Jonathan Sharp is a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., where he oversees financial strategy, conducts case evaluations, and manages assets to support victims of toxic exposure. Passionate about justice, he works to ensure both military and civilian clients receive the resources they need to pursue their legal claims.
Jonathan Sharp is a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., where he oversees financial strategy, conducts case evaluations, and manages assets to support victims of toxic exposure. Passionate about justice, he works to ensure both military and civilian clients receive the resources they need to pursue their legal claims.
Every year, almost 2 million people in America receive a cancer diagnosis. Of these, approximately 1.4 million people survive thanks to the significant advancements made in cancer research over the past few decades. However, more than 600,000 people do not win this battle, and most of the time, defeat comes from limited knowledge on how to identify and fight rare and aggressive cancers.
Patients with mesothelioma, a sporadic cancer caused by asbestos exposure, are among those with limited available options for diagnosis and treatment due to the rarity of this condition. In 1990, when asbestos protection for workers was implemented just two decades earlier, mesothelioma was diagnosed in over 4,500 people, at a rate of 1.1 diagnoses made for every 100,000 people. Today, fewer than 3,000 diagnoses are made each year in the US, with an incidence rate of 0.6. As mesothelioma tends to develop 15 to 40 years after initial exposure, most cases seen today result from individuals who were exposed decades earlier.
Now, the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to facilitate research on this condition by establishing a national mesothelioma registry. The scope of this initiative is to centralize real-time records of newly diagnosed cases—a vital move that will allow researchers to access patients with mesothelioma. In addition, the registry aims to provide patients with information on specialized clinics and facilitate optimal care. Yet even as this plan promises a bright future ahead, the registry has still not been established, leaving susceptible individuals like veterans at the mercy of suboptimal care.
Asbestos still a threat in Illinois, especially for veterans
In 18 years, between 1999 and 2017, health authorities in Illinois reported a total of 12,067 asbestos-related fatalities. Mesothelioma accounted for 2,333 of these deaths, while 430 were linked with asbestosis, a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. In Cook County, the estimated number of asbestos-related deaths was 3,863. Although mesothelioma is rare, this cancer has a considerably higher incidence among specific populations like veterans who were exposed to asbestos because of their work. Only 10% to 12% of mesotheliomas have a genetic cause and do not relate to asbestos exposure.
Meanwhile, approximately 30% of all diagnoses reported each year involved veterans. Such statistics sound an alarm for states like Illinois, which hosts large veteran populations. Today, over 727,900 veterans reside in the state, many of whom served before asbestos safety regulations were in place.
Today, many public buildings still contain asbestos. However, it is much safer to leave asbestos undisturbed than to remove it entirely, as fibers can get released into the air. Repair and maintenance for these buildings can only be conducted by authorized personnel with safety measures set in place.
Addressing asbestos public health concerns
Having policies in place for asbestos containment and removal is not enough to protect the public, especially when the majority of these cases come from past military and industrial exposure. The focus now must be on providing optimal care for these individuals by facilitating the early identification of mesothelioma cases and initiating available treatments as soon as possible.
But research into diagnosis and care continues to move at a slow pace. The CDC’s initiative may constitute a viable solution to this problem, but implementation requires strong institutional support. As such, the Department of Defense (DoD), alongside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), must take the lead in advocating for a national mesothelioma registry, given that a significant portion of mesothelioma cases occur among veterans. Without immediate action, at-risk populations will continue to suffer from delayed diagnoses and inadequate treatment, leaving thousands with no hope of quality care at the end of life.