
San Diego has ranked high over the years in the number of cancer-related deaths due to mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. *According to federal government statistics, between 230 and 371 mesothelioma-related deaths occurred in San Diego County from 1979 to 2001. *San Diego ranked second in California and eighth in the nation in deaths related to asbestos exposure.*Exposure in California as a whole accounted for 1,562 cases from 2001 to 2005.Because San Diego was a hub of activity for the United States Navy, many people were unknowingly exposed to asbestos fibers at ship repair facilities...