Lawmakers pushing for dod to fund mesothelioma research

Twelve or more senators, accompanied by a XX grassroots lobby, are pushing for funds to be appropriated from the 2009 defense bill to be used for research on asbestos-related cancers such as mesothelioma. Supporters say that Department of Defense funding is appropriate because one thirdâ€"or moreâ€"of the people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma have either been in the Navy or have worked in Navy shipyards. Mesothelioma is a devastating and highly lethal cancer caused only by asbestos exposure. Asbestos was used very widely in Navy ships constructed in or prior to World War II, meaning that Navy service men, and shipyard workers, were often exposed to enough asbestos to cause the development of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis. According to Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation executive director Chris Hahn, more funding is needed because scientists who might have considered working in the field have been dissuaded because this type of research does not have a steady funding stream. According to Hahn, the mesothelioma research community would need around $29 million per year to make good progress in asbestos cancer research. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is one of the organizations behind a strong grassroots and legislative push to get more federal money backing research into treatment of asbestos-related cancers. However, Hahn says that more important than having money earmarked for mesothelioma research is that mesothelioma itself get listed as a priority on the Pentagon’s peer-reviewed medical research program. This, says Hahn, would allow researchers to compete for DOD research grants. The trouble is, Congress has a say in which diseases get on the priority list, as well as how much money is put towards the priority program. Congress appropriated $50 million for the program on the 2008 defense appropriations bill. Hahn says it’s unclear how much grant money would go towards asbestos cancer research, but noted that last year was the first time supporters achieved a legislative victory. It’s also unclear whether Congress will pass a new 2009 appropriations bill or approve to continue funding at the 2008 level. Last month, several senators wrote a letter to the chairman and ranking members of the Senate Appropriations Defense Panel, saying “Advancements in the early detection and treatment of this deadly cancer are greatly needed and the mesothelioma medical and research community is well-positioned to achieve this goal…Funding through the Department of Defense appropriations bill is an important demonstration of our nation’s commitment to addressing the tragedy of pleural mesothelioma and its disproportionate impact on those who serve our country.” (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)