Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham hosted the launch of the British Lung Foundation/ Mick Knighton “Mesobank” in Parliament this week, which will mark a huge step forward in tackling the disease which causes 2500 deaths in the UK each year.
The Mesobank will provide researchers throughout the UK with the first centralised bank of mesothelioma tissue and blood in Europe which will speed up the progress of research projects and help advance clinical and scientific knowledge to help those people who have mesothelioma.
Deaths from mesothelioma, a cancer which principally affects the lining of the lungs, have nearly quadrupled in the last 30 years and the UK has the highest death rates of the disease of any country in the world. Mesothelioma is strongly associated with exposure to asbestos and unfortunately is very often a terminal condition.
Alex said:
“I am delighted to help launch this groundbreaking new Mesobank which will do so much to encourage new research on this terrible disease and give the families of victims new hope for the future.
“The British Lung Foundation does such wonderful work to promote greater understanding of lung diseases- whether it is campaigning with me to ban smoking in cars when there are children present, or coming up with innovative ideas such as the Mesobank, and I ask everyone to do as much as they can to support them in their work”.
