Hawaii Asbestos Resources

Asbestos in Hawaii

Tourism is the principal industry in Hawaii, with traditional industries that drove the U.S. economy in the twentieth century remaining on the mainland.  There are a couple of exceptions, in that Hawaii has had a very large Naval Base at Pearl Harbor for many decades and has a number of sugar mills that qualify as standard industrial refining operations.

The presence of asbestos in shipping built during the twentieth century cannot be overstated.  It was used in engine rooms and throughout the vessels as insulation.  Nowhere was that more true than in naval vessels, especially submarines that had to control heat in closely confined quarters.  Because of the presence of asbestos in ships, former crewmen and workers at shipyards are primary candidates for the diseases that are caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.

Hawaii also has some oil refineries, also locations where asbestos was used abundantly to control heat.  In some of these industries workers were supplied with asbestos clothing as protective gear for extreme heat.  Worn woven asbestos can throw off fibers just as worn asbestos insulation can. 

The worst disease caused by asbestos is malignant mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that most often attacks the outer lining of the lungs.  In time it can spread into the lungs and cause lung tumors, which is where the term "mesothelioma lung cancer" came from.  But mesothelioma itself attacks membranes in the chest cavity, around the heart and in the abdominal cavity. 

Mesothelioma also sometimes takes decades after the original asbestos exposure to appear in the form of symptoms.  For that reason if you were ever employed in any of these Hawaiian locations you should talk with your doctor about potential asbestos-related ailments.  If you have been diagnosed with a disease linked to asbestos you should talk with an experienced attorney about your rights to compensation from the asbestos companies,

Mortality Rates due to Asbestos in Hawaii

A nationwide study was done analyzing asbestos related deaths in this country from 1979 to 2000.  In Hawaii 59 deaths due to asbestosis were reported during that period.  Mesothelioma deaths during those two decades were in the range of 79 to 135.  The figures are somewhat inexact because diagnoses weren't always accurate.  In 1999 however the federal government began tracking mesothelioma deaths.  From 1999 to the end of 2004 forty five deaths due to mesothelioma were reported. 

Cancer treatment in Hawaii

There is a cancer research program at the University of Hawaii that is affiliated with the National Cancer Institute's cancer control center program.  While the center is focused completely on research the medical center treats patients as well.

Cancer Research Center of Hawaii
1236 Lauhala Street 
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
808-586-3010

Queen's Cancer Center
The Queen's Medical Center
1301 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-545-8770