Registration now open for ADAO Sixth Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization has announced registration is now open for its Sixth Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference. The conference is scheduled for April 9-11, 2010 in Chicago, Ill. This annual event brings together renowned doctors, scientists, researchers and asbestos victims and their families in a united forum for asbestos awareness, education and collaboration. Each year the event coincides with national Asbestos Awareness Day, April 1.

In addition to providing educational information, advocacy support, a special remembrance ceremony and networking opportunities, each year the conference honors individuals or organizations that have demonstrated outstanding work and dedication to asbestos awareness related activities. ADAO has announced this year’s honorees:

The Honorable Richard Durbin, United States Senator – Tribute of Hope AwardDr. Hedy Kindler – Selikoff Lifetime Achievement AwardCenter for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD), Libby, Montana – Tribute of Unity AwardFernanda Giannasi – Tribute of Inspiration AwardJune Breit (posthumous) – The Alan Reinstein Memorial Award

At the conference, the ADAO also will announce the recipient of the Warren Zevon “Keep Me in Your Heart” Memorial Tribute.

“I’ve received countless requests for my father’s song, ‘Keep Me in Your Heart,’ to be used at memorials for asbestos victims,” said ADAO Spokesperson Jordan Zevon. Jordan is the son of Warren Zevon, acclaimed singer and songwriter, who died of mesothelioma in 2003. “You can imagine how proud it makes me to know that my father’s Grammy winning song has touched so many families, but it is bittersweet because of the nature of those requests. In his honor, I will continue to work with ADAO to ban asbestos to spare future generations from the same fate.”

“As we get closer to a full asbestos ban, we are encouraged, yet simultaneously reminded that the reverberations of asbestos exposure can last decades,” said Linda Reinstein, Co-Founder and Executive Director of ADAO. “Our annual conferences drive home the importance of the need for increased awareness, education and research.”

Additional conference details are available on the ADAO web site, and online registration is available at http://www.adao.eventbrite.com.

The International Asbestos Awareness Conference is made possible with the support and collaborative efforts of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS).

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Tags: ADAO, asbestos, Asbestos Awareness Day, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, CARD, Center for Asbestos Related Diseases, Chicago, Dr. Hedy Kindler, Dr. Irving Selikoff, Fernanda Giannasi, International Asbestos Awareness Conference, International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, Jordan Zevon, June Breit, Libby, Linda Reinstein, mesothelioma, Montana, Richard Durbin, Tribute of Hope Award, Warren Zevon

This entry was postedon Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 7:00 amand is filed under Events, News, Organizations.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Asbestos is no joke – Asbestos Awareness Week begins today

Traditionally, April 1 has been designated by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) as Asbestos Awareness Day. The day has been officially recognized by U.S. Congress proclamation for the past six years. In recent years, the awareness effort has expanded, and now the first week of April is officially designated as Asbestos Awareness Week. The theme for the awareness week is “Knowledge is stronger than asbestos.”

On March 26, the ADAO praised the U.S. Senate for passage of the sixth annual resolution establishing National Asbestos Awareness Week. Senate Resolution 427 also urges the Surgeon General to warn and educate Americans about the severe hazards of asbestos exposure.

The ADAO is the largest organization in the United States serving as the voice of asbestos victims, and lobbies for the complete ban of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in the U.S. Asbestos exposure is linked to the development of a number of diseases, including asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs; and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and chest, abdomen or the heart. According to statistics compiled by ADAO, in the next decade it is estimated that 100,000 workers around the world will die of an asbestos-related disease. This equals 30 deaths each day.

ADAO co-founder and CEO Linda Reinstein said, “We are grateful to the U.S. Senate for unanimously passing S. Res. 427 that will increase public awareness about asbestos, a known human carcinogen. For the past six years, ADAO has seen that a week of awareness enables agencies, institutions and organizations to promote regulatory compliance and enforcement. Americans deserve and want to know how to prevent asbestos in their homes or in the workplace.”

Asbestos Awareness Week 2010 will be held April 1-7. Visit ADAO online for more information about asbestos and its commercial use; how to prevent exposure in homes, schools and workplaces; early warning symptoms and medical treatment options; and to find out more about why asbestos is still not a banned product in the U.S. and how it is used in common household products.

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Tags: ADAO, asbestos, Asbestos Awareness Day, Asbestos Awareness Week, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Linda Reinstein, mesothelioma

This entry was postedon Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 8:01 amand is filed under Events, News, Organizations, People.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Mayor Todd Strange declares Asbestos Awareness Week in Montgomery, AL

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange presented a proclamation today declaring April 1-7 as Asbestos Awareness Week in the city of Montgomery, Alabama. The proclamation supports National Asbestos Awareness Week, as established by Senate Resolution 427.

It is the purpose of Asbestos Awareness Week to raise public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos and the dangers of asbestos exposure in the United States and around the world. Microscopic asbestos fibers can be inhaled or ingested, and imbed themselves in the body where they can cause diseases such as asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that can affect the chest and lungs, the abdomen or the heart.

The U.S. Congress has recognized a National Asbestos Awareness Day or Week for the past six years. The awareness effort is a project of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), which is the largest organization in the United States serving as the voice of asbestos victims. The ADAO lobbies for the complete ban of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in the U.S. It is estimated that within the next decade 100,000 workers around the world will die of an asbestos-related disease. That equals 30 deaths each day.

For more information, visit ADAO online.

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Tags: ADAO, Alabama, asbestos, Asbestos Awareness Week, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, asbestosis, mesothelioma, Montgomery, National Asbestos Awareness Week, Senate Resolution 427

This entry was postedon Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 at 9:58 amand is filed under Events, News, Organizations, People.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Is Mesothelioma Only Caused by Asbestos Exposure?

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Mesothelioma and Asbestos
Cancer is always dangerous, but some forms are worse than others. Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Working with asbestos is a major risk factor for mesothelioma, with a history of asbestos exposure at work reported in 70 to 80 percent of mesothelioma cases. That is not always the case, however, as mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Nevertheless, evidence demonstrates that asbestos exposure greatly increases the risk for developing mesothelioma. So how do you know if you have mesothelioma and how can it be treated?

Symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after asbestos exposure. If you do experience symptoms, however, they can consist of shortness of breath, pain in the chest, weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. In addition, if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. If you do experience any of these symptoms it is critical to visit and disclose those symptoms to your physician.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Your physician will likely request CT scans and/or MRI to assist with mesothelioma diagnosis. If your doctor suspects that you may have Mesothelioma, a biopsy should be performed to confirm that diagnosis. Following the biopsy, your physician might determine that you have mesothelioma.

The next step is to figure out how to treat the cancer. The treatment differs depending on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and sometimes a combination of these treatments. In addition, because mesothelioma is very difficult to control, the National Cancer Institute is sponsoring clinical trials that are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments.

Conclusion
While Mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos, the large majority of Mesothelioma cases occur as a result of asbestos exposure. If there was any doubt about the dangers of asbestos, one need look no further than the fact that, in addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis and other cancers, like that of the larynx and kidney. Patients also should be aware that the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure can significantly increases a person's risk of developing lung cancer.

Asbestos exposure and mesothelioma should not be taken lightly. The risk of asbestos related disease increases with greater exposure. That is why those employees who experience daily exposure to asbestos at the workplace, should be acutely aware of the symptoms associated with mesothelioma. If those people experience symptoms, it is critical to see a physician without delay. But family members of asbestos workers should also be on high alert because there is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma. Measures should always be taken to prevent exposure to asbestos. It is just as important, however, to be aware of the symptoms associated with mesothelioma, and if you experience those symptoms to see your physician and receive the treatment you need.

Related Topic: What is Mesothelioma?

Tags: mesothelioma, asbestos, asbestosis, workplace injury, toxic substance