Latest data from Cancer Research UK has shown that mesothelioma cases among women rose by 93% between 1993 and 2018 in comparison to 47% in men according to the Daily Mail. Although men still have the most cases of mesothelioma, the rising cases in women has become a concern. Dean Fennel, a professor of thoracic medical oncology has stated, ‘The proportion of women being diagnosed with mesothelioma has never been higher. Given the disease can take decades to develop, this rise seems to coincide with when more women joined the workforce from the 1950s onwards.’
In 1968, Susan Ellis, aged 23 at the time, was working for a leading firm of architects in Birmingham as a personal assistant. Over the course of a year, Susan started making regular site trips to a shopping centre her manager designed, unaware that it would haunt her 50 years later as she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure. Through investigations, it was shown that asbestos was being sprayed on the ceilings during one of those visits to the construction sites, which came as a shock to Susan. ‘The diagnosis was quite a shock,’ says Susan, 78, who lives in Pershore, Worcestershire. ‘My parents both lived into their 90s and, as I had no illness or health conditions, my expectation was that I had a good few years’ ahead of me to enjoy life with my two sons and five grandchildren.’
Lungs and their lining can get damaged by breathing in tiny asbestos fibres, which may take decades to show its effects. Symptoms include breathlessness, chest pain and coughs which are often overlooked as it doesn’t seem too serious. The Chief executive of the charity Mesothelioma UK said, ‘Mesothelioma is a devastating and hard-to-treat disease with people often diagnosed at a late stage and typically facing a poor prognosis.’ The think tank ResPublica published findings of research they carried out in 2019 which showed that there are six million tonnes of asbestos in 1.5 million UK Buildings, which includes schools and homes.
2018 was when Susan first became aware of the problem as she felt out of breath when walking up the stairs at her house. After visiting her GP who asked her to come back if the issue persisted, she went back two weeks later and was sent for an X-ray which showed that here lungs were collapsing and some fluid in the chest cavity. Susan was hospitalised for a week in order to get the fluid drained. In 2021, she received a payout after solicitors carried an investigation which showed with some certainty that those site visits, done 50 years ago, were the cause of her disease.
Susan says, ‘I want people to be aware that mesothelioma is not just an industrial disease, linked to the building sector — it affects normal people like me who never realised they were putting themselves at risk.’
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