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 Law Firm here. . .

To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about Asbestos Law Firm.

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 Firm 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

Acoustic Ceiling And Asbestos
Arizona Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorney
Asbestos Based Disease
Asbestos Canada Removal
Asbestos Danger
Asbestos Disposal Removal
Asbestos Help.com Lawyer Mesothelioma
Asbestos In The Home - Internet Error
Asbestos Insulation
Asbestos Mesothelioma
Asbestos Paint Siding
Asbestos Removal Company
Asbestos School Lawsuit
Asbestos Siding Removal
Asbestosis Claim Compensation
Conducting An Asbestos Survey
Hendry County Mesothelioma Attorney
Lawsuit Mesothelioma Washington
Mesothelioma Attorney Maryland
Mesothelioma Cancer Brochure Information
Mesothelioma Law Litigation
Mesothelioma Statistics
Mesothelioma Treatment Washington
Ohio Mesothelioma Lawyer
Philadelphia Mesothelioma Attorney
Pulminary Asbestosis
Removing Asbestos
South Dakota Mesothelioma Lawyer
Washington Mesothelioma Lawyer
Wisconsin Mesothelioma Attorney

Mesothelioma - Lung Cancer Link - Part 3

Konstantin Chumakov of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, says that Carbone's findings leave many unanswered questions. For example, he said it is not clear from the labeling of the samples found at the NIBSC exactly when they were used in the Soviet Union or for how long. Chumakov, whose father was director of the Soviet Institute of Poliomyelitis Research during the time of the contamination, says he was told that at one point the Soviet Union was supplying more than 100 countries with its vaccine.

He traveled to Moscow in April 2004 to try to learn more about the production and testing of the Soviet vaccine. But he found no more vaccine samples from that era, and very little surviving documentation about specific batches and why they might have been contaminated. "It's hard to explain how it happened," he says, "but it obviously did."

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

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.

Here are some Additional
Mesothelioma Resources

-
Asbestos Law Firms - Hotline 800.291.0963 - Mesothelioma ... with placing people with experienced asbestos law firms for five years. ... ASBESTOS LAW FIRM ...
... SimmonsCooper to learn more about asbestos lawsuits and the cost of ... Why should I hire you instead of a law firm closer to my home? Will I have to travel? ...
Contact the mesothelioma lawyers and asbestos attorneys at SimmonsCooper law firm as the first step in understanding your legal rights if you have been diagnosed ...
Asbestos specialist law firm of Landry and Swarr in Louisiana, New Orleans. ... HOME EXPERTISE ASBESTOS INFO TESTIMONIALS OUR FIRM CONTACT US ...
Find asbestos law firm and more magazines and newspapers items at Shopping.com. Shop online and compare prices. Shopping made simple.
 

Today's News Related To Mesothelioma

  • Town Board looks for ways to broadcast meetings (Pawling News Chronicle)
    posted on August 28, 2008 02:21:44 am
    The Town Board convened on Aug. 20 to handle a volume of business after a brief executive session. The only department head present at the meeting was Recreation Director Melissa Smith.
  • LA Times: Biden Son, Brother Invested With Firm That Lobbied Him (CBS News)
    posted on August 27, 2008 07:15:08 pm
    The L.A. Times is just popped a big story the Obama-Biden folks don't want to be reading the night the Delaware senator introduces himself to the nation: a potential conflict of interest involving Biden and one of the nation's biggest asbestos litigation law firms ? which also happens to be his top contributor. The report seems to provide fuel to Obama supporters enraged Illinois senator picked ...
  • Asbestos: The lies that killed (The New Statesman)
    posted on August 28, 2008 03:24:57 am
    Asbestos, now banned in the EU, kills up to 4,000 people a year in the UK alone. In this exclusive report, Ed Howker reveals how the industry hid the truth for decades and why the death toll will certainly continue to rise
  • Biden move had 'intersection of interests' (USA Today)
    posted on August 27, 2008 07:25:55 am
    Sen. Joe Biden worked to defeat a bipartisan bill designed to curb asbestos lawsuits at a time his son's law firm was filing them in Delaware and a former aide was lobbying against the measure, according to public records and interviews.
  • 'Rainmaker' lobbyist aids Biden (The Washington Times)
    posted on August 29, 2008 03:16:11 am
    When Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. started a new political fundraising committee three years ago, he turned to a longtime Washington insider for help - the partner of a lobbying firm co-founded by his son.


  

   
 

Featured Mesothelioma Articles

Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers

Mesothelioma - What is It and How Common is It? - Part 2

What is Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (cancer of the Mesothelioma) is a disease in which cells of the Mesothelioma become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of Mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

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.

Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers - Part 7b

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.

##

Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers

Mesothelioma - Are New Treatments for Mesothelioma Being Studied? - Part 8a

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.

Peritoneal mesothelioma

X-rays and CT scans are, typically, the first step towards detecting peritoneal mesothelioma. The actual diagnosis is typically achieved by obtaining a piece of tissue. The medical procedure of looking at the peritoneum is known as a peritoneoscopy. It is a hospital procedure and requires anesthesia. If an abnormality is seen, the doctor will attempt to obtain a tissue sample - this is known as a biopsy. The tissue sample will be examined by a pathologist who makes a diagnosis using microscopic analysis of specialized stains.

There are at least two explanations for how asbestos fibers can get into the peritoneum. The first is that fibers caught by the mucus of the trachea and bronchi end up being swallowed. Some of them lodge in the intestinal tract and from there they can move through the intestinal wall into the peritoneum. The second explanation is that fibers that lodge in the lungs can move into the lymphatic system and be transported to the peritoneum.

Medical science does not know exactly how or why, at a cellular level, a carcinogen like asbestos causes a cell to become malignant (cancerous.) Thus it is not known whether only one fiber can cause a tumor to develop or whether it takes many fibers, or what the exact conditions and predispositions are for this change to happen.