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As indicated by statistics provided by the federal government and the Environmental Working Group, more than 168 people have become victim of Mesothelioma in New Mexico since 1979. It has been declared by the National Cancer Institute that almost 2000 new cases of Mesothelioma are declared each year in the US while 8 million Americans are already exposed to asbestos and are suffering from this deadly disease.
Research also shows that insulations workers have a Mesothelioma death rate more than 344 times as compared to general people. It means that people working in such industries need to be more aware of Mesothelioma. Being a very destructive and aggressive disease, Mesothelioma can become terminal within a year of diagnosis. There is no cure for Mesothelioma except prevention from asbestos exposure. Only protection from asbestos and taking precautions can save you from this deadly cancer.
Usually, it is the lining of the lungs or pleura or the lining of the stomach or peritoneum which are attacked by this cancer. Mesothelioma has a long latency period of around 20-30 years which can also extent to 50 years in some cases. Thus, if you have been working in asbestos related industry in the past years, it is better to get your self checked for any symptoms of Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma in New Mexico
Of all the 168 people who died from diseases resulting from asbestos, more than 105 people died from Mesothelioma only in New Mexico. This figure is inaccurate to an extent as federal government did not recognize Mesothelioma as a legitimate cause of death in 1989 and implemented strict workplace rules and safety standards.
State |
|
Crude Mortality |
Rate |
Rank |
|
Age-Adjusted Mortality |
Rate |
Rank |
|
VYLL to life Expectancy |
Total |
Rank |
VYLL/death |
Rank |
|
New Mexico |
17 |
35 |
12.77 |
22 |
13.05 |
21 |
362 |
29 |
21.3 |
1 |
One of the reasons for deaths resulting from Mesothelioma in New Mexico is the 715 shipments of asbestos contaminated vermiculite which were sent here from Libby, Montana between 1948 and 1993 for exfoliation. These shipments of vermiculite were sent to 5 locations within the state which included 2 sites in Albuquerque, 1 in Santa Fe, 1 in Santo Domingo Pueblo and 1 unknown location. However, the majority of the vermiculite was sent to Albuquerque. Apart from this, some smaller plants are still processing asbestos contaminated materials and still millions of people are exposed to this deadly disease.
According to results of SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program) which conducted Mesothelioma survey in 9 locations across the country, 522 cases of Mesothelioma account for rates of 14.81 in 1998 and 13.22 in 1999. Seattle – Puget Sound, San Francisco – Oakland and New Mexico had the highest Mesothelioma incidence rates.
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Information Packet
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