Mesothelioma Awareness Day celebrates 11th year this Sept. 26

Cancers like pancreatic, breast and lung receive months dedicated to raising awareness, but others receive little to no attention. For many, mesothelioma is little more than a long word heard on commercials for law firms. For those who know firsthand the devastating effects of mesothelioma, it becomes their entire world.

Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, taking decades to develop. By the time it is identified, it has typically progressed to Stage 4 and few live past the first year after diagnosis. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma, leaving all exposed at work and in the home susceptible to this deadly disease.

More than a decade ago, Mesothelioma Awareness Day began as a movement to bring attention to this aggressive cancer and increase funding for research to improve treatments. With no cure, scientists are constantly looking for a way to prolong lives and remove the cancer altogether.

After years of working for the cause, volunteers finally obtained official proclamations from the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate declaring Sept. 26 as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Many states and cities hold their own events, including walks, runs and mini festivals.

Many of the activities started in honor of families who lost a loved one to the disease. One Tennessee family spent years trying to raise awareness for the disease after losing their 22-year-old daughter to mesothelioma. The father worked at ALCOA Inc. and unknowingly brought asbestos home on his clothes, allowing his daughter to be exposed and ultimately develop cancer decades later.

Unfortunately, stories like this aren’t uncommon. Before the dangers of asbestos were widely known, many workers from steel mills and chemical plants would return home with asbestos fibers all over their clothes and expose wives and children through contact and laundry.

Despite the now common knowledge that asbestos is dangerous, it still isn’t banned in the United States. Death tolls remain unclear given other connected cancers, including asbestos-related lung cancer, but it’s projected between 12,000 and 15,000 die from asbestos-related causes every year in the US.

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization continues to fight to spread awareness and work toward a full ban, not just limited use. For Mesothelioma Awareness Day, the ADAO launched a Raise Your Voice campaign using the hashtag #ENDMeso to spread the word and allow those affected to share their stories.

If, like countless others, your life has been affected by asbestos exposure or mesothelioma, contact us. We’re here to help you.

Sources

• Associated Press, “ADAO ushers in 2015 Mesothelioma Awareness Day with dar reaching #ENDMeso campaign.” (Sept. 22, 2015). [Link]
• Lunder, “Asbestos kills 12,000-15,000 people per year in the U.S.,” Asbestos Nation. [Link]
• Tucker, “Special day will put spotlight on mesothelioma,” The Daily Times (Sept. 21, 2015). [Link]