Representatives from Mesothelioma Hope were honored to attend the 20th Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference. Event attendees included doctors, attorneys, lawmakers, and advocates devoted to improving the lives of mesothelioma patients.
The 20th Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference, hosted by the Asbestos Disease and Awareness Organization (ADAO), was held this year on September 13 in New York City. During the event, Mesothelioma Hope’s founder, Chris Carberg, participated in a panel discussion on digital tools and strategies for reducing asbestos exposure.
Other attendees and speakers included Dr. Raja Flores, Dr. Andrea Wolf, ADAO president Linda Reinstein, Simmons Hanly Conroy partner Perry Browder, New York City Council Member Gale Brewer, and many more. Session topics included a retrospective timeline of asbestos-related diseases in the U.S., new methods for diagnosis and treatment, and how to limit asbestos exposure.
Below are five key takeaways from this year’s conference.
1. Tech and AI Are Powerful Tools for Awareness
Chris Carberg and Linda Reinstein presented a session titled, “Prevention is the cure — strategies for exposure reduction.” The presentation highlighted insights from Chris’s background in marketing, technology, and creativity, coupled with Linda’s deep experience in and passion for reducing asbestos harm.
“For years now, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Linda Reinstein and ADAO, which has taught me something very clear: Prevention is greater than cure.”
They emphasized how artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool in the effort to prevent and raise awareness about asbestos exposure. Predictive models can help identify at-risk groups earlier, allowing for targeted technology and messaging to accelerate the time to diagnosis and treatment.
Earlier this year, Linda launched a chatbot called The Source, which compiles 20 years’ worth of ADAO content into a dedicated knowledge base. This new tool makes it easier than ever to search, share, and expand access to life-saving information.
Another major tech development in this fight is the Asbestos Action Navigator, a digital tool that guides people down three clear paths: prevention, exposure, and care. The customizable web-based product helps build on awareness by giving people actionable steps to take to protect themselves and their families after exposure.
2. Immunotherapy Continues to Show Significant Promise
On the treatment front, one of the biggest takeaways from the conference was the ongoing research coming out about the effectiveness and promise of immunotherapy. Dr. Jorge Gomez, mesothelioma specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital, noted how patients have seen significant gains in survival since the 2000s — thanks in large part to new treatments like immunotherapy. He said the plateau is extending and is much higher than it’s been in the past.
Dr. Andrea Wolf, also of Mount Sinai Hospital, presented on the importance of tailoring pleural mesothelioma treatment to each patient and individualizing treatment plans with several possible therapies. She shared the promise of poly-ICLC, an immune stimulant that mimics a viral infection to trigger an immune response and therefore strengthen the immune system.
A presentation on immunology from specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering shared a unique analogy, comparing mesothelioma to a cobra. These vicious snakes are hard to kill because they’re fast and smart, and can predict and counter a predator’s movements in real time. It sounds counterintuitive, but they argued that the best way to kill a snake is with ants, which climb on the snake and attack it little by little. In the same way, immunotherapy helps destroy cancer one cell at a time.
3. Tumor Treatment Can Help Manage Disease
Some of the challenges of mesothelioma have to do with how it forms and how quickly it advances. Conference presenters shared National Cancer Institute (NCI) SEER data on the survival rates of pleural mesothelioma based on how far the disease has spread — and that localized cancer (wherein the tumors are contained to a specific part of the body) results in almost 1 in 4 patients living for 5 years or more. This highlights the importance of identifying mesothelioma in early stages and keeping the cancer contained as much as possible.
Additionally, Dr. Gomez shared results from a phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in combination with chemotherapy for inoperable pleural mesothelioma. The trial found a median overall survival of 18.2 months with this treatment, which involves the use of alternating electrical fields to keep tumor cells from dividing and multiplying.
4. Asbestos Might Cause More Lung Cancer Than We Think
Panelists shared data on the number of deaths in the U.S. each year from asbestos-caused cancer, including (all numbers approximate):
- Lung cancer: 34,000
- Mesothelioma: 3,000
- Ovarian cancer: 800
- Laryngeal cancer: 500
- Asbestosis: 700
Although mesothelioma is directly caused by asbestos exposure, as many as 28% of all lung cancer deaths may also be related to asbestos (34,000 out of 120,000 total lung cancer deaths every year).
This highlights how dangerous asbestos still is and the need for ongoing advocacy and support for victims.
5. Post 9/11, Prevention Is More Critical Than Ever
It wasn’t a coincidence that the conference took place just days after the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. In addition to the devastation that occurred that day, the ongoing tragedy includes first responders’ decades-later diagnoses of debilitating diseases, including asbestos-caused cancers. On September 12, conference-goers attended a vigil at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a sobering reminder of the pain and tragedy of that event.
Dr. David Prezant, Chief Medical Officer of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), presented a session on 9/11 firefighter exposure reduction strategies and screening insights. Other presentations focused on eliminating worldwide asbestos hazards, the toxic danger of wildfires in Los Angeles and beyond, and how to reduce asbestos exposure in post-war recovery and reconstruction.
Although progress has been made toward banning new asbestos use — thanks in large part to ADAO founder Linda Reinstein’s tireless advocacy efforts — much of the mineral remains in older buildings and still poses a threat to the health and safety of people across the country.
But one bright spot in the fight emerged last week: the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2025 was reintroduced in Congress. Although the bill has not yet passed, it presents an opportunity to completely ban asbestos, close loopholes left by the EPA’s 2024 rule, and provide long-term certainty in the ongoing fight against this substance.
Finding Hope in Research and Community
The 2025 ADAO conference was an inspiring and hopeful experience, providing an opportunity to connect with passionate professionals from multiple disciplines across the country.
The conference bolstered ADAO’s mission to prevent asbestos exposure, eliminate asbestos-related diseases, and protect the civil rights of asbestos victims through global education, advocacy, and community initiatives.
Download our Free Asbestos Products Guide to learn more about how exposure happens and what you can do to keep your family safe.
