Steps to Protect Against Asbestos-Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It refers specifically to a cancerous tumor that involves the mesothelial cells of an organ, usually the lungs or abdomen. Despite being classified under the broader category of cancer, however, Mesothelioma is unique for several reasons.

The first is the widespread devastation of the disease and the inability of modern medical techniques to significantly reduce their appearance or provide a cure. Approximately 75% of patients die within 18 months of the first signs of the disease.

Second, is the long latency period between exposure to the cause of the disease, asbestos, and its onset. Latency ranging from 15 to 50 years, which means that a person may have been exposed to asbestos over half a century before the first severe symptoms of the disease appear. The average reported latency, however, is about 35-40 years.

Precautions

Due to the devastating nature of the disease and because we can point to a single root source, asbestos exposure, there is reason for everyone to take precautions to avoid contracting the disease. While certainly not the steps taken can fully eliminate all risks of asbestos exposure, some simple precautions can be taken to avoid high risk situations.

For example, a responsible parent should contact your local school district childrenís. In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos hazard Emergency Response, which required public schools and private non-profit organizations to inspect their buildings for asbestos-containing materials. Despite this, an undetermined number of schools have either not taken the necessary steps to eliminate the potential exposure to asbestos or work that has been botched.

In fact, just two years ago in New York school district found that high levels of asbestos, despite having had a contractor "remove" the threat of just five years earlier.

Upon further investigation, however, the contractor had been used and cited numerous times to do the job, not the codes in similar projects in asbestos removal.

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