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 Federal Legislation here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Asbestos Federal Legislation.
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 Federal Legislation 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
2 Interleukin Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment
Asbestos Abatement Training
Asbestos Bag Disposal
Asbestos Cancer Vermiculite
Asbestos Disease
Asbestos General Law Motor Suit
Asbestos Lawyer Lucerne Valley
Asbestos Lawyer Missouri
Asbestos Lawyer Tx
Asbestos Legislation Senate
Asbestos Management Software
Asbestos Removal Equipment
Asbestos Removal Training
Asbestos Shingle Removal
Asbestos Shingle Siding
Asbestos Training
Asbestosis Attorney New York
Attorney For Asbestosis
Charlotte County Lawyer Mesothelioma
Diffuse Malignant Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Attorney San Diego
Mesothelioma Lawyer California
Mesothelioma Lawyer Dallas
Mesothelioma Settlement
Mesothelioma Support Group
Mesothelioma Victim Lawsuit Compensation
Minnesota Mesothelioma Lawyer
Pericardial Mesothelioma
South Carolina Mesothelioma Lawyer
South Dakota Mesothelioma Lawyer
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.
Mesothelioma
Treatment
The treatment options for people
with mesothelioma have improved significantly, especially for those whose cancer
is diagnosed early and treated vigorously. Many people are treated with a
combination of therapies, sometimes known as multimodal therapy.
Specific types of treatment include:
Chemotherapy and other drug-based therapies Radiation therapy Surgery and
Intra-operative photodynamic therapy. There are also experimental treatments
like gene therapy and immunotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors, and clinical
trials for various new treatments and combinations of treatments.
Treatments that reduce pain and improve lung function, are becoming more
successful (although they cannot cure mesothelioma.) Pain control medications
have become easier to administer. Debulking is a surgical process of removing a
substantial part of the tumor and reducing the pleural thickening; this can
provide significant relief. X-ray therapy has also been successfully used to
control the tumor and the pain associated with it for a while.
Mesothelioma:
Questions and Answers - Part 4b
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.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
-
"Federal Asbestos Legislation: And the Winners Are... "Federal Asbestos Legislation: And the Winners Are..." $2.75 billion from 2004 through 2018. ... |
Any federal asbestos compensation bill must provide victims fair and timely compensation. ... Asbestos legislation should not take away benefits and rights ... |
... and federal legislation required that schools be inspected for asbestos and that ... enacted legislation regulates persons who perform asbestos-related activities ... |
... McCollum working to get anti-asbestos legislation pushed through. ... federal funding in the research to develop treatments for mesothelioma and other ... |
... of federal legislation, the essential features of the asbestos litigation will ... starting points for any debate over federal legislation in the asbestos area: ... |
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