Mesothelioma News
Welsh county sees high rate of malignant mesothelioma deaths
A UK county with about 70,000 people has seen a large number of people die from the asbestos-caused cancer malignant mesothelioma.The South Wales Argus reports that Gwent - a county in Wales - has seen more than 150 people succumb to mesothelioma in recent decades.
According to figures from the Office of National Statistics, 158 people died of the rare cancer in the county between 1981 and 2005.
In the county, Newport saw the most fatalities with 56. Of those, 53 were male, illustrating the deadly toll many people's professions took on them.
Malignant mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure, and many of these men came in contact with this substance - which was commonly used as an insulator and flame retardant - in the course of their careers. Industries such as shipbuilding, pipefitting and plumbing relied heavily on asbestos for years, and so those who worked in such professions are likely to have been exposed to the substance.
In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos can cause asbestosis and lung cancer. All told, such asbestos-related illnesses kill 107,000 people each year around the world, according to the World Health Organization.
1/3/12
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