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Johnson & Johnson Discontinue Talc-Based Baby Powder

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After producing baby powder since 1894, Johnson & Johnson will discontinue talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada. Years of charges their baby powder contained traces of asbestos brought lawsuits and public distrust. J&J suffered a loss in market value along with lessening sales. In 1980, J&J began selling a cornstarch version of the powder in response to the criticism. They will continue to market that product.

The connection between asbestos and talc

Talc is a mineral mined underground, as is asbestos. They are often found in close proximity to each other. The problem occurs because they can be mingled in the mining process.

Asbestos in any amount is not safe. For some women, the continual use over time led to ovarian cancer and for others, mesothelioma, a fatal disease.

Why are there lawsuits?

A congressional investigation uncovered internal documents showing Johnson & Johnson knew for over 50 years their baby powder contained asbestos. This knowledge was not passed on to consumers. Juries in many cases found Johnson & Johnson guilty, awarding large amounts to the plaintiffs. Testing found asbestos in many of the samples. However, Johnson & Johnson testified their testing did not find any trace in the same samples.

Though the product was marketed toward babies, most baby powder was purchased for adult women. As of this March, Johnson & Johnson had 19,400 lawsuits pending which involved the talc baby powder.

J&J decision to discontinue talc-based baby powder

Even as they announced the discontinuation, J&J stood by their assertion that there is no asbestos in their talc. They cite lessening sales caused by misinformation and litigation advertising. It appears they determined the best course for the brand was to remove this baby powder from their lineup of products.

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In a statement, J&J said it “remains steadfastly confident in the safety of talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder.”

Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Association, published this remark, “Americans should be able to trust they are safe from asbestos. Johnson & Johnson spent decades misleading the public to think their often asbestos-contaminate baby powder was safe when they knew it was not. Today’s announcement that they will stop selling this potentially deadly product is a victory for public health. A small and influential group of chemical companies in America still rely on asbestos and have stood in the way of a national ban of this deadly substance. We can’t wait for them to follow J&J and see the error of their ways. Congress must pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN) and ban asbestos once and for all.”

Mountain View Generating Plant Is A Dallas Legacy

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Mountain View Generating Plant is a Dallas legacy, though much of its past had undesirable consequences.  

Mountain Creek Lake sounds like such a pleasant place to relax and enjoy the scenery. In actuality, the lake was built, not for relaxation, but as a cooling reservoir for the Mountain View, more generally known as Mountain Creek, power plant. The plant was built starting in 1938, with additional units built in 1945, 1949, 1956, 1958, and 1967. Through the years, it was also called the Dallas Power and Light Mountain Creek Station, Mountain Creek Steam Electric Station, and Mountain Creek S-E Generating Station.

Mountain View Generating Station
Mountain View Generating Plant early photo.

What was the Mountain View Generating Plant? 

Mountain View was a steam generating power plant that ran turbines, which then generated electricity. Steam plant built in this time period commonly had pipes, steam-lines and steam driven equipment which were extremely hot and therefore were built using asbestos-containing insulation. In addition, gaskets and rope packing were made from asbestos and used on steam flanges and steam powered equipment, like pumps, valves, turbines, and boilers. Steel surfaces also had fireproofing made from asbestos. 

Workers at most power plants through the 1980s were likely exposed to asbestos. In fact, if a power plant was built before 1980, it is almost a certainty that asbestos was in the facility or in the products made there. Because asbestos is comprised of microscopic fibers that are easily inhaled, workers in the plant – and sometimes their families – daily inhaled these fibers, creating a health problem for the future. Asbestos diseases are often fatal, especially mesothelioma. Other diseases include lung cancer and asbestosis. After an individual is exposed to asbestos, it can take 20 to 40 years or more for symptoms to develop. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.

What has happened to Mountain View?

In 2018, Exelon Generation Co LLC, going through bankruptcy, sold Mountain Creek along with three other power plants to their creditors.  Two of the generators were retired by that time.

Photo Courtesy of Edwin J. Foscue Map Library, Southern Methodist University

How Does COVID-19 Affect Lung Cancer Patients?

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The novel coronavirus, commonly called COVID-19, primarily affects breathing as it is a respiratory disease. But specifically, how does COVID-19 affect lung cancer patients?

Since there is currently no vaccine or treatment directly targeted for COVID-19, people with lung cancer need to be particularly aware of guidelines for protection strategies against the disease by following CDC directions. There are many causes of lung cancer, but exposure to asbestos is a major cause. Asbestos can also lead to the fatal lung disease, malignant mesothelioma.

How does COVID-19 affect lung cancer patients?

Since people with lung cancer are in one of the more high-risk groups for acquiring COVID-19, know the basics of prevention:

• Practice social distancing – Stay home as much as possible. If outside your home, wear masks and gloves, wash your hands with soap and water before and after any encounter with others or with in-store products for at least 20 seconds, and maintain a minimum of six feet between yourself and others. This includes during doctor visits and other medical appointments.

• Get tested – Since lung cancer classifies as high-risk, get tested if there are new symptoms beyond normal. Others who fall into this category are adults over 65, adults with other serious diseases, and those who are taking chemotherapy drugs or have other immunity issues. Symptoms include a dry cough, trouble breathing, and a temperature of 100.4 or over.

• Speak with a doctor – In all cases, if you or a loved one has lung disease, it is highly recommended to speak with their doctors to determine any guidelines the doctor may suggest for your specific situation. Here you can also access and print an informative handout produced by the Lung Cancer Research Foundation.

Should I really be concerned?

In a word, yes. Currently, the United States leads the world in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. However, the number may be much greater as many people experience COVID-19 with no symptoms. That doesn’t mean they can’t pass the virus on to others, so social distancing is extremely important – especially for high-risk individuals.

Remember, there is no treatment geared specifically for COVID-19 and there is no preventative vaccine. The only protection is squarely on each individual to do their best to follow all CDC guidelines.

What drugs are being used?

Some medications have shown promise but there are currently no COVID-19 specific drugs approved through a completed study.

Vaccines virtually eliminated smallpox and polio in past decades. Scientists are currently working toward developing vaccines that could end, or lessen the effects of, coronaviruses as well. In this month, there are almost 80 vaccine development initiatives ongoing. Best case timeline for vaccine development is 18 months.

Are lung cancer patients more susceptible to COVID-19?

While patients with lung cancer do not appear to be more likely to get COVID-19, if they do acquire the disease, complications are more likely. If a patient is undergoing immunosuppressive treatment, such as chemotherapy, their immune system may not be able to fight it off, however. Cancer patients, overall, should be more vigilant about all the precautions. Following all guidelines provides the best chance of avoiding contraction of COVID-19.

Proactive Cancer Prevention

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Does cancer prevention mean never getting cancer? Not necessarily, but it can decrease your chances immensely. It all begins with you.

Proactive cancer prevention

Life, procrastination, even denial possibly get in the way of doing what we know we should do to be healthy individuals. Annual checkups, knowing our family’s health history, eating healthy foods, and exercising are just a few areas that can affect our health. What else can be done to protect overall health and even deter cancer?

First is the use of tobacco products

There is no safe amount of smoking. A study showed that even smoking fewer than one cigarette each day resulted in a 64 percent increase in death over people who never smoked. The more cigarettes smoked, the higher the percentage as it climbs to an 87 percent higher death risk when smoking between one and 10 per day versus never smoked.

Eating an overall healthy diet is key

Studies show that instead of focusing on one type of food or beverage as “good” or “bad”, it’s the entire diet over a long period of time that most affects our health. This nutrient intake includes supplements as well.  Supplements cannot replace the benefits of ingesting nutrients through foods – and can sometimes even be a detriment. Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans and limit refined sugars and processed meats to reduce the possibility of acquiring cancer.

Premature death associated with extreme obesity

What is extreme obesity? In general, it is when a person is 100 pounds or more over their recommended weight for their height. Since this is usually measured in BMI rankings, it was found that people in the 40.0 – 44.9 BMI category lost over six years from their normal life span. Those at an even higher level of 55.0 – 59.9 BMI lost almost 14 years of life. To compare, smokers and extremely obese individuals had about the same years of life lost. These losses are generally due to heart issues and cancer.

Breast cancer prevention

Limit alcohol consumption. Latest recommendation to prevent breast cancer is to drink no more that one drink per day. Alcohol increases the risk of breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver cancers.

Stay active regularly.  Aim for 150 minutes each week with moderate activity or 75 minutes of aerobic activity. This will burn calories and also keep blood flowing.

Weigh the risks of hormone therapy over the rewards. If you decide to proceed, stay under a doctor’s monitoring as combination hormone therapy can increase risks if used for more than 3-5 years.

Protect yourself in the sun

Melanoma can be a vicious cancer, so protecting yourself when outdoors pays big dividends. This protection needs to be used on cloudy days as well as sunny. Stay in the shade, use a minimum of SPR 30 and reapply frequently – especially when going in and out of water. Cover skin when outdoors using tightly woven fabrics in bright or dark colors. Finally, completely avoid tanning beds or sunlamps. These will damage your skin and bring about skin cancer just as much as the sun.

Certain behaviors create risks

Hepatitis B increases risk of liver cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for people at risk through intravenous drugs, people with sexually transmitted infections, and people exposed through their occupation in health care or public safety.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus. It can lead to cervical cancers and squamous cell cancers on the head and neck. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys 11 and 12 and the Gardasil 0 for adults ages 9 to 45.

Practice safe sex. This will aid in protection against cancers of liver, lung, and various genital cancers. \

Don’t share needles. This behavior can lead to diseases that increase the risk of liver cancer.

Environmental cancer prevention

Many people still do not realize the dangers that may lurk in homes and offices built before 1978. For decades, asbestos was used in multiple ways – for insulation, tiles, mastic, shingles, popcorn ceilings, the list goes on. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Though it is primarily dangerous when disturbed, allowing fibers to float and be inhaled or land on clothing or furniture, it poses a hazard within any pre-1978 building.  For that reason, any type of renovation, or accident, or weather event that disturbs an asbestos laden material is dangerous. Inhalation can lead to lung cancer, asbestosis, and the fatal disease, mesothelioma. Always employ a professional abatement company when a project may involve asbestos. They will test any suspicious materials, and if necessary, clean and dispose of all contaminated debris.

There are other dangers that may be in your home. Search the Internet and you’ll find articles and preventative methods on talc (may contain asbestos), cleaners, makeup, as well as other products to check. A good place to start is ewg.org, a website of the Environmental Working Group that “empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment.” Their research and education on common products can be eye-opening.

Begin today

No one wants to experience the symptoms or go through the treatments for cancers. There is so much we can do to lessen the risks – more than written here. What can you do to decrease your – and your family’s – risk for cancer? It’s worth making changes in lifestyle. Proactive cancer prevention can save your life.

New Discovery May Lead to a Cancer Cure

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Though the study is in early stages, a new discovery may lead to a cancer cure for all types. The potential cure lies within our own immune systems.

A team of researchers at Cardiff University discovered T-cell receptors (TCRs) in the human immune system that were unknown until the study. One of the researchers, Professor Andrew Sewell, stated, “Current TCR-based therapies can only be used in a minority of patients with a minority of cancers. Cancer-targeting via MR1-restricted T-cells is an exciting new frontier – it raises the prospect of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ cancer treatment; a single type of T-cell that could be capable of destroying many different types of cancers across the population. Previously nobody believed this could be possible.”

New TCRs may lead to cancer cure for all types of cancers

The new TCR can recognize. at a chemical level, the MR1 molecule when present on a cancer cell. While the MR1 is also on the surface of every cell in the body, this newly discovered TCR targets and kills only cancerous cells.

There are other T-cell therapies currently, such as CAR-T, but they are extremely specific to the individual and to the type of cancer. These therapies, unlike what is shown in trials of the new TCR, are ineffective for any solid cancer, such as tumors. According to this study, published in Nature Immunology, researchers were able to kill cancer cells in lung, skin, blood, colon, breast, bone, prostate, ovarian, kidney, and cervical cancers – meanwhile not harming healthy cells.

How would the patient receive the TCRs?

  1. Blood would be taken from the patient
  2. Immune T-cells would be filtered out
  3. Scientists would use a harmless virus to put genes into T-cells which changes them to recognize and target cancer cells
  4. These enhanced cells would be duplicated in large quantities in the lab
  5. Finally, these cells are injected into the patient

At this point, the TCRs would do their work to search and destroy cancer cells.

When will treatments begin?

To date, tests were performed on mice containing human cancer with a human immune system. Tests on humans are expected by the end of 2020, but first must ensure that healthy cells are not compromised in the process.

According to Daniel Davis, a professor of immunology at the University of Manchester, “At the moment, this is very basic research and not close to actual medicines for patients. There is no question that it’s a very exciting discovery, both for advancing our basic knowledge about the immune system and for the possibility of future new medicines.”