October 2nd, 2004

It has been reported that Navy war veterans are one of the groups that have been most affected by the effects of asbestos and the issue of mesothelioma and other related diseases, due to having to travel on vessels laden with asbestos.

It is thought that many of the veterans are now beginning to feel the effects of having to travel on these vessels, where they were often exposed to high levels of asbestos exposure. This may have been ingested or swallowed, and the ill-effects may have festered for several decades.

There are other groups thought to have been at high risk during the days that asbestos was more widely used, such as insulators, builders, tradesmen such as carpenters and electricians, and dockyard workers.

Asbestos is the known cause of a deadly cancer, known as mesothelioma. This cancer has a very long latency period, and the onset of symptoms can take thirty to fifty years from the actual exposure. By the time sufferers are diagnosed, it is often too late for effective treatment.