Anyone who reads our blog regularly will know that the fight against asbestos is far from over. Yet to many people, the deadly substance that still surrounds us is barely a passing concern. This isn’t helped by the fact that asbestos in work buildings is often hidden from employees, or that there is no legal obligation to inform homeowners about the dangers of asbestos in their property.
That’s why two news stories from this past week are giving us cause for optimism. One is a concerted effort to put the spotlight back on asbestos exposure, and the fact that the UK has the highest incidence of asbestos-related diseases per capita anywhere in the world. The other is a brand-new development in how we detect and treat these diseases, which is now being piloted in Scotland.
The biggest story in terms of asbestos awareness is the foundation of a new campaign, titled #ActionMeso. The campaign is being spearheaded by an alliance of 13 UK law firms, and aims to bring together patients, carers, charities, support groups, healthcare professionals, law firms and others under the banner of raising asbestos awareness. The group plans to use the hashtag #ActionMeso to corral support, and help develop future campaigns and projects.
The pillars of the #ActionMeso campaign are its two foundational events, the Action Mesothelioma Days (AMD) scheduled for 2021 and 2022. The hope is that these days of concerted campaigning and social media activity will help to capture the public’s imagination when it comes to asbestos, and spread awareness beyond those who are currently affected by mesothelioma, asbestosis and other respiratory diseases.
The second major development is in the treatment of mesothelioma, with which around 2700 people are diagnosed in the UK every year. Researchers at Canon Medical Research Europe in Scotland have worked with the University of Glasgow to test a new AI cancer assessment tool. The tool uses advanced algorithms to track the growth of mesothelioma tumours, identifying them in scans more quickly and accurately than humans.
Mesothelioma’s unique shape and properties make it much more difficult to monitor than other cancers. As it tends to be less concentrated and more ‘spread out’ across organs, it’s vital that doctors can accurately track and measure the size of tumours. This not only helps to target treatments, but also to gauge how well those treatments are working, based on regular assessments of how the tumours are reacting.
One of the reasons we’ve invested so heavily in asbestos awareness training here at SAMS is that the issue is far from being resolved. While the impact of asbestos is nowhere near what it was at the height of its use in the 20th century, the thousands of tonnes of the substance didn’t disappear overnight. Asbestos is still present in buildings and on brownfield sites all around us, and only poses a greater threat as it ages and decays.
Campaigns and news items such as these continue to be important because they emphasise that asbestos is an active and real threat, and something that we should all be aware of. At the very minimum, it’s something that anyone working in construction renovation or even carrying out DIY projects should acquaint themselves with, both to protect their own health and that of the people around them.
We highly recommend checking out the ActionMeso website, and following their social media feeds to keep up with their campaigns, as well as getting involved using the #ActionMeso hashtag. Meanwhile, for the latest updates and opinions on asbestos or to take our revamped UKATA Asbestos Awareness training, keep visiting our website and follow our Facebook and Twitter profiles.