For decades, asbestos exposure has been a near-constant danger in military service. This hazard has accordingly stemmed from the heavy reliance of the armed forces on such a natural mineral for the insulation and fireproofing of their bases, vehicles and other equipment. While the full consequences of this exposure are still unfolding slowly, a large chunk of the veteran population in Island County now faces serious health consequences.
Among the most insidious is mesothelioma, an aggressive and often fatal form of cancer that has claimed the lives of more than 54,900 Americans from 1999 to 2020. Although this illness is uncommon in the general population — affecting fewer than one in 100,000 people each year — its impact on former service members is much more pronounced. In fact, they account for approximately 30% of the 3,000 individuals impacted by mesothelioma each year.
Sadly, the outcome for those diagnosed is usually poor, with only about 25% of the patients surviving after more than five years. For pleural mesothelioma — a malignancy mainly attacking the lungs and comprising 80% of all cases — survival rates are much lower, typically at eight months to one year. Despite the aggressiveness of this cancer, late diagnosis or worse, misdiagnosis are the strongest contributors to these high mortality rates. Acknowledging this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began to explore in 2019 the feasibility of a national mesothelioma registry. Then, in 2023, research was conducted to test initial patient data collection tools, including surveys on asbestos exposure risk factors and protocols to protect patient confidentiality.
Once implemented, the registry is seen to enable an effective case-finding methodology where at-risk populations in Island County and throughout Washington will be periodically scanned to identify early signs and eventually improve the likelihood of timely and accurate diagnosis. Yet even with this promise, this initiative remains stalled, leaving thousands of veterans and civilians at continued risk while the opportunity for prompt interventions slips away.
Washington is one of the states with the highest asbestos-related toll, having reported a total of 9,200 fatalities. Of these, 1,604 were directly associated with mesothelioma and 1,262 with asbestosis. In Island County alone, 129 residents have died due to asbestos exposure during the same period. Considering this apparent and escalating peril, the state strictly instructs businesses managing hazardous materials to coordinate with the local clean air agency and the Department of Labor and Industries. In addition, they must first secure permits when planning to demolish or just fix or renovate asbestos-containing structures.
Yet notwithstanding these safeguards, the state continues to see disproportionately high mesothelioma rates, particularly among veterans. Of the nearly 16 million veterans nationwide, over half a million reside in the state, including more than 12,660 in Island County. Over time, a significant portion of them were lost to asbestos-linked diseases after being stationed at contaminated military sites such as the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Until proactive measures like implementing a systemic tool are in place, veterans and civilians alike will remain vulnerable to the deadly legacy of this carcinogenic mineral.
As mesothelioma is so rare, progress in improving diagnostic methods has also been slow. Many patients die not only from the cancer’s aggressiveness but also from misdiagnosis or delayed detection, making prompt treatment a difficult challenge. Accordingly, this occurs because of its vague symptoms and the limitations of current diagnostic methods, which often yield a high rate of false negatives.
A national mesothelioma registry could directly tackle these issues while offering additional benefits to patients and researchers. It would enable the development of a case-finding methodology to proactively screen susceptible populations — such as veterans and former industrial workers — for early signs of the disease. Also, the registry would allow for real-time reporting that offers a clearer picture of precise incidence rates, in contrast to the national statistical centers that currently take several years to publish mesothelioma data.
Although still in development, the plan of establishing a national mesothelioma registry already represents a critical step toward reducing misdiagnosis as well as facilitating earlier interventions and improving survival rates. This effort will particularly prove vital for veterans and many other individuals exposed to asbestos decades ago.
Jonathan Sharp currently serves as the CFO of the Environmental Litigation Group P.C., a Birmingham, Alabama-based law firm that has been representing victims pursuing toxic exposure cases.
