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In 2019, as part of a wide-scale effort to reduce misdiagnosis for mesothelioma patients, a National Mesothelioma Registry was proposed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention but was left pending without further progress. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that emerges in most cases decades after asbestos exposure. As there are approximately 3,000 cases diagnosed each year in the U.S., the rarity of this condition substantially slowed down research and development efforts for diagnosis and treatment. Now, the new registry proposes that all at-risk populations receive regular screenings, following a case-finding approach. One of the most predominant groups that are at risk of developing this type of cancer is comprised of army veterans, as asbestos was heavily used in the military, in equipment, weaponry and as an insulator in various facilities. As a result, from the total number of cases identified each year, 30% of mesothelioma diagnoses are made only in veteran populations.
ASBESTOS EXPOSURE AND EPIDEMIOLOGY IN HAYS COUNTY, TEXAS In Texas, between 1999 to 2017, there were a total of 15,348 asbestos-related deaths. From these, mesothelioma accounted for a total number of 2,688 deaths. Here, a concerningly high rate of mesothelioma cases is reported annually, with data from 2019 totaling 192 cases. In Hays County, there were 56 mesothelioma deaths reported from 1999 to 2017, at a rate of about 2 deaths per year. As mesothelioma is a type of cancer, standard procedures for diagnosis and treatment are used. In this sense, patients showing signs and symptoms of this condition are initially recommended X-rays and/or MRIs to confirm the presence of abnormal tissue. Next, to differentiate this condition from other cancers, tissue biopsies for visual inspection (histopathology) can be carried out, and/or tumor marker analysis may also be conducted.
