One of the top malignant mesothelioma researchers in the world, Dr. Yasunosuke Suzuki, an Asbestos pathologist, and his colleague Dr. Steven Yuen analyzed tissue samples taken from the lungs and pleura of
malignant mesothelioma research cases and found that short, thin, Asbestos fibers contribute to causing human cancer from Asbestos, also known as mesothelioma and are the predominant fiber type detected in the lungs and mesothelial tissues of human mesothelioma patients. Dr. Suzuki's conclusions from the malignant mesothelioma research study were published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.
Asbestos health risks and dangers have been recognized by the United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration ("OSHA"). OSHA currently defines Asbestos to include all major types of Asbestos including: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthopyllite, and actinolite (and any of these minerals that has been chemically treated and/or altered). OSHA does not distinguish between chrysotile and any other Asbestos fiber type for purposes of its Asbestos regulations.
Despite OSHA's decision not to distinguish between chrysotile and other forms of Asbestos, and despite numerous scientific articles demonstrating that all forms of Asbestos, including chrysotile,
cause cancer from Asbestos, mesothelioma and other health risks, defendants facing liability in Asbestos lawsuits commonly argue in court that chrysotile Asbestos is not capable of causing mesothelioma. Dr. Suzuki's 2005 study provides further evidence demonstrating that chrysotile Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma. The mesothelioma research study shows that chrysotile fibers, particularly those that are short and thin, are the dominant type of Asbestos fiber found in the lung tissue and mesothelial tissue of mesothelioma victims. Dr. Suzuki's 2005 study compared the detection sensitivity of short, thin Asbestos fibers with two research techniques: the digestion technique of bulk tissue samples and the ashing technique of tissue section samples.
The hazardous nature of chrysotile Asbestos is a particularly important issue for workers in the United States because chrysotile accounts for 95% of the Asbestos used historically in this country.
New York and New Jersey mesothelioma lawyers, Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, are actively prosecuting lawsuits in New York and New Jersey on behalf of victims who were exposed to Asbestos, and the health risks resulting in malignant mesothelioma. Research has shown that Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that occurs primarily in the lining of the lungs and the abdomen.
