Dr. Giovanni Gaudino

The law firm Galiher DeRobertis Ono congratulates the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii (CRCH) for appointing a leading European mesothelioma expert, Dr. Giovanni Gaudino, as a Professor of Research.   Cancer center director Dr. Michele Carbone, also a world renowned mesothelioma scientist, is excited about the arrival of Dr. Gaudino at the Center, one of 65 National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated institutions in our country.

Dr. Gaudino is a molecular biologist who studies how mesothelial cells become malignant and give rise to mesothelioma, a very aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure.  His decision to bring his research to the U.S. is especially noteworthy because it gives much hope for developing new treatment therapies for mesothelioma patients in the United States.  According to Dr. Carbone, Dr. Gaudino has applied his basic scientific findings to the development of some promising new treatments for mesothelioma that are currently being tested in clinical trials in Europe.  Dr. Carbone  says that he is “very happy that Giovanni will join CRCH” and he is “looking forward to working with him and with Dr. Haining Yang, Dr. Morris and the other mesothelioma experts at the Cancer Research Center.”

CRCH receives more federal grant funding for mesothelioma research than any other research institution in the U.S.  The addition of Dr. Gaudino makes Carbone’s research team stronger.  Together they “will find new ways to prevent and treat this terrible cancer,” says Dr. Carbone.

Born in Saronno in northern Italy, Giovanni Gaudino earned his M.S. (U.S. equivalent) in Biological Sciences and his Ph.D. (U.S. equivalent) in biochemistry from the University of Torino in northern Italy.  Before accepting this position at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, Dr. Gaudino was a full professor of molecular biology in the School of Pharmacy and DISCAFF at the University of Piemonte Orientale  ”A. Avogadro” in Novara, Italy.

Gaudino has been involved in a promising clinical trial in Italy involving the use of the combination drug therapy of Gleevec and Gemcitabine on mesothelioma patients. Attorney Gary Galiher commented that he was very excited about Dr. Gaudino’s appointment, both as a huge positive step for the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, and more importantly for the progress it portends for mesothelioma treatment in our country.

The University of Hawaii hopes to be “turning dirt” this summer with an exciting groundbreaking for this National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated research center.  The site of the new facility will be adjacent to the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) in Kakaako with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean.  State funding of $20 million a year through the cigarette tax is more imperative than ever to develop this cancer center for the people of Hawaii.  Director Michele Carbone, M.D. told state legislators in an informational session that the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii can serve as the bridge between the east and the west, as it is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  This cancer center’s position is unique nationally and internationally.

Cancer Center Actively Involved in Mesothelioma Research

Dr Carbone & Gary Galiher watching a presentation on mesothelioma research

For over three decades, Galiher DeRobertis Ono has represented clients with mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.  Our law firm has helped many workers and their families obtain compensation for asbestos-related diseases and has always supported research that is aimed at finding better treatment and a cure for these devastating illnesses caused by asbestos exposure.

The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii is a leader in mesothelioma research and receives more federal grant funding for mesothelioma research than any other research institution in the United States.  Drs. Michele Carbone,  Haining Yang, Giovanni Gaudino and others are doing cutting edge research to understand how mesothelioma develops in the human body.  The new facility being built will positively impact the lives of U.S. Veterans and civilian workers who suffer from diseases like mesothelioma as a result of their asbestos exposure at job sites like Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

Recent Progress in Kakaako Facility Development

Three local firms have already been selected to design and move the project forward.  In its request for proposals for the cancer center project, the University of Hawaii required that the companies involved had prior experience creating research centers in Hawaii.

Kobayashi Group, a residential and commercial land developer, has been selected as the project manager.  Kathy Inouye, COO of the Kobayashi Group, presented compelling testimony in a joint informational session of the State House and Senate Higher Education Committees.  She told how the Kobayashi Group visited several cancer centers on the mainland and attended all day sessions meeting with architects, developers, administrators and researchers so that the Kobayashi Group could develop the best possible cancer center for the community.  In her company’s more than 30 years as a developer in Hawaii, Inouye said she sees this project as probably their most important undertaking, with far-reaching significance to the lives and well-being of the people of our State and beyond.

Wilson Okamoto Corp., who handled planning for the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, has been chosen to manage the project planning.  Its duties will include acquiring entitlements and planning infrastructure.  Shimokawa + Nakamura will lead the design team and has worked on other projects for the University of Hawaii.

The next steps of the project will be to find a general contractor and hold public meetings.  University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood says she hopes the completed cancer center will be open by 2013.

Galiher DeRobertis Ono is Committed to Supporting Cancer Research

Gary Galiher at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

Through our legal work, Galiher DeRobertis Ono collaborates with cancer researchers and institutions, like the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.  Attorney Gary Galiher says he is “elated about the advent of the new cancer research facility because this promises more and better research for the many mesothelioma clients and their families who I’ve come to know over the years.”  We are very encouraged by their efforts to develop better treatments for lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis and are committed to supporting their research efforts.

Gleevec: A New Role for a Classic Drug

“So we started in this direction and we used … Gleevec and we observed, of course, Gleevec was blocking all the targets we identified . . . .”
– Giovanni Gaudino

Touted by some doctors as one of the most impressive drugs in 20 years when it first came into use in 2001, Gleevec is well known as a successful drug for the treatment of some forms of leukemia and gastrointestinal tumors.  Gleevec is the brand name; the chemical name is imatinib mesylate.  Imatinib mesylate is a specific inhibitor of the receptor tyrosine kinase (the “big button” described earlier) called PDGFRB.  This receptor is widely expressed in most mesotheliomas and is one of the molecules critical to inducing chemoresistance.  With the discovery of the importance of these receptors, it was thought that Gleevec, a classic drug, could be used to inhibit these receptors and thus overcome the tumor cells’ chemoresistance and allow conventional chemotherapeutic drugs to work better.  Gleevec blocked all the identified targets. In lay terms, Gleevec kills abnormal cells and has very little effect on the normal cells.  When it was first used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the use of Gleevec was a medical breakthrough.  The primary investigator responsible for the leukemia research at the time dreamed of the day when Gleevec would be effectively used to fight other cancers.  This repurposing of existing, approved drugs such as Gleevec helps to bring new treatment therapies to patients more quickly and efficiently.

The next step for Dr. Gaudino’s research project was to test Gleevec with different chemotherapeutic drugs to see if this specific inhibitor could be used in combination with standard chemotherapeutic drugs to impair tumor resistance.

The Animal Experimental Model

“We moved to [an] animal experimental model, and we used … quite a peculiar model.  We exploited the so-called genetic engineering.  We modified human mesothelioma cells by introducing a foreign gene – a gene coming from a fish – which induce luminescence on these cells.  So these cells basically were emitting lights.”
– Giovanni Gaudino

Gleevec and its combination with other drugs had to first be tested on animals.  In preparation for animal testing, Dr. Gaudino and his team created a very special model.  By the use of genetic engineering, they modified human mesothelioma cells by introducing a foreign gene, a gene from a fish, which caused the cells to emit light.  This enabled the researchers to follow the growth or reduction of the tumor in the live animals by the use of imaging, in the same way a physician uses CT scans or other imaging techniques to see what is going on inside his patient.  So they injected special mice, called SCID mice, with the modified human mesothelioma cells and were able to observe the formation of the tumors by the use of imaging.

Gleevec and Gemcitabine: A New Combination

Next the cancer researchers treated the animals by infusing the tumors with Gleevec combined with different chemotherapeutic drugs, and they found that Gleevec and Gemcitabine were a successful combination.

“It’s quite clear that the treatment … with the two drugs, Gemcitabine and Gleevec . . . reduce a lot of the size of the tumors . . . .  And also, increase quite remarkably the survival of the mice. … [T]he pictures of the mice, I think, are quite convincing because you can see that the right mouse is doing much better than the left one.”
– Giovanni Gaudino

Gleevec & Gemcitabine (Click image to zoom)

Gemcitabine is an old and very well known drug. Gemcitabine is commonly called by its brand name Gemzar.  Gemcitabine has been approved by the FDA since 1996 and is used to treat some lung cancers and pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Dr. Gaudino’s research team knew that Gemcitabine alone was not effective on mice, neither was it effective on mesothelioma patients. But it became quite clear that the combination of Gemcitabine and Gleevec resulted in the reduction in the size of the tumors, which they could measure through imaging, and it also increased, “quite remarkably,” the survival of the mice.

From Mice to Patients: From Pilot Study to Phase II Clinical Trial

The next step, of course, was to move from animal studies to patients.  According to Dr. Gaudino who is involved in bench research, the network the scientists have established is very useful and important, because the results of their work will be published in scientific journals and this will “catch the interest of our clinician colleagues.”

Pilot Study with Gleevec and Gemcitabine (Click image to zoom)

So they started with what is known as a “pilot study” with the combination of Gleevec and Gemzar.  A pilot study comes before the real clinical trial and is usually done on a limited number of patients.  In this case there were 21 patients who had not responded to first-line conventional therapies.  The results were very encouraging: In six patients there was no progression of the disease (stable disease); in one patient there was a complete disappearance of the cancer (complete response); in eight patients there was incomplete reduction of the tumor (partial response); and in six patients, the disease didn’t stop and unfortunately the cancer continued to grow (progression).  Some patients respond better than others and some do not respond at all, which is common in clinical trials.

“And, you know, you may argue that this is not a big deal, just to stop the cancer – you won’t get rid of the cancer.  But for mesothelioma, which is so aggressive, this is a very good result.  We got also one complete response, which means complete disappearance of the cancer.”
– Giovanni Gaudino

This pilot study was followed by a phase II second line clinical trial, which is ongoing and is being validated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).   It is expected that the results of this study will be coming out in the next few months.  Dr. Gaudino and his team are very optimistic that this therapy will lead to a longer survival.  For mesothelioma patients, the research being done by Dr. Gaudino offers a great deal of hope and promise for longer survival rates and eventually a cure for mesothelioma.

The stakes are high in the ship breaking industry.  A single ship can be worth $5 million in scrap steal and there are the many subsidiary businesses that thrive on the dismantling of the various parts of the ship, including its furniture, fittings and machinery.  There was a substantial ship breaking business in the U.S., but strict regulations regarding the disposal of hazardous substances have lead some ship owners to circumvent these requirements and send their ships to foreign ship breaking yards.

Reportedly half of the ships from around the world that need to be dismantled end up in Alang, a town in the state of Gujarat, India, known as the center of India’s ship breaking industry.  Significant controversy has surrounded the Alang yards related to the hazardous working conditions, the poor living conditions, and the environmental impact related to the ship breaking industry.  Nevertheless ship owners continue to go to extremes to have their ships dismantled there.

SS Independence Laden With Toxic Materials Reaches Alang

SS Independence in Hawaii

One of the most recent instances involves a well-known luxury liner, the SS Independence that was built in 1951 at the Bethlehem Quincy Shipyard in Massachusetts.  She operated for many decades as a cruise ship and spent the last part of her life sailing in the Hawaiian Islands.  After her owners declared bankruptcy in 2001, she was moth balled in San Francisco Bay at Pier 70.  In February 2008, however, she was towed away amid speculation that she was headed to Alang, India to be dismantled.

Environmental groups that keep a watchful eye on old ships containing hazardous materials did not let this situation go unnoticed.  Claims were made by the Basel Action Network (BAN), an organization that campaigns against the illicit movement of hazardous waste, that this ship never should have been allowed to leave San Francisco because the export of the PCB-ladened ship was illegal under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The 18,500 ton former luxury liner reportedly had 210 tons of PCBs and 250 tons of asbestos as part of its construction materials.

Notwithstanding intervention by the Environmental Protection Agency, the ship ultimately reached Alang under a new name, SS Platinum II.  Claims were made that the ship had reached Alang with a falsified flag and ship registry.  In response to complaints concerning the presence of hazardous materials, the SS Platinum has been left anchored in the harbor while investigations continue to look into into the toxic substances aboard.  Recent reports indicate, however, that the SS Platinum may be allowed into Alang for dismantling, contributing further the hazards associated with the disposal of toxic materials.

High Incidence of Asbestosis in Alang

Although ship breaking may provide much needed jobs in India, these monetary gains come at a very high cost to both workers and the environment.  In South Asia, workers dismantle ships with hand tools and without strict regulations in place to prevent their exposure to hazardous substances, including asbestos.

According to attorney Gary Galiher, who has handled cases involving asbestos-related diseases for over 30 years, the impact is predictable and devastating:

Given the quantities of asbestos incorporated into these ships when they were built, these unprotected workers are being exposed to high quantities of asbestos dust.  We know this will lead to asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a rare and fatal lung cancer.  It is a travesty that the western industrial world is exporting the hazards of asbestos to other countries that have yet to put into place the needed protections to ensure workers do not become sick.

A 2006 report by a panel appointed by India’s Supreme Court confirmed what attorney Gary Galiher predicts.  They found that one in six workers at Alang had signs and symptoms of asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs caused by breathing asbestos.  Although the Supreme Court’s report called for reforms in working conditions at Alang, the work at this ship breaking yard goes on.  Shipowners continue to export their asbestos hazards to India and to expose uninformed and unprotected workers to this deadly hazard.

Virginia class submarine

The United States Pacific Fleet Commander Submarine Force announced on January 6, 2010, that Pearl Harbor Naval Station will be the homeport of the Navy’s newest submarine – the USS North Carolina SSN-777.  The USS North Carolina is one of only six Virginia class nuclear attack submarines in the Navy’s Fleet.  The USS North Carolina will join two other Virginia class submarines:  the USS Hawaii SSN-776, and USS Texas SSN-775.  This will make Pearl Harbor homeport to three of the six currently commissioned Virginia class submarines.

The Virginia class is the submarine of the 21st Century.  It is a nuclear powered submarine with unlimited range, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and MK-48 torpedoes.  It boasts a complement of 134 officers and crew.  The Virginia class is replacing the Seawolf class which was itself designed to replace the Los Angeles class nuclear submarine (of which 17 of the 62 total have now been decommissioned).  In fact, the famous USS Los Angeles is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles Harbor tomorrow for a public decommissioning event this Saturday, January 23rd in San Pedro, CA.  Incidentally, the Los Angeles class submarine was featured in the popular novel, The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, which was made into a movie starring Sean Connery.

The Virginia class submarines are being constructed by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia at a rate of one per year.  From 2011 to 2013, the Navy is expected to increase the annual construction to two per year for economies of scale cost savings.

The Virginia Class Submarines

The Virginia class submarines commissioned to date with their respective homeports are:

• USS Virginia SSN-774, Groton, Connecticut
• USS Texas SSN-775, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii
• USS Hawaii SSN-776, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii
• USS North Carolina SSN-777, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii
• USS New Hampshire SSN-778, Groton, Connecticut

The USS New Mexico SSN-779 is scheduled to be commissioned on March 27, 2010.  Its homeport is yet to be announced.  Other Virginia class submarines in construction are:

• USS Missouri SSN-780
• USS California SSN-781
• USS Mississippi SSN-782
• USS Minnesota SSN-783
• USS North Dakota SSN-784
• USS John Warner SSN-785

These submarines are scheduled to be completed between 2011 and 2015.   An additional six unnamed subs designated “Block III” began construction in 2009.   This will bring the total number of Virginia class submarines to 18.

Pearl Harbor Historically Homeport to Many Navy Submarines

Pearl Harbor has historically been the homeport to a high percentage of the Navy’s submarine fleet.  This is due to Pearl Harbor’s strategic location and the importance submarine warfare first demonstrated in World War II.  Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is also one of the few nuclear submarine repair facilities in the United States.

The law firm of Galiher DeRobertis Ono has represented former active duty submariners (both diesel and nuclear submarine service) as well as shipyard workers who were involved in the original construction or repair of diesel and nuclear submarines.  Our clients were exposed to asbestos dust from both direct hands-on exposure (for example, shipyard workers such as marine machinists and machinist mates) and also from bystander exposure such as stewards and cooks assigned to the submarines.  As a result, many of these men developed asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.

Even a retired Navy captain who had been in charge of construction of nuclear submarines at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California was a client of Galiher DeRobertis Ono.  He  developed mesothelioma from his bystander exposure to deadly asbestos dust during the construction process.  Our submariner clients served in a variety of shipyards, including Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, San Diego Naval Station, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, California, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, Newport News Shipyard and Virginia Dry Dock in Virginia and Groton, Connecticut.

Health Care Professionals Need Faster Access to Necessary Records

Effective communication between members of a medical team is critically important, especially when treating a rare disease like mesothelioma.  When battling cancer or other illnesses, health care professionals need to be able to access necessary medical records quickly and efficiently.  It can be frustrating for both patients and their medical team members who are forced to wait or to go through the tedious process of requesting medical records.  Fortunately, the health care industry is now developing new procedures that are designed to avoid those frustrating delays by using electronic medical records.

Technology and the Future of Health Care

On January 6, 2010, Kaiser Permanente and the Department of Veterans Affairs, two of the largest health care organizations in the country, implemented a program that will allow them to share a patient’s medical records electronically.  This program will facilitate the exchange of medical data between Kaiser Permanente’s “HealthConnect” system and the VA’s “Veterans Affairs Health Information Systems and Technology Architect” or VistA system.  This will give medical professionals secure and instant access to information which could dramatically improve the quality of health care, and in the long run should lower cost.

This program represents the collaboration of two giants in health care services.  The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) became the largest single medical system in 2003.  Almost a quarter of the population is potentially eligible for these benefits, which are available to veterans as well as their family members or survivors.  In 2009, the budget for the VA health system was close to $90 billion.  Almost 280,000 VA employees work at medical facilities and benefit offices to coordinate the delivery of these services.  Because of the number of patients it serves, the VA became one of the first entities to develop a system-wide electronic health record system that it calls “VistA.”

On the civilian side, Kaiser Permanente’s “HealthConnect” represents one of the largest employer-developed electronic health records system in the country.  Over 8.6 million people are connected to their medical team and the latest medical information.  Every day over 90,000 users access this system.  There are 80,000 new users going on-line each month to utilize this system.

The exchange of medical records between two entities the size of the VA and Kaiser Permanente will help to eliminate the pitfalls of incomplete and unreadable records and lead to the delivery of higher quality care.  If this collaboration is successful, it is likely that many other health care organizations will follow the procedure of creating electronic medical records.  Better access to a patient’s medical history will lead to better care for mesothelioma patients who are being treated by a large team of specialists.

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard

For the past decade, the City of San Francisco has been working with the Lennar Corporation to redevelop the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (HPNSY) into a new residential community.  Unfortunately, these plans have been mired in controversy due to the presence of toxic asbestos dust and other carcinogenic materials at the former Navy shipyard.  Residents of the surrounding neighborhood fear that they may be exposed to asbestos, PCBs, and other harmful substances as a result of construction activities at the site, and there have been a number of serious protests in opposition to the development.  In 2007, Lennar was even sued by two of  its own former executives, who claimed that the company maintained a “code of silence” to discourage employees from raising questions about potential health violations at the site.

On the other hand, state and city officials have long contended that the project is safe.  Both the California Department of Health and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District investigated the issue in 2007, and found that Lennar was taking adequate steps to protect surrounding residents against the hazards of asbestos.  This finding was confirmed by a draft EPA report obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle on January 5, 2010, which found that Lennar’s dust control program was effectively minimizing the generation of asbestos dust, and limiting asbestos exposure in the surrounding community.

However, many residents are still not convinced.  They point out that Lennar was recently fined over $515,000 for major dust-control violations.  Bay Area air district officials found that Lennar had failed to properly calibrate its dust monitoring equipment, so that the company could not accurately measure the levels of asbestos dust in the air.  Lennar was also cited for failing to maintain wash stations to remove asbestos dust from vehicles leaving the site.

Asbestos At Hunters Point

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, also known as Treasure Island Naval Station-Hunters Point Annex, was a major center for the building, repair, and servicing of Navy vessels from World War II through 1976.  Like every other Navy shipyard during this era, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard contained literally tons of asbestos materials.  Most surface vessels from the 1940s through the 1970s required asbestos insulation on the piping and equipment, as did nuclear-powered submarines.  Hundreds of thousands of workers and Navy veterans were exposed to asbestos at Hunters Point, including many former clients of Galiher DeRobertis Ono.  Interestingly, attorney Gary Galiher’s father, Clifford Owen Galiher, an enlisted Navy veteran, was stationed at Hunters Point during his military career.

The Navy ceased most operations at Hunters Point in 1976, and the shipyard was listed for closing in 1991.  Unfortunately, asbestos continues to be a serious hazard at the former Navy shipyard.  Although more than 226,000 square feet of asbestos-contaminated materials were removed from the Hunters Point shipyard in 1990, there is still a great deal of asbestos on the site.  In addition, Hunters Point is located on a site where there is naturally-occurring serpentine asbestos in the soil.  As a result, the people who live in the surrounding community are at significant risk of neighborhood exposure to asbestos during construction activities at the site unless dust control measures are strictly followed.

U.S. Veterans at Risk of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure.  From World War II through most of the Cold War years, asbestos was used on virtually all U.S. Navy ships.  As a result, U.S. Navy Veterans represent a large percentage of those living with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.  Retired civilian shipyard workers are also at risk of these asbestos diseases because they were exposed to asbestos during routine overhaul and maintenance of Navy ships and submarines.

Mesothelioma Funding is Essential

Although there are many clinical trials that seek to develop better treatments and ultimately find a cure for mesothelioma, there is still much to learn.  Fortunately, the Department of Defense realizes the importance of mesothelioma research, and has taken some serious steps to provide new sources of funding.  This gives new hope for those living with mesothelioma and for those researchers and clinicians who work tirelessly to combat this terrible disease.  Through this type of research, scientists and doctors continue to build their knowledge about this disease and make advances in their fight against mesothelioma.  It is through these efforts that we will extend life expectancy and ultimately find a cure for this devastating disease.

Galiher DeRobertis Ono Supports Mesothelioma Research

For over 30 years, attorney Gary O. Galiher has represented veterans who contracted mesothelioma as a result of their military service. Attorney Galiher, applauding the Department of Defense’s funding of mesothelioma research, commented:  “It is essential that we properly fund research that aims to cure mesothelioma.  We must continue to bring national attention and awareness to this disease.  For too long, I have seen what this disease has done to victims and their families.  It is not a problem that should be ignored or treated lightly.  Our law firm is actively working with both our state representatives and our U.S. Senators seeking new sources of funding for mesothelioma research and treatments.  These efforts by the Department of Defense are a welcome contribution to this fight.”

Galiher DeRobertis Ono is committed to supporting research to help find a cure for mesothelioma.  For over three decades, we have helped many mesothelioma clients and their families obtain compensation for this asbestos-related disease, and we know its devastating nature.  Through our legal work we collaborate with world-renowned researchers in the mesothelioma field, and we are encouraged by their efforts to develop new treatments and to ultimately find a cure for this terrible disease.

Mighty Mo’s Service Spans Decades

USS Missouri BB-63

The USS Missouri had a long and storied career as a U.S. Navy warship.  She is most famous for having hosted the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay at the end of World War II, as well as her role in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.  Less well known is the fact that USS Missouri actually fought in three wars over the course of 50 years.  In addition to two combat tours in Korea, the Mighty Mo saw action in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, firing her guns against Iraqi forces with the same bravery that she showed in the war against Japan almost a half century earlier.

The Missouri was rescued from a graveyard of Navy ships thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of supporters, including Retired Vice Admiral Robert Kihune and Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye.  She moved to her permanent home at Pearl Harbor in 1998, and opened as a museum ship in 1999.  Today, she stands as a memorial to the brave Navy veterans who served in World War II.

The men and women who work at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard are proud to be able to repair and maintain the USS Missouri.  As Shipyard Commander Capt. Gregory Thomas noted in a statement to the Honolulu Advertiser, “Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard played a key role in winning World War II, so Shipyard workers have tremendous appreciation for Missouri’s historical significance.”

Galiher DeRobertis Ono is honored to have represented many of these shipyard workers and Navy veterans in asbestos cases for over 30 years.  Some of our Hawaii clients were actually present at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, to witness the “day that will live in infamy.”  Our clients served bravely at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and in the U.S. Navy, and were often exposed to asbestos on Navy ships and submarines.  We are proud to have been able to help thousands of men and women who have contracted mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis as a result of their asbestos exposure at Pearl Harbor.

There once was an asbestos factory in the small town of Casale Monferrato in northwest Italy, known by its townspeople as the “factory of cancer”.  At one time or another, most residents of Casale Monferrato worked in this asbestos factory.  It was built in 1900 and continued in operation for many decades. In this very small town, the incidence of mesothelioma is about 16 times greater than that found in the rest of the country. It is anticipated that there will be a further increase in the incidence of mesothelioma up to 2020.

The factory workers and their families, as well as the rest of the town’s population, were exposed to asbestos from the Eternit Factory. Although work at the factory stopped in the 1980s, Dr. Giovanni Gaudino says that they “have huge environmental exposure to asbestos fibers. We are expecting, sadly, a high number of [mesothelioma] cases because of the long latency period for asbestos disease to develop.”  Thus, it was very fitting that Dr. Gaudino, who is a dedicated mesothelioma researcher, would continue to follow the incidence of disease in this population.  The Hospital of Casale Monferrato is included among several institutions participating in the Italian clinical trial involving use of the combination drug therapy of Gleevac and Gemcitabine.

Asbestos Today

While the sale of asbestos-containing products has been essentially banned in the United States since 1978, asbestos is still in use in much of the world today, with tragic consequences.  As he spoke to attorney Gary Galiher, Dr. Gaudino explained that mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases are a worldwide problem. Due to the widespread use of asbestos all over the world, asbestos cancer has become a truly international problem. Many thousands of cases are expected in the next several years, not only in Italy, but also in Europe, the United States, Australia and other parts of the western world. Dr. Gaudino believes that asbestos disease “is a huge problem for society because there are many thousands of cases expected in the years ahead.”  He refers to the phenomenon as “the European mesothelioma epidemic.”

Like in Casale Monferrato, Dr. Gaudino notes that there are workers all over the world “who are much exposed to fibers.”  He also noted that there are often children who live nearby, and they are often “playing… close to these materials.”

While factories have been closed in Europe and the United States, they have moved to India and other emerging countries. A high incidence of mesothelioma cases is expected around the world, especially in the emerging countries, where asbestos is still legal and is still being used.  This will lead to an “even worse world ‘epidemic.’”