Cancer: The very word is ugly. It stops you in your tracks and no matter how much progress we make in combating it, it still stalks our land.
There are many types of cancer and all can have devastating affects on those who are affected by it but here I want to talk about a cancer, which has no cure and which is caused by a poisonous substance which many people were exposed to while carrying out a days work.
Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. I am proud to have been made a patron of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, an organisation that was set up by Chris Knighton who was left a widow when her husband was struck down by mesothelioma.
Sadly Chris is not alone. Thousands have been struck down by this killer disease and tens of thousands more will succumb in the next two decades.
Asbestos was recognised as a poisonous substance in the early 1890's and banned in 1965 but nevertheless many workers have been exposed to its fibres.
I was once told: "One fibre can lay dormant in your lungs for 30 years. One day it becomes active, you suffer terribly and you die."
This statement was recently used by insurance companies, representing some of the biggest multi-national companies in the world, to try and get out of their liabilities.
They pounced on the fact that many employees in heavy industries worked for more than one employer who used asbestos. They knew families could not prove where that one fibre of asbestos had come from and they challenged the courts claiming they should only be liable for paying part of the compensation.
Their move created major distress for families and sufferers who tried to seek their compensation and set back the cause of justice for decades.
Some families missed out on as much as £100,000 worth of compensation due to their attempts.
Fortunately due to campaigning in Westminster by a group of MP's of which I was proud to be a part of, an amendment was made to the Compensation Bill. This has redressed the balance in favour of those workers who were exposed to asbestos in the workplace when their employers knew there should have been safety procedures put in place.
When people ask me why I wanted to be an MP, I can think of no greater example than this. We can make a difference to the lives of ordinary hardworking men and women, even in their darkest hour.
We now need to keep up the pressure on the Government to ensure those suffering from asbestos-related diseases are not only properly compensated but that they are also able to access the best medical help available.
To that end I, and many others, are lobbying the Department of Health to ensure mesothelioma sufferers can access chemotherapy drug Alimta. The drug can help to relieve patients' symptoms and help to extend their lives.
Alimta does not cure the disease, but it does make life more bearable and it does give extra time to those struck down by this unrelenting cancer. The Government has recently asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to consult on the use and cost of Alimta but I and many others are convinced that the Department of Health should immediately make the drug available to all who would benefit from it.
As I said at the start, we owe it to these workers to give them all the support we can and recognise that they are dying because of a man made decision and not an act of God.
The long-term aim of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund is to develop a cure for Mesothelioma. Already over £200,000 has been raised and recently £87,000 was spent from the fund to determine the response of mesothelioma to certain forms of chemotherapy.
Campaigners are still fund-raising, and recently collected £1,400 at a social event in Birtley. If you would like to find out more information go to mickknightonmesorf.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ or contact me through my website www.daveanderson.org.uk.
| Promoted by Paul Foy on behalf of Dave Anderson, both of St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Shibdon Road, Blaydon, NE21 5PT |