May 5th, 2005

A small survey carried out on one hundred staff members aged between nineteen and sixty-three has indicated that far more is required in the way of educating the public about the dangers of asbestos exposure. The simple survey was carried out on the staff members of a national housing association in West Bromwich, UK. Very basic questions were asked, such as whether they knew what mesothelioma was and whether they knew the effects of asbestos exposure.

Shockingly, over seventy percent of the people questioned had never heard of mesothelioma, and had no idea that it was a form of cancer. Twenty percent had heard of the cancer, but were not familiar with any of the symptoms or causes of mesothelioma. Only eight percent of those questioned actually knew what mesothelioma was and had any idea about its link with asbestos.

It has been claimed for a long time in countries such as the UK and US that more support and education is required into the effects of asbestos and the symptoms of mesothelioma. In recent years, mesothelioma has been identified as being the lowest funded of all cancers despite the rapidly rising figures in mesothelioma cases.

The study, which involved people from a broad range of backgrounds and of a wide range of ages, may have been small but is thought to be pretty indicative of the ignorance of the public when it comes to mesothelioma and asbestos. Only those that have been affected personally or through family or friends seem to have a good knowledge of the issues, and it is thought that even doctors still need to be educated in this area.