Mesothelioma In Uk

Mesothelioma Cases on the Rise in the UK

The Health Safety Executive or HSE as it is popularly known has published the latest statistics for asbestos induced mesothelioma deaths. And the statistics are not looking good for UK residents. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that affects those workers and people who have directly or indirectly inhaled asbestos. A painful disease with devastating long terms effects, mesothelioma is gaining wide coverage due to awareness created in the print and electronic media.

According to the HSE statistics the number of deaths has increased to 1,969 victims in the year 2004 from 153 people that died due to mesothelioma in the year 1969. Within the next 4-8 years it is expected that the deaths will escalate to an estimated 2,450 per year. An alarmingly high increase that should ring alarm bells in the government corridors and medical boards.

The statistical information with regards to mesothelioma and asbestos related deaths are thoroughly verified and checked by HSE using a comprehensive system of records, death certificates and cross-checking cancer registrations. This information is also up on the internet for general public reading and can be easily accessed and downloaded from the HSE website.

According to HSE statistical report, the workers from the following businesses are most vulnerable to asbestos induced cancers. All these industries made extensive use of asbestos fibers before strict rules and regulations were enforced to limit asbestos.

• Construction business
• Energy business
• Water supply business
• Manufacturing business
• Shipbuilding business
• Railway engineering business

You can also find the geographical distribution of mesothelioma deaths in the HSE report, which gives a breakdown of statistics in areas with such high incidence rate of mesothelioma deaths. The reason for such high mesothelioma rates in these locations is due to a large presence of ports, shipyards and dockyards. In Scotland these are some of the geographical locations with high mesothelioma deaths: West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire, Fife, Glasgow City, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire.

In the North East parts of Great Britain mesothelioma mortalities are usually in:

• Hartlepool
• Middlesbrough
• Redcar
• Cleveland
• Stockton on Tees
• All LAs in Tyne and Wear Metropolitan County
• Blythe Valley in Northumberland

In the South East divisions of Great Britain mesothelioma mortalities are usually in:

• The UAs of Isle of White
• Medway
• Portsmouth
• Southampton
• The LAs of Farehma
• Gosport
• Havant
• New Forest in Hampshire

You can find other geographical locations for increasing mesothelioma mortalities in the detailed and updated HSE report. A major consequence of mesothelioma deaths has been a sharp rise in the number of lawsuits filed by victims and their families to get monetary compensation. Another consequence has been that all the industries are now pumping money in research to find suitable replacements for asbestos fibers. What will this eventually lead to is something to watch out for in the coming years.