Iron Range Mesothelioma Patients May Get Answers
People who live in Minnesota’s Iron Range and have contracted malignant mesothelioma may finally get some explanation as to how it happened. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that attacks internal body membranes. It is almost always associated with exposure to the mineral asbestos. But, in the Iron Range, where the mesothelioma rate has been found to be 300 times higher than the rest of the state, the primary mineral is taconite, which is mined for its iron content. Alarmed by the unusually high rate of mesothelioma among taconite miners, the Minnesota Department of Health launched a study of iron range workers in conjunction with the University of Minnesota. The Taconite Workers Health Study, which started in 2008, is focused on the nearly…