Whats The Cancer Connection
When looking at cancer risks, itâs key to separate talc with asbestos from talc without it. Scientists say itâs clear that people who breathe in talc with asbestos are more likely to get cancer, especially if they do it regularly. The World Health Organizationâs International Agency for Research on Cancer lists it as carcinogenic .
But concerns about talc without asbestos are more complex. Researchers have looked into two main questions:
Can you get lung cancer if you regularly breathe in talcum powder?
For most people, the answer is no. There is no proof that youâre more likely to get lung cancer if you use baby powder or some other form of cosmetic talcum powder thatâs easy to breathe in.
Some studies show a slightly higher risk in people who are involved in talc mining and processing. But itâs not clear whether this is because of the mineral or because of other things underground known to cause lung cancer, like the radioactive gas radon.
Can women get ovarian cancer from regular use of talcum powder on their genitals?
A study of more than 250,000 women between 1976 and 2017 found no significant link between womenâs use of talcum powder on their genitals and ovarian cancer. Still, scientists continue to study the topic. It may be that talc raises the risk for people in certain age groups or for particular types of ovarian cancer.
Cancer Screening Among Asbestos
Many cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx can be detected early with routine exams by your dentist or doctor.
Self-examination is also important. Doctors recommend you use a mirror to look at your mouth every month to check for abnormalities such as raised patches of red or white tissue. You can use a flashlight to check the back of your throat.
If youre a former asbestos worker, or a heavy smoker and drinker, there are other cancer screenings you can request. For example, your doctor or dentist can use special dyes or lights to observe abnormal areas in your mouth and throat.
If abnormalities are detected, your doctor will collect a sample of the abnormal tissue with a stiff brush called a brush biopsy and have it examined for cancerous changes.
If youve ever worked with asbestos, it is important to monitor your health closely. Any changes to your mouth, throat, hearing or neck should be checked by a doctor. Make sure to mention your history of asbestos exposure.
Lung cancer and mesothelioma are more common among asbestos-exposed workers, so also make sure to monitor any changes to your lungs such as difficulty breathing and chest pain.
Early diagnosis of any cancer related to asbestos exposure improves your chances of long-term survival. More effective treatments are available to those diagnosed early because tumors are smaller and easier to control.
Get the Compensation You Deserve
What Does All This Mean For Veterans With Prostate Cancer Claims
This case was a little complicated because of all the side issues of protecting effective dates, using VA forms, etc. So lets boil out the important facts for veterans trying to maximize their VA prostate cancer rating.
#1: Tell the VA every complication of your prostate cancer.
In your original claim for prostate cancer, tell the VA all of the complications of your prostate cancer even before it goes into remission.
You can tell the VA this in three ways: lay evidence, medical evidence, and expert opinions. The best course of action is to use all three tools.
If you use lay evidence, be sure to focus on the frequency, chronicity and severity of your prostate cancer complications and residuals and their impact on your earning capacity. It has been my experience over the last 13 years that lay evidence when done right is the silver bullet in your VA claim or appeal.
You can bolster your lay evidence with medical evidence showing the complications and residuals of your prostate cancer. This isnt technically necessary, but it is incredibly helpful if you can back up what you tell the VA with evidence in your medical records.
And, if you decide to use an expert opinion, present your lay evidence, medical evidence and a copy of your VA claims file being especially sure to include adverse medical opinions to the expert to ensure that his or her opinion is thorough.
#2: Dont let the VA cut you out of an earlier effective date for your prostate cancer ratings.
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How Are People Exposed To Asbestos
People can be exposed to asbestos in different ways:
- Inhaling asbestos: Most exposures come from inhaling asbestos fibers in the air. This can occur during the mining and processing of asbestos, when making asbestos-containing products, or when installing asbestos insulation. It can also occur when older buildings are demolished or renovated, or when older asbestos-containing materials begin to break down. In any of these situations, asbestos fibers tend to create a dust made of tiny particles that can float in the air.
- Swallowing asbestos: Asbestos fibers can also be swallowed. This can happen when people consume contaminated food or liquids . It can also occur when people cough up asbestos they have inhaled, and then swallow their saliva.
Many people are exposed to very low levels of naturally occurring asbestos in outdoor air as a result of erosion of asbestos-containing rocks. The risk of this is higher in areas where rocks have higher asbestos content. In some areas, asbestos can be detected in the water supply as well as in the air. It can get into the water through several sources, such as rock or soil erosion, corrosion of asbestos cement pipes, or the breakdown of roofing materials containing asbestos that then enter the sewers after it rains.
However, the people with the heaviest exposure are those who worked in asbestos industries, such as shipbuilding and insulation. Many of these people recall working in thick clouds of asbestos dust, day after day.
Legal Help For Asbestos Cancer
If you or someone you love has developed cancer from asbestos, the time to act is now. Because asbestos-related cancers sneak up on those affected, many families are not able to prepare for the costs of treatments, medications, and surgeries that follow a diagnosis.
If you have been recently diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer, an asbestos law firm can be an excellent resource. Asbestos companies have been ordered to set aside billions of dollars for those they have wronged. Asbestos attorneys know how to access these funds. With their help, you may be able to receive compensation. This compensation can help pay for medical treatments and safeguard your family.
Working with an asbestos law firm can:
- Allow you more time to focus on your health and family.
- Keep your family financially secure through mesothelioma compensation.
- Maximize the chances of getting the compensation you may deserve.
Over 40 Years of Trusted Legal Help
When you partner with Sokolove Law, you will work with an asbestos firm that has over 40 years of experience handling asbestos cancer claims. We do all of the heavy legal lifting so you can focus on the important things in life.
It is very important you work with a law firm that specializes in asbestos cases. General law firms will not have the legal insight to properly manage your case. You may not get all you deserve if you work with them.
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What You Can Do: Screening And Prevention
The American Cancer Society recommends one of the following testing options for all people beginning at age 50:
Tests that find polyps and cancer
- Colonoscopy every 10 years, or
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*, or
- Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years*, or
- CT colonography every 5 years*
Tests that primarily find cancer
- Yearly fecal occult blood test **, or
- Yearly fecal immunochemical test **, or
- Stool DNA test , interval uncertain**
* If the test is positive, a colonoscopy should be done.** The multiple stool take-home test should be used. One test done by the doctor is not adequate for testing. A colonoscopy should be done if the test is positive.
Are There Separately Compensable Va Ratings For Prostate Cancer
The concept of separate evaluations that are separately compensable was a big part of the Courts decision in Bailey v. Wilkie.
So what is a separately compensable VA rating? Specifically, this term commonly refers to the VAs practice of rat a single disability under multiple diagnostic codes without pyramiding. Basically, this means that in addition to the VA ratings for the voiding and renal dysfunctions after prostate cancer goes into remission, you can get a separate rating for certain residuals that is then combined with the prostate cancer ratings and paid separately. I dont want to go into depth on the concept of separate ratings in this post, and I will cover them in another post. You can also learn a little more about separate ratings in the Veterans Courts 2019 precedent Morgan v. Wilkie, 31 Vet. App. 162 .
With that background, lets dive into the Bailey appeal.
In this case, the veteran was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2013 and filed a claim to service-connect it a month later. Within a couple months, the VA granted service connection for prostate cancer and awarded a totally disabling 100-percent prostate cancer rating while the veteran was undergoing treatment.
When the veterans prostate cancer went into remission about a year later, the VA reduced his rating to 60-percent based on the predominant symptom of voiding dysfunction.
The Veterans Court weighed in on the scope of VA ratings for prostate cancer.
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What’s The Link Between Asbestos And Talc
Asbestos is a group of minerals similar to talc that is also mined. Itâs often found in the same area as talc. Sometimes, asbestos can mix with talc as itâs mined and processed.
Asbestos is known to raise the risk of cancer in people who breathe it in. Thatâs why itâs important for cosmetics companies to choose mining sites with care and test their talc regularly, especially for asbestos. In 1976, a large cosmetics trade group issued guidelines that said all U.S. cosmetic products should be free of detectable amounts of asbestos.
How Is Asbestos Used Today
Today many industrialized countries have completely banned the use of asbestos. While the United States has not completely banned the substance, asbestos use has been limited to certain products. Some of the asbestos-containing materials still in use today include:
- Cement pipes
- Drum brake linings and disk brake pads
- Components in automatic transmissions
- Corrugated and other cement sheets
- Roofing felt
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Skin Cancer Risk Factors
But risk factors don’t tell us everything. Having a risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will get the disease. And some people who get the disease may not have any known risk factors.
Basal and Squamous Cell CancerThese types of cancer usually occur on the sun exposed, areas or surfaces, of your skin. They generally affect surface cells that grow slowly, but may also go into deeper layers of the skin. These types of skin cancer are more easily cured if caught early.
MelanomaThis type of cancer can start anywhere on the skins surface, it does not have to be on an area exposed to the sun. It is curable if found in the very early stages.
- Ultraviolet light exposureExposure to ultraviolet rays is a major risk factor for most melanomas. Sunlight is the main source of UV rays. Tanning lamps and beds are also sources of UV rays. People who get a lot of UV exposure from these sources are at greater risk for skin cancer, including melanoma.
- MolesA nevus is a benign pigmented tumor. Moles are not usually present at birth but begin to appear in children and young adults. Most moles will never cause any problems, but a person who has many moles is more likely to develop melanoma.
Ground Zero And Prostate Cancer
If you were there at Ground Zero in New York City on 9/11, you breathed it in. If you were in one of the World Trade Center towers when it happened, or a first responder on the scene soon afterward, you breathed in more of it. And because of that, if you are a man, you now have a higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
What was in the air that day, as jets burned and the towers fell? Basically, in all the devastation, a terrible dust cloud was unleashed: a vile, noxious brew of soot, benzene, asbestos, cement, PCBs, PAHs, dioxin, and other toxic agents. Individually, many of these are known carcinogens. Together, these foul ingredients acted like lighter fluid for inflammation in those exposed to them. And guess where the Ground Zero for inflammation seems to be in men? The prostate.
How could they be sure this cancer was somehow linked to exposure to the awful dust? We took some of the material that was collected a few days after 9/11, and exposed rats to it in sealed air chambers, says Oh. The rats were exposed to the dust and they inhaled the dust. Then Oh and colleagues looked at the rats prostates at various time points afterward. After just a few hours of exposure, within a day, and within a month, there was an increase in inflammation in the rat prostate. Just after inhaling the World Trade Center dust, they had increased inflammation in their prostates.
- Copied
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Our Law Firm Provides Quality Legal Assistance To The Victims Of Asbestos Exposure
Since 1990, our attorneys have been pursuing compensation for people injured by occupational and military asbestos exposure and are bound to recover the money you deserve for your physical and emotional suffering. While the legal process is complex our dedicated and resourceful attorneys will take care of the majority of aspects and you will only have to send them your employment or military records and your medical records, documents which will be used as evidence to support your asbestos claim. If you struggle with prostate cancer, as well as with a disease which makes you eligible for filing a claim for compensation, such as:
What Kind Of Cancers Can Asbestos Exposure Cause
Posted on September 28th, 2016
If you have a history of asbestos exposure, you need to watch out for signs and symptoms of cancer. Around 20% of those who were exposed to asbestos will develop a related disease in the future and, in most cases, the disease will affect the lungs.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer published in 2012 that exposure to asbestos can lead to deadly conditions such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural thickening and several other types of cancers. The growth of abnormal cells usually occurs when healthy cells become damaged after being exposed to a carcinogen.
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Asbestos Exposure And Prostate Cancer
Multiple studies have been performed that show a potential link between asbestos exposure and prostate cancer. Although none have produced conclusive results, many have shown potential correlations. A 1993 Danish study tested workers at an asbestos cement factory for their exposure to asbestos. An elevated number of prostate and lung cancer cases were recorded among the workers. Researchers found a 36 percent increase in the observed number of prostate cancers compared to the expected amount.
The American College of Chest Physicians released a similar study in 1980. The study, Presence of Asbestos Bodies in Organs Other than the Lung, examined 37 people who died from asbestos-related pulmonary issues. It determined that someone with asbestos fibers or residue in the lungs was likely to have them in other organs as well. Doctors looked at various organs and discovered about half contained asbestos. Of 14 prostate samples, six contained asbestos bodies.
More recently, a 2003 study analyzed participants of the Finnish Asbestos Screening Campaign. The study followed the health of 23,285 men and 930 women who worked with asbestos. These individuals were studied for eight years for cancer occurrence. Results indicated a much higher incidence of prostate cancer when compared to the total Finnish population. Participants were also at a significantly higher risk to develop mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Free Mesothelioma Guide
Evaluation Of Publication Bias
Visual inspection of the funnel plot did not reveal obvious asymmetry for all 17 publications .3). Begg and Egger test produced a P value of .592 and .874 respectively, which both provided little evidence of publication bias.
Funnel plot for evaluating the publication bias. lnsmr=Natural logarithm of standardized mortality rate, s.e.=standard error.
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Are There Other Risk Factors For Asbestos Diseases
In addition to being exposed to asbestos fibers, several factors increase the risk that someone will develop an asbestos-related illness. For example, smoking also significantly increases the risk of developing lung cancer.
The dose and duration of asbestos exposure are also important. The larger the amount of exposed asbestos and the longer exposure occurred, the greater the risk. The type of asbestos is also a factor, with blue and brown being more dangerous than white. In some cases, genetic factors may also play a role.
How Does Asbestos Cause Cancer
The exact process by which asbestos causes cancer is unknown. Scientists believe the asbestos fibers cause the cellular mutations through physical rather than chemical processes.
When inhaled, asbestos fibers irritate and scar the lungs. The body responds by surrounding the foreign fibers in protective cells. However, the asbestos fibers can cause mutations in these protective cells, causing them to grow out of control.
Though the link between asbestos and cancer is still being researched, the World Health Organization , Environmental Protection Agency , and many other major organizations classify asbestos as a human carcinogen.
Contributing Authors
The Sokolove Law Content Team is made up of writers, editors, and journalists. We work with case managers and attorneys to keep site information up to date and accurate. Our site has a wealth of resources available for victims of wrongdoing and their families.
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