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Overview
Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that affects the lining (mesothelium) of several organs, predominantly the lungs. Approximately 2,000 new cases are reported in the United States each year. According to the National Cancer Institute the mesothelioma ratio internationally is 9:1,000,000. The most common risk factor worldwide is exposure to asbestos dust. Patients in over fifty percent of these cases have been in contact with this fibrous material.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a group of minerals that was frequently used for fireproofing, electrical insulation and building materials because of its ability to withstand heat. The fibers are small and can be easily inhaled or swallowed which, we now know, can cause asbestosis and mesothelioma. The Environmental Protection Agency has since restricted the usage of this material but for more than 100 years the link to cancer was unknown.
Lung Disease and Asbestos
In the early 1900s doctors began to notice that there was a high incidence of lung disease in workers at asbestos factories in Britain. The first reported and confirmed case of asbestosis was in 1906. By the late 1920s it was well known that there was a connection between lung disease and asbestos mining and production and it was considered an occupational disease.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos
In the 1930s and 1940s many asbestos workers died from lung cancer but the actual connection to the cancer being caused by asbestos was slow to emerge. This was due to the fact that tobacco use was constantly increasing and there was also a high rate of tuberculosis. It was impossible to figure out what type of cancer caused the person's death without an autopsy and those were not common. It is widely believed that industry officials did not actively research the link between asbestos and mesothelioma as the material was so instrumental to the building trade.
Asbestos Mines in South Africa
Asbestos mining in South Africa was a booming business. There was abundant cheap labor and technological advances made mining more efficient. Despite researchers acknowledging exposure to asbestos was dangerous, the mining continued because it was still believed the danger only encompassed the processing.
Acknowledgment
In 1948, malignant mesothelioma was finally recognized at the first chest and infectious disease hospital in South Africa. Medical researchers began to investigate to better understand occupational hazards in the asbestos mining and processing field. By the late 1950s, the connection between mesothelioma and asbestos was well documented.
