Mesothelioma in South Africa

South Africa ranks among one of the highest countries in the world with incidences in mesothelioma. This is due to the extensive production and mining of asbestos that took place during the last century.

By 2002, studies have reported that a staggering number of 2700 people have died as a result of mesothelioma. A mere 200 cases are reported in SA in a year and it is assumed that the reporting of the cancer is underrated. The Northern Cape is reported to be the area most commonly exposed with a rate of 30% fatalities due to mesothelioma. The other 70% of environmental cases reported are from women and children. It is believed that they were exposed when miners brought back fibres on their clothes and hai when they went home.

HIV & TB may skew cancer statistics as miners or workers can die from these illnesses before developing detectable symptoms of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare and extremely aggressive cancer which is caused by asbestos exposure, almost exclusively. The mining and extensive use of the mineral have resulted in thousands of deaths. It wasn’t until the early 1960’s when the actual cause of mesothelioma was established. By that time it was already too late. Asbestos is still being used in materials today.

Cause of Mesothelioma

Doctors detected a noticeable increased rate in lung disease in the early 1900’s. It was especially noticed in workers who handled asbestos on a regular basis. It wasn’t until the 1960’s when the South African pathologist, Christopher Wagner, finally discovered the link between asbestos fibres and cancer.

He had written an article about it, “Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure in the North Western Cape Province”. This article became the most quoted paper in occupational medicine. This ultimately resulted in extensive research on related diseases.

The breakthrough came in 1956 when Christopher Wanger performed an autopsy on a gold mine worker from the west side of Kimberly – the setting for many harmful exposures. The worker did not respond well to previous treatment and Wagner couldn’t figure out why. Of course, at the time, tuberculosis was a serious endemic disease but it did not make sense why treatment affected patients differently who lived or worked in other areas.

The autopsy didn’t reveal that the worker had died of TB. However, there was a tumor in the right chest and the worker also had a collapsed lung. Wagner gained further evidence from Dr. C.A. Sleggs who, at the time, was the chief medical officer at the Kimberley Tuberculosis Hospital, to include in his studies.

The evidence included scans from patients who lived near the mine. Dr. Sleggs performed biopsies on the 14 patient’s whose scans they studied and it was confirmed that mesothelioma was present in their systems. Wagner was finally able to report the link between the exposure of asbestos and the mesothelioma disease.

Not everyone was pleased with the findings and demanded industry review of future research papers, an order from the senior officers of the Department of Health in South Africa. While it was evident that there is a definite link between asbestos and mesothelioma, and a serious risk to the workers who are exposed to it, the output of crocidolite asbestos in the industry was increased from 60,389 tons in 1960 to 155,477 tons in 1974.

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