Top 10 Mesothelioma News Stories of 2017

Every year, mesothelioma specialists and researchers make strides to advance the standard of care, improve treatment strategies and develop new diagnostic practices. Mesothelioma remains a rare cancer, with an estimated 3,000 people diagnosed each year in the U.S., but the fight to find a cure only grows stronger. And while researchers are busy finding breakthroughs in care, advocates are hard at work campaigning for a ban on asbestos, the main cause of mesothelioma. This was a memorable year on both fronts. Immunotherapy continues to be the hot topic among emerging treatments. Drugs such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) gained a lot of ground in clinical trials. On the advocacy side, the U.S. remains one of the few industrialized countries to not have a full ban on asbestos. Anti-asbestos advocates are concerned about the future of legislation under new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt. Meanwhile, Canada and Brazil are the latest countries to pledge a comprehensive asbestos ban. Here are the most read and talked about mesothelioma news stories of 2017. Trump and the FACT Act In February, a U.S. House of Representatives judiciary committee approved the latest version of the Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency Act, or FACT Act. Previous iterations of the legislation have stalled in the U.S. Senate, with former President Barack Obama promising a veto if passed. But now anti-asbestos ad...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: canada asbestos ban Food and Drug Administration Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency Act keytruda Medical marijuana mesothelioma mesothelioma vaccine Opdivo Scott Pruitt talcum powder lawsuit yervoy Source Type: news