The Story Behind the History of Mesothelioma Cancer

The production of asbestos fibers became a major industry and was widely used at the beginning of 20th century. This industry advancement was used in a variety of building projects, ship yards and various construction sites.

The initial knowledge of asbestos exposure happened in the early years of the fiber development and the tragic history of this lung cancer started in the early 1930. Mesothelioma's history, just like with the discoveries of any other major diseases, has a combination of science, medical research and "courage".


The history of mesothelioma is thought to have begun where mine waste, which contained asbestos fibers, was used to cover schoolyards and playgrounds. It was actually around that time when many people who didn't even work in or even around asbestos began to contract this deadly illness. It became a risk to those who just lived nearby asbestos factories and most especially to those people who are working in the factories associated with asbestos. The last asbestos mining was stopped in 1966. It was rumored that officials already knew of the health hazards that it could bring prior to its closure, but still continued to conduct business as usual, despite the fatal consequences.

It is strange why the mine was allowed to operate without any risk control and why the site wasn't forced to close up before that time. Industry leaders didn't even force the issue of taking on safer work practices in order to make it safer for their employees. And because of the failure to protect the workers, there were more and more new cases of mesothelioma being diagnosed every year. The new cases even began to expand to those who didn't even work in the mine but were simply exposed to it through secondary means.

The first diagnosed case in the history of mesothelioma was an Australian mine and mill worker who worked in the asbestos mining industry for approximately three years. It was getting to the point where the people who lived in the town where the asbestos mining industry was being conducted were contracting the disease as well. This event caused many horrible illnesses and became a significant source of frustration with the people in the community until late 1970's, when the Australian Government decided to simply shut down the town...literally. The city had been exposed to this deadly substance for far too long and the dear people of the town paid with their health and many paid with their lives.

The history of this asbestos cancer is a dark piece of medical history and one that we should never forget. What if someone had the courage to step in and demand safer work practices long before so many lives were eternally altered? What if...could the history of mesothelioma have been re-written to reflect an entirely different story? Perhaps...yes, perhaps.