Widows act on Mesothelioma Day

Doves released at the Action Mesothelioma Day event in Manchester.

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Widows and family members who had lost loved ones to mesothelioma in Rochdale attended an Action Mesothelioma Day event in Manchester on Friday alongside local MPs Paul Rowen and Jim Dobbin.

The Rochdale residents joined the MPs to call for government funded medical research into mesothelioma.

The campaign is being run by the British Lung Foundation and representatives, include Mr Dobbin and Mr Rowen, were at the House of Commons last Wednesday (25 February) to mark the fourth Action Mesothelioma Day campaign to raise awareness of the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma and call for better standards of care and treatment for people affected by the disease.

MPs signed an Early Day Motion to appeal for more patients to be given guidance in relation to end of life care and to be given more opportunities to take part in medical trials. These calls follow the results of a survey of Mesothelioma patients and their carers conducted by the British Lung Foundation.

The survey found that two fifths (40 %) of patients and carers had not received support in relation to the end of life, and almost three fifths (59 %) were not offered the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial, despite the lack of treatment options available.

Jim Dobbin MP said: "The British lung Foundation’s survey gives us many reasons to be pleased, revealing many people receiving high quality care and information; however we need to work to continue to further improve support offered to patients and their families particularly in relation to end of life care, and to give them the chance to try new treatments for this cruel cancer."

Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation said: “We are very pleased that Jim Dobbin and Paul Rowen are continuing to support the Action Mesothelioma Campaign. Much has been achieved in the past year but there is a long way to go. We need more research into this deadly cancer and improved standards of treatment and care to give those affected more hope.”

Mesothelioma develops between 15 and 60 years after exposure to asbestos. Over 2,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year in the UK – more than five people every day and sadly most will die within a year of being diagnosed and only 1 in 10 will be alive three years later.

Every year the death rate increases which has led experts to believe that we are heading towards an epidemic of asbestos related illness. The rising number of deaths from the condition is linked to the use of asbestos in the building industry during 1980s, although a full ban on all forms of commercial asbestos was not in place until 1999.