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
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Mesothelioma links
Alabama Lawyer Mesothelioma
Ardex Over Asbestos Tile
Asbestos Abatement
Asbestos Attorney Missouri
Asbestos California Regulation
Asbestos Ceiling In Popcorn
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Asbestos Halliburton Settlement
Asbestos Law Related Suit
Asbestos Lawyer Hesperia
Asbestos Lawyer Lucerne Valley
Asbestos Lawyer Maryland
Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawsuit
Asbestos Regulation
Asbestos Removal Contractor Uk
Asbestos Removing Shingles
Asbestos Roof Shingles
Asbestosis Mesothelioma
Charlotte County Mesothelioma Attorney
Epa Asbestos
Failure To Diagnose Mesothelioma Case
Illinois Mesothelioma Attorney
Information Law Mesothelioma Support
Lawyer Ojai Mesothelioma
Maine Mesothelioma Attorney
Malignant Mesothelioma Pleural Rate Survival
Massachusetts Mesothelioma Attorney
Philadelphia Mesothelioma Attorney
Pleural Mesothelioma Misdiagnosed
St Louis Asbestos Lawyer
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.
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
The National Cancer Institute's
definition of screening for cancer is the examination or testing of people for
early signs of certain type of cancer even though they have no symptons - this
is the best way to achieve a diagnosis as early as possible. Early detection and
diagnosis is particularly important for people with historical exposure to
asbestos due to the latency period (up to 30 years) before which symptoms of
malignant mesothelioma cancer may become apparent.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
-
It is against the law to dump asbestos-containing materials in general dumps or land-fills. ... An important aspect of asbestos removal is air monitoring by an ... |
Law. Lawsuit. Lawyer. Legal. Malignant. Peritoneal. Pleural. Removal. Settlement. Symptoms ... testing firm is now under investigation by the State of New York. ... |
New York Asbestos News: A man living in New York faces 55 years in federal prison after being indicted for violating the federal Clean Air law. |
... presence of asbestos were faked in one-third of New York City's public ... Schwartz of Battle Creek is the author of Michigan's new law on asbestos removal. ... |
... Mancuso of Utica, NY indicted for illegal asbestos removal and conspiracy to commit fraud ... Since 1977, the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. ... |
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