DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Results of a University of Minnesota study into cancer rates among Iron Range miners will be made public next month.
The Duluth News Tribune (http://bit.ly/WllAhy ) reports researchers will discuss the results at a public meeting at 3 p.m. April 12 at the Mountain Iron Community Center.
The nearly $5 million Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study began five years ago.
At least 82 Iron Rangers have died in recent years from mesothelioma (meh-soh-thee-lee-OH'-muh), a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The disease often doesn't appear until 30 to 40 years after initial exposure to asbestos fibers.
In the most recent update, researchers revealed that the study confirmed a 300 percent higher rate of mesothelioma on the Iron Range than the general population in Minnesota.
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Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com
