American Association for Cancer Research Awards Doctor for Mesothelioma Work in Turkey

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 - The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has awarded Dr. Michele Carbone a $100,000 grant for his international collaboration in mesothelioma prevention research. Carbone is the director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the University of Hawaii.

During his visit to Turkey 10 years ago, Dr. Carbone came across a set of mesothelioma cases with a common thread: they all came from a handful of families in a group of villages in Cappadocia. About 50% of the population of the villages died of mesothelioma – a startling proportion of the total death rate.

After investigating, Dr. Carbone discovered that the houses in the villages were all developed using a soft volcanic rock containing erionite - a naturally-occurring fibrous mineral very similar to asbestos. Erionite exposure is believed to cause mesothelioma in the same way that asbestos does.

If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos and suffering from an asbestos-related problem, such as mesothelioma, contact Weitz & Luxenberg for a free legal review.