From Archives: iMig general policy statement on asbestos
20 February 2019
The International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) is a community of physicians, basic researchers,
clinician/scientists, care providers, and social advocates that is engaged in understanding the underlying
genetics, molecular mechanisms, proteomics, and epidemiologic factors associated with mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive and nearly universally fatal cancer specifically caused by asbestos.
The goal of those involved with iMig is to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos, to improve the survival and quality of life of mesothelioma sufferers through the development of new treatment strategies, enhancements to the efficacy of current therapeutic options, definitions of best practices, and supportive services.
Asbestos will unfortunately continue as a scourge in our lifetimes because 1) millions of tons of asbestos were mined worldwide;1 2) it was widely introduced into our environments over several decades;1 3) asbestos does not naturally detoxify;
2 4) it is mutagenic with evidence suggesting no minimal threshold dose;3 5) there is growing evidence that the newest wave of mesothelioma incidence is being driven by exposure to environmental asbestos;4 6) the incidence of asbestos-related mortality is increasing;5
and 7) the latency period between first exposure and development of mesothelioma is considerable. 6
Asbestos is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 1 human
carcinogen. In their words: “All forms of asbestos(chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite) are carcinogenic to humans (Group1).” 7
iMig would like to re-state the position of the World Health Organization (WHO):
1. There is no evidence for a safe threshold for the carcinogenic effect of asbestos,
2. The most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop using all forms of asbestos, and
3. All forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, are carcinogenic to humans. 7
iMig supports the call made by the WHO and the International Labor Organization (ILO) to stop the use of all types of asbestos. It is intolerable that asbestos causes 255,000 deaths worldwide annually, 98.6% of which are cancer deaths, including 37,000 mesothelioma deaths 5 – and every one of these deaths would be preventable in the absence of asbestos exposure.
A growing number of countries – sixty-six at the latest count - have banned asbestos entirely,
8 but that is only about one third of all countries. Unless more countries impose a total ban on asbestos, the number of deaths will continue to rise.
The WHO and the ILO are joined in their call to ban asbestos by the following bodies: International Commission on Occupational Health, The International Trade Union Confederation, The Union for International Control of Cancer, The International Social Security Association, Societies of Epidemiology, Collegium Ramazzini, as well as the International Mesothelioma Interest Group. 9,10
iMig asserts that there is no safe use of asbestos and urges all stakeholders to resist any new use of
asbestos and to work towards a total worldwide ban.
References
1. Virta RL. Worldwide asbestos supply and consumption trends from 1900 through 2003: Circular 1298; 2006. Available at:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2006/1298/c1298.pdf (accessed 24 Oct 2018).
2. Spasiano D, F.Pirozzi F. Treatments of asbestos containing wastes. Journal of Environmental Management 2017; 204(Pt 1):82-91.
3. Huang SXL, Jaurand M-C, David W. Kamp DW, Whysner J, Hei TK. Role of mutagenicity in asbestos fiber-induced carcinogenicity and
other diseases. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2011; 14:179-245.
4. International Mesothelioma Interest Group. Available at: http://www.imig2018.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/iMig2018_abstractbook.pdf (accessed 18 Dec 2018).
5. Furuya S, Chimed-Ochir O, Takahashi K, David A, Takala J. Global Asbestos Disaster. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018; 15(5): 1000.
6. Reid A, de Klerk NH, Magnani C, Ferrante D, Berry G, Musk AW, Merler E. Mesothelioma risk after 40 years since first exposure to
asbestos: a pooled analysis. Thorax. 2014; 69:843-850.
8. Kazan-Allan L. Current asbestos bans. International Ban Asbestos Secretariat; Oct 23, 2018. Available at:
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/alpha_ban_list.php (accessed 15 Jan 2019).
9. WHO. http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asbestos-elimination-of-asbestos-related-diseases.
10. Kazan-Allan L. Asbestos Policies of Major International Agencies. International Ban Asbestos Secretariat; May 25, 2018. Available at:
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_asb_polic_maj_int_agencies.php (accessed 15 Jan 2019)
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