Mesothelioma, which is caused by being exposed to asbestos, has claimed over 10,000 Australian lives. Australia has the world's second-highest death rate, trailing only the United Kingdom.
The Australian Mesothelioma Registry reports that in 2014 there was 641 death caused by mesothelioma. Those numbers further indicate that this form of cancer is continuing to increase over time. Medical models indicate that the disease with continue increasing over time and that most deaths caused by mesothelioma will occur from 2014 through 2021.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, it is estimated that mesothelioma cases will grow to approximately 18,000 in number.
In 2014, 80% of individuals who died from mesothelioma were males between the ages of 70 and 79. The number is consistent with mesothelioma death statistics worldwide.
New South Wales was Australia's first state to mine asbestos. It produced the highest quantity of asbestos. As a consequence, it has the highest number of deaths due to mesothelioma in Australia. In New South Wales the disease nearly doubled from 1987 through 2006. The death rate sadly among women tripled during this same time frame from secondhand asbestos exposure.
From 1930 through 1966 approximately 7,000 individuals worked at the Wittenoom mine and around 10% of those workers will die or have died already from mesothelioma. Although its power supply has been cut and town taken off the map, there is still a handful of residents living there.
There are other individuals who are at risk of developing mesothelioma besides miner. People who worked in an asbestos manufacturing plant have a high risk of a mesothelioma related death as well. Plants were built by James Hardie, an asbestos manufacturer, in Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. It has been estimated that approximately half of the total filed asbestos claims have been against James Hardie.
In houses that were built before the mid-1980s asbestos is quite prevalent and in those that were built from the mid-1980s to 1990 they most likely will contain some materials containing asbestos in them. Some products that may contain asbestos include the following:
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- Gutters
- Glue and Putty
- Wall sheeting, flooring, roofing
- Fencing
The number of patients with mesothelioma diagnoses continues to increase in Australia and therefore the country is making it a higher priority to offer treatment for the disease. There are research facilities such as Concord Hospital's Bernie Banton Centre that are dedicated now to researching mesothelioma in addition to the development of regular clinical programs.
The following Australian hospital provides treatment for mesothelioma:
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
- Bernie Banton Centre Hospital
There are also three research organisations located in Australia. These include the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group, and the National Center for Asbestos Related Disease (NCARD).
The trials are sponsored by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. At the research organisations, you can find open trials.
Testing is being done in one clinical trial on a new immunotherapy drug that is for patients who either relapsed following chemotherapy treatment or didn't qualify to have surgery. The drug is called Tremelimumab, and it will stimulate the immune system of the patient so help with attacking cancer. Read more.
