Product News and Recalls

Different treatment options for cancer from asbestos

According to the American Cancer Society, several different treatment options are available for mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer affecting the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body called the mesothelium.

Mesothelioma is caused primarily by exposure to asbestos.

The main factors in choosing a treatment option are the size and place of the tumor, whether it has spread, the patient’s overall health, and the patient’s own preferences.

Treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or ...

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Depression takes different forms

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depressive disorder can take several different forms.

The Institute makes a distinction between a short-lived feeling of sadness that lasts several days, and a long-term condition that interferes with daily life.

The condition is treatable. The Institute cites medication and psychotherapy as effective treatments.

But recent research suggests that some treatments may come with harmful side effects. A number of studies indicate antidepressants classified as ...

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Despite injuries, manufacturer will sell device

Even as Johnson & Johnson has announced its intention to stop selling vaginal mesh implants, at least one other company intends to continue marketing them despite reports that the devices are severely injuring thousands of patients.

A Bloomberg report quotes Blaine Davis, Endo Health Solutions senior vice-president for corporate affairs, as saying: “As a company, we’re very committed to these categories. We are actually investing behind these products.”

Davis said the company, ...

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Blood clot risk affects menopause treatment

In a column in the Chicago Tribune, Joan Bengtson, M.D., gives advice on dealing with menopausal hot flashes when a risk of blood clots is present.

The woman seeking advice was diagnosed with a blood clot in her leg while using a hormone patch. Bengston writes that estrogen is the most effective prescription medicine for relieving hot flashes, but many women can’t take estrogen because of side effects including the formation ...

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Writer compares flame retardant chemicals to asbestos

David Green, executive director of the Center for Environmental Health, compares flame retardants and their production to asbestos as an example of business interests trying to conceal public health threats in the name of profits.

In a recent piece for the Huffington Post, Green refers to a four-part series in the Chicago Tribune, alleging that leading makers of fire retardant chemicals have for decades used deceptive tactics to mislead the public, legislators, and regulatory agencies about the efficacy and safety of ...

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Journal warns of benzene in the workplace

A past issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, chemical engineer Melvyn Kopstein warns that workplace use of petroleum-derived solvents can expose workers to benzene, a known carcinogen.

“Workers must be informed when products they use contain carcinogens such as benzene,” Kopstein writes.

He points out that federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations require manufacturers of benzene-containing solvents to make that information available, in part because employers have to know when it’s necessary to take precautions such as providing ...

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