Now that the use of asbestos is very strictly controlled, the number of people developing mesothelioma should become rarer.

If you work in an industry that uses asbestos, the best precaution you can take is to obey health and safety procedures at work. Report any breaches of them to your employer or to the Health and Safety Executive. By law, employers must ensure that all employees who are exposed to asbestos have medical examinations, including chest examinations, at not more than two-yearly intervals.

If you have worked with asbestos, or you have lived with somebody who has, and you are concerned about your symptoms, discuss them with your GP.

There is no national screening programme for mesothelioma.

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