History of Mesothelioma

Around 1929, the first lawsuit against asbestos manufacturer was filed. Settlement was reached in this lawsuit, and the attorneys agreed not to pursue the case further. An article published by Wagner et al in 1960 established mesothelioma as a disease arising from exposure to asbestos. An Australian asbestos worker was the first diagnosed case of malignant mesothelioma in 1962 reported by Dr. McNulty; the worker had worked in an asbestos mine from 1948 to 1950.

Wittenoom is a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia where mining began in 1943 and continued until 1966, despite proof that the dust associated with asbestos mining and milling causes asbestos related disease. It is difficult to understand why the mine and mill was allowed to open and operate without adequate risk control measures, and why nothing was done to force the owner to clean them up, provide safer work practices or close down their operations. In 1978 the Western Australian Government decided to phase out the town of Wittenoom, following the publication of a Health Dept. booklet, "The Health Hazard at Wittenoom", which contained the results of air sampling and an appraisal of worldwide medical information. By 1979 the first warrants for negligence related to Wittenoom were issued against the CSR company and its subsidiary ABA, and the Asbestos Diseases Society was formed to represent the Wittenoom victims.

It was found that people who lived in the neighborhoods of asbestos factories and mines, but did not work in them, had contracted mesothelioma.

You can try to find out more on Mesothelioma information through research. In recent years, there has been a drastic increase in the number of mesothelioma litigation and asbestos settlement cases, owing to the increasing number of people suffering from asbestos-related diseases such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer.