Landmark Hospital Study Shows All Types of Asbestos Cause Mesothelioma

A diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma sets many balls in motion. The top priority is always the patient’s health. However, after physicians have been found and appointments made, the next layer of activities begin.

Family members and friends need to be contacted, and the question of whether to take legal action always arises. Since mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, asbestos companies were likely aware of its dangers when they exposed people to their product.

In turn, mesothelioma lawsuits have become the biggest mass tort in history.

One of the most common ways for companies to defend themselves against liability has long been for companies to assert that the type of asbestos used in their products is not lethal. Yet, a a report out of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has given lie to that argument, indicating that there is no safe type of asbestos and that every form of the mineral is deadly.

The researchers published their findings in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. They based their conclusions on examinations of the medical records for 62 patients — 51 men and 11 women — who had been diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

Although asbestos companies have often argued that chrysotile asbestos, which is one of the most frequently utilized forms of the mineral, causes no harm, the scientists’ findings contradicted this assertion.

In fact, scientists found that chrysotile asbestos exposure was behind 26 percent of the cases that they analyzed, with some of those cases not involving direct contact with the asbestos. The fact that chrysotile asbestos had been the cause of mesothelioma in cases where people were exposed through secondary exposure indicates that this form of asbestos is just as deadly – if not more so – as other types.

Arguing that chrysotile asbestos is harmless has long been a favored defense against mesothelioma lawsuits. By way of example, the notion was even offered the other day by officials in Zimbabwe as justification in considering lifting a long-time ban on the country’s asbestos mining operations.

This new report weakens those arguments and strengthens the world’s understanding that asbestos of all types is not safe for humans, and causes remarkable tragedy.

If you or someone you love has already been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the more you know the more control you can take of your life.

For more information on resources, recent research and more, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.

Written by Terri Oppenheimer

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer is the head writer of our Mesothelioma.net news blog. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in English. Terri believes that knowledge is power and she is committed to sharing news about the impact of mesothelioma, the latest research and medical breakthroughs, and victims’ stories.

Learn more about and contact Terri