Union Carbide in West Virginia: A Legacy of Industry and Asbestos Exposure For much of the twentieth century, Union Carbide Corporation stood as one of the most significant industrial employers in West Virginia. Its plants shaped the economy of the Kanawha Valley, drew thousands of workers into chemical manufacturing, and helped establish the region as […]
Immunotherapy Over Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
Immunotherapy Over Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma With advancements in mesothelioma treatment, patients have more options for treatment than ever before. For a long time, mesothelioma was treated with the combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. This standard of care multimodal approach has helped improve survival compared to no treatment at all, but there is still no […]
Philip Sporn Power Station and Asbestos Exposure
Philip Sporn Power Station and Asbestos Exposure American Electric Power, working through its subsidiaries Appalachian Power Company and Ohio Power Company, constructed the Philip Sporn Plant in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The facility was named for Philip Sporn, the engineer who became president of AEP on May 22, 1947, and who led the […]
Mesothelioma Survival Rates Improve Over Time
Mesothelioma Survival Rates Improve Over Time Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of certain areas of the body including the lungs, abdomen, heart, and testicles, is a severe and deadly disease caused by asbestos exposure. It is known to have a low survival rate for those diagnosed with the disease. There are multiple factors that […]
Asbestos Exposure at E.I. Dupont Belle Works
Asbestos Exposure at E.I. Dupont Belle Works For nearly a century, the DuPont plant at Belle was a cornerstone of life in the Kanawha Valley. Thousands of families east of Charleston depended on it for steady, reliable employment across generations. For many, it was the foundation on which entire careers and households were built. It […]
Lung Cancer in People Who Have Never Smoked
Lung Cancer in People Who Have Never Smoked After decades of viewing lung cancer as almost exclusively a smoking-related disease, cases in people who have never smoked are becoming more visible. Specialists now recognize lung cancer in people who have never smoked as a “biologically distinct entity.” Lung cancer in people who have never smoked […]
Thousands Support Petition to Ban Asbestos; No Loopholes or Exemptions
Thousands Support Petition to Ban Asbestos; No Loopholes or Exemptions Nearly a decade after the launch of the Change.org petition titled “Ban Asbestos in the U.S. Now — Without Loopholes or Exemptions,” nearly 150,000 supporters continue to stand behind one simple demand: a complete U.S. asbestos ban with no industry exemptions. Petition supporters have consistently […]
AI Has the Potential to Improve Cancer Research and Treatment
AI Has the Potential to Improve Cancer Research and Treatment An estimated 610,000 people in the United States died from cancer last year. That is almost the same amount of people who died in the country’s four-year civil war. At least two million more people were diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2024, a […]
Latency Period Between Initial Exposure and Mesothelioma Development
Latency Period Between Initial Exposure and Mesothelioma Development Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer most commonly associated with exposure to asbestos. One of the most defining and challenging aspects of this disease is its exceptionally long latency period; the time between initial exposure to asbestos and the eventual development and diagnosis of mesothelioma. Understanding […]
Ibogaine to Treat Addiction
Ibogaine to Treat Addiction Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid found in the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to Central and West Africa. For generations it has been used in Bwiti spiritual and initiation ceremonies in Gabon and neighboring regions. Ibogaine produces a profound long-lasting psychedelic state, potentially 24-48 hours. Many describe the […]