The Navy’s use of asbestos in all of its vessels, including aircraft carriers, really started in the 1930s as a result of weight limitations for ships that were imposed by international treaties. At that time, the standard pipe insulation used aboard naval vessels was magnesia and magnesium oxide, which weighed 16 pounds per foot and […]

Whenever you become ill, it is normal for your doctor to assess your condition and determine how bad your illness is. The same principle applies to a cancer diagnosis. Individuals with pleural mesothelioma, the most common form of mesothelioma, will be diagnosed according to the stage of cancer they have. Doctors use one of three different […]

Military veterans comprise one of the highest risk groups for asbestos exposure and mesothelioma in the United States. It is estimated that many thousands of living American veterans were exposed to asbestos during their tours of duty. The impact of this tragedy has lately become obvious. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges a disproportionate number […]

The Merchant Marine is a civilian fleet that carries imports and exports during peacetime, but it becomes an auxiliary branch of the Navy during wartime, delivering troops, munitions and supplies. During World War II, the U.S. Government determined what cargo was carried as well as the fleet’s destinations. The Government contracted with private companies to […]

Marines Were Continually Exposed to Asbestos Those who served in the Marine Corps were exposed to asbestos every day because it was extensively used in the cement pipes, ceiling tiles, wall insulation and roofing that were used to construct the barracks in which they lived. It was also built into the barrack’s foundation as well as the […]

In a study titled Surgical Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma published online April 5, 2011 in Current Treatment Options in Oncology, authors Andrew Kaufman and Raja Flores note that even though surgery is an accepted form of treatment for pleural mesothelioma, controversy still exists as to whether it really does increase change of survival and whether […]

Many Navy veterans who served prior to 1980 are being diagnosed with mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure in their past. The War-Related Illness and Injury Study Centers (WRIISC) has published an explainer on asbestos exposure among servicemembers. One of the most important points the group shares is that Navy veterans are at the highest risk of developing […]

While radiation is rarely used as a first-line therapy for mesothelioma, it is more commonly used either as palliative care or as an adjuvant therapy to help remove remaining cancer cells after surgery. Doctors may recommend radiation as a primary treatment if a patient has low-stage mesothelioma but is not a good surgical candidate. Despite extensive […]

The U.S. Navy describes destroyers as “fast warships providing multi-mission offensive and defensive capability, independently or in fleet support”. They were created for the purpose of protecting larger vessels; and although the first destroyer appeared in 1902, this class of ship really came into prominence during World War II. During the war years, destroyers served […]

One of the most frustrating characteristics of mesothelioma is that in spite of aggressive therapy, the disease recurs in most patients, especially if it is only treated with surgery. That’s the reason, say researchers in a study titled Photodynamic therapy for mesothelioma published in the September 2001 edition of Current Treatment Options in Oncology, that, “. . […]