AN action day has been held at York Hospital to raise awareness of mesothelioma and highlight the need for more research into this cancer which kills some 2,500 people a year.

The Lung Cancer Specialist Nurse Team at York Hospital discussed the matter at a public event at York Hospital on Friday.

Alison Moore, lung cancer care coordinator at York Hospital, said: “Unlike many other cancer diseases mesothelioma and the other asbestos diseases have received negligible amounts of public money for research purposes. This online petition needs at least 100,000 signatures for consideration in the House of Commons and we want to support them in their quest to achieve this.”

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that most commonly affects the lungs but can also develop in the lining of the abdomen. It is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

Anyone wishing to support the campaign can sign the online petition at epetitions.direct.gov.uk by searching for Mesothelioma.