New Mesothelioma Report: Study explores global impact of mesothelioma

On Jan. 6, 2011, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) published a study addressing the alleged magnitude of reported and unreported mesothelioma cases worldwide.

"For years, workers and families across the globe have suffered the effects of asbestos exposure due to the negligence of corporations putting profits before safety," said Motley Rice asbestos lawyer John Baden. "This report is another step in the right direction towards increasing global mesothelioma awareness and reminding us all how prevalent this disease is and will continue to be."

Motley Rice asbestos lawyer John Herrick added, "Because mesothelioma is a signal tumor for asbestos exposure, it is important for victims to receive the correct diagnosis and for the public to recognize possible side effects related to asbestos exposure."

The research objective of the report was to estimate the breadth of mesothelioma's global impact while accounting for both reported and unreported cases. Researchers studied 56 countries having records of documented mesothelioma cases from the past 15 years and reported a cumulative number of approximately 174,300 cases. They also projected an additional estimated 38,900 cases after studying a group of 33 countries not having consistent mesothelioma case records.

The report's findings deduced that, on a global scale, one mesothelioma case has been overlooked for every four to five reported cases.

Read the NIEHS's full report published in the Environmental Health Perspectives online journal.

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