Mesothelioma

"I can't run any more or climb scaffolds for work, I need to have a break while climbing up stairs." A recent study predicted that thousands more Australians would contract the deadly disease than previously thought.

The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health study said the number of cases would peak as late as 2017.

Mr Medina's main concern is for the future of his five children, aged two to 16.

He is suing his former employer for compensation through the Supreme Court.

Melbourne law firm Slater & Gordon is handling the case.

Mr Medina, of Endeavour Hills, migrated to Australia from Chile and maintained a high profile in the South American community.

He was a gifted soccer player and was an active competitor into his 30s.

But last November, Mr Medina was diagnosed with "It really turns your world upside down.

I had a whole life in front of me to share with my kids," he said.

The news has shocked colleagues, especially as he ran an asbestos removal course as a volunteer for the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.

Mr Medina said while there was no cure for the disease, he would fight on with chemotherapy treatment and special diets.

"Life expectancy can be six months to three or four years - five years is one out of the box," he said.

"My younger kids don't realise what's happening, b...

Data for the people most at risk - the workers at the plants - was not available."All we were able to do was just a population study and basically draw a circle around these sites," Ball said Friday.Other factors, like smoking, could have also caused the cancers, Ball said.State, local and federal health officials are trying to find former employees of the plants, to make sure they are aware of the health risks and learn more about the safety and working conditions at the plants.There is no public health hazard at either site, which were both part of Superfund cleanups, according to the study.Residents in the 2-mile radius of the plants had 1,057 cases of respiratory cancer during the years of the study.

The number of cases in the state outside the area over the same time frame was about 715, the study said.

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