Each year more than 10,000 Americans and 1,000 Canadians die of diseases caused by asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma, an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdominal cavity, is among these diseases. Although countless organizations have continued to call for a ban on asbestos, both the U.S. and Canadian governments still allow asbestos to be used in some products. Now, a man in Canada is trying another approach to alert Canadians to the presence of the toxic mineral – create a registry of Canadian buildings containing asbestos.
Asbestos is extremely hazardous to workers who handle it and to others who are in the area when it becomes airborne and is then inhaled into the lungs. The worst exposures occur when asbestos is removed or disturbed during a building renovation or demolition. In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a warning that “asbestos is a human carcinogen with no safe level of exposure.” Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other respiratory diseases.
Howard Willems, 59, a Canadian federal food inspector for more than 30 years, contracted mesothelioma while inspecting a number of older food plants in Saskatchewan, according to a recent report by the CBC. Willems believes he was exposed to asbestos when he inspected the plants while they were being renovated.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that often requires a tri-modal treatment approach. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are typically ordered to attempt to prevent metastasis of the tumor cells. Willems had one diseased lung removed in 2011 and is undergoing monitoring of his remaining lung.
“Everyone has a right to know when they go into a workplace or when they’re going into a building, it is safe,” says Willems. His call for the federal government to establish a national registry of buildings that contain asbestos fibers, he hopes, will serve that purpose.
The Canadian Cancer Society also has called on the federal and provincial governments to maintain a public registry of buildings that contain asbestos. A registry would help ensure that asbestos is properly removed from them by trained workers.
Mesothelioma can take decades to develop, leading to a limited life expectancy after diagnosis. Preventing exposure to asbestos is virtually the only means of prevention. There is no known cure for mesothelioma, and most patients die less than two years after diagnosis.