Florida has one of the highest numbers of veterans in the nation, counting more than 1,430,000 former military personnel. Over 88,000 of them live in Duval County, a portion equivalent to 10.8% of the total population in this region. Around 500,000 veterans residing in Florida served in the military during peak asbestos use time, and are now at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Among these, mesothelioma is one of the deadliest and rarest forms of cancer, emerging even four decades after initial exposure.
The disease has an insidious debut, making it difficult to diagnose in its early stages. However, once reaching stage three or four, the progress of this cancer is fulminant, and survival rates fall below one year. As the condition is quite rare, with only around 3000 diagnoses made each year in the U.S., research on developing better diagnosis methods and treatment is progressing at a slow pace. This results in high rates of misdiagnosis, with many receiving an accurate evaluation only in the final stages of the disease.
In 2019, a National Mesothelioma Registry was proposed, yet this database has yet to be implemented. The scope of this registry is to shift away from cancer data reporting based on estimates and have periodic screenings of at-risk populations to prompt early detection with instant reporting. Moreover, as cases would be reported in real time, researchers could potentially access this information and benefit from adequate sample sizes to investigate better diagnosis and treatment procedures.
Veterans are one of the populations most affected by mesothelioma, accounting for almost a third of all diagnoses made in the U.S. Presently, mesothelioma is included in the presumptive list of the PACT Act, for which veterans can receive compensation and free healthcare. Yet this compensation is granted after an analysis of the case file by a health commission, which can take up to 140 days. For many veterans with late-stage diagnosed mesothelioma, survival rates rarely exceed a few months, leaving hundreds without the specialized care they need.
Asbestos Exposure and Duval Veterans’ Risk of Mesothelioma
Florida is among the states with the highest rate of asbestos-related mortality in the nation, recording 18,206 casualties between 1999 to 2017. A total of 3,343 of these deaths were linked with mesothelioma. In Duval County, the number of deaths for the same period was 690, at an average of 36 deaths per year. These numbers are a clear reflection of Florida’s history of asbestos use, especially by the Navy during the 1950s and 1980s.
Studies conducted on veteran populations who worked in the Navy at this time demonstrate that there is a sixfold increase in the risk of developing mesothelioma for former military staff working aboard Navy ships, in boiler rooms, engine rooms, or shipyards. High-risk areas also included pump rooms, weapons storage compartments, and maintenance corridors, all spaces that were often poorly ventilated and densely packed with asbestos-insulated pipes and machinery.
Faster Claims for Duval Veterans Through a National Mesothelioma Registry
Considering that Duval County veterans are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, easy access to compensation and free healthcare is essential here. With a National Mesothelioma Registry, research that could potentially develop better diagnosis tools is made possible. In practice, this implies that more veterans could receive an early-stage diagnosis, when several treatment options are available, from surgery to systemic therapies, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Concomitantly, with an early diagnosis, claims could be accessed on time for veterans to benefit from specialized mesothelioma care.
Despite its clear potential, the National Mesothelioma Registry is yet to be implemented due to barriers such as limited funding, bureaucratic inertia, and a general lack of public awareness. To implement this registry, persistent advocacy from veterans’ organizations, healthcare providers, policymakers, and affected communities is now needed in support of the thousands of veterans who served their nations and are now in need of care.
About the Author
Jonathan Sharp serves as the Director of Financial Operations at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. In this role, he manages the firm’s financial planning and coordinates client-focused initiatives, particularly in cases involving toxic exposure.
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