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 here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Mesothelioma Cancer.
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 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
Asbestos Attorney Louis St
Asbestos Cement Shingles
Asbestos Claim Legal
Asbestos Exposure Diagnosis
Asbestos From Mesothelioma Roofers Shingles
Asbestos Illinois Lawyer
Asbestos Law Removal
Asbestos Mesothelioma Legal
Asbestos Picture
Asbestos Removal Service
Asbestos Survey Company
Asbestos Testing
Asbestos Worker International
Asbestosis Mesothelioma
California Lawsuit Mesothelioma Settlement
Cause Mesothelioma Radio
Chicago In Mesothelioma Settlement
Florida Mesothelioma Attorney
Fort Myers Mesothelioma Lawyer
Massachusetts Mesothelioma Attorney
Mesothelioma Diagnosis Support
Mesothelioma Doctor
Michigan Mesothelioma Lawyer
New Hampshire Mesothelioma Attorney
Philadelphia Asbestos Lawsuit
Prognosis In Mesothelioma Cases
Removing Asbestos Tile
Replacement Asbestos Siding
Rhode Island Mesothelioma Attorney - Internet Error
South Dakota Mesothelioma Attorney
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.
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 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."
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
-
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. ... Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is ... |
Fact sheet on mesothelioma from the National Cancer Institute. |
Mesothelioma Cancer information such as therapy, prognosis and treatments. ... Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are ... |
... P.C. represents asbestos victims nationwide, especially those suffering from malignant mesothelioma. ... exposure is the primary cause of Mesothelioma Cancer. ... |
Consumer and clinical information about mesothelioma, the rare form of cancer commonly associated with high exposures to asbestos. |
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