Mesothelioma Awareness Day: September 26

September 26, observed annually since 2004 when the U.S. Senate passed a resolution establishing it. The date honors the founder’s father who died from mesothelioma. The blue ribbon is the symbol of awareness.

Many Americans incorrectly believe asbestos is fully banned (only chrysotile banned in 2024), that only old buildings have it (millions of pre-1980 structures contain it), or that only workers get it (environmental and secondary exposure cause cases). Awareness drives prevention, early detection, and research funding.

Awareness campaigns contributed to TSCA reform (Lautenberg Act 2016), the EPA chrysotile ban (2024), increased NIH research funding, state asbestos regulations, and FDA approval of new treatments like Opdivo + Yervoy.

Share on social media (#MesotheliomaAwarenessDay), contact legislators, donate to research organizations like ADAO or Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, attend local events, and share your story or a loved one’s. Personal narratives create change.

Blue is the primary color representing mesothelioma awareness, with supporters wearing blue ribbons, wristbands, or clothing, especially on Mesothelioma Awareness Day (September 26). Some organizations also use pearl or blue-and-white ribbons. This symbolism promotes solidarity and research efforts for people with mesothelioma.

Steve McQueen, a prominent actor known for films like The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven, died from pleural mesothelioma in 1980 at age 50. His exposure is linked to U.S. Marine service, shipyard work, and possible movie set insulation. Other celebrities who died from mesothelioma include musician Warren Zevon (2003), actor Ed Lauter (2013), and NFL player Merlin Olsen. Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould survived peritoneal mesothelioma for 20 years before dying from unrelated lung cancer in 2002.

Steve McQueen was exposed to asbestos through multiple occupational and military sources over several decades. His primary exposure occurred during his service in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1947 to 1950, when he worked aboard naval ships and in shipyards, including removing asbestos lagging from pipes at Camp Lejeune. After his military service, he encountered additional asbestos exposure on movie soundstages where insulation contained the mineral, while wearing flame-resistant racing suits made with asbestos, and while working on race car and motorcycle brakes. McQueen did not develop symptoms until 1978, nearly 30 years after his initial military exposure, reflecting the typical latency period of 20 to 50 years between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma diagnosis. He was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in December 1979 and died in November 1980 at age 50.

Paul Kraus holds the record as the longest-known survivor of mesothelioma, living 27 years after his 1997 diagnosis with peritoneal mesothelioma until his death in 2024 at age 79. Other notable cases include Heather Von St. James, who survived 20 years after a 2005 pleural mesothelioma diagnosis , and a patient reported in a peer-reviewed journal who exceeded 10 years with advanced pleural mesothelioma. While average survival for people with mesothelioma is 12 to 21 months with treatment, these outliers demonstrate exceptional longevity is possible.