Mesothelioma

Legislation sponsored by Rep.

Karen Clark, DFL-Minneapolis, would require the Minnesota Department of Health to collect work history as part of its statewide cancer surveillance system.

Clark's proposal is included in the omnibus health and human services appropriations bill awaiting passage in the House.

"It's information that's long overdue in many registries, not just cancer registries," said Dr.

Ian Greaves, a University of Minnesota physician specializing in lung diseases.

Unusually high rates of Between 1988 and 2005, 136 cases of the disease were diagnosed – much higher than the incidence anywhere else in the country.

A 2003 study identified 17 cases of the disease.

Since then, another 35 cases have been discovered, prompting the department to announce two new health studies.

One will focus on the health of mine workers in the region, while the other will assess the potential health impact of specific types of airborne mineral fragments generated in the taconite industry.

The assessment will then be used to set regulatory exposure limits for those materials, the d...

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