On September 9, Dr. Len van Zyl of ToxicoGenomica presented at Perrin Conferences’ National Asbestos Litigation Conference at the Fairmont San Francisco Hotel. The conference was greatly attended, and attendees were provided with key information on the trends that are currently driving asbestos litigation and the impact these trends may have on future cases. Dr. […]
Expert testimony involving genetic findings is more and more common in asbestos litigation. Recent studies published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature have evaluated a variety of genetic factors (e.g., inherited genetic mutations, micro-RNA, gene expression profiles, and epigenetic factors) in people with and without asbestos exposure. Investigators have found evidence to support the fact that […]
Mechanistic understanding of cancers continues to accelerate, with important implications for tort litigation. A recent new study by He et al. (2019) provides new insights into how and why germline BAP1 mutations are involved in the development of some cancers, such as mesothelioma, but not others. The new insights are about tissue specific actions of […]
At long last, plans are moving forward to establish a national mesothelioma patient registry in the United States. A key meeting of experts planning the registry will be held on Tuesday March 26, 2019 in Bethesda. The meeting will include panel presentations by mesothelioma experts from CDC and NIOSH, and will include a substantial opportunity for […]
A recently published article authored by Drs. Michele Carbone, Haining Yang, and Harvey Pass (among others) is relevant to asbestos and talc defendants because it provides additional data supporting the conclusion that inherited genetic variations cause mesothelioma in some persons without any known exposure to asbestos. Most notably for asbestos and talc litigants, 57 out […]
The use of genomic evidence in cancer cases is now commonplace, including both talc and traditional asbestos cases. However, the list of relevant genes goes far beyond BAP1 or any other single gene mutation. On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, ToxicoGenomica offered a complimentary webinar educating defense attorneys on the use of genomics in toxic tort […]
This is our second comment on a very recent paper (Panou 2018) reporting findings from a study looking for germline (inherited) variants (mutations) in persons afflicted by mesotheliomas. The paper reported results from a custom gene panel analysis of 195 genes associated with cancers to study a cohort of 198 persons, mainly persons who were […]
Some scientific findings provide both opportunities and risks for litigants in mass tort cases. The point is highlighted by a new paper by Panou and colleagues published in mid- August in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The paper concludes that a significant proportion of patients with malignant mesotheliomas carry inherited (germline) mutations in cancer-associated genes, […]
The ongoing revolution in genomic science is having an impact on many facets of modern life, including toxic tort litigation. This point was apparent at the recently held American Conference Institute’s 23rd National Forum on Asbestos Claims & Litigation (May 21-23, 2018) in Chicago, where we presented in a session titled “The Meso Gene.” In […]
Genomics is a proven and reliable quantitative tool that has dramatically improved cancer treatment, established the practice of personalized medicine, and brought binary clarity to paternity and criminal cases. Genomics is now transforming how civil toxic tort cases are adjudicated. We have hit a tipping point where, instead of merely relying on population-based epidemiological studies, […]