What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer which affects the lining of the chest, heart and abdomen. Each year approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with the disease which currently has no cure.  The survival time from the onset of symptoms and/or diagnosis is on average of between 8 to 18 months.

What Causes Mesothelioma?
Nearly all Mesothelioma cases are related to asbestos exposure.  Asbestos is a fibrous material used in industrial and building trade projects and can also be found in products ranging from heat insulation to ironing board covers to brake pads.

The use of asbestos has declined substantially since the 1970’s when the link between the material and Mesothelioma became widely known.   Since then asbestos use has been stringently regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the office of Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA).  Despite such safety measures, new cases of Mesothelioma are expected to continue due to the diseases latency period which can range from 10 to 40 years.

Some scientists estimate that the events of September 11 where an estimated 1,000 tons of asbestos were released into the air have the potential to increase the incidence of the disease in years to come.

Although there are Mesothelioma cases where no known exposure to asbestos exists, historically the disease has affected those working in the building and industrial trades. The disease has also been found amongst family members who were exposed on a regular basis to the asbestos dust
found on a worker’s hair, body and clothing.

The Mark Buttitta Memorial Foundation for Research
Mesothelioma does not have the spotlight or research dollars behind it as do many of the more widely recognized diseases such as prostate and breast cancers.  According to doctors and researchers familiar with the disease, the lack of funding for a cure stems from both the disease’s low incidence amongst the population as well as the disease’s victims - blue collar workers with limited access to the political and lobbying power necessary to secure adequate funding.

The Mark Buttitta Memorial Foundation for Research is in memory of Mark Buttitta, an advertising executive who died of Mesothelioma in late 2002.  Unlike the majority of Mesothelioma victims, Mark does not fit the demographic profile of the typical Mesothelioma victim.

Nonetheless, Mark’s family has established the Foundation to support research for a cure.  Now in its fifth year, the Foundation has been instrumental in supporting the work necessary to apply for research grants.  To date, the Foundation has raised over $150,000 through individual donations and fundraisers like the annual wine tasting. With the Foundation’s help, a generous grant was recently approved by the National Institute for Health, which will not only help to raise awareness of the disease but will also provide the much-needed aid to researchers who are working towards a cure.

Sources: American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), Environmental Chemistry.com

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