ASBESTOS LAWYERS

On the asbestos law firm website of Roger G. Worthington is a photo of him and Dr. Robert Cameron in an operating room, both in scrubs, hovering above the splayed chest of a gravely ill person who is the legal client of one and patient of the other."The hardest working man in America. Easily," Mr. Worthington, a plaintiffs' attorney, says of Dr. Cameron on his legal blog. "An American hero."Dr. Cameron says of Mr. Worthington's devotion to clients: "He's more than their lawyer; he's almost their friend."Together the men have helped start two nonprofits dedicated to assisting patients of mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer. Dr. Cameron relied on funding from Mr. Worthington to build two research laboratories. When mesothelioma patients ask Dr. Cameron to recommend an attorney, he tells them to pick one who has donated toward finding a cure for the disease, and that includes Mr. Worthington.

The two have forged what has become an increasingly common relationship between a subset of cancer doctors and plaintiffs' attorneys, sharing what for each is an increasingly scarce but valuable resource: victims of mesothelioma.It is an unusual alliance in the world of medicine that some ethics experts say blurs ethical lines. This is particularly true when doctors refer patients to attorneys who provide financial support for their medical research.

It "has the taste of a kickback," said Dr. Jerome Kassirer, author of a book about financial conflicts of interest in medicine and a former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. "This is a disgrace to both professions," he said.

Mr. Worthington rejected any notion he was seeking to profit from his donations or that there is any quid pro quo. He sees himself filling a void to support research that should be paid for by the asbestos industry.

"I've given back. If that's a crime, I'm guilty as hell," Mr. Worthington said. "The fact that I've found a doctor who cares, that is just serendipity."

Dr. Cameron likewise said donations to his research are made with the explicit understanding that there are no strings attached. "I don't get kickbacks; I get money for research," he said. "If you see someone at the end of a freeway exit, that is me asking for money for research."

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining on the lungs and chest cavity believed to be caused exclusively by asbestos fibers. Depending on their course of treatment, victims essentially suffocate to death, typically within months of diagnosis. There is no cure.