Mesothelioma News

A renowned Australian actor recently succumbed to the asbestos-caused cancer mesothelioma.

Harold Hopkins died at the age of 67 at a hospital in north Sydney, according to Australia's Daily Telegraph. Hopkins had roles in Don's Part, The Club and Gallipoli, which is primarily known in the U.S. as one of Mel Gibson's first major roles.

Hopkins' family says that Harold was exposed to asbestos during his first job following high school. He reportedly was an apprentice carpenter in Queensland, where he worked with asbestos sheeting.

Asbestos was commonly used in building materials due to its insulating properties and resistance to fire. However, it has been proven since the mid-1960s that asbestos causes not only malignant mesothelioma but asbestosis and lung cancer as well.

Many people who worked in blue-collar professions, even for brief periods of time, are at risk for developing one of the illnesses as their jobs often involved coming into contact with asbestos or asbestos-containing materials.

All told, the World Health Organization estimates that asbestos exposure is responsible for 107,000 deaths each year around the world.