cases, ending exposure to a carcinogen lowers the risk of a cancer diagnosis, as in the case of quitting smoking. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is generally caused by asbestos exposure. In most cases, it is linked to exposure in the workplace. Because the mineral was not flammable, did not corrode and provided strong insulation, it was mined and used in pipes, insulation and a range of industrial activities.

However, asbestos was only banned in most U.S. industrial activities after workers began developing cancer and other illnesses. Workers who continue to handle asbestos must use strong protective gear. For example, when asbestos is discovered in a building under renovation, leaving it at risk of shedding and distribution, special suits and other equipment must be used by professionals who will remove the asbestos from the site. However, leaving the workplace after an initial exposure to the mineral did not protect workers from developing mesothelioma. While a lung cancer diagnosis was less likely for workers who left an asbestos job 10 years prior, the mesothelioma risk persisted.