Mesothelioma Medical

An internal maintenance review of the U.S. Veterans Affairs' facilities says that around 42,000 square feet of asbestos tile and sealant at McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center are going to be replaced.

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson has ordered the investigation. This is the first top-down review conducted since the disclosure of squalid conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, the U.S. Army's flagship hospital. It covers a vast network of 1,400 health clinics and hospitals.

41,700 square feet of asbestos tile and sealant at the 1.2 million-square-foot center is being replaced as per investigation report.

McGuire spokeswoman Darlene Edwards told that the materials are scheduled to be replaced over the next year at a cost of about $600,000

"These are projects that have been on our work list. We want to replace it because certainly you want to keep the place looking as nice as possible," she said. According to Edwards, most of the problems are part of normal wear and tear at the 427-bed facility. "The tile is sealed, but it is scuffed in some areas," she added.

Dale Kemery, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency said that the kind of asbestos used in the tile is not a major health threat, however, it could be hazardous if it is disturbed.

"The affected area has to be sealed so that no fibers can get into the environment," Kemery said, "It's not an easy kind of thing to remediate asbestos. It's very complicated, and it's expensive."

Asbestos is a combination of several minerals that separate into long, threadlike fibers. Because they do not bum, do not conduct heat or electricity, and are very resistant to chemicals, these minerals are often used for making fireproof materials, electrical insulation, roofing, filters, etc. The fibers can enter the lungs as a person breathes. Asbestos can cause many diseases, including cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by this mortal substance. Symptoms of the disease, which can be found in the linings of the lungs and abdomen, may not appear for decades after exposure. But it kills more than half of its victims within seven months of diagnosis.