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
Asbestos Consultant Consultancy here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Asbestos Consultant Consultancy.
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 Consultant Consultancy 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
4 Abb Asbestos Feb Lawsuit
Action Asbestos Class Law Suit
Arizona Asbestos Lawyer Mesothelioma
Asbestos Abatement
Asbestos Abatement Company
Asbestos Attorney California Southern
Asbestos Attorney Dallas
Asbestos California Removal
Asbestos Claim
Asbestos Fibrous Law Non
Asbestos Flooring In
Asbestos Flooring Removal
Asbestos From Mesothelioma Roofers Shingles
Asbestos Lawyer Palm Springs
Asbestos Luxembourg Mesothelioma New Weitz York
Asbestos Register
Attorney Colorado Mesothelioma Pleural
Cause Mesothelioma Radio
Connecticut Mesothelioma Attorney
Hendry County Mesothelioma Attorney
Kansas Mesothelioma Lawyer
Mesothelioma Lawyer Baltimore
Mesothelioma Lawyer Los Angeles
Mesothelioma Lawyer Southern California
Mesothelioma Settlement
Mesothelioma Treatment Support Law
Philadelphia Asbestos Lawsuit
Philadelphia Mesothelioma Lawyer
Texas Mesothelioma Law Firm
Washington Mesothelioma Lawyer
What is
asbestos?
Here are some additional "Facts
About Asbestos".
What are asbestos-containing
products? What is common to many asbestos-containing products is that they were
(are) used to contain heat (i.e. thermal insulation.) It is impossible to list
all of the products that have, at one time or another, contained asbestos. Some
of the more common asbestos-containing products are pipe-covering, insulating
cement, insulating block, asbestos cloth, gaskets, packing materials, thermal
seals, refractory and boiler insulation materials, transite board, asbestos
cement pipe, fireproofing spray, joint compound, vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile,
mastics, adhesives, coatings, acoustical textures, duct insulation for heating,
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, roofing products, insulated
electrical wire and panels, and brake and clutch assemblies. Some of these
products contained a very high proportion of asbestos, while others contained
small amounts.
Mesothelioma -
Big Payout Too Late
WORKING in clouds of asbestos
dust came back to haunt former builder Stewart Beckworth decades later.
Mr. Beckworth, 63, who has asbestos-related lung cancer, has just won a large
compensation payout from the James Hardie company but it provides little comfort
for the father of nine. Mr. Beckworth, of Mt Martha, knows Mesothelioma will
kill him but he is more worried about other problems confronting his devastated
family.
His wife Ginny, 61, has much more than her husband's illness to cope with. She
has a heartbreaking wait hoping for the green light to donate one of her kidneys
to accountant son Nathan. Nathan Beckworth, 34, was born with cystic fibrosis
and had a heart-lung transplant 14 years ago. He is one of the longest survivors
of the operation but he suffered another blow when stricken with kidney failure.
Only a transplant can now save his life but he must build up lung capacity for
the operation.
The couple also care for Mrs. Beckworth's mother, 96, who has recently been
seriously ill. "I'm angry this happened to me," Mr. Beckworth said. "But I'm
also angry what it has done to my family. "I've got a lovely family and we love
one another to death. I see those kids hysterical that dad's not going to be
around to walk them down the aisle or to see the grandkids born. It's a terrible
thing."
Mr. Beckworth sued James Hardie, claiming that although it knew its asbestos
products were dangerous it did not to warn builders. Hardie's settled the case
before it got to court but continued to deny liability. Mrs. Beckworth said
waiting for the kidney transplant operation, coping with her sick mother and
dealing with her husband's cancer was taking its toll. "It's awful. I thought to
myself, 'please, I don't want three funerals'," she said. Mr. Beckworth had
nothing but contempt for Hardie's.
"I'm a normal working man. I don't deserve to be poisoned by people like that,"
he said. Mr. Beckworth was a builder on the Mornington Peninsula for more than
40 years. All of his constructions until the late '70s contained asbestos cement
sheeting. "I had no idea this dust was deadly," he said.
He was diagnosed with Mesothelioma in January and told he had six to 12 months
to live. "I thought what am I going to do? I've got kids crying, I've got my
wife crying, I'm a bit upset myself," he said. Mr. Beckworth's solicitor, Peter
Gordon, a partner at Slater and Gordon, said his case was sadly not unusual.
He said more builders would develop Mesothelioma but another danger was to home
renovators. "Stewart is one of a generation of Australians who have been exposed
this way by Hardies but it could be any one of us in the future," he said.
Peritoneal mesothelioma
At this time there are
treatments, but no known cure, for peritoneal mesothelioma. The prognosis
depends on various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, its
extent, the cell type, and whether or not the tumor responds to treatment.
However, the options for relief and treatment of people with peritoneal
mesothelioma have improved, especially for those whose cancer is diagnosed early
and treated vigorously. Many people receive a combination of therapies,
sometimes known as multimodal therapy.
Specific types of treatment include:
- chemotherapy and other
drug-based therapies radiation therapy and surgery.
- There are also clinical
trials and various experimental treatments like gene therapy and
immunotherapy, and antiangiogenesis drugs.
For more information about
peritoneal mesothelioma and treatments, please explore this web site or visit:
- National Cancer Institute
- University of Pennsylvania/OncoLink
- American Cancer Society
- Medicine Online
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
-
Hoggarth Associates is the company to provide you with professional advice and independent solutions to problems and concerns relating to asbestos |
MDHS Asbestos Consultants provide asbestos consultancy ... In the event that removal of asbestos is required we can produce a plan of works ... |
Asbestos consulting and training services - What I do and how I do it ... Board of Industrial Hygiene and is licensed as an Asbestos Consultant in Texas. ... |
... UKAS accredited environmental consultants, specialising in asbestos, health & safety and ... Asbestos Management, Testing and Consultancy (CAR, MDHS 100) ... |
Asbestos Consultancy. Sponsored Links. Asbestos Consultant. Millions of Dollars Available. ... Asbestos Sales Consultant, Bristol 16-25K - Jobsin Construction ... |
Today's News Related To
Mesothelioma
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Featured
Mesothelioma Articles |
Mesothelioma
How
is asbestos used?
Asbestos has been mined and used
commercially in North America since the late 1800s, but its use increased
greatly during World War II. Since then, it has been used in many industries.
For example, the building and construction industry uses it for strengthening
cement and plastics as well as for insulation, fireproofing, and sound
absorption. The shipbuilding industry has used asbestos to insulate boilers,
steampipes, hot water pipes, and nuclear reactors in ships. The automotive
industry uses asbestos in vehicle brakeshoes and clutch pads. More than 5,000
products contain or have contained asbestos, some of which are listed below:
Asbestos cement sheet and pipe products used for water supply and sewage piping,
roofing and siding, casings for electrical wires, fire protection material,
chemical tanks, electrical switchboards and components, and residential and
industrial building materials; Friction products, such as clutch facings; brake
linings for automobiles, railroad cars, and airplanes; and industrial friction
materials; Products containing asbestos paper, such as table pads and
heat-protective mats, heat and electrical wire insulation, industrial filters
for beverages, small appliance components, and underlying material for sheet
flooring; Asbestos textile products, such as packing components, roofing
materials, heat- and fire-resistant clothing, and fireproof draperies; and Other
products, including ceiling and floor tile; gaskets and packings; paints,
coatings, and sealants; caulking and patching tape; and plastics. In the late
1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in
wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces because these products released
excessive amounts of asbestos fibers into the environment. In addition, asbestos
was voluntarily withdrawn by manufacturers of electric hair dryers. These and
other regulatory actions, coupled with widespread public concern about the
hazards of asbestos, have resulted in a significant annual decline in U.S. use
of asbestos: Domestic use of asbestos amounted to about 560,000 metric tons in
1979, but it had dropped to about 55,000 metric tons by 1989.
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.
Mesothelioma -
Ohio Attorney General Tries to Stop Anti-Asbestos Litigation Legislation - Part
1
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Attorney General
Jim Petro has approved the summary of an attempt to stop a law that would make
it more difficult for Ohioans to sue for damages if they were exposed to
asbestos but not showing signs of illness.
Petro, in a letter Thursday to Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, said a
summary of the law written by backers of a referendum to keep the law from going
into effect represented a "fair and truthful statement" of the referendum.
Petro rejected the language of a previous summary because it did not include the
effect of the referendum, which would nullify the law passed by the Legislature
and signed by Gov. Bob Taft before it could take effect, Petro said.
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