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

On July 26, the Minister of the Environment conducted a medical data examination for patients suffering from asbestos-related diseases in response to requests filed by the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan (ERCA) based on the Act on Asbestos Health Damage Relief.

Based on the examination, 45 patients were determined to have contracted the designated diseases (38 with mesothelioma and 7 with lung cancer caused by asbestos) and 11 patients were also determined but died before application for relief based on the law (9 with mesothelioma and 2 with lung cancer caused by asbestos).

The Minister of the Environment will notify the ERCA of the results.

* The cumulative total of those determined to have contracted the designated diseases as defined by the Act is 2,927 (2,354 with mesothelioma and 573 with lung cancer caused by asbestos), and the cumulative total of those determined to have contracted the designated diseases but died before the application for relief based on the law is 173 (138 with mesothelioma and 35 with lung cancer caused by asbestos). The cumulative total of those determined to have contracted the designated diseases by asbestos but died before the enforcement of this Act is 134 (5 with mesothelioma and 129 with lung cancer caused by asbestos).

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