Asbestos death ‘unlucky’

Jul 10 2008 by Emma Davison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A WOMAN died from a cancer caused by asbestos despite never being exposed to the fibre, an inquest heard.

Deputy coroner Mark Hinchcliffe said that Josephine Dutton was “extremely unlucky” to have been killed by the cancer mesothelioma, which people usually develop from long-term asbestos exposure.

The Huddersfield inquest heard that the 59-year-old had worked in the textile industry and her husband had not come into contact with asbestos either.

A post-mortem exam-ination failed to find any asbestos fibres in Mrs Dutton’s body.

Recording a verdict of death by natural causes, Mr Hinchcliffe said: “In very rare cas-es mesothelioma can be developed without a link to asbestos in the workplace. Mrs Dutton was extremely unlucky, it’s like people who develop aggressive lung cancer who have never smoked.”