What is Mesothelioma?
The National Cancer Institute states that: "Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium). Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is fire resistant, chemically resistant, strong, and flexible. It is nonconductive and thus useful as an insulating material. Asbestos is found in six forms: chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos), anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. (The last three are rare.) Before extensive bans, chrysotile comprised roughly 95 percent of the asbestos in use. Asbestos dust is dangerous when inhaled because tiny, needle shaped asbestos particles become lodged in the lungs, causing damage and often cancer.
How do you get Mesothelioma?
Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Some have been exposed to asbestos in a household environment, often without realizing it.
How long does it take after exposure for mesothelioma to show up?
People exposed in the 1940s through the 1970s are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma because of the long latency period of asbestos disease.
What is the Prognosis for Mesothelioma?
Like most cancers, the prognosis for this mesothelioma often depends on how early it is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated.
Is there any promising research or are there promising drugs for mesothelioma?
Research is being conducted at various cancer centers all over the United States as well as by pharmaceutical companies. A recent study of Alimta showed patients living much longer with Alitma than other chemotherapy drugs.
Reasons to Hire a Mesothelioma Lawyer
- You need professional help to fight for your injury.
- You should not have to worry about your violated personal injury rights.
- You should be able to concentrate on getting better and not spending your time at the courthouse or with your mesothelioma lawyer.
Do I really need a Mesothelioma Lawyer?
This is the first question you should ask yourself. In some cases, you can handle the problem without hiring a lawyer. If the problem is small and can be handled without the advice of mesothelioma lawyers, then you can usually find the right forms and resources to help you at a legal portal. However, if the situation involves a major problem than you probably need a mesothelioma injury lawyer.
What kind of Lawyer do I need?
A lot of lawyers specialize in one area of the law. General practitioners, however, have a wide range of matters that they handle. If your legal matter involves a specialized area of law like family, bankruptcy, taxation, or patent laws, then you need to contact a specialist. If you are dealing with a general matter, then a general practice lawyer should be able to help you. Make sure to ask your attorney whether he or she specializes in an area of law before you decide to hire them.
What is a Mesothelioma Lawyer?
Mesothelioma lawyers deal specifically with cases concerning people being exposed to asbestos in the work environment. Asbestos was used as a building material years ago because it was not flammable and did not conduct electricity. However, later studies have shown it can cause some forms of cancer. Mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the inner lining of the chest, is one of those forms of cancer. Because asbestos was a common building material and is still found, there has been a call for mesothelioma lawyers to look into cases of people who were exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with this form of cancer.
Mesothelioma lawyers deal specifically with cases concerning people being exposed to asbestos in the work environment. Because asbestos was a common building material and is still found, there has been a call for mesothelioma lawyers to look into cases of people who were exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with this form of cancer.
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The Mesothelioma Lawyer and Asbestos Cases
Before asbestos was found to be a potential cause for cancer, it was seen as a great building material. Therefore it was used a lot, and both workers who installed it and employees who worked in these buildings were unknowingly exposed to a cancerous element. These people are only now seeing the effects of their exposure to asbestos, and are bringing cases against the companies that either installed it or owned the buildings. The cases are increasing, causing a need for a specialized brand of lawyer - the mesothelioma lawyer.
Some types of asbestos that can cause cancer:
- Amosite
- Anthophyllite
- Chrysotile
- Crocidolite
Mesothelioma Lawyers and the Courtroom
Though has not yet been definitively proven that asbestos cause Mesothelioma, many studies have been done to prove a link between the two... enough studies to make mesothelioma lawyers very busy. The asbestos is made of loosely bonded fibers, which can easily be separated. These fibers can float in the air and easily get into your respiratory system. Before these studies, when asbestos was used as a common material, no one suggested the need for proper safety procedures - a fact that mesothelioma lawyers point to as a reason their clients now have this form of cancer.
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How Is Mesothelioma Treated?
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. However, they may have been been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways. This could include working with asbestos or by home renovation using asbestos cement products or even by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos. The resulting disease is rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs.
Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer.
There are various procedures used for the treatment of mesothelioma. The type of treatment depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health.
A common treatment of the disease is by means of surgery by the removal of part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura, a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
Another method is Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy. This involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found .
Anticancer drugs can be used to kill cancer cells throughout the body. This is known as chemotherapy and involves the administration of the drugs by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Currently, doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen.
Because mesothelioma is very hard to control, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring clinical trials that are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments.
What are the symptoms of Mesothelioma?
In some mesothelioma patients, the mesothelioma symptoms are quite muted, making it hard for mesothelioma doctors to diagnose. In general, mesothelioma symptoms include respiratory problems, shortness of breath, continual cough and pneumonia. Other mesothelioma symptoms include weight loss, abdominal problems and swelling.
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What causes Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is often found in building materials used before the mid 1970’s. In addition, materials such as pipes, boiler insulation, floor, ceiling and roof tiles may contain asbestos.
How much asbestos exposure will cause Mesothelioma?
Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is in accordance with the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. Also, your health is at risk if your exposure to asbestos is intense. It should be noted that Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years. This means that you may develop the disease long after your exposure to asbestos. On average, people tend to develop Mesothelioma somewhere between 35 and 40 years after exposure.
How quickly does Mesothelioma progress?
The onset of Mesothelioma is quite slow. Patients will begin to experience symptoms such as lower back pain and chest pain. These symptoms may also be accompanied by weight loss, fever and difficulty breathing. Unfortunately, once Mesothelioma develops, it quickly becomes aggressive and treatment must be sought immediately.
Can Mesothelioma be treated?
Doctors are able to use several traditional methods of cancer treatment for Mesothelioma, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Like all forms of cancer, detecting the disease at the earliest stage possible greatly increases the patient’s chances for survival. If you have worked in an industry such as construction or suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos, be alert for symptoms and contact your doctor immediately.
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What legal courses of action can be taken?
Anyone suffering from Mesothelioma is entitled to compensation from asbestos manufacturers. Additionally, if you are the spouse or child of someone who has died from Mesothelioma, you are entitled to file a claim and seek compensation.
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