According to the American Cancer Society, it can be a challenge for doctors to detect mesothelioma — a relatively rare cancer affecting the mesothelium, which is the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body.
There are no widely recommended screening tests, but exposure to asbestos is the primary cause, and some doctors recommend imaging tests for people who may be at risk. Those tests include chest ...
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An opinion piece in the Huffington Post by writer Marcia G. Yerman compares the Gus Van Zandt movie Promised Land to movies such as Silkwood and The China Syndrome, in that it “uses mainstream entertainment to delve into American values, corporate responsibility, and activism.”
The central issue is the controversial method of natural gas extraction called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” which involves pumping chemically treated water underground to break up ...
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Reuters reports that French health regulators intend to stop reimbursement for newer types of birth control pills, over concerns that they cause blood clots.
France’s health ministry said it will stop reimbursing prescription costs of “third-generation” pills such as Bayer’s Yasmin line starting March 31.
According to the report, the health officials took that step after an 18-year-old woman sued Bayer and a French official over a stroke she suffered in 2006 ...
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Website cautions that while all artificial hip replacement systems carry risks that the devices will break down or wear out, those risks are particularly high with “metal-on-metal” implants.
A metal-on-metal implant features both a ball and a cup coated with a combination of cobalt and chromium. The FDA says the metal components slide against each other when the recipient is walking or running, and tiny ...
continue reading...State and federal health regulators are warning New Jersey residents rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy to watch out for hidden health hazards, including asbestos.
A story in the Newark Star Ledger says panelists raised those concerns at a forum for New Jersey residents. Participants included representatives of the New Jersey Work Environment Council, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The report quotes Judith Enck, regional administrator ...
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One criticism that plaintiffs in widespread lawsuits have leveled against transvaginal mesh implants is that the devices were approved without clinical testing.
According to a story in the New York Times, researchers actually did attempt a clinical test, but had to discontinue it early because so many participants were suffering potentially dangerous complications.
Transvaginal mesh implants are sling-like devices meant to treat urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The lawsuits are based ...
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