Did Asbestos in a Philly School Cause a Teacher to Get Cancer? It’s Complicated. September 13, 2019 Arthur Frank, MD, PhD, a professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, was quoted in a Sept. 11 WHYY.org article about a Philadelphia teacher who reportedly has mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The Philadelphia Tribune and Philadelphia Public School Notebook picked up the story. View story