In an interview yesterday on Minnesota Public Radio, the Commissioner of the Minnesota Health Department, Diane Mandernach, defended the Department’s year-long delay in releasing the news of 35 additional mesothelioma deaths among taconite miners in the northeastern part of the state. The Department learned of the deaths in 2006 from its own cancer registry, but did not release the information to the public for a year.
"Putting a Protocol Together"
Commissioner Mandernach said that during that year, her staff was working on the matter, and that "…what we were trying to do was to make sure we had a scientific basis and protocol put together…so that when in fact the study results come out, that there is a peer review process so they are accepted within the community, and actually by the regulatory agencies, so that decisions can be made."
Mesothelioma’s Quick Progression
Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the lungs, is caused by exposure to asbestos. It is in most cases fatal, and most mesothelioma patients die within just two years of diagnosis.
In 2003, the Minnesota Health Department announced that 17 taconite miners had died from their exposure to commercial asbestos, which is used in iron ore processing. In March 2006, Health Department officials stated that two more studies would be conducted to investigate whether something in the taconite had caused the mesothelioma of the 35 miners plus those of the 17 other miners revealed earlier.
"Stay in Touch with Your Doctor"
Commissioner Mandernach says she’s always been committed to getting answers for Minnesota’s mine workers and their families. "As we sit today, whether it would have been better to put the number out there and develop the protocol afterwards, that, at this point in time, looks like it may have been a better decision," she said. "But certainly we want people who are concerned to stay in touch with their doctor and continue to monitor their health."
(Source: minnesota.publicradio.org)
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