Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Diseases Increasing Due to Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma News

Mesothelioma Grows into an International Health Crisis

February 21, 2008 — Mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer from exposure to asbestos, is rising as an international health crisis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “... at least 90,000 people die each year from asbestos–related diseases” and 43,000 of those deaths are from mesothelioma. (WHO, April 27, 2007) Exposure to asbestos fibers causes severe, debilitating diseases such as mesothelioma, larynx and lung cancer, and asbestosis. Mesothelioma, a rare cancer, causes tumors on the lining of the lung and peritoneal cavity, and is always fatal.

In industrialized nations where asbestos was and may continue to be widely used, mesothelioma and asbestosis are growing into an epidemic. In particular, the United States, Australia, and the UK are experiencing a significant increase in deaths related to mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma on the Rise in Australia, the UK, And the United States

Asbestos has taken its toll on Australia. It has had the highest rate of malignant mesothelioma per capita globally, since 1980. “Incidence rates have been continually increasing and are the highest reported national rates in the world.” (NCBI, Am J Ind Med. 2002 Mar;41(3):188–201) Around 600 mesothelioma cases are recorded each year, and in the next 10–15 years, it is expected that 13,000 more will be added.

The rising mortality rate for mesothelioma can be directly related to the level of asbestos exposure by those living in the affected countries for the last few decades. For example, Australia, was one of the world’s largest producers of asbestos, a fiber valued for its strength, flexibility, low electrical conductivity, and fire resistant and insulating properties. The majority of asbestos produced in Australia was used in the asbestos–cement manufacturing industry.

In the 1950s and 1960s, 161,000 tons of crocidolite, also known as blue asbestos, was mined in the town of Wittenoom, Australia. During that time, more than 20,000 Australians were exposed to asbestos. The town was shut down by the government in 1966 due to health concerns, becoming a ghost town. Tragically, almost 2,000 of the former townspeople and miners of Wittenoom now have asbestos–related diseases, and 231 have died from mesothelioma. Furthermore, researchers predict by 2020 another 110 deaths will have occurred from mesothelioama.(Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004;61:e14) This industrial disaster remains one of the greatest asbestos tragedies to have ever occurred.

In the UK, the numbers of asbestos–related diseases, such as mesothelioma, are skyrocketing. About 1,800 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year. Experts predict that the annual death toll will peak within ten years, according to figures from the British Journal of Cancer. (British Journal of Cancer, Press Release) The study found that the mesothelioma mortality rate rose from “153 deaths in 1968 to 1,848 in 2001 and is still increasing,” The study suggests the mesothelioma mortality rate may not begin to decline until 2015.

Similarly, in the United States, deaths from mesothelioma have been increasing for the past 20 years, and will continue to rise. Around 10,000 Americans die each year from asbestos–related diseases and more than 2,500 of those deaths are from deadly mesothelioma. According to reports, deaths from mesothelioma and asbestosis increased steadily from 1979 through 1998. Between 1979–2001, almost 43,000 Americans died from those diseases. (Environmental Working Group, The Asbestos Epidemic in America) Another report obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics estimates that between 1999 through 2001, 7,500 people died from mesothelioma alone. (International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Malignant Mesothelioma Mortality in the United States, 1999–2001)

Data on the actual number of deaths from mesothelioma is hard to obtain in the United States. Federal health officials did not begin tracking mesothelioma as a cause of death until 1999. Many mesothelioma deaths were undiagnosed or classified simply as lung cancer, or other respiratory diseases.

The peak number of deaths from mesothelioma may not be reached for decades. A substantial number of individuals exposed in the 1960s and 1970s are “just now showing up as disease or mortality statistics, because asbestos diseases have about a 15–40 year latency period.” (Environmental Working Group, The Asbestos Epidemic in America) Even in worker populations where asbestos exposure is well established, mesothelioma and asbestosis are often under–reported and undocumented.

Asbestos Exposure, How Does It Occur?

Most people are exposed to asbestos through their jobs. Particularly at risk are those with jobs in construction, shipbuilding, railroad and automotive work. Exposure also occurs in common places like public buildings, homes, and even schools.

Although asbestos has been banned in over 40 countries, we are just beginning to see the damage left behind. Unfortunately, the large amounts of asbestos used throughout the 20th century will cause more mesothelioma deaths. European Union experts estimate that asbestos–related cancers will cause approximately 500,000 deaths up to the year 2030 in Western Europe alone. (Asbestos in the World, HESA Newsletter Special Report, June 2005, No. 27) Despite world recognition that asbestos is dangerous and deadly, asbestos consumption is increasing in some of the less developed countries. WHO recently released an official statement “warning countries to stop using asbestos or face a cancer epidemic in the coming years.” (WHO, April 27, 2007) Sadly, the mesothelioma nightmare that is happening in the United States, the UK, and Australia, may continue to be repeated in other parts of the world for decades to come.

Brayton Purcell and Your Mesothelioma Case

For over 24 years, Brayton Purcell has been extensively involved with the legal rights of mesothelioma victims, including injured workers and their families. We have represented both asbestos workers and individuals who have come into contact with asbestos through others. Our mesothelioma lawyers seek damages to the full extent allowed by law in order to compensate our clients for their pain and suffering, loss of wages, and medical expenses.

If you would like to request more information about how Brayton Purcell mesothelioma lawyers can help you, you may contact us through this web site or at our offices. Although our main offices are in California, Oregon, and Utah, we have a nationwide client base, and many of our mesothelioma lawyers are admitted in multiple states.