The High Cost of Mesothelioma in Turkey
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The High Cost of Mesothelioma in Turkey

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in Turkey have released a sobering report on the real cost of mesothelioma in their country.  The article appears in the latest issue of Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health. It details the lives lost to asbestos cancer. It also talks about loss of productivity as a cost of mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma is a rare but virulent cancer that is resistant to most kinds of treatment. Turkey is a hotbed for mesothelioma because of the high levels of cancer-causing minerals in the soil. Some Turkish people also seem to have a higher genetic susceptibility to mesothelioma. This cancer is so common in some parts of Turkey that it is a popular place for mesothelioma research.   Why the Cost of Mesothelioma…

Mesothelioma Causes Turkish Village To Be Evacuated
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Mesothelioma Causes Turkish Village To Be Evacuated

ByAlex Strauss

The Associated Press is reporting that an epidemic of mesothelioma cases is forcing the evacuation of a small Turkish village. Turkey has long been a favorite setting for researchers around the world studying mesothelioma.  A prevalence of a mineral in the soil called erionite appears to dramatically increase the risk that some residents will get the cancer most closely associated with asbestos exposure. According to the AP report, the town of Tuzkoy has a rate of mesothelioma that is 600 to 800 times higher than it is elsewhere in the world.  About 48 percent of deaths in that town, as well as in the nearby villages of Sarihidir and Karain, are from mesothelioma. Tuzkoy was declared a hazardous zone in 2004 and…