New York legislator to undergo mesothelioma treatment

A New York legislator from Suffolk County was accepted into an experimental mesothelioma treatment study in Maryland. William Lindsay will begin the study, which consists of weeks of treatment separated by weeks of rest, at the National Institutes of Health.

The 67-year old Lindsay is believed to have contracted mesothelioma during his time as an electrician and labor leader. Many mesothelioma patients similar to Lindsay were exposed to cancer-causing asbestos during industrial jobs and construction work.

Mesothelioma is a fatal form of cancer that can take decades to develop and attacks the lungs or walls of the abdominal cavity. The most common cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos â€" a carcinogenic substance used in construction and insulation prominently from the 1940s through the 1970s.