Highest death rates from mesothelioma are in Maine

A new report shows that the highest death rate from mesothelioma per capita in the United States is in the state of Maine.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that the death rate in Maine is 27.5 per million population, and says that some people may have gotten sick from living and working in old Maine buildings that have not undergone asbestos abatement, but most people have been exposed through paper companies, chemical companies, and the shipyard industry in the area—all of which are some of Maine’s biggest employers.

By the time patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma, they are usually given five to 16 months to live. The cancer is usually not apparent until decades after initial asbestos exposure.