Action Mesothelioma Day 2014

Patients, relatives and friends will get together at a special event, in memory of patients affected by mesothelioma, on Friday 4 July 2014 at Saltram House in Plympton.

Organised by the South West Mesothelioma Support Group, based at the Macmillan Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre at Derriford Hospital, to mark Action Mesothelioma Day, the event is open to anyone affected by asbestos-related mesothelioma. The event will take place between 10am and 12pm.

Sarah Earl, Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist said: “This is an important date to help raise awareness about mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos exposure. It is also an opportunity to come together to support all those people affected by this disease and to remember those who have died from it in the south west.

“This will be the fourth memorial event that we have held at Saltram and feedback from previous years has been very positive with people from all over the region coming together to raise awareness and offer support to each other. Come along and join us for a cream tea, dove release and a short gathering at the memorial tree. Please feel free to lay a single stemmed flower at the tree if you wish.”

Each year over 2,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with mesothelioma, an uncommon type of cancer that occurs in the tissues covering the lungs or the abdomen. Past exposure to asbestos is a risk factor for mesothelioma and men are five times more likely than women to develop a mesothelioma. Action Mesothelioma Day is a tribute to all of those people affected by this disease.

The South West Mesothelioma Support Group is a very proactive group offering support to both patients and carers. They are committed to raising awareness about the dangers of asbestos, raising money to undertake research into the management and treatment of this challenging disease and giving equipment that helps services support patients with mesothelioma across the south west.

For more information or to confirm attendance, please contact Sarah Earl on 01752 763665 or email plh-tr.Mesothelioma-Nurses@nhs.net