Asbestos Mesothelioma and General Motors

Flint, MIDianna's father, Jerrold, has lung cancer, which has also traveled to his brain. Diagnosed in March 2008, his doctor said he had months to live. But he has defied the prognosis and is currently investigating the possibility that his illness may be the result of asbestos exposure – that he may have asbestos mesothelioma.

"My father worked for General Motors for over 25 years, and was recently diagnosed with lung, brain and bladder cancer all within the last year," Dianna said. "I believe the exposure to the asbestos in the plants my father has worked in is the direct cause of his health problems."

Jerrold worked at GM's Pontiac, Michigan plant, in the foundry and in assembly units, among other places. The plant, which was situated in the middle of the town of Pontiac, was torn down years ago because it contained asbestos. Jerrold feels certain that he was exposed to asbestos during his years there.

It wouldn't be surprising. Very often pipes and boilers in the older plants, and especially foundries where there would have been a need for heat-resistant insulation, would have been clad in asbestos insulating products. Asbestos was widely used in industries where fire retardation was an issue because it has a very high temperature rating.

"I remember when they ripped the Pontiac plant down," Dianna said. "There was a lot of stuff in the newspapers back then about the asbestos in the plant and the fact that it was in middle of town – it was surrounded by residential areas, grocery stores. The foundry he worked was full of asbestos – I remember hearing stories about that plant.

My father's best friend worked at the plant and he died of the same thing my father has, he died in the 1990s. His demise was horrible, long and gruelling. His illness started in the lung and went to the brain. I think there may be correlation, otherwise that's some coincidence. I'll bet there are many more people who worked at that plant that had health problems."

Part of the reason asbestos mesothelioma seems to come as a complete surprise is the latency period of the disease. Jerrold retired in 1998, but he left General Motors years before he retired. In fact, it's been 18 years since he worked at the Pontiac plant.

"Prior to these illnesses my father was a very healthy man, all his life," Dianna said. "When he retired he was healthy. He never missed work, never got sick."

Asbestos Exposure – Who's at Risk and Why

Asbestos mesothelioma doesn't just affect the people working with it directly. Family members exposed to worker's clothing over a period of time, may be risk for inhaling those fibres and developing mesothelioma as well.

Unfortunately, the latency period for asbestos mesothelioma is anywhere between 20 and 50 years, so many people are only now finding out that they are ill, and that the illness could be the result of exposure to asbestos years, if not decades, ago. Estimates suggest that more than 27 million workers were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1980, and today, possibly as many as 1.3 million construction workers still face significant exposure to asbestos during renovations, demolitions, and asbestos removal, because the product is still widely used in roofing materials, textiles, friction products, insulation and other building materials. Unbelievably, asbestos is not banned from all building materials, despite the health risks which are now common knowledge.

At 73 years of age Jerrold is in a fight for his life, and despite having undergone chemotherapy and radiation, it's a fight he likely will not win. So it is important that he and his family get some answers as to why he became so ill, as it may help the family down the road, in seeking financial assistance or legal help, and most importantly, for peace of mind.