Odds of Surviving Mesothelioma Equal in Rural and Urban Australia
Living in a city and having a better socioeconomic status does not necessarily increase the odds of surviving mesothelioma. That is the message from a 15-year Australian study of more than 300,000 cancer patients. Some studies suggest cancer survival rates are lower in rural areas. But that does not appear to be the case for mesothelioma in Australia. Unfortunately, the odds of surviving mesothelioma remain low no matter where a person lives. The Legacy of Asbestos in Australia Australia used to mine and export more asbestos than any other country. The mineral has been banned there since 2003, but Australian mesothelioma rates are still among the highest in the world. Asbestos fibers are biopersistent. Once they are embedded in the…