National Meso Awareness Day was celebrated on September 26th to raise awareness about mesothelioma. To mark the day, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) had radio stations play music by Warren Zevon, who died of mesothelioma in 2003, followed by a public service announcement by his son, Jordan Zevon. Mesothelioma is a devastating cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs or abdomen, and the average survival from diagnosis is only 4 to 14 months. In the United States, approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, and according to the EPA, over 20 million Americans have suffered exposure to asbestos that puts them at risk for developing mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure hasn’t ended: the collapse of the World Trade Center towers released at least 400 tons of asbestos, exposing rescue workers to the dangerous fibers, as well as the people who live and work in lower Manhattan. Despite its devastating impact on victims, funding for mesothelioma research has been inadequate, far less than that invested in other cancers. In the last several years, MARF has given over $4 million to mesothelioma research, to support the work being done to understand and fight this deadly cancer. MARF is also supporting Senator Patty Murray’s bill to ban asbestos in the United States, which would also provide funding for additional mesothelioma research. You can find out more about MARF at their website: http://www.curemeso.org
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