Mesothelioma lung cancer centre set for Sheffield

Mesothelioma is an incurable lung cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos

A new centre for research into mesothelioma - an aggressive terminal lung cancer - has opened in Sheffield.

The University of Sheffield centre will focus on finding ways to prevent and treat the terminal disease.

Prof Angela Mary Tod, the centre's co-director, said the eventual aim was to find a cure.

Mesothelioma is caused in 90% of cases by asbestos exposure. The UK has the highest incidence in the world with 2,700 new cases diagnosed each year.

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Ms Tod said the aggressive disease affected the lungs' lining, with 50% of patients dying within 12 months of diagnosis.

Asbestos can be found in various forms in any building constructed before the year 2000

The university was chosen to house the centre because it has a reputation for research into the disease.

'Daunting and emotional'

"Mesothelioma is a devastating disease caused by asbestos exposure in an overwhelming number of cases," Ms Tod said.

"This means families are often not only having to face the devastating diagnosis, but also the start of a legal battle for compensation, which is an extremely daunting and emotional experience."

Asbestos was widely used in buildings and building products from the 1930s to the 1970s, including insulation, partitions and fire breaks, ceiling tiles and corrugated roofing sheets.

Liz Darlison, from charity Mesothelioma UK, said the centre - the first of its kind in the country - was a "huge milestone" which took years of planning.