Results of the Examination of Medical Data for Acknowledgment as Designated Diseases under the Act on Asbestos Health Damage Relief

On July 27th, the Minister of the Environment conducted an examination of medical data for patients suffering from asbestos-related diseases in response to requests filed by the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan (ERCA) under the Act on Asbestos Health Damage Relief.

Based on the examination, 38 patients were determined to have contracted a designated disease (32 with mesothelioma and 6 with lung cancer caused by asbestos)* and 17 patients who died before application for relief based on said law were also determined to have designated diseases (17 with mesothelioma and 0 with lung cancer caused by asbestos)*. No person who died before the enforcement of this act was determined to have contracted a designated disease*. The Minister of the Environment will notify the ERCA of the results.

* The cumulative total of those determined to have contracted designated diseases as defined by the act is 2,363 (1,887 with mesothelioma and 476 with lung cancer caused by asbestos), and the cumulative total of those who were determined to have contracted designated diseases but died before the application for relief based on the law is 53 (45 with mesothelioma and 8 with lung cancer caused by asbestos). The cumulative total of those determined to have contracted designated diseases by asbestos but who died before the enforcement of said act is 129 (4 with mesothelioma and 125 with lung cancer caused by asbestos).

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