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Cancer

Record Decline in U.S. Cancer Death Rates

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According to a report by the American Cancer Society, data from 2017-2018 shows a record decline in U.S. cancer death rates – a drop of 2.4%. The year 2016-2017 cancer deaths dropped 2.2%. In general, the death rate has been declining since 1991 – a decline of 31% from 1991 to 2018. Death rates also decreased for prostate, colorectal and breast cancer. This is great news and positive news as we approach National Cancer Month in February. But what is the cause?

Why the decline in U.S. cancer death rates?

Since almost half of the decline is due to one form of cancer, lung cancer, we can point to a decrease in smoking over this time. While this is a large factor, there are also improvements in surgery, diagnostics, new pharmaceuticals, and more targeted radiation that have contributed to the decline. These factors, as well as immunotherapies, have helped decrease the other cancers as well. For those who suffer from lung cancer, including those who suffer from asbestos-related lung cancer, this report should be encouraging.

Dr. Deborah Schrag, chief of population sciences at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute stated, “Both men and women who are diagnosed with lung cancer are surviving longer, and that’s really fantastic news.”  While acknowledging the improvement, Dr. Schrag also commented, “We have a lot of good progress. We should celebrate that, but we shouldn’t declare victory.”

Why not declare victory?

With this steady decline in U.S. cancer death rates, why not declare victory? Cancer is still the second leading cause of death behind heart disease. Cancer led to the deaths of 599,000 Americans in 2018. It is projected there will be 609,000 cancer deaths in 2021. Obviously, there is still much research ahead. However, there are also other factors that won’t be helped by scientific research and high tech treatments. To improve statistics in the following problem areas there will need to be more education, individual awareness of lifestyle and cultural challenges, medical personnel, and state and city planning.

• Though cervical cancer is virtually preventable with medical screenings and the HPV vaccine, 2018 had 4,000 women die from this cancer.

• Black patients’ survival rates are below that of white patients’ for almost all cancers.

• There are geographic differences in death rates, including: statewide detection differences, and areas with societal activities leading to smoking or obesity.

• There’s a concern that the death decline seen in colorectal and breast cancers have slowed in the past few years and progress for prostate cancer has actually stopped.

Possible effects of the coronavirus pandemic on cancer deaths

The fear, and difficulty, of going to medical facilities for routine exams or tests when unusual symptoms appear are often delayed or skipped entirely. This can lead to later diagnoses and, potentially, more deaths. The effects will probably not be known quickly. As Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the referenced report, said, “This will be an impact that will be felt slowly over the next decade.”

With vaccinations in process for Covid-19, cancer doctors anticipate, and hope, the pandemic will be a minor interruption in the decades- long progress made in the fight against cancer deaths.

Libby, Montana: Where Asbestos Exposure and COVID-19 Mingle

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Libby, Montana has fought lung diseases due to asbestos for over a century; but now the effects of asbestos exposure and COVID-19 are giving residents of Libby a new worry.

History of Libby asbestos exposure

This combination of silent killers increases the medical fears that have long plagued the area. For generations, Libby, Montana has fought serious lung diseases due to large exposures to asbestos posed by asbestos contaminated vermiculite mined from nearby Zonolite mountain. Asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma – a deadly disease – have led to hundreds of deaths and many residents with scarred and damaged lungs.

Asbestos exposure and COVID-19 threats

Now coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ensuing pandemic, has left Libby with additional medical worries. COVID-19 is especially dangerous for older people and those with lung or heart conditions, severe obesity, diabetes, and weakened immune systems. Today, 1 in 10 residents are diagnosed with some form of asbestos disease. Since generations of residents lived with the horror of asbestos exposure, this new threat is just one more blow.

Deception leads to distrust

National Public Radio (NPR) reports trusting authorities can be difficult for some individuals who lived through deceptions about asbestos – not knowing that the mines and piles of mine waste that abounded in the area were toxic to them. But W.R. Grace and Company knew and kept it secret for decades. Eventually the EPA came in during the 1990s, helped clean up the town and made the former mine a super fund site. 

Turning to today, COVID-19 is a potentially deadly virus.  Local, state and federal health officials warn that masks should be worn and contacts limited.  But as NPR reports, mistrust in state and local authorities from their initial handling of asbestos disease issues from the mines makes it difficult for some in Libby to know what to do with the new silent health threat posed by COVID-19.  Some just want to get back to work and to their lives. This area of Montana is beautiful – leading the town to rely on the visits of tourists. Yet, tourists could bring more of this new health threat into their town. This conundrum leads to varying opinions among residents on how to protect while keeping livelihoods.

Asbestos, Quebec: In Search of a New Name, or Is It?

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Asbestos, Quebec, Canada – In search of a new name to replace the one that once proclaimed the town’s pride as a well-known global exporter of asbestos. For 141 years, since the opening of the Jeffrey Mine in 1879, the town based its identity on asbestos. By the 1970s and 1980s, this fame began turning against the town. The dangers of asbestos became known, leading to problems enticing businesses to relocate to Asbestos. Fewer tourists wanted to visit for a tour of the mine.

In search of a new name for Asbestos, Quebec?

In 2006, changing the name of the town was first suggested to the citizens. The idea was rejected by many since memories of the good days were still fresh. But, in 2019, the mayor said the town no longer had a choice. Companies did not want the name Asbestos associated with them or their products. The mines closed in 2011, leaving an economic hole that needed filling.  

Finalists for the new name

Originally, a new name was scheduled for May of 2020, but the process has not gone smoothly. There are requirements for a name change, including:

• a reflection of the area or people,

• it must be in French,

• it cannot be the name of a saint or other person.

Hundreds of suggestions came in and, of those, the municipal council chose four. When the names were revealed, this town, with a population of 7,096, was not pleased. The names and associated complaints:

Apalone – a local species of turtle

A common comment stated there is no pride in living in a soft turtle city.

Jeffrey – for W.H. Jeffrey, the namesake of the Jeffrey asbestos mine

Critics say this still ties the town to asbestos and the leaders indirectly tied to the deaths of many workers. One requirement stated no names of persons.

Phénix – the mythical bird who arose from flames to begin anew

This has no connection to local history.

Trois-Lacs –  a local lake

While the name sounds inviting, it is known as one of the worst lakes in Quebec.

The voting

The mayor, Hugues Grimard, issued a statement, “I am very happy with the approach we have adopted throughout the process and especially with the involvement of our population. I invite our citizens to come and vote in large numbers!”

However, on September 16, the general manager for Asbestos, Quebec, Georges-Andre Gagne, tried to quell the conflict saying, ”some people have expressed their disagreement with the names proposed” and called for a constructive and respectful debate.

The strife is such that some citizens want to keep the name Asbestos, even though it is the name of a toxic and sometimes deadly mineral. Asbestos can cause lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma – a deadly form of cancer.

One citizen, Alexandre Cote, wrote on Facebook, “Honestly, it’s a setup to get Trois-Lacs! The rest of the names are really awful.” His comment joined the many who just said, “ridiculous!!”

The search of a new name will hopefully be settled when voted on between October 14 and 18 by citizens over 14.

Read Before Removing A Popcorn Ceiling

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Removing a popcorn ceiling is one of the first thing a DIYer does to update a home built between the 1950s and 1978. It’s a messy job, but beyond that, it creates a likely danger to the remodeler and anyone who will live in the home.

Several products used to build homes before 1978 contained asbestos, a mineral used for many reasons. It is fire resistant, easily molded into shapes, has insulating properties and seemed to be an almost perfect addition to many building materials. Popcorn ceilings, tape & bed joint compound, shingles, and textures for walls and ceilings were all popular. Asbestos-containing drywall patching compounds were banned in 1977 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Work that disturbs any potential asbestos materials can lead to serious diseases, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma – a fatal disease that is only acquired through asbestos exposure. If the structure was built in 1978 or earlier, even 1980 to be safe, any suspicion of asbestos needs to be tested by a professional. It cannot be discerned by a visual inspection.

Why is testing so important?

Asbestos is comprised of microscopic fibers that, when disturbed, can be inhaled. These fibers can remain in the lungs for decades before showing up as a health disaster. Anyone in the vicinity of the fiber dust is susceptible to these diseases. It can circulate through air ducts, land on furniture and clothing, or carpets – anywhere the air takes it.

Testing is not expensive and results can be found within days. It is worth the time and expense to avoid a deadly disease.

What to do when removing a popcorn ceiling

The good news is that undisturbed popcorn ceilings and other asbestos materials are harmless until they are disturbed by deterioration, scraping, sawing, drilling, or any action that releases the fibers. Removing a popcorn ceiling is not a DIY project if it is shown to contain asbestos. That is when a professional and certified asbestos abatement company is required. Many people and contractors are willing to take a risk, but it is a serious and potentially deadly gamble. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. The CPSC gives four points to consider:

  • Asbestos is impossible for a consumer to identify without a microscope.      
  • It is not possible to know the exact degree of risk with any low-level exposure.
  • The product is not the problem, it is the release of respirable fibers.
  • Specially trained people are necessary for any removal of asbestos. An untrained person can create more of a hazard than it eliminates.

The bottom line

Asbestos is dangerous when disturbed in any way. Most countries throughout the world have banned its use. The U.S. is one of the few developed countries that has not completely banned the mineral. Removing popcorn ceilings is only one of many threats to health. If you are concerned about this danger that continues to exist, contact you senators, congress persons, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Once a ban is issued, there will still be asbestos in our environment into the next century.  We can make a difference, but only if we care enough to contact those who can add us to the list of countries banning asbestos totally.

Louisiana Asbestos Abatement Inspector Pleads Guilty

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The U.S. Attorney in New Orleans says a contractor has plead guilty to a theft charge for defrauding a Louisiana school system out of more than $200,000.   Federal prosecutors alleged that from 2015 to 2017, a Louisiana asbestos abatement inspector submitted false asbestos reports to Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish School Board (TPSB.) The charges alleged that not only were lab reports faked, but the signature of an accredited asbestos inspector was forged.

Filing false asbestos reports is a federal crime

Prosecutors alleged this is not the first time he falsified documents. In 2013, the same individual received 12 months’ probation and was required to pay $3,040. to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and a $100 fine when he plead guilty to falsifying documents provided to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ.)

When the 12 months of probation were completed, the defendant began contracting work for the TPSB. Federal charges allege that fabricated asbestos laboratory reports were filed for fees totaling approximately $212,618.26. These funds came in part from federal funds provided to the TPSB.

A sentencing hearing is set for December 16, 2020..

Why is this crime important?

If the reports were falsified, that means for at least two years testing was not performed at schools in Terrebonne Parish. Many older school buildings have at least some asbestos – ceiling tiles, insulation, mastic and more. Left undisturbed, these products do not pose a health hazard. But, if there is remodeling or repair, fibers can be released into the air leading to inhalation.

There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Over two years, there was a potential for work which disturbed existing asbestos containing products. Improper asbestos abatement with no air monitoring is dangerous and creates a health risk.  There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and even low level exposures can increase the risk for development of mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

What can you do to prevent false asbestos abatement reports?

Whether responsible for a school district, business, or your own home, check credentials of anyone monitoring, abating, or working on a building that possibly has asbestos. Any building built before 1980 should be tested for the presence of asbestos-containing materials before major remodeling or demolition work.