Son of mesothelioma victim speaks at asbestos disease conference

Over the weekend, the son of the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon participated in the sixth annual Asbestos Awareness Day conference in Chicago, Illinois. The conference was hosted by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Jordan Zevon is the son of recording artist Warren Zevon, perhaps best known for his smash hit “Werewolves of London.”

Zevon spoke at the conference in memory of his father, who passed away several years ago from mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Zevon spoke alongside noted asbestos and mesothelioma experts, as well as research scientists, doctors, mesothelioma patients, and families who lost their loved ones to mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and remains incurable despite promising efforts from researchers around the world. Sadly, this cancer can kill within months of being diagnosed in some cases, although treatments like chemotherapy can help some patients to prolong their lives.

Many cases of mesothelioma are due to occupational exposure to asbestos. Those who worked with asbestos-laden brake pads, insulation, fireproofing materials, and other products which contained asbestos repeatedly during the course of their careers face an elevated risk of developing mesothelioma later in life. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has worked in recent years to raise awareness of mesothelioma and other occupational diseases.

"The tragedy of occupational cancers resulting from asbestos, benzene and other carcinogens is that it takes so long for science to be translated into protective action," says Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health and Environment. "Known and preventable exposures are clearly responsible for hundreds of thousands of excess cancer cases each year. In the interests of protecting our health, we must adopt an approach rooted in primary prevention; that is to make workplaces free from carcinogenic risks."