Renewed calls for further funding for research into Mesothelioma

Chris Knighton and our specialist mesothelioma solicitors, Thompsons Solicitors, have made renewed calls for further funding from the Government for the treatment of the asbestos related disease, mesothelioma. With offices nationwide, Thompsons Solicitors specialise in fighting asbestos-related claims and represents mesothelioma sufferers and their families across the UK.

Chris, who founded the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, and Thompsons, made the calls after a new study looked at cancer figures over the last 10 years, and found that mesothelioma was the UK’s third fastest increasing cancer. The study was carried out by Cancer Research UK and the UK Association of Cancer Registries (UKACR).

The number of people diagnosed with mesothelioma is not expected to peak until between 2010 and 2015 and the study found that incidences for men and women have risen by 31% and 38% respectively in the period 1995 to 2004. It also found that malignant melanoma and prostate cancer had the two most rapidly increasing incidence rates.

Chris stated: “These figures really hit home how serious a problem mesothelioma is. The research puts mesothelioma in the same category as malignant melanoma, prostate cancer and liver cancer. They are the fastest growing cancers in the UK.

“However, those suffering from mesothelioma cannot do anything to avoid the onset of the disease. They were exposed to cancer-causing asbestos without being told about the dangers.

“The Government now needs to fund further research into mesothelioma to find ways to treat the disease and perhaps eventually to cure it.”

The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, which was founded by Chris following the death of her husband, has raised almost £300,000 for research into mesothelioma, for which there is no cure. It is caused by exposure to asbestos and often leaves sufferers with a life expectancy of mere months. Over 2,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year and in June 2007, following a two-year campaign, the chemotherapy drug Alimta became the only licensed drug available to treat mesothelioma patients on the NHS.

Ian McFall, Head of asbestos policy at Thompsons Solicitors, commented that the number of people affected by asbestos-related disease is likely to continue to rise and that the new figures only confirm what had already been known. They underline the urgent need for developing better methods of treatment for mesothelioma by further research, and that it is vital that we prevent further asbestos exposure in the future.

Cancer Research Useful Links

For more information about this study, go to the Cancer Research UK
http://www.info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/

or the UK Association of Cancer Registries (UKACR)
http://www.ukacr.org/

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