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World War II Veterans & Mesothelioma Cancer

World War II veterans have a mesothelioma rate that is significantly higher than that of the general population of the same generation. In fact, WWII veterans and their family members have a higher rate of mesothelioma. Why is this? Asbestos cancer exposure.

Asbestos Use During World War II 

Although asbestos has been used for hundreds of years as a fire-resistant insulator, it wasn't heavily mined and used commercially until the turn of the 20th century, and its use really exploded in the World War II years.

Asbestos is an extremely durable, malleable, and useful mineral that can be made into a variety of forms and compiled with a wide spectrum of ingredients to make thousands of asbestos products, and the technology to exploit asbestos expanded greatly in the war years.

Thousands of Military Uses for Asbestos

Asbestos was used in the military in hundreds of applications, including:

  • Ships, including cargo vessels, troop ships, submarines, destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers
  • Military vehicles such as jeeps, tanks, troop transporters, cars and trucks
  • Military housing — on bases for dormitories, camps, family housing, and overseas
  • Buildings such as mess halls, stores, offices
  • Weapons

World War II Danger Was Not Revealed

During World War II, the dangers of asbestos were known only to some members of the asbestos industry management. The tens of thousands of men and women performing their WWII military service while being exposed to mesothelioma cancer, to toxic levels of asbestos at the same time were not aware of the danger, and they were not informed by the military or by the asbestos industry about the life-threatening diseases that asbestos can cause.

Asbestos Cancer Symptoms Don't Appear for Decades

The latency of the development of the symptoms of asbestos cancer diseases such as mesothelioma is from 10 to 50 years after the asbestos exposure. In the years between 1973 and 1984, there was a threefold increase in the diagnosis of mesothelioma (pleural mesothelioma) among white males in the United States — that is, about 30–35 years after World War II, the mesothelioma cancer rate tripled .

World War II Veterans with Mesothelioma Cancer

The number of WWII veterans and their family members with mesothelioma is so high that it is often a topic of discussion at gatherings of vets at places like VFW posts. If mesothelioma has been diagnosed for you or your family member, contact mesothelioma treatment centers about what you can expect following the diagnosis.

Mesothelioma World War II Veterans (english) / Veteranos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial (spanish)

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