I was interested to read recently a study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine which concluded that malignant mesothelioma was rare prior to the widespread commercial introduction of asbestos.

The study, carried out by James A. Strauchen, reviewed more than 2,000 autopsies carried out at a hospital in New York City between 1883 and 1910.

Not a single case of malignant mesothelioma was found, which allowed the author to conclude that the disease was rare before widespread commercial use of asbestos became common in the United States.

Whilst many leading experts and the Health and Safety Executive believe that Mesothelioma is closely related to asbestos and many cases,are a result of exposures in occupational settings, Insurers and defendant lawyers have tried to claim in some cases that a client’s mesothelioma was spontaneous. This study supports the argument that a spontaneous mesothelioma is very rare and that exposure to asbestos is much more likely to be the cause of the disease.