Prevention of exposure to asbestos to eliminate deadly diseases.

Mes•o•the•li•o•ma – I can’t pronounce it – I can’t cure it. I want to share a little about the personal side of my journey, not out of sympathy, but so you can better understand the facts about mesothelioma. In 2003, after enduring nine months of symptoms and multiple doctor visits, my husband, Alan, was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Alan underwent an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), a surgical procedure in which a rib, left lung and pericardium were removed and the diaphragm replaced, hoping to spend more time with his family. But because of her exposure to asbestos, our then 10-year-old daughter had to watch her father slowly die of a preventable disease. Unfortunately, our experience is common, and the fear, despair and isolation were paralyzing.

The truth behind asbestos

After Alan’s diagnosis, we learned that asbestos causes deadly diseases and not just mesothelioma. We learned the unspoken truth: that when inhaled, these sharp, invisible, odorless and tasteless asbestos fibers can cause permanent damage. Even more shocking is the fact that this has been well known and documented for over 100 years. Driven by grief, anger, and bewilderment, I knew I had to turn my anger into action, which is why I co-founded the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) with Doug Larkin. Technological advances have allowed us to build international alliances of more than 20,000 and continue our educational, advocacy, and community support initiatives, including hosting our annual asbestos awareness conferences, testifying at congressional hearings, and speaking as a speaker. principal in numerous commitments.

History is a great teacher for those who listen to it.

More than 30 years ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer declared asbestos to be a human carcinogen. The World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General agree: asbestos is a human carcinogen and there is no safe level of environmental or occupational exposure to asbestos . Asbestos can cause mesothelioma and cancer of the lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal and ovary, as well as non-malignant lung and pleural disorders.

Deadly Hugs, Deadly Tasks.

Worker exposure does not stop at the site; one can trace the toxic dust back home. It is no longer just workers who are at risk; they are also their families, the children who hug the parents who bring contaminated clothes home from work and the spouses who wash those clothes. The profile of asbestos victims has changed, once a blue collar worker in his mid-sixties, a new patient profile is emerging. Tragically, it is becoming more and more common to find women in their 50s who are diagnosed with mesothelioma. The new patient profile presents frightening evidence that environmental exposure is lethal.

Construction workers were found to be 11 times more likely to develop mesothelioma.

The World Health Organization estimates that 107,000 workers worldwide will die each year from an asbestos-related disease, which is equivalent to 300 deaths per day. An estimated 1.3 million employees in the construction industry and in general face significant exposure to asbestos at work. “Do it now.” Environmental and occupational cancers are on the agency’s radar now more than ever. More than 90 percent of the asbestos used worldwide today is used in the manufacture of asbestos-cement sheet and pipe.

Prevention is the only cure.

There are only two ways to stop mesothelioma: prevent asbestos exposure and find a cure; The first step is to prevent environmental and occupational exposure. Through our voices, we can turn our anger into action. Be informed: avoid exposure by learning what materials may contain asbestos and avoid disturbing them. When in doubt, hire a licensed and experienced asbestos inspector to sample the materials in your home to determine if asbestos is present. If you have been exposed or are experiencing early warning symptoms of asbestos-related disease, talk to your doctor and seek treatment from experienced doctors.

Every life lost to a preventable disease caused by asbestos is tragic; millions of lives lost is inconceivable.

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