Researchers found out at least 19 years ago that a woman who lived near an asbestos factory died of cancer following exposure to the carcinogenic substance, according to academic papers presented in 1986.
The Osaka woman, who died at age 69, developed mesothelioma, a form of cancer whose only known cause is asbestos, and the researchers found asbestos in her lungs, the records show.
The researchers included experts from the government-affiliated National Institute of Industrial Health.