According to a story published in the Duluth News Journal, four news cases of mesothelioma will be added to a University of Minnesota study determining if taconite mining on the Iron Range is linked to the rare cancer.
The new cases bring the total number of former miners diagnosed with mesothelioma to 63, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
The previous cases spurred the University of Minnesota study, which is also looking at a range of respiratory diseases and diseases associated with silica and asbestos exposure, the Health Department said.
Mesothelioma is a rare, fatal form of cancer almost always linked to asbestos exposure. It can take as long as 40 to 50 years to develop the disease following exposure.
Tags: Asbestos, asbestos exposure, Mesothelioma, taconite