Asbestos use continues to grow worldwide, particularly in developing countries. The costs and characteristics of asbestos have made it a popular choice for building and manufacturing materials. While the US, UK and Australia move forward with initiatives to clean up after decades of using the toxic chemical, nations around the world are just beginning their years of exposure.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers asbestos a Type 1 carcinogen, most commonly associated with fatal respiratory conditions. Rare cancer mesothelioma is caused solely by asbestos and is currently responsible for an estimated fifteen to twenty thousand mesothelioma deaths annually around the world. WHO expects this number to quickly triple if the mass asbestos use is not curbed.
Many organizations continue to fight for the global discontinuation of asbestos use. One of these is a group of Italian scientists in Modena, Italy associated with Collegium Ramazzini. The International Journal of Environment and Health published an article in which, according to the Collegium, fifty-two countries have banned all asbestos use. There are close to two hundred countries globally, which leaves many still using the dangerous materials.
Sadly, diseases caused by inhaled asbestos fibers are slow to develop, so proper safety and protection measures are often postponed until symptoms demonstrate and diagnoses are made. Even then, in developing countries testing and treatment centers are hard to come by and commonly unable to handle such specific conditions.
Mesothelioma develops after asbestos fibers start a mutation in the mesothelium, lining of the lungs and other abdominal cavities. This mutation grows into irregularly patterned tumors which spread through the lining over a course of decades. Mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period, typically between twenty and fifty years. Once symptoms to show they resemble those of bronchitis or pneumonia, making the caner difficult to diagnose.
In countries where mesothelioma treatments exist, they consist of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There is no known cure for mesothelioma. Many patients are choosing palliative which focuses on pain management and quality of life, rather than cancer direct treatments.
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