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 Law Arizona here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Asbestos Law Arizona.
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 Law Arizona 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
Abdominal Asbestos Mesothelioma
Advice Asbestos Legal Mesothelioma
Alaska Asbestos Attorney Mesothelioma
Asbestos Attorney
Asbestos Attorney Maryland
Asbestos California Consultant
Asbestos Cancer Info
Asbestos Class Action
Asbestos Law Firm
Asbestos Lung Disease
Asbestos Mesothelioma Vermiculite
Asbestos Removal Massachusetts
Asbestos Settlement Trust
Asbestos Vinyl Flooring
Asbestosis
Attorney Fort Lauderdale Mesothelioma
Austin Lawyer Mesothelioma
Compensation Legal Mesothelioma - Internet Error
Idaho Mesothelioma Attorney
Lawyer Moorpark Asbestos
Lung Cancer From Asbestos
Mesothelioma Clinical Symptom
Mesothelioma Diagnosis Support
Mesothelioma Doctor
Mesothelioma Lawyer
Mesothelioma Research
North Carolina Mesothelioma Attorney
Philadelphia Mesothelioma Lawyer
Pleural Mesothelioma Misdiagnosed
Rhode Island Mesothelioma Lawyer
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 -
Emerging Mesothelioma Treatments
Mesothelioma - Photodynamic
Therapy - Part 1
New approach to treating
Mesothelioma cancer based on using light to kill cancer cells; more Mesothelioma
treatment options to follow.
Because Mesothelioma is a newly publicized disease, many doctors may have a hard
time diagnosing and treating it. Depending on the stage of the disease, the most
common treatments are surgical removal of the affected tissues, chemotherapy, or
radiation.
There is some concern that research into Mesothelioma will be minimal, because
it is projected to be a short-lived disease in terms of new cases after the next
30 years. However, new research is consistently providing physicians with
alternate forms of therapy, and there are many intense studies into control and
cure of the disease, so those diagnosed with Mesothelioma do have many options
and a lot of hope.
Mesothelioma:
Questions and Answers - Part 6a
How is Mesothelioma diagnosed?
Diagnosing Mesothelioma is often
difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other
conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history,
including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may
be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests.
A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful.
A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a
computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a
computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body.
A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of Mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a
surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and
treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope
by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the
abnormal area is located.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
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Mesa Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawyers - This free lawyer search can help you find Asbestos Mesothelioma lawyers in Mesa, Arizona (AZ). Find lawyers by location, ... |
Information on Asbestos Law from Online Lawyer Source. Find all of your legal needs in one ... Asbestos Law. Laws protecting people from the dangers of ... |
Arizona Asbestos Settlement Lawyer - Hotline 800.291.0963 - Mesothelioma Help ... Law firms that we work with concentrate only on asbestos mesothelioma cases. ... |
A Rich Discovery of Asbestos. The Arizona Republican, July 16, 1900. 1910 - 1929 ... 2. asbestos law firm. 3. asbestos lawsuit. 4. mesotheloma asbestos ... |
Arizona Asbestos Lawyer - Hotline 800.291.0963 - Mesothelioma Help Center's are ... ASBESTOS LAWYER - EXPERIENCE Law firms that we work with concentrate only on ... |
Today's News Related To
Mesothelioma
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Featured
Mesothelioma Articles |
Mesothelioma
Are
new treatments for mesothelioma being studied?
Yes. Because mesothelioma is very
hard to control, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring clinical
trials (research studies with people) that are designed to find new treatments
and better ways to use current treatments. Before any new treatment can be
recommended for general use, doctors conduct clinical trials to find out whether
the treatment is safe for patients and effective against the disease.
Participation in clinical trials is an important treatment option for many
patients with mesothelioma. People interested in taking part in a clinical trial
should talk with their doctor. Information about clinical trials is available
from the Cancer Information Service (CIS) (see below) at 1–800–4–CANCER.
Information specialists at the CIS use PDQ®, NCI's cancer information database,
to identify and provide detailed information about specific ongoing clinical
trials. Patients also have the option of searching for clinical trials on their
own. The clinical trials page on the NCI's Cancer.gov Web site, located at
http://cancer.gov/clinical_trials on the Internet, provides general
information about clinical trials and links to PDQ.
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.
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 -
Lung Cancer Link - Part 2
Hilary Koprowski of Jefferson
University in Philadelphia, who created one of the first polio vaccines, says he
is not surprised that the magnesium chloride preparation did not work. "Nothing
inactivates something 100 per cent," he said. "I would believe there were still
remnants [of SV40] left."
Fresh kidneys The contamination of the Soviet vaccine highlights the need for
safer methods of growing viruses for vaccines, Koprowski says, something he is
trying to tackle by using plant cells. The US stopped using fresh monkey kidneys
for polio vaccine in 2000. But the vaccine is still made in this way in several
other countries.
"I would say that it suggests that [old] vaccines made in different countries
should be examined for possible contamination," says Janet Butel of Baylor
University College of Medicine in Houston, a leading SV40 expert.
"In any epidemiological studies where they're comparing exposed versus
non-exposed, if in fact there was any contaminated vaccine used after 1963, the
control group wouldn't be a control group."
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