New Study Drops the Coffin Lid on Asbestos

April 17, 2009

Reno, NV Implausible as it may seem, if there was ever any doubt as to the danger of asbestos exposure, that doubt has been put to rest with the release of a new study appearing in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Asbestos mesothelioma is but one deadly result in an environment that carried a whopping 95 percent risk of developing asbestos cancer.



In the study, researchers dug into the records and medical histories of workers who toiled at 4 textile plants, located in North Carolina that produced various products using chrysotile asbestos—the most commonly-used form of asbestos in the industrial age.



In a study that can only be described as exhaustive 5,770 workers were scrutinized over a 23-year period beginning with 1950 and ending with 1973.



The results are stunning. Slightly less than half of all the workers died during the study period. Of the more than 2500 workers who died prior to 1973, 277 of those workers succumbed to lung cancer—and the rate of lung cancer was an incredible 95 percent higher for the plant workers than that of the general population.



The risk for mesothelioma was also a lot higher. If the forgoing didn't stalk and catch the unsuspecting workers, there were plenty other risk factors associated with asbestos exposure. Among them, cancers of the larynx and rectum, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma.



It has long been held that the risk of asbestos cancer increases with the length of asbestos exposure over time. This study bears that out, finding that those workers who had been employed at the textile plant for 20 years or longer faced the highest risk for lung cancer.



As noted in previous studies as well as case histories, the risk of asbestos cancer was higher in association with elapsed time since asbestos exposure, given the view that it often takes decades for various asbestos cancer symptoms, including asbestos mesothelioma to appear.



What is significant about this study is the confidence researchers project with regard to the findings. This is telling because past studies, while never suggesting that asbestos doesn't cause cancer, nonetheless raised some questions with regard to the risks associated with different forms of asbestos. Amosite and crocidolite, for example are two lesser-used derivatives of asbestos while chrysotile is the most commonly used.



Previous research did not achieve a clear link between chrysotile asbestos and mesothelioma, according to Dana Loomis, PhD, Professor in the School of Community Health Sciences at the University of Nevada and the lead author of the current study.



This study leaves little doubt that chrysotile asbestos is a killer. "Our findings support the conclusion that chrysotile is carcinogenic to humans and that it should continue to be regulated like other forms of asbestos," Dr. Loomis says. "The data do not provide any support for proposals that chrysotile is safe for wider use. This conclusion is especially relevant for developing countries where strong regulations on asbestos have not been established."



The current study was able to prove, beyond any doubt the link between chrysotile asbestos fibers and mesothelioma, together with lung cancer thanks to the access researchers had to large numbers of exposed workers, plant exposure data and medicinal histories.



While asbestos has been banned outright in several countries around the world, the US is yet to take that final step. While asbestos is no longer used in the manufacture of most products, it is still common in certain industrial sectors, including the manufacture of brake linings and other automotive parts. Various times in recent history bills have floated through congress attempting a total ban on asbestos, but have always failed due to a still-strong pro-asbestos lobby.



The study could prove crucial to policy decisions currently underway with regard to the deregulation of chrysotile asbestos.



Even with the use of asbestos in manufacturing on the decline, it's still out there—in the walls, above the ceilings and wrapped around the pipes of countless buildings. When asbestos removal is required, workers together with the greater public need to be protected from floating asbestos fibers.



In summary, the risk is still a concern and the science confirming that risk has never been more dramatic, or conclusive. That's where the legal system and your opportunity for potential compensation come in. If you, or a loved one have been touched by asbestos cancer or asbestos mesothelioma stemming from asbestos exposure—even going back decades—get in touch with an asbestos attorney right away.



You may have little time to lose.