Information for
victims of the lung cancer mesothelioma

 

We provide general mesothelioma data, stages of the cancer, treatment options, treatment by stage, more asbestos related problems, as well as links and information about legal help if needed from an asbestos attorney/mesothelioma lawyer.

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).

Mesothelioma

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.

   

 

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 From Mesothelioma Roofers Shingles here. . .

To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about Asbestos From Mesothelioma Roofers Shingles.

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 From Mesothelioma Roofers Shingles 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
Advice Asbestos Removal
Albuquerque Asbestos Attorney
Angeles Asbestos Los Removal
Asbestos Attorney California
Asbestos Attorney Dallas
Asbestos Bid Job
Asbestos Cancer Effect Lung Smoking Synergistic
Asbestos Cancer Lung Related
Asbestos Cement Shingles
Asbestos Concrete Pipe Corrosivity
Asbestos Containing Product
Asbestos Due Exposure Lawsuit
Asbestos Help.com Lawyer Mesothelioma
Asbestos Lung
Asbestos Over Siding
Asbestos Treatment
Asbestos Worker Union
Asbestosis Testing
Attorney Agoura Hills Asbestos
Attorney Austin Malignant Mesothelioma Pericardial
Info Mesothelioma Michigan
Kansas Mesothelioma Attorney
Malignant Mesothelioma Pleural Rate Survival
Mesothelioma Help
Mesothelioma National Statistics Us
Mesothelioma Settlement
Rhode Island Mesothelioma Attorney - Internet Error
Rhode Island Mesothelioma Lawyer
South Dakota 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 - Lung Cancer Link - Part 1

Yet the production process was supposed to ensure that if any SV40 was present, it would be neutralized. When Carbone tested the Soviet neutralization method, which relied on magnesium chloride, he found it was only 95 per cent effective. Because of this, he believes the Soviet vaccine could have remained contaminated until the early 1980s. In 1981, the Soviet Union switched to a polio vaccine seed provided by the World Health Organization that was free from any SV40 contamination.

Carbone, the first to publish evidence of a link between SV40 and the deadly lung cancer Mesothelioma (New Scientist print edition, 21 May 1994), will not discuss his results further until they have been published. Officials from the US Food and Drug Administration who attended the conference also declined to comment, as the FDA is a defendant in lawsuits alleging that the SV40-contaminated polio vaccine used in the US has caused cancer cases.

Pleural mesothelioma

Current medical science does not know exactly how and why, at a cellular level, asbestos fibers cause mesothelial cells to become abnormal (malignant or cancerous.) Thus it is not known whether only one fiber causes the tumor or whether it takes many fibers. It seems that asbestos fibers in the pleura can start a tumor as well as promote its growth; the tumor does not depend on any other processes for its development.

There is as yet no known cure for malignant mesothelioma. The prognosis depends on various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, the extent of the tumor, the cell type, and whether or not the tumor responds to treatment. The Firm has represented many clients who lived for five to ten years after diagnosis, most of them in good health for a majority of those years. Some mesothelioma victims succumb within a few months; the average survival time is about a year.

Here are some Additional
Mesothelioma Resources

-
Roofers were exposed to asbestos and are at risk to develop asbestos related diseases like mesothelioma as many of the ... tiles and shingles, they were ...
So, asbestos shingles were sawed, nailed, drilled, or otherwise adjusted in ... Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma in Prior Asbestos Workers. ...
Asbestos is a fire resistant material that causes Mesothelioma, a form of cancer. Asbestos and mesothelioma have been associated with roofers shingles.
... advice and treatment information for roofers diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. ... old shingles and other roofing materials ...
Asbestos shingles often required cutting or sawing for proper sizing. ... Secretary at Iron Company Develops Mesothelioma. Group Offers Asbestos Removal Kit ...
 

Today's News Related To Mesothelioma


      

       
     

    Featured Mesothelioma Articles

    Pleural mesothelioma

    Current medical science does not know exactly how and why, at a cellular level, asbestos fibers cause mesothelial cells to become abnormal (malignant or cancerous.) Thus it is not known whether only one fiber causes the tumor or whether it takes many fibers. It seems that asbestos fibers in the pleura can start a tumor as well as promote its growth; the tumor does not depend on any other processes for its development.

    There is as yet no known cure for malignant mesothelioma. The prognosis depends on various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, the extent of the tumor, the cell type, and whether or not the tumor responds to treatment. The Firm has represented many clients who lived for five to ten years after diagnosis, most of them in good health for a majority of those years. Some mesothelioma victims succumb within a few months; the average survival time is about a year.

    Mesothelioma - Lung Cancer Link - Part 1

    Yet the production process was supposed to ensure that if any SV40 was present, it would be neutralized. When Carbone tested the Soviet neutralization method, which relied on magnesium chloride, he found it was only 95 per cent effective. Because of this, he believes the Soviet vaccine could have remained contaminated until the early 1980s. In 1981, the Soviet Union switched to a polio vaccine seed provided by the World Health Organization that was free from any SV40 contamination.

    Carbone, the first to publish evidence of a link between SV40 and the deadly lung cancer Mesothelioma (New Scientist print edition, 21 May 1994), will not discuss his results further until they have been published. Officials from the US Food and Drug Administration who attended the conference also declined to comment, as the FDA is a defendant in lawsuits alleging that the SV40-contaminated polio vaccine used in the US has caused cancer cases.

    Diagnosis for Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer: Screening

    Screening Methods to Identify Asbestos-Related Disease:

    After a preliminary physical examination, the doctor may need to look inside your chest cavity with a thorascope for accurate diagnosis. During this thoracoscopy procedure, a cut will be made in your chest and a small piece of tissue (biopsy) may removed for examination. While you may feel some pressure, there is usually no pain.

    Another special tool that may be used is the peritoneoscope, which allows for examination inside your abdomen. This instrument is inserted into an opening made in the abdomen, and a biopsy specimen may also be taken.

    If the presence of fluid is indicated by either of these procedures, the doctor may drain it by inserting a needle into the affected areaa. Removal of chest fluid is called thoracentesis; removal of abdominal fluid is call paracentesis.

    Other screening methods for diagnosis of asbestos-related disease include various imaging tests. In addition to X-rays, methods include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET). A more recent and promising screening method is the computed tomography (CT) scan.

    Computed Tomagraphy / CT Scan:

    Computed tomagraphy, or spiral CT scan, is a special radiographic technique that produces a clear cross-sectional image that allows a radiologist to see distinct aspects of the lung or pleura that are not readily apparent from the standard X-ray image. Recent studies (CHEST 2002;122:15-20 and MAYO CLIN PROC 2002;77:329-333) support the use of annual chest computed tomography (CT scans) exams as a valuable screening tool for people with a high risk of developing lung cancer, including mesothelioma cancer. There does appear to be conflicting assessment as to the cost-effectiveness of CT screening. A 2003 study by Johns Hopkins raises this concern about the cost-effectiveness of CT scans and states, "There is a downside to this, including high costs and possible harm to individuals who may unnecessarily get invasive procedures if the scan detects a benign lung nodule." A more recent study in Chest, 2003:124:614-621 comes to a different conclusion: "A baseline low-dose CT scan for lung cancer screening is potentially highly cost-effective and compares favorably to the cost-effectiveness ratios of other screening programs."