MESOTHELIOMA NEWS

Though relatively unknown to the general public, mesothelioma makes news headlines when celebrities die unexpectedly from this asbestos-related cancer

MESOTHELIOMA IN THE NEWS

September 1, 2010 – Mesothelioma is a rare, deadly form of cancer caused by occupational asbestos exposure. With only 3,000 cases diagnosed in the United States each year, mesothelioma is almost unheard of by the general public until a news report breaks about a celebrity death attributed to the disease. This was the case with American film star Steve McQueen, who died in 1980 of a heart attack following surgery to treat his mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma cancer develops very slowly, so those who are diagnosed today most likely were exposed to asbestos products decades earlier. Long before his career in films, McQueen, who died at the age of 50, served a brief stint in the Navy where he very likely came in contact with asbestos-based products.

For the most part, however, patients are elderly laborers who have retired from high-risk industrial occupations. Construction workers, electricians, automobile mechanics and naval veterans are just some of the occupational groups that are most affected by mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma obituary news update

News reports about other celebrities dying from the signature asbestos-related cancer continued this year:

Merlin Olsen, the 6-foot, 5-inch, 270-pound Hall of Fame football tackle who anchored the Los Angeles Rams’ Fearsome Foursome, died last March of mesothelioma. He was 69. Considered one of the greatest tackles in N.F.L. history, Olsen was a long-time commentator for NBC’s pro football telecasts and a character actor in two of the studio’s most successful television series: “Little House on the Prairie” and “Father Murphy.” The football legend filed suit against NBC and 20th Century Fox late last year alleging those companies negligently exposed him to asbestos. In his lawsuit, Olsen called mesothelioma “a vicious, painful, and invariably fatal malignancy.”

Malcolm McLaren, who played an important role in creating the British punk-rock movement in the 1970s as manager of the Sex Pistols, died last April of mesothelioma. He was 64. McLaren reportedly was exposed to asbestos in his London shop where he performed unusual renovations on the premises, including busting a large hole in the ceiling and permanently leaving it that way to create the impression that his men’s fashion store had been bombed. Demolishing pre-health code asbestos-based construction materials can release toxic asbestos fibers into the air, creating hazardous health conditions. Inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers is the most common pathway for work-site asbestos exposure.

Army Archerd, Hollywood columnist for the entertainment trade newspaper Variety, died last September of mesothelioma. He was 87. At the time of his death, his wife, Selma, told the New York Times that his contact with asbestos probably occurred during his service in the Navy during World War II. Archerd was born in New York City in 1922, and grew up in the Bronx. He contributed stories to Variety for more than 50 years. Among movie stars and celebrities, he was one of the most trusted newspaper columnists in Hollywood. When television talk show icon Johnny Carson celebrated his 25th anniversary with NBC in 1987, the “Tonight Show” host left a message for his publicist: “I'm not doing any interviews, because if I do one, I'll have to do them all. But if Army calls, I'll speak to him.”

Steve McQueen, movie star legend and action hero to an entire generation of movie-goers, died 30 years ago in Mexico from a heart attack following experimental surgery for mesothelioma. Years before his successful film career, McQueen served in the U.S. Navy and nurtured a life-long passion for racing and working on motorcycles and race cars. Naval veterans and automobile mechanics are two occupational groups plagued by asbestos exposure and disease. This double-barreled exposure to asbestos undoubtedly contributed to his diagnosis and premature death at the age of 50.

Seek justice through compensation

Mesothelioma is most often the result of occupational asbestos exposure – and usually contracted through employers’ preference for profits over the expense of maintaining worker health safety.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify Weitz & Luxenberg through the communication form at left. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Please know, the firm works on a contingency basis, so there is no cost to you until we obtain a verdict or a settlement.