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What is the average age of someone diagnosed with mesothelioma?

We recently published a SlideShare titled “What is the average age of someone diagnosed with mesothelioma?

If you wish to speak to an attorney about your options after a mesothelioma diagnosis, please call 866-283-5862.

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    Asbestos Find Causes Retailers to Pull Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder

    Major retailers including Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid have pulled 22-ounce bottles of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder after the FDA found traces of asbestos in a recently-tested bottle.

    The presence of asbestos in Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder prompted Johnson & Johnson to initiate a voluntary recall on approximately 33,000 bottles of the talcum powder.

    In recent years, Johnson & Johnson has fought lawsuits filed by people who allege that baby powder use led to their mesothelioma, a very rare cancer that is only caused by asbestos. Talcum powder and asbestos co-exist in the natural geologic formations, and plaintiff’s attorneys allege that asbestos has been present in talcum powder products such as Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder for decades, and that the company has privately fretted about it.

    A couple weeks before the announcement that the FDA had found asbestos in Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder, CEO Alex Gorsky said in a taped deposition that the company “unequivocally” believes its talcum powder products do not contain asbestos. Plaintiffs’ attorneys allege that the company engaged in a concerted effort to cover up the presence of asbestos. So far, jury results have been mixed.

    Talcum powder products have come under increased scrutiny. In October, a 33-patient case study was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. It provided support to the contention that exposure to asbestos-tainted talcum powder can cause malignant mesothelioma, the rare and deadly asbestos cancer that affects tissues lining internal organs such as the lungs, intestines, testicles and heart.

    The authors of the study profiled the cases of six individuals with mesothelioma, who underwent tissue testing that showed fibers consistent with the type of asbestos found in cosmetic talc, but not in other asbestos products like building supplies and insulation. Some of these people used products containing talcum powder daily for decades.

    In addition to the legal battle over whether Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder causes mesothelioma, the company is also fighting lawsuits from women who allege that their use of talcum powder led to ovarian cancer.

    RPWB represents talcum powder users nationwide who have developed mesothelioma or ovarian cancer from using Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower products. Give us a call or submit a message on this page to begin your free, no obligation case review.

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      Jury awards $40.3 million to mesothelioma victim

      For a variety of reasons, many South Carolina women in past generations used baby powder on a regular basis. In past decades, this was a talc-based product also referred to as talcum powder — and it is dangerous. Talc is often contaminated with other substances, including asbestos. A jury recently awarded a woman $40.3 million after she developed mesothelioma because of asbestos exposure. That exposure was from Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder.

      The woman and her husband brought the lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson. The suit claimed that doctors diagnosed her with mesothelioma back in 2017. Since then she has undergone chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and surgery. Her body tissue was also tested, and experts found both anthophyllite asbestos and tremolite. It has already been shown that both of these substances are contaminants of at least two Johnson & Johnson products, one of those being baby powder.

      The lawsuit blamed Johnson & Johnson for the woman’s mesothelioma. The company denied this allegation and instead blamed her cancer diagnosis on where she lived, which is an industrial area. She argued that while she did live in that area, she had never worked at or gone into a facility where exposure to asbestos is possible.

      The jury ultimately decided in her favor. The resulting compensation will likely be very helpful for addressing her physical, emotional and financial damages, such as medical bills. The outcome of this case might also give hope to South Carolina patients who are currently battling mesothelioma. While pursuing a claim against a large company for asbestos exposure might seem daunting, it is often possible with the right help.

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        Diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma? We can help

        There are few things in life that can be more terrifying than a cancer diagnosis. If you were exposed to asbestos and are currently in the diagnosis process, you may feel confused and even a little lost. You may have also been surprised to learn that there are four different types of mesothelioma. One of those types is peritoneal mesothelioma.

        Asbestos exposure is the number one reason that people develop peritoneal mesothelioma, although it only makes up around from 10 to 20% of all mesothelioma diagnoses. However, most people who are exposed to asbestos while living or working in South Carolina do not even realize that they are sick for many years or even decades. Mesothelioma takes a particularly long time to develop, so most people do not begin experiencing symptoms until it is already too late.

        You probably associate mesothelioma with the lungs. Although mesothelioma cancer does frequently form in the lungs, peritoneal mesothelioma shows up in the lining of the abdomen. If detected early on, patients can potentially respond to treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Again, mesothelioma is usually not diagnosed until decades have passed, so treatment is not an option for most people. Instead, doctors may only recommend palliative care.

        Sadly, there are many companies operating in South Carolina that prioritize their profits over everything else. This means that workers and innocent bystanders were — and still are — wrongly exposed to asbestos. If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma because of an employer’s negligence, you should know that you have options. Be sure to read more about those options right here on our website.

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          First New Mesothelioma Treatment in 15 Years Approved By FDA

          By Ken Wilson

          It’s not often that we get to report new treatments for mesothelioma.

          While we do see a lot of clinical trials, the standard treatment plan for malignant pleural mesothelioma has been relatively unchanged for many years. Most patients go through surgery (if they are able to), radiation and chemotherapy.

          It can be an aggressive treatment plan. In many instances, doctors diagnose mesothelioma when patients are in the late stages, which means the treatment is challenging because the cancer has spread.

          That’s why recent news of the FDA approving the first new treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma in 15 years is so encouraging.

          In May 2019, the FDA approved utilizing Tumor Treating Fields for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma in combination with chemotherapy. The approved device is called the NovoTTF-100L System (manufactured by Novocure). It is a non-invasive method that works by delivering electric fields tuned to specific frequencies that disrupt solid tumor cell division. In other words, it hinders mesothelioma tumors from growing and spreading.

          The treatment is approved for mesothelioma patients who are not candidates for surgery. Only 10 to 20 percent of patients with pleural mesothelioma are candidates for surgery. The remaining 80 percent of patients typically receive palliative care to improve their quality of life. The use of Tumor Treating Fields is a promising development for those who cannot have surgery to remove the tumors as it may extend their lives and improve treatment outcomes. It was approved under the agency’s Humanitarian Device Exemption pathway, which was created to encourage the innovation of therapies for underserved patients with rare diseases.

          The FDA’s approval for the use of Tumor Treating Fields was based on a trial that included 80 pleural mesothelioma patients. Overall, the patients lived an average of 18.1 months, including 21.2 months for patients with epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma and 12.1 months for those with non-epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma.

          That might not seem like a long time, but for late-stage pleural mesothelioma patients who are not candidates for surgery, it can mean more time spent with their loved ones, which is priceless.

          As an attorney who has helped mesothelioma patients for over 30 years, the absolute worst part of my practice is seeing people who worked hard for the entire careers have their golden years cut short. Anything that can help extend the amount of time they have with loved ones and diminish their suffering is very positive news and should be celebrated as such.

          People who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and their loved ones should discuss all treatment options with their oncologist in order to make an informed decision that is in the best interest of the mesothelioma patient.

          Let’s all hope that we continue to see more new treatments for mesothelioma in the years to come.

          Ken Wilson has devoted his career to helping mesothelioma victims. He represents asbestos cancer patients nationwide from his office in Aiken, South Carolina. Wilson is on the Best Lawyers in America list for Product Liability Litigation (Plaintiff). RPWB lawyers were among the first in the country to hold asbestos manufacturers liable for causing mesothelioma. To learn more about our 40-year history helping asbestos victims, please click here. You may contact us at 1-866-594-8765 or use the form on this page to begin a free, no obligation case review.

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            US states sue EPA over mesothelioma concerns

            Asbestos is a carcinogen that is extremely hazardous to human health. Exposure to asbestos can cause victims in South Carolina to develop dangerous and even fatal diseases, such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently closed a loophole regarding asbestos use, but some states say the current protections are not enough.

            A total of 10 states as well as Washington, D.C. are suing the EPA after critics say the agency failed to protect citizens. The agency passed the new rule in April 2019, which it said closed a decades-old loophole that made it impossible to restrict or prevent sales of certain products containing asbestos. Those suing the EPA said it should have done much more than just closed a single loophole and should have banned the substance altogether.

            The lawsuit cites a 2019 petition that called on the EPA to better regulate asbestos, and to also collect more data on how it is imported and used in this country. The EPA denied the petition in the same month that it passed the allegedly lackluster rule. According to the suit, the denial was not only arbitrary, but it was also a violation of the EPA’s obligations according to the Toxic Substances Control Act.

            Individuals living in South Carolina and across the rest of the country might be understandably concerned about the continued use of asbestos. Even if the carcinogenic substance was banned from new use, it still exists in an untold number of products that people still use, leaving room for new exposures all the time. When a victim develops mesothelioma or other illness as a result of that exposure, it can be helpful to explore what type of compensation might be needed or possible to recover from any negligent parties.

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              FDA approves new treatment for mesothelioma

              We recently published a slideshare which provides information about a new FDA-approved therapy for sufferers of mesothelioma.

              Please view the information below, and call our law firm if you have any questions about your legal options following a mesothelioma diagnosis.

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                Victim’s family continues mesothelioma suit against Ford

                South Carolina residents should be able to go to work without fear for their health, well-being and general safety. Additionally, older workers should have the luxury of looking back over their working careers without realizing that they were wrongfully exposed to deadly substances. This is unfortunately not the reality that many people face, and mesothelioma patients in particular might feel especially frustrated by their work situations. Seeking compensation is usually a good way to address those frustrations, but doing so might not always be easy.

                A year before his death from peritoneal mesothelioma, a former generator service technician and mechanic sued the Ford Motor Co. He claimed that his mesothelioma was caused by ongoing asbestos exposure while working for Ford. Although he passed away from his illness before the suit was completed, his surviving family members were named as plaintiffs.

                Ford later filed a motion for the wrongful death suit to be dismissed entirely, but a court only partly granted that motion. According to Ford and the court, aspects of the case overlapped with areas covered by that state’s workers’ compensation act, so any claims in regard to employer liability were barred. However, the plaintiffs can move forward with the suit on other grounds and may even decide to bring forth additional allegations not related to employment.

                Suffering from an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma can be truly traumatizing. Victims in South Carolina often suffer intense physical, emotional and financial damages that cannot be adequately addressed without help. Securing compensation through carefully pursued lawsuits can be difficult at times, but is usually an effective approach for handling these types of damages.

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                  Is mesothelioma the only disease linked to asbestos?

                  There is no question about whether asbestos exposure can lead to devastating health outcomes. Most people in South Carolina already know that exposure to this toxic substance can cause mesothelioma, but that is not all. Lung cancer and asbestosis are other diseases that victims may develop years or even decades after being exposed. Here is what victims may need to know about these diseases.

                  Frequently associated with smoking, nonsmokers who develop lung cancer may suspect that something else is behind their disease. However, those who have been exposed to asbestos develop lung cancer more frequently than mesothelioma. Lung cancer patients frequently experience chronic coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and wheezing. If a person who has been exposed to asbestos begins experiencing any of these symptoms, he or she should be sure to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

                  Asbestosis is another health problem associated with exposure to asbestos. Unlike lung cancer and mesothelioma, asbestosis is a cancer, but rather a type of pneumoconiosis. This disease causes lungs to develop scar tissue, which can cause trouble breathing and other lung-related issues. Symptoms can be similar to those of lung cancer, including coughing and chest pain. There is currently no cure for asbestosis, although certain treatments have shown to be effective at relieving symptoms and even slowing down the progression of the disease.

                  The emotional and physical toll of living with a fatal disease is devastating, not to mention the financial burden of seeking necessary medical treatment. This is why pursuing compensation from negligent parties can be essential for victims. While money cannot undo the harm caused by mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis, just legal recourse can help victims in South Carolina address their related damages.

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                    Mesothelioma-causing asbestos found in more makeup products

                    There is really no ambiguity when it comes to the health risks associated with asbestos, which is why the carcinogen has been banned in a number of countries. Despite this, asbestos is still used in some products in the United States. However, the dangerous substance is showing up in far more places than the construction and manufacturing industries, which people might most closely associate with asbestos and the related cancer mesothelioma. A recent round of testing by the Food and Drug Administration found that not one but two companies were selling contaminated makeup products that could cause asbestos exposure for both women and young girls in South Carolina.

                    The FDA has an ongoing procedure for testing cosmetics for asbestos contamination. In a recent round of testing, the FDA identified a contour palette sold by Beauty Plus Global as well as a popular child’s makeup kit sold at Claire’s, a store geared toward young girls, both of which have since been recalled. However, this is not the first time that Claire’s has had to recall makeup items marketed to children. In early 2019, Claire’s had to pull three makeup and cosmetics products off its shelves after FDA discovered asbestos. Asbestos contamination in children’s cosmetics has been a public issue for Claire’s as far back as 2017.

                    While Claire’s did recall the most recent dangerous product, it is unclear just how seriously the company is taking the matter. It recently released a statement that it not only upholds the safety of its products, but also pointed out that some countries even find trace amounts of asbestos in children’s products to be acceptable. The World Health Organization says that no level of asbestos can be considered safe.

                    Diseases related to asbestos exposure are often linked to South Carolina workers who spent years in construction or manufacturing, but the problem is far more widespread. Even small amounts of exposure can lead to devastating health effects later on in life. Mesothelioma victims may wonder how they will address their ongoing medical bills and other financial damages from their injuries, and it may be reassuring to know that there are options, including pursuing legal action against negligent companies and manufacturers who cause the exposure in the first place.

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