Mesothelioma News

A coroner's court in the UK recently heard that a former welder died of malignant mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, according to the Mansfield Chad.

The welding technician - identified only as Mr. Seagrave by the news source - said in a statement prepared last year that while working at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic he was exposed to asbestos. The news source reports that the asbestos was in a kiln that Seagrave used.

Many blue-collar workers were exposed to asbestos on the job as the naturally occurring substance was frequently used as an insulator and flame retardant in industries such as shipbuilding, auto parts manufacturing and pipefitting. While the material proved useful in these and other industries, the deadly consequences of asbestos exposure - which were fully known by the mid-1960s - far outweighed its benefits as the substance can cause a range of illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Malignant mesothelioma - a rare cancer that attacks the thin membrane that lines the chest, abdomen and many of the body's internal organs - kills one person about every five hours in the UK, according to the Mirror.

Nottinghamshire coroner Mairin Casey recorded Seagrave's death as being the result of an industrial disease.