Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive neoplasm caused by
neoplastic transformation of mesothelial cells that line the body’s
serous cavities and the internal organs. In the majority of patients
mesothelioma is localized within the pleural cavity. At this moment, no
curative medical procedures are available. With median survival of 9 to
12 month after first signs of illness, the prognosis is poor.
Mesothelioma is strongly associated with the exposure to airborne
asbestos particles. Although the relation between exposure to asbestos
and the occurrence of disease was already reported by the ancient Greek
geographer Strabo and the roman naturist Gaius Plinius Secundus in 23
AD*, the first scientific report was published in the 1960’s by Wagner
et al. He reported a strong correlation between exposure to asbestos and
the occurrence of mesothelioma, among asbestos-mine-workers in
South-African’s Cape Province. Studies of Stumphius et al. noticed an
increased incidence in mesothelioma cases among shipyard-workers in the
“Royal Schelde” shipyard.
Even though it became more distinct that asbestos exposure was one of
the main causes for mesothelioma, the commercial use of asbestos peaked
during the seventies. Tons of asbestos-containing materials are still
present in buildings, ships and infrastructures. Production and usage of
asbestos-containing material maintained in the Netherlands till the
interdiction of asbestos-use in 1993. As millions of people were exposed
to carcinogenic fibres, with accompanying serious health risks
undisputed there is a responsibility for governments to support
mesothelioma research. The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice has
recently announced that the U.K. government is obligated to address the
medical aspects of mesothelioma.
It is a misconception that with the ban of asbestos-use, the occurrence
of mesothelioma will disappear within the following decades. Many people
world wide are incidentally exposed to asbestos fibres. During the
collapse of the New York World Trade Centre in 2001 the citizens of New
York not only faced the tragedy of a terrorist attack, but as a
consequence thousands of people were exposed to a dust-cloud containing
400 tons of asbestos fibres (4% of all fibres within the dust-cloud).
Soon after 9/11 the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) was
established to fund research, investigating new treatment strategies to
cure mesothelioma.http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/22286/101208_Veltman%2C%20Johannes%20Dirk.pdf
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