A recent research study published in a leading American Journal of Industrial Medicine took an in-depth look at the mortality risks of former construction workers at three sites of Department of Energy (DOE) and Hanford, Washington.
Research study on Hanford workers
The research study was conducted among 8,976 construction workers who had participated in the building trades screening program at the various location and had undergone an initial screening interview during 1998 to 2004.
Among the participants in the research study, approximately one third of the construction workers had performed construction work at Hanford, Washington. According to the latest list, of the 266 Hanford construction workers who had died, nearly 94 of them had died from some kind of cancer. It was a major significant finding of fact, because there were 14 more cancer deaths than could be expected from the general public. However, Hanford construction workers had a rate of mesothelioma which was 11 times more than would be expected from the general public.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which normally affects the chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the area surrounding the heart and lung. It really has an uncommon nature that makes it quite difficult to give a mesothelioma diagnosis and treat the patient. It should not be left untreated because mesothelioma cancer is a life threatening disease. At present in the mesothelioma clinical trial there are many treatment options such as radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Mesothelioma cancer will normally cause fluid to get accumulated between the chest cavity and the lung lining. This can be easy determined through an accurate chest x-ray as well as a CT scan.
A fact finding
According to the study, there is a high rate of mesothelioma and cancer deaths. Hanford construction workers also had a high rate of asbestosis deaths which was 30 times higher than would be expected from the general public. The Hanford construction workers also had to a great extend the higher risk of developing multiple myeloma which was nearly three times higher than from the general public. Multiple myeloma is a kind of blood cancer which can be linked too much exposure to radiation in the work site.
The Hanford construction workers had higher death rates for other kinds of diseases too. However, the numbers were not so much high enough to be statistically given importance. Some of the other work sites had higher rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-Hodgkins lymphoma deaths.