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
Mesothelioma Cancer Brochure Information here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Mesothelioma Cancer Brochure Information.
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 Mesothelioma Cancer Brochure Information 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
Alimta Mesothelioma Pemetrexed Treatment
Asbestos
Asbestos Association Contractor Removal
Asbestos Attorney Palm Springs
Asbestos California Consultant
Asbestos Cancer Vermiculite
Asbestos Colorado Lawyer
Asbestos Consultant Milwaukee
Asbestos Defense Law Suit
Asbestos Disposal
Asbestos Fiber
Asbestos Lawyer Texas
Asbestos Prognosis
Asbestos Roof Shingles
Asbestos Siding
Asbestos Vs Cancer
Asbestosattorneymesothelioma
Attorney Collier County Mesothelioma
Attorney Colorado Mesothelioma Pleural
Attorney County Desoto Mesothelioma
Austin Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawyer
Cause Mesothelioma Radio
Illinois Mesothelioma Attorney
Mesothelioma Attorney Houston
Mesothelioma Doctor
Painting Asbestos Siding
Philadelphia Asbestos Attorney
Philadelphia Asbestos Lawsuit
St Louis Mesothelioma Attorney
Stage Iv Mesothelioma
Pleural
mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is sometimes
diagnosed by coincidence, before there are any symptoms. For instance, tumors
have been discovered through routine chest x-rays. However, when symptoms occur,
they may include shortness of breath, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite,
chest pains, lower back pains, persistent coughing, difficulty in swallowing,
alone or in combination. An initial medical examination often shows a pleural
effusion, which means an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space - the area
between the lungs and the chest wall.
The first step in detecting pleural mesothelioma is, typically, a chest x-ray or
CT scan. This is often followed by a bronchoscopy, using a viewing scope to look
inside the lungs.
The actual diagnosis usually requires obtaining a piece of tissue through a
biopsy. This could be a needle biopsy, an open biopsy, or through a tube with a
camera (thoracoscopy or chest scope.) If an abnormality is seen through the
camera then a tissue sample can be taken at the same time, using the same tube.
This is a hospital procedure that requires anesthesia, but is not usually
painful. The tissue sample is tested by a pathologist.
Fluid build-up from the pleural effusion can generally be seen on a chest x-ray
and heard during a physical examination, but a firm diagnosis of mesothelioma
can only be made through a biopsy and pathological testing. This is important
because there are also benign pleural effusions and other tumors that have a
similar appearance to mesothelioma. Diagnosing mesothelioma can be quite
difficult; it requires special lab stains, and much experience in understanding
them.
The spread of the tumor over the pleura causes pleural thickening. This can
reduce the flexibility of the pleura and encase the lungs in an increasingly
restrictive girdle. With the lungs restricted, they get smaller and less
functional, and breathing becomes more difficult. At first a person with
mesothelioma may be breathless only when he or she exercises, but as lung
function drops, he or she can become short of breath even while resting.
The tumor spreads by direct invasion of surrounding tissue. As it spreads inward
it can compress the lungs. As the tumor spreads outward it can invade the chest
wall and ribs, and this can be extremely painful.
Mesothelioma:
Questions and Answers - Part 7a
How is Mesothelioma treated?
Treatment for Mesothelioma
depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the
patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery,
radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.
Surgery is a common treatment for Mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of
the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer
of the pleura (pleural Mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation
called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the
lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy
rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the
cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine
(external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through
thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal
radiation therapy).
Mesothelioma -
Asbestos Court Bid By Dying Woman - Part 1
A DYING woman is set to take her
case to court for exposure to asbestos during her school days.
Law firm Slater and Gordon is handling the case for the woman, who now lives in
Melbourne. Solicitor Andrew Higgins, who specializes in asbestos cases, says the
woman is an example of how innocently people can be exposed to the deadly
substance. Last month Slater and Gordon advertised in Tasmanian newspapers for
anyone who had been at Devonport High between 1964 and 1968. "We are looking for
people who can assist with our inquiries about that time," Mr. Higgins said.
He said the claim was the woman was exposed to asbestos as a student, which had
led to her contracting Mesothelioma as an adult. "The insidious thing about
asbestos is you can be working in mines or mills or just be a school student,
and you can get an asbestos-related disease," he said. "This is an example of
how innocently people can be exposed because there is no safe level of
exposure." The law firm's investigations centre on the time an assembly hall at
Devonport High was destroyed by fire and subsequent rebuilding.
The case is expected to be before the courts in Tasmania soon because of the
woman's limited life expectancy. Mr. Higgins said there was always a precedent
value in such cases but individuals had to be able to prove their claims. "Just
because there is one case doesn't mean others will follow," he said.
The law firm has been involved in a number of cases in Tasmania, both in Hobart
and the North-West, including people exposed in heavy industry in the area.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
-
Brochure Cancer Information Mesothelioma - Hotline 800.291.0963 - Mesothelioma ... Brochure Cancer Information Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma. Did you know? ... |
CANCER INFORMATION RESOURCES. Mesothelioma News. Patient Stories. Web Resources ... withdraw a "misleading" marketing brochure for its cancer drug Alimta. ... |
Alimta is used to treat mesothelioma and non-small-cell lung cancer. ... includes information on specialists,treatments, clinical trials, cancer links, ... |
Veterans Helping Veterans provides information Veterans With ... Cancer Mesothelioma | Brochure Cancer Information Mesothelioma | Mesothelioma ... |
Overview of treatment of mesothelioma cancer, including brief descriptions of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and information on clinical trials on new ... |
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