Mesothelioma, also known as mesothelioma cancer and malignant
mesothelioma, is a rare, aggressive form of lung cancer caused by exposure
to asbestos fibers. Prior to the 1970s, all branches of the U.S. military used
asbestos because of its unique durability and resistance to heat.
In the 1970s, asbestos use was discontinued in the military when
the government banned it as a dangerous carcinogen. As a result of its
long-term, prevalent use, however, there has been a relatively high incidence
of mesothelioma cancer in service men and women who served prior
to the ban.
More malignant
mesothelioma cases have been diagnosed among U.S. Navy veterans than
servicemen in any other branch of the military. Asbestos use was widespread on
warships, submarines, and in shipyards; as a result, sailors serving on these
vessels and in these harbors were often in constant contact with the
carcinogen. Navy veterans, and former employees in jobs serving the Navy,
comprise a full 15% of all cases of mesothelioma cancer diagnosed in the
United States annually.
Those serving in the
other branches of the military, while much fewer than those in the Navy, also
have an unfortunately high incidence if malignant mesothelioma. Again,
because of asbestos' durability and resistance to extremes of temperature, the
U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marines used the substance widely between the 1930s
and the 1970s, placing soldiers at risk of mesothelioma.
The Veteran's
Administration has a department devoted to claims for mesothelioma and
other asbestos-related diseases.
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