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
Asbestos Canadian Due Exposure Lawsuit here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Asbestos Canadian Due Exposure Lawsuit.
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 Asbestos Canadian Due Exposure Lawsuit 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
Advice Attorney From Legal Mesothelioma
Asbestos Abatement
Asbestos Abatement Contractor
Asbestos Association Information
Asbestos Attorney Houston
Asbestos Attorney Palm Twentynine
Asbestos Attorney Yucca Valley
Asbestos By Caused Disease
Asbestos Cancer Center Lung Treatment
Asbestos Cases
Asbestos Cement
Asbestos Law Michigan Suit
Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuit
Asbestos Regulation Uk
Asbestos Symptom
Asbestosis Compensation Uk
Attorney Austin Malignant Mesothelioma
Attorney Austin Mesothelioma Pericardial
Cancer From Asbestos
Cure Mesothelioma Lung Cancer
Epa Asbestos
Georgia Mesothelioma Lawyer
Idaho Mesothelioma Lawyer
Lawyer Camarillo Mesothelioma
Lawyer Fillmore Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Information
Mesothelioma Treatment Washington
Naples Mesothelioma Lawyer
New York Mesothelioma Lawyer
Primary Periotoneal Cancer Mesothelioma
What is
asbestos?
Asbestos is the name for a group
of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers.
The fibers are strong, durable,
and resistant to heat and fire. They are also long, thin and flexible, so that
they can even be woven into cloth. Because of these qualities, asbestos has been
used in thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific and
building products. During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of
asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial
buildings in the United States.
There are several types of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for
commercial applications: (1) Chrysotile, or white asbestos, comes mainly from
Canada, and has been very widely used in the US. It is white-gray in color and
found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos, comes from southern
Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes from southern Africa and
Australia.
Amosite and crocidolite are called amphiboles. This term refers to the nature of
their geologic formation.
Other asbestos fibers that have not been used commercially are tremolite,
actinolite and anthophyllite, although they are sometimes contaminants in
asbestos-containing products. It should be noted that there are non-fibrous, or
non-asbestiform, variants of tremolite, anthophylite and actinolite, which do
not have the adverse health consequences that result from exposure to commercial
forms of asbestos.
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
How
is mesothelioma treated?
Treatment for mesothelioma
depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the
patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery,
radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.
Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of
the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer
of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), 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.
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, 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
(external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through
thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal
radiation therapy).
Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the
body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein
(intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting
chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy). To
relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to
drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for
removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the
abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest
to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also
be helpful in relieving symptoms.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
-
... are likely the result of malfunction caused due the exposure and inhalation of ... Asbestos Lawsuit Filed By Former Railway Worker On October 31st a lawsuit was ... |
At that point, asbestos producers and the Canadian government began to pressure ... lung cancer or pleural plaques due to asbestos exposure in the past. ... |
The United States recently announced plans to ban asbestos due to health risks. ... as India), the Canadian Labour Congress put a hold on banning asbestos mining. ... |
... exposure to asbestos because of a 1991 lawsuit by U.S. and Canadian asbestos companies. ... Due to the chemical resistance of the fiber, this acid does ... |
FAQs Did the Asbestos Companies Know?, Mesothelioma Help, Manufacturers Knowledge, Deadly Hazards, Lung Disease, Asbestos Exposure, Dangers, Timeline, Cancer, ... |
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