What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the lining around the
outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs (pleura), or around the abdominal
organs (peritoneum).
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The law limits the amount of
time after a patient incurs an injury to file suit.
The amount of time varies based on the theory
of liability and the state in which the patient files the suit.
If you or someone you love is suffering from
mesothelioma – or has died as a result of it –
contact us.
We can help you understand your rights and
options, and ensure that you have the opportunity to seek
compensation for your injuries. |
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What does asbestos have to do with mesothelioma?
The only known cause of mesothelioma in the United States is previous
exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos manufacturers knew about the hazards of
asbestos seventy years ago - but they kept this knowledge to themselves. The
first warnings given to workers exposed to asbestos were in the mid-1960s, and
they were terribly inadequate. Even today, workers are not always told they are
working around asbestos and are at risk for asbestos disease.
What can someone with mesothelioma do?
- Seek out the best and most up-to-date information.
- Seek out the best medical care.
- Early screening for mesothelioma diagnosis.
- Stay in close contact with your doctor.
- Consider whether or not you want to bring a lawsuit because of this
asbestos-related injury.
- Remember that resources are available to you through community and
medical support groups, asbestos victims' organizations, your place of
worship, as well as your family and friends.
How common is mesothelioma?
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years,
mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of
mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. 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.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of
asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all
cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any
known exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of
strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven.
Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement,
brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If
tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing
process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health
problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk
of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other
cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the
combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's
risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.
Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma?
Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. Its use
greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of
American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks
associated with asbestos exposure were not known. However, an increased risk of
developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work
in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the
heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable
levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear
personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to
asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief
exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who
are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.
There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos
workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other
asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos
dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the
chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are
usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the
workplace.
People considering clinical trials may be interested in the NCI booklet
Taking Part in Clinical Trials: What Cancer Patients Need To Know. This booklet
describes how research studies are carried out and explains their possible
benefits and risks. The booklet is available by calling the CIS, or from the NCI
Publications Locator Web site at
http://cancer.gov/publications on the Internet.
Mesothelioma Lawsuit is the best way to find information about
Mesothelioma resources.
This web page takes the legwork out of finding great
Mesothelioma resources. We have compiled great links to
Mesothelioma
information and pages dedicated to
Alimta Mesothelioma Pemetrexed Treatment here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Alimta Mesothelioma Pemetrexed Treatment.
We've taken the time to check out each and every featured Mesothelioma website to make sure they are quality sites, with quality information.
Here you will find
some of the best resources on Alimta Mesothelioma Pemetrexed Treatment ever compiled
and some incredible resources
for Mesothelioma.
In our "Featured Mesothelioma Article"
section, you'll find an article related to Mesothelioma.
We will be providing you with updated and new featured articles on a regular
basis.
Additional
Mesothelioma links
Albuquerque Mesothelioma Lawyer
Alimta Mesothelioma Pemetrexed Treatment
Asbestos Asbestos Attorney Mesothelioma
Asbestos Attic Insulation
Asbestos Bill
Asbestos California Consultant
Asbestos Cases
Asbestos Claim Mesothelioma
Asbestos Concrete Pipe
Asbestos Consultant Milwaukee
Asbestos Flooring
Asbestos Inspection
Asbestos Journal Law Queens
Asbestos Lawyer Apple Valley
Asbestos Linked Lung Cancer
Asbestos Painting Shingles
Asbestos Removal Massachusetts
Asbestos Removal Residential
Asbestos Removal Training
Asbestos Vermiculite
Attorney Listed Mesothelioma
Cause Of Mesothelioma
Failure To Diagnose Mesothelioma Lawyer
Florida Mesothelioma Lawyer
Law Firm Asbestos Woodland Hills 91367
Massachusetts Mesothelioma Settlement
Mesothelioma National Statistics Us
Minnesota Mesothelioma Attorney
New Hampshire Mesothelioma Lawyer
Oregon Mesothelioma Lawyer
Mesothelioma -
Asbestos Court Bid By Dying Woman - Part 1
A DYING woman is set to take her
case to court for exposure to asbestos during her school days.
Law firm Slater and Gordon is handling the case for the woman, who now lives in
Melbourne. Solicitor Andrew Higgins, who specializes in asbestos cases, says the
woman is an example of how innocently people can be exposed to the deadly
substance. Last month Slater and Gordon advertised in Tasmanian newspapers for
anyone who had been at Devonport High between 1964 and 1968. "We are looking for
people who can assist with our inquiries about that time," Mr. Higgins said.
He said the claim was the woman was exposed to asbestos as a student, which had
led to her contracting Mesothelioma as an adult. "The insidious thing about
asbestos is you can be working in mines or mills or just be a school student,
and you can get an asbestos-related disease," he said. "This is an example of
how innocently people can be exposed because there is no safe level of
exposure." The law firm's investigations centre on the time an assembly hall at
Devonport High was destroyed by fire and subsequent rebuilding.
The case is expected to be before the courts in Tasmania soon because of the
woman's limited life expectancy. Mr. Higgins said there was always a precedent
value in such cases but individuals had to be able to prove their claims. "Just
because there is one case doesn't mean others will follow," he said.
The law firm has been involved in a number of cases in Tasmania, both in Hobart
and the North-West, including people exposed in heavy industry in the area.
Mesothelioma
What
is asbestos?
"Asbestos" is the name given to a
group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that
can be separated into thin threads and woven. These fibers are not affected by
heat or chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos
has been widely used in many industries. Four types of asbestos have been
commonly used:
Chrysotile, or white asbestos (curly, flexible white fibers), which accounts for
about 90 percent of the asbestos currently used in industry; Amosite (straight,
brittle fibers that are light gray to pale brown in color); Crocidolite, or blue
asbestos (straight blue fibers); and Anthophyllite (brittle white fibers).
Chrysotile asbestos, with its curly fibers, is in the serpentine family of
minerals. The other types of asbestos, which all have needle-like fibers, are
known as amphiboles.
Asbestos fiber masses tend to break easily into a dust composed of tiny
particles that can float in the air and stick to clothes. The fibers may be
easily inhaled or swallowed and can cause serious health problems.
Diagnosis for
Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer: Screening
Explore MEDLINE
Published by the National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE is a comprehensive index
of medical citations and abstracts dating back to 1966. In the past, this
database was available only to students, doctors or by subscription. However,
there are now several Internet resources which offer free MEDLINE access,
including PubMed and MedlinePlus. Use of both services is free, although you
must initially fill out a member registration form.
An additional benefit of these services is access to full-text versions of many
of the articles. PubMed publishes a list of MEDLINE journals with links to
publisher web sites at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/fulltext.html. Access to these articles
may require user registration or a small fee, but recent issues are often
available free of charge.
These publications and abstracts are not written for the layperson, so make sure
you discuss any literature you read with your doctor before making any decisions
about them.
Although MEDLINE is the most comprehensive database of medical literatere, the
National Cancer Institute also has a free database of cancer-specific abstracts
and literature.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
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Look to ALIMTA for the treatment of advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) |
Discusses mesothelioma treatment using chemotherapy, including ALIMTA or pemetrexed, Onconase, and other compounds. ... See Pemetrexed (ALIMTA®): A Promising ... |
... Pharmaceuticals, Alimta is a breakthrough drug ... for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) where ... Treatment with Alimta ... |
Antifolate drug pemetrexed used in treatment of mesothelioma. ... New study affirms benefit of Alimta in mesothelioma treatment. - Sept 2007 ... |
Alimta Pemetrexed Treatment Center. Learn about Alimta clinical trials, get updates on the treatment for Mesothelioma patients. |
Today's News Related To
Mesothelioma
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Featured
Mesothelioma Articles |
Pleural
mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is of two
kinds:
(1) diffuse and malignant
(cancerous), and (2) localized and benign (non-cancerous.) Benign mesotheliomas
can often be removed surgically, are generally not life-threatening, and are not
usually related to asbestos exposure. Malignant mesotheliomas, however, are very
serious. Fortunately, they are rare - about two thousand people are diagnosed
with mesothelioma in the U.S. each year.
The remainder of this section is about diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the pleura or lining
around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs. Its only known cause in
the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos fibers, including chrysotile, amosite
or crocidolite. This exposure is likely to have happened twenty or more years
before the disease becomes evident, since it takes many years for the disease to
"incubate." It is the most common type of mesothelioma, accounting for about 75%
of all cases.
Mesothelioma -
Cancer of the Lung Lining Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma
Asbestos is the major cause of
Mesothelioma in the United States. Asbestos is a mineral that occurs as a long
thin fiber in the environment. Until the 1980's, when it was banned due to its
health dangers, it had been used in many industrial and insulation materials as
a fire retardant. Some of the jobs in which people have been exposed to asbestos
directly or indirectly are those that involve factory work, demolition,
insulation, shipbuilding, carpentry, installation of brake linings in vehicles,
and many others.
Review our At Risk Job section for a more detailed list of jobs. Despite efforts
to eliminate asbestos from our environment, many public and private buildings
still contain asbestos today. Personnel who remove asbestos from such structures
or work around asbestos are required to wear personal equipment to lower their
risk of exposure.
Diagnosis for
Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer: Screening
Explore the National Cancer
Institute's PDQ
The National Cancer Institute
provides a computer service called PDQ to give up-to-date information on cancer
issues for patients, their families, doctors, and other healthcare
professionals. Detailed information on detection, diagnosis, treatment, support
groups, clinical trials and treatments is reviewed and updated each month by
oncology experts. Each topic is discussed in two tracks, one for patients and
one for healthcare professionals.
You might want to visit the information written for patients first, in order to
get a clear understanding of the issues discussed in layman's terms. For more
detailed information, you can then explore the physician's track.
By going to NCI's CancerNet, you can research the PDQ informational summaries
for malignant mesothelioma; these summaries are written for both patient or
professional readers. You will also find a useful overview on researching,
treating, and coping with malignant mesothelioma.
You will find links to other treatment specific PDQ pages throughout this
website.
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