Mesothelioma is an often fatal form of cancer that is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure in the workplace. Asbestos the term given to six types of minerals, three of which were mined across the world for their ability to mix with other materials to help improve the strength, flexibility and heat resistance of products.

“Mesothelioma, one of the most important occupational diseases, is attracting more and more attention nowadays,” one noted cancer researcher said. “New developments in the diagnostics and treatment of this disease are really important, including those presented during the ELCC 2012 meeting: improvements in the diagnosis by simply measuring biomarkers in peripheral blood samples will identify patients who may be candidates for new studies or financial reimbursement by their employers.”

Many employees are entitled to reimbursement from their employers for their asbestos exposure and resulting mesothelioma. Many employers, such as the U.S. Navy, were aware that employees were being exposed to toxic asbestos, but failed to warn those employees or take asbestos abatement measures for years. Many manufacturers also kept producing asbestos-laced products despite knowing that these products could give rise to serious illnesses.

Workers in some industries traditionally experienced more asbestos exposure than others, including:

  • Construction workers
  • Remodelers
  • Manufacturing industry workers
  • Painters
  • Mechanics
  • Textile millworkers
  • Shipbuilders and U.S. Navy veterans

Asbestos was present in thousands of materials when it became widely known as a toxic substance. It was most commonly used in friction products such as brake linings, heavy-duty paper products, textile products and fire-resistant fabrics, and cement sheet and pipe products.

Many buildings have still not undergone the proper amount of asbestos abatement and many products are still used today despite containing asbestos. Hair dryers, baby powder, insulation, fire prevention materials and adhesives are just some of the commonly used products that may still contain asbestos.