| Nuclear test study rules out radiation link
A University of Adelaide study has found that cancer rates among Australian men involved in the 1950s British nuclear tests are 23% higher than the general population, but has shown no link between the increased cancer rates and exposure to radiation. However, the study unearthed a probable asbestos-related cancer excess in navy personnel. The study - Mortality and Cancer Incidence in Australian Participants in the British Nuclear Tests in Australia - was undertaken by the University of Adelaide in association with a panel of specialists in radiation physics. It took more than three years to complete and was released last week by the Federal Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Bruce Billson. The study investigated the health effects on 11,000 men who took part in the British nuclear tests in Australia from 1952 to 1963.
Statins May Help Treat Mesothelioma
NEW YORK JUL 12, 2006 (Reuters Health) - Statins reverse doxorubicin resistance in human malignant mesothelioma cells in culture, a finding that may lead to new clinical strategies to improve doxorubicin efficacy in this hard to treat cancer. "The mechanism of statin-mediated inhibition of small G-protein function is the molecular basis of the drug-elicited reversion of doxorubicin resistance in human malignant mesothelioma cells," Dr. Amalia Bosia from University of Torino, Italy told Reuters Health. Dr. Bosia and colleagues investigated the ability of statins to reverse resistance to doxorubicin in drug-resistant primary human malignant mesothelioma cells and the molecular mechanism behind the reversion, according to their report in the July 1st issue of the International Journal of Cance Mevastatin and simvastatin significantly increased the intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin in the mesothelioma cells and increased the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, the authors report.
Compensation speeded up for asbestos cancer claims
PEOPLE suffering from lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos will receive compensation more quickly under moves introduced by the government yesterday. John Hutton, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said the system would be speeded up to ensure people suffering from mesothelioma received their money before they died. He said interim measures to speed up the claims process would be put into action now.. About 1,800 people are currently diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, and as many as 2,400 people could die from it annually by 2013. But while the disease has a long latency period, people typically die within 12 to 18 months of having it diagnosed. Under the new measures insurance claims handlers will be told to give priority to mesothelioma claims.
OSHA Advisory: Asbestos Automotive Brake and Clutch Repair Work
OSHA is issuing this Safety and Health Information Bulletin to inform employees and employers in the automotive brake repair industry of the precautions that must be taken when working with automotive brakes and clutches containing asbestos. In the case of do-it-yourselfers*, OSHA does not have jurisdiction, and OSHA does not require theses practices to be followed. To reduce the potential exposure to asbestos, EPA strongly recommends that all automotive brake and clutch repair work be done by professional auto mechanics. Although the use of asbestos in friction products is declining annually, it remains a substantial source of potential exposure. In addition, there is still potential exposure to asbestos contained in automotive brakes and clutches on older vehicles in need of service.
(AFX UK Focus) 2006-07-20 12:37 GMT: UK govt streamlining claims handling for asbestos compensation claims
LONDON (AFX) - The government said it is introducing immediate measures to help victims of asbestos-related lung cancer get their compensation claims handled faster. Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton said the interim action will include clarifying with claims handlers "best practice to ensure priority is given to those with mesothelioma", the medical name for the disease. "We will also work with Revenue and Customs so that employer records can be traced quicker," he said. The move comes on top of the government's decision to change the law through the Compensation Bill, in light of a Law Lords ruling which would have caused delays in resolving claims and made it more difficult for sufferers to recover full compensation. newsdesk@afxnews.com fp/joy COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2005.
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