Offical Mesothelioma Resource

It has been in use since the mythological era of Ancient Greece, but asbestos is a modern-day killer. Widely used for fireproof insulation purposes in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, asbestos has since been found to cause the deadly cancer mesothelioma along with other lung conditions.

Occupational Exposure and Dangers To Workers

After noticing that chronic diseases, especially cancers of the lung such as mesothelioma, were extremely common in construction workers who were exposed to asbestos, doctors began making a connection between asbestos and mesothelioma. Unfortunately, construction and other workers who were exposed to asbestos from the 1950s through the 1970s, when the dangers of asbestos were more fully recognized, are still suffering from the ill effects of asbestos exposure at work. There are now laws and regulations in place that are designed to prevent workers from exposure to toxic asbestos; however, these laws cannot undo years upon years of exposure to this deadly mineral in the workplace.

Delayed Diagnosis Due To Long Dormancy Period

Workers may have been exposed to asbestos in the 1970s, but may only just now be developing the tell-tale symptoms of mesothelioma. This is because the disease is slow to manifest, which challenges doctors struggling to diagnose and treat mesothelioma patients in time. Because its symptoms take so long to manifest and often align themselves with those of other diseases, mesothelioma in workers may be misdiagnosed as pneumonia or other diseases during its early stages.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma include:

* shortness of breath;

* abdominal swelling;

* pain of the abdomen;

* blood clotting problems;

* chest pain;

* chronic cough;

* heart palpitations;

* fever;

* labored breath; and

* weight loss.

Pleural, peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma are all possible variations of the deadly cancer, with pleural (lung) mesothelioma the most commonly manifested version of the disease.

High-Risk Professions

Though the use of asbestos is now regulated by laws and regulations, the disease’s long dormancy period means that it still has a high number of potential victims. Professions at a high risk for asbestos exposure and mesothelioma are those which involved repeated exposure to asbestos in its industrial forms. These professions include:

* electricians;

* painters;

* insulators;

* carpenters;

* bricklayers;

* construction workers;

* mechanics; and

* other tradespeople, especially those who were involved with commercial or home construction before the 1970s.

The families of these workers were also at risk, since they may have inhaled or ingested asbestos through the employee’s clothing or hair.

Legal Options

Because of the huge number of potentially affected workers, there has been a significant amount of litigation against companies who irresponsibly used asbestos, exposing their workers to the threat of mesothelioma and other life-threatening asbestos-related illnesses. If you are suffering the ill effects of asbestos exposure, talk to your doctor and determine a reasonable treatment plan. Then contact an asbestos attorney who is experienced in mesothelioma litigation. A competent asbestos lawyer may be able to help you recover damages for the pain and suffering incurred through asbestos exposure and mesothelioma, defray the costs of treatment, and provide for your children if you die of the disease.

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Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the mesothelial cells of the pleura, a membrane that covers the lungs and lines the chest cavity. Pleural mesothelioma accounts for approximately 75% of all mesothelioma cases. Pleural mesothelioma is most commonly unilateral (it affects only one side of the chest cavity}and  it occurs most commonly  in men aged between 60-80 years of age with a history of  previous asbestos exposure, often decades prior to diagnosis.

When pleural mesothelioma begins, it appears as a series of small white nodules which become diffuse, or widespread on the pleural surface. Gradually, these nodules begin to grow together and thicken, forming a “rind” that encases the lung and extends into the fissures or grooves of the pleura and the diaphragm. The tumor spreads by direct invasion of surrounding tissue, inwardly compressing the lung, and outwardly invading the chest wall and ribs.

Symptoms

The early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are not, as a rule, specific enough to cause alarm, and in most cases are attributed to increasing age or overwork. Because of this, it may be several months from the onset of generalized symptoms until the first acute symptom, pleural effusion, occurs. At that time, progressive shortness of breath caused by the effusion, and chest pain caused by chest wall invasion may be in evidence. More general symptoms include dry cough, fatigue, night sweats and weight loss.

Diagnosis

On initial examination by a doctor, 80% to 95% of patients show pleural effusion on x-ray, the remaining percentage show little or no fluid. At first, the fluid is free-flowing, and is similar in appearance to that seen in other benign causes or in congestive heart failure, and because of this, these other possibilities are the first to be ruled out in the diagnostic process. Later, the effusion becomes “loculated”, or contained within a boundary in the pleural space, where the fluid does not move.

CT scans are more definitive, and may show not only the effusion, but the presence of pleural masses as well as the size certain lymph nodes; MRI is more sensitive in determining chest wall invasion and spread of disease through the diaphragm; PET may help in staging the disease for possible surgical resection by ruling out extension to the contralateral (opposite) lung or to other distant sites.

Analysis of pleural fluid yields a confirmed diagnosis in a relatively small percentage of patients, and needle biopsy offers only slightly better results. Today, the procedure of choice is the VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopy) procedure, which has a diagnostic yield of >95%, and allows for pleural biopsy, drainage of fluid and pleurodesis. VATS also ensures adequate tissue samples to facilitate a definitive diagnosis.

Staging

As with any type of cancer, staging plays a role in what treatment options a patient might be eligible for. Several staging systems are in use, however, the most widely used and most comprehensive is the TNM system associated with the International Mesothelioma Interest Group.

Treatment

Based on different of factors, several treatment options may be available including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy (or combinations of all three, known as trimodal therapy), clinical trials, gene therapy immunotherapy etc. Surgery is used to remove as much tumor as possible and chemotherapy and or radiotherapy is used to eliminate the remnant cancer cells.  Once a diagnosis is reached, it is important that all possible options are discussed by the appropriate doctors with the patient and their family. Although pleural mesothelioma continues to be a difficult cancer to treat, more awareness of the disease, new and better diagnostics, and more successful treatment regimens help to improve its outlook.

Patients should educate themselves about the different mesothelioma types and treatment options and reach out to available resources to make coping with a mesothelioma diagnosis easier.

 

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Mesothelioma is a lethal form of cancer, usually found in the lungs, that has inextricably been linked to asbestos fibers. In fact, the story of mesothelioma is really the story of asbestos. Asbestos fibers are tiny particles that can be inhaled by a worker who is exposed to asbestos, or a family member that is exposed to asbestos fibers brought home on clothing and shoes. One of the critical elements of this story is the fact that mesothelioma often develops twenty to fifty years after asbestos exposure.

Asbestos has been used in many types of construction materials including insulation, roofing, and pipe fittings. It was used to insulate electrical wiring; was an important component of caulking and joint compounds; was incorporated into flooring and ceiling tiles; auto brakes and engine gaskets. It has great insulating properties for both sound and temperature, is resistant to water and electricity and acts as a flame retardant.

Widespread use of asbestos took off in the 1880s. By the 1930s, medical personnel were beginning to recognize a potential link between asbestos and various respiratory problems among people who were exposed to it. A respiratory illness given the name asbestosis was diagnosed in England in 1931. During this period 30s a new form of lung cancer was detected and named mesothelioma, although it was not associated with asbestos until sometime in the 1940s.

Also in the 1930s, employees of American asbestos producer Johns Manville produced evidence of high levels of illness in asbestos miners and provided testimony to the extremely dangerous nature of asbestos dust. The company successfully kept both this information and any lawsuits that developed from it out of the public eye. Other U.S. companies also successfully suppressed information about the dangers of asbestos exposure.

During the 1950s both Johns Mansville and National Gypsum went to extraordinary lengths to suppress or edit their own research and staff recommendations regarding the dangers of asbestos fibers and the need to protect employees from it. Evidence continued to grow linking ,a mesothelioma and asbestos, as did the lawsuits against asbestos companies. By 1979, asbestos use was virtually banned for use in the United States by the EPA.

In the 1970s and 1980s, a series of class action lawsuits representing mesothelioma and asbestosis victims established liability among both asbestos producers and industries that manufactured products using asbestos. Among the crucial points of evidence were multiple actions taken by asbestos producers and users to suppress information about dangers of the substance.

Between 1973 and 1984, mesothelioma has tripled among white males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the annual death rate from mesothelioma in the USA increased by 50% to 3,000. The numbers of people who were exposed to asbestos fibers and the liability assigned to the companies who profited from asbestos has led to multiple bankruptcies among major corporations – among them Johns Mansville and W.R. Grace.

Multi-billion dollar trust funds have been established by these companies and others to provide compensation for mesothelioma lawsuit victims who spent careers working with asbestos, while management in the firms were well aware of the dangers deriving from asbestos exposure.

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Due to the generic nature of mesothelioma symptoms they are usually ignored in most cases. Symptoms of mesothelioma are akin to those of other common diseases. Moreover, studies have concluded that patients would not develop symptoms of mesothelioma till much later in their life, ranging from about 20 to 40 years and thus not that many patients associate the symptoms to something that happened to them that long ago.

Mesothelioma is a cancer which affects the protective linings of internal organs. These linings include:

• Pericardium: a sac holding the heart;

• Peritoneum: the lining of the abdominal cavity; and

• Pleura: the outer lining surrounding the lungs and chest cavity.

Due to the special nature and functions of each of these organs the symptoms of mesothelioma affecting them can vary. Some of these symptoms are very rare where as others may be severe. Therefore, it is suggested to visit a doctor if any of the symptoms exist.

Furthermore, if mesothelioma is detected at an early stage the chances of curing it are high.

The following are mesothelioma symptoms categorized by type.

Pericardium Mesothelioma Symptoms:

• Irregular breathing patterns

• Chest pain

• Unusual heart beating

• Coughing

• Shortness of breath

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms:

• Vomiting

• Weight Loss

• Abdominal pain

• Fever

• Bowel obstruction

• Hernia

• Swelling or mass accumulation in the abdomen

• Blood clots

• Nausea

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms:

• Fever

• Pleural effusions (accumulation of fluid in the lung lining)

• Coughing up blood

• Pain in chest

• Excessive coughing

• Loss of appetite

• Weakness

• Paralysis

• Hoarseness

• Shortness of breath

• Back pain

• Weight loss

• Swelling

• Problems in swallowing

A pleural mesothelioma may result in lung cancer or pneumothorax but only in severe cases and on the other hand some patients might not exhibit any symptoms at all.

Other minor diseases have similar symptoms as mesothelioma but if identified soon enough these can help cure mesothelioma cancer at an early stage. You need to remember that the existence of mesothelioma can only be confirmed by a doctor and he does so by examining asbestos exposure history, medical reports, MRI and/or CT scan and in some cases a needle biopsy.

If you feel that you may have mesothelioma, you need to see your doctor or health professional as soon as possible. Any delay may hurt your chances of survival and making a full recovery. The sooner you go to your doctor and get checked out, the sooner the doctors can start to help you recover or feel more comfortable.

Pleural mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lung called the pleura or pleural membrane. Pleural Mesothelioma is one of the most common types of Mesothelioma, a rare cancer that develops in the cells that makes up the mesothelium, a membrane that covers most of the body’s organs and cavities.

What Should I Do After My Diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma?

Once diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma, you should seek the advice of medical experts and get immediate aggressive treatment. It is also recommended that you seek legal advice and counsel from a knowledgeable Mesothelioma attorney who has experience in such cases.
A qualified pleural Mesothelioma attorney will be able to tell you everything you need to know about your legal rights and anything else related to your disease. You deserve the best mesothelioma treatment both medically and legally, so seek the aid you deserve as soon as possible.

What are the Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma?

The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may not appear for decades after exposure to asbestos. Some of the symptoms include:

Weight loss Shortness of breath Fatigue Acute pain in the abdominal region and chest area Abdominal swelling Anemia Coughing up blood Difficulty swallowing Persistent dry cough What are some of the Diagnoses of Pleural Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma in general is extremely difficult to diagnose since symptoms do not appear for a long time after initial asbestos exposure occurs. In most cases, Pleural Mesothelioma is mistaken for influenza or pneumonia.

Following a thorough medical history review and examination, the Pleural Mesothelioma patient must undergo a few tests such as CT scans, x-rays fluid and tissue test to confirm the disease, its location and the type of cancer involved.

Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment

Understanding your available treatment options is the most important aspect to patients and their loved ones. With advanced technologies, ongoing research and new drug development, the outlook for patients with pleural mesothelioma is improving. Twenty years ago, a Mesothelioma patient’s life expectancy was about one year. However with early detection and immediate treatment, the life expectancy is now two to five years – this is wonderful news!

Treatment options for Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma patients have three options for treatment: chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery or a combination of two or more of these types of treatment and medication.

If the disease is detected early enough, surgery to remove tumors, followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy can be an effective treatment to kill any remaining cancer cells. However, patients must be in an overall good health and the cancer must still be in the localized section of the lungs and not have spread. This is typically the first stage of Mesothelioma. Most patients who are diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma during stages one or two are viable for better treatment options and a longer life expectancy.

Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Treatment

Pleural mesothelioma patients who receive a late diagnosis typically have fewer treatment options available to them. Late diagnosis is mainly limited to palliative (pain reducing) treatments. Palliative treatments include removal of built-up fluid from the pleural spaces and surgical removal of tumors to lessen the pressure on the lung. These palliative treatments are mainly to help relieve discomfort and pain and to help patients live a better life during this trying time.

Anyone suffering from or who has a loved one who is suffering from Pleural Mesothelioma knows the emotional, physical and mental pain and trauma one has to endure. Take advantage of all the treatments available to live a longer, better life with the people you love.

Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer that is found in the mesothelium (or protective covering) of the lung, heart, and abdomen. It is caused by the exposure of asbestos and is the focus of thousands of lawsuits across America.

Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma are those who worked in factories, automotive factories, construction, and with jobs that manufactured or produced products that was made of the asbestos fibers.

Thousands of people are winning billions of dollars in mesothelioma lawsuits; however, the insurance companies frown on these lawsuits because of the lack of evidence that the asbestos exposure is the cause of the mesothelioma. The insurance companies are feeling the pain of these lawsuits because they are losing billions of dollars.

Although it is proven that mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, it is not known for sure where and when the asbestos exposure really occurred since it probably occurred over the course of thirty to forty years.

Mesothelioma is not a disease that occurs overnight. It occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to asbestos. Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma worked for company’s decades earlier where asbestos exposure was very high. It is evident that that the mesothelioma was probably caused by this exposure, but the insurance companies say that there is not real evidence to prove this exposure. Therefore, the insurance companies really frown on the mesothelioma cases.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you are having a hard time getting your insurance company to pay for your medical expenses, then you should contact a mesothelioma lawyer. You have a right to have your medical expenses paid regardless of what evidence your insurance company says it has or is missing.

There are mesothelioma lawyers who are trained and who have a lot of experience in dealing with insurance companies and mesothelioma and they can answer any questions or concerns that you have about your mesothelioma and how your insurance company is or is not handling your medical expenses that are related to your condition.

So, if you feel you are not receiving fair benefits or treatment from your insurance company in regards to your mesothelioma, you may be able to file a lawsuit and you may be entitled to many benefits as a result of your mesothelioma lawsuit. There is no need to suffer more than you already have. A mesothelioma lawyer will be able to help you.

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