Mesothelioma Diagnosis Worries Other Family Members

An Ireland man fighting mesothelioma cancer has commented on his family’s ongoing struggle with asbestos exposure, which initially began with asbestos being brought home on his father’s work clothes.

Sean Rickard, who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in January, has been told his condition is the result of inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers as a child. Out of nine siblings, seven currently suffer from lung damage and pleural plaques.

Mr. Rickard’s father Patrick, who died in 1974 from an asbestos-related lung condition, worked as a pipe coverer spraying asbestos in Harland and Wolff shipyard from 1949 to 1969. During this time, asbestos was commonly used around pipes for its excellent insulating capabilities.

According to Mr. Rickard, “My father stopped working in 1969 because of ill health and eventually died as a result of his exposure to asbestos during work. My mother had pleural plaques and died from lung cancer, which we believe was almost certainly caused by asbestos.”

Today, the entire family is concerned about their future health and wonder if they’ll contract the rare cancer mesothelioma. Mr. Rickard said, “We used to play with my father when he came home. My brother and I would play with the protective mask he was supposed to wear. My sisters would comb his hair which was full of asbestos dust. We would all help my mother shake the dust off his clothes before they were washed.”

After receiving his diagnosis, Mr. Rickard was told by his oncologist that he had anywhere between four and 18 months to live. He has since undergone surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible and has begun chemotherapy. The last scan he received did not show any tumor progression.

In the United States, families who may have had someone work in the shipyard, construction and automotive industry may be at risk for developing an asbestos-related disease. The latency period associated with mesothelioma symptoms ranges between 20 and 50 years after the initial exposure to asbestos occurred, meaning those exposed during the 1960s may still be at risk for cancer development.

Additional information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 1:24 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.