Societal Costs of Mesothelioma

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When so many people world-wide are dying from this disease, a relevant and important question is the following: what are the societal costs of mesothelioma? Please continue reading to grasp an understanding of the societal consequences of mesothelioma.

Some Examples of the Societal Costs of Mesothelioma 

The following example represent some of the societal costs of mesothelioma.

  • It is documented that Australia had the highest per capita use of asbestos in the world from the 1950’s until the 1970’s. As a tragic consequence, Australia now has the highest per capita incidence of mesothelioma in the world. With more than 500 Australians contracting mesothelioma per year, it is estimated that up to 18,000 Australians will die from this asbestos related cancer by the year 2020.

  • In the next 35 years it is estimated that over 1 million people will die from asbestos-related diseases in developed countries. Most of these people will die from lung cancer and mesothelioma since both of these are the most widely occurring asbestos-related diseases.
  • A recent study of the U.S. government provides the latest evidence of a systematic cover-up of the health toll from pollution after the 9/11 disaster, which doctors fear will cause more deaths than the attacks themselves. An analysis of this governmental study (conducted by a consortium of researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Columbia University, New York University, Johns Hopkins University, The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) shows exposure-related increases in new-onsets of coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and bronchial hyperactivity more than 2½ years after the disaster.

In the next 35 years it is estimated that over 1 million people will die from asbestos-related diseases in developed countries. Most of these people will die from lung cancer and mesothelioma since both of these are the most widely occurring asbestos-related diseases

  • Asbestos is the single biggest work place killer today. People who have worked with the material are at serious risk from developing lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, two fatal respiratory illnesses that debilitate their victims. Evidence of asbestos' deadly effect on those who breathe its fibres is likely to multiply in the decades to come.

  •  There are two costs to society that can be identified. The first is the cost to the public health system. The second cost is the loss of tax revenue by governments due to asbestos mining companies claiming a tax deduction for the compensation payments that are made to the victims.
  • Due to the latency of asbestos diseases it is thought that we will be seeing many more incidences of mesothelioma in the next 25 years. Hugh Robertson, head of health and safety at the British TUC says: "A realistic estimate is that within the EU [European Union] alone 500,000 will die in the next 35 years, half from mesothelioma and half from lung cancer. In Japan, an estimated 100,000 will die. If you add the Australian, Canadian and US figures then even a million is an under estimation - and that is only for the developed countries."

Hot water and steam pipes in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape.

  • In illustration of the costs to the public health system, the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia has stated that by 2020 there will be 13,000 cases of mesothelioma and 40,000 asbestos related lung cancer diseases, totaling 53,000 people and this is only in Australia! This means that 53,000 people will need to have constant medical attention for the next 15 years or so. The question therefore, who pays for the cost? The answer, of course, is the current taxpayer and the next generation of taxpayers.

Each year there are 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma in the United States. Add the thousands and thousands of new incidents of this disease worldwide each year, and it is apparent that mesothelioma has become a nightmare for all of the industrialized countries in the world.

  • Sadly the effects of asbestos take many years to manifest themselves. People who worked in the construction industries some 20 to 40 years ago may still be awaiting their fate. Asbestos causes several diseases, two of which occur only in those who have had contact with asbestos, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Lung cancer and emphysema are more commonly associated with smoking but frequently occur in non smokers with a history of asbestos contact.

There is strong evidence in the medical literature that the dangers of asbestos exposure were known long before millions of American workers were exposed.

  • The following two asbestos-related issues have not been addressed: First, the financial costs to society of asbestos-related diseases (such as mesothelioma cancer) and who pays for these costs. Secondly, should asbestos mining companies be paying compensation not only to the sufferers of mesothelioma and other diseases but also to society?

    Societal Costs of Mesothelioma: Conclusion

When so many people world-wide are dying from this disease, a relevant and important question is the following: what are the societal costs of mesothelioma?

Reading the above listed example paints a dreary picture of the amount of destruction and wide spread damage mesothelioma has caused society.

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