New Icelandic Study Finds Mesothelioma Cases Increasing Despite Asbestos Ban, According to Surviving Mesothelioma

Occupational health researchers in Iceland have recently unveiled a disturbing upward trend in malignant mesothelioma, more than three decades after the country banned asbestos.

(PRWEB) July 30, 2016

New published research indicates that mesothelioma continues to rise in Iceland, a country that was once a heavy importer of the mineral asbestos. Surviving Mesothelioma has just posted a new article on the recent Icelandic study. Click here to read it now.

Scientists at the University of Iceland, the Administration for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Centre for Health Security and Communicable Disease Control say cases of malignant mesothelioma rose steadily from 1965 to 2014, even though the country banned asbestos in 1983.

"In line with the previously high per capita volume of asbestos import, many buildings, equipment, and structures contain asbestos, so there is an on-going risk of asbestos exposure during maintenance, renovations and replacements," observes study author Kristinn Tomasson, an occupational medicine specialist with the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health. "It is thus difficult to predict when the incidence of malignant mesothelioma will decrease in the future."

According to the study published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, Iceland had a higher incidence of mesothelioma than its neighboring countries.

"Although we know that asbestos bans do work to reduce the incidence of mesothelioma, this new study is a sobering reminder that they can take a very long time to make a noticeable difference," says Alex Strauss, Managing Editor of Surviving Mesothelioma.

To read more about mesothelioma incidence after an asbestos ban, see Asbestos Ban Has Not Stopped Spread of Mesothelioma in Iceland, now available on the Surviving Mesothelioma website.

Tomasson, K, et al, "Malignant mesothelioma incidence by nationwide cancer registry: a population-based study", July 26, 2016, Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, eCollection 2016, http://occup-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12995-016-0127-4

For nearly ten years, Surviving Mesothelioma has brought readers the most important and ground-breaking news on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma. All Surviving Mesothelioma news is gathered and reported directly from the peer-reviewed medical literature. Written for patients and their loved ones, Surviving Mesothelioma news helps families make more informed decisions.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/07/prweb13584876.htm