Mesothelioma News
Former UK nuclear physicist succumbs to malignant mesothelioma
A former nuclear physicist who was reportedly exposed to asbestos on the job recently died of malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that attacks the tissues surrounding many of the body's internal organs.According to the News & Star, 77-year-old Francis Graham Brightman passed away at his home last November as a result of the deadly disease. Brightman was reportedly diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2008.
Brightman's daughter, Susan, said during an inquest that her father was likely not the only worker at nuclear reprocessing site Sellafield who was exposed to asbestos.
"He is the first of the scientific staff at Sellafield who has developed malignant mesothelioma," she explained. "This has raised concerns about people who worked with my father."
The inquest reportedly heard that Brightman worked as a nuclear physicist from 1954 until 1990, where he was likely exposed to asbestos found in turbine halls, according to the news provider.
Asbestos-related illnesses such as lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma kill approximately 107,000 people around the world each year, according to the World Health Organization.
9/29/11
Related Articles
In Southern England, mesothelioma cases are still rising, http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2012/01/24/09031936.00168111.abstract, 5/17/12
What fraction of pulmonary cancers are caused by asbestos exposure?, http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v106/n3/abs/bjc2011563a.html, 5/15/12
Hawaiian scientists find new molecular target for mesothelioma treatments, http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/150386255.html?id=150386255, 5/11/12
Why asbestos exposure (not smoking) causes mesothelioma, http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco/smoking, 5/9/12
NY State talc miners have high mesothelioma rate, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajim.22063/abstract, 5/7/12
Mesothelioma registry records numerous cases of substantiated disease, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22536579, 5/1/12
In treatment for mesothelioma, complete response is rare, but it happens, http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/32/4/1485.short, 4/24/12
For mesothelioma patients, how do doctors make a prognosis?, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22466824, 4/18/12
Occupational asbestos exposure is still causing mesothelioma epidemic, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.26229/abstract;jsessionid=CB5146A5623546D977C38F539C590C33.d04t04?userIsAuthenticated=false&deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=, 4/16/12
After contact with fibers, does preventing more asbestos exposure reduce the risk of mesothelioma?, http://journals.lww.com/eurjcancerprev/Abstract/2012/05000/Role_of_stopping_exposure_and_recent_exposure_to.3.aspx, 4/10/12