WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. John Katko (R, NY-24) today reintroduced the Mary Jo Lawyer Spano Mesothelioma Patient Registry Act of 2021.
This bill would establish a national patient registry at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to asbestos, a mineral commonly used in building materials in the mid-1900s. Rep. Katko introduced the bipartisan bill alongside U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado (D, NY-19).
The measure is named in honor of Mary Joe Lawyer Spano, a Central New York native whose family has been greatly affected by mesothelioma. Spano’s father worked for an elevator company where he was exposed to asbestos. Sadly, Spano’s family was also exposed to asbestos fibers from his body and clothing. After a courageous four year battle with mesothelioma, Mary Joe passed in 2014. Her sister, Meg Meccariello, an advocate for a National Mesothelioma Patient Registry, also passed from mesothelioma in 2015.
According to The Mesothelioma Center, mesothelioma has also been linked to rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. When the World Trade Centers collapsed, a plume containing 400 tons of pulverized asbestos and other hazardous materials was released across lower Manhattan. An estimated 410,000 to 525,000 people, including more than 90,000 first responders, were exposed to the toxic dust.
“I’m reintroducing a bill inspired by a Central New York native who lost her four year battle with mesothelioma in 2014,” said Rep. Katko. “Sadly, many Americans, including hundreds of 9/11 first responders, are still suffering from this terrible disease. By creating a national registry, my bill will help us take meaningful steps to understand, treat, and eventually cure mesothelioma.”
Specifically, the registry created by Rep. Katko’s legislation would collect voluntary health information from mesothelioma patients. Information from the registry will be used to facilitate and enhance research on mesothelioma, by allowing:
Development and revision of standards of care and treatment for mesothelioma patients;
Sharing of evidence-based information between physicians across the United States;
Implementation of benchmarks to improve care in mesothelioma clinics; and
Identification of centers that provide the most beneficial care to patients.
