Labour MP Urges More To Be Done In The Fight Against Mesothelioma

Specialist asbestos lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have backed calls from the Labour MP Mike Kane, Wythenshawe, for dramatic increases in the funding for mesothelioma, a terminal condition with no known cure, caused by asbestos exposure. 
 
The disease which claims almost 3,000 lives each year and is expected to claim many thousands more over the next 20 years has not, according to experts, had sufficient funding in to a cure for the disease.

Ian Bailey, Partner and Asbestos expert at Irwin Mitchell, said:

Expert Opinion

“Having acted for many hundreds of mesothelioma victims over many years, Irwin Mitchell understands the need for urgent and reliable sources of funding in to research for the disease.

“The fact that no reliable or secure funding source for research is available to give some comfort to mesothelioma sufferers that all that can be done is being done, is unacceptable.

“A workable model must be found to ensure that the thousands of people in the future affected by asbestos disease are able to access the best treatment there is available and that can only be achieved by proper research funding now.” Ian Bailey - Partner

Professor Adrian Dobbs, a researcher at the UoG, is currently carrying out pioneering research into the potential role of organic chemistry in mesothelioma treatment, also welcomes the call for more to be done to help prevent unnecessary deaths. 

He continued by saying: “Sadly mesothelioma is not a disease of the past. The numbers of victims in the UK continues to rise and the disease is always fatal. More needs to be done to try and prevent further unnecessary deaths from the illness into the future.”

Dr Kate Hill from the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund continued by saying: “We need research focussed on mesothelioma to ensure we find the most effective new therapies and, importantly, understand how we deliver care to ensure that every patient affected by mesothelioma gets high quality care tailored to their individual needs.”