Only about 40 percent of mesothelioma patients from the United States survive for one year or more. This drops to less than 20 percent after the second year and less than 10 percent by the fourth year. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health estimates that between 1999 and 2005, more than 18,000 people in the United States died of malignant mesothelioma, including some of the people listed below.
Paul Gleason
Died in 2006 at the age of 67. You may recognize him for his role as the principal in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club.
Stephen J. Gould
An accomplished paleontologist and biologist, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 40 he would survive the disease for 20 years.
Terry McCann
An Olympic gold medalist at the 1960 summer Olympics in Rome, executive director of Toastmasters International, and coach, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 61.
Malcolm McLaren
A British performer, self publicist, and manager of The Sex Pistols, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in October, 2009 and died in April, 2010.
Steve McQueen
One of the most famous actors in the history of cinema, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1979 and died one year later.
Merlin Olson
A star football player for the Los Angeles Rams and for later generations a famous sportscaster, he would be diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 2009 and pass away not too long after in March 2010.
Paul Rudolph
Famous architect of the 20th century, member of the modernist movement, and dean of the Yale School of Architecture for six years, he would die from mesothelioma in 1997 at the age of 78.
Bruce Vento
Known as the environmental conscience of the House of Representatives representing Minnesota’s 4th District for 24 years, he would die 3 days after his 60th birthday and just 8 months after his diagnosis.
Warren Zevon
A prolific singer and songwriter that had a slow start to his career but eventually gain a cult following, he would be diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2002 and die in September of 2003.
Admiral Elmo R. Zumalt, Jr.
Serving as the Chief of Naval Operations for roughly 30 years and known for the level of egalitarian reforms he brought to teh organization he would be diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 78 and die one year later at the age of 79.
