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
Texas Asbestos Law Firm here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Texas 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 Texas 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
Angeles Asbestos Los Removal
Asbestos And Asbestosis
Asbestos Article
Asbestos Attorney
Asbestos Attorney La Quinta
Asbestos Australia In Litigation
Asbestos Awareness
Asbestos Cancer Lung Related
Asbestos Certification Removal
Asbestos Cleveland Craig Lawyer Plaintiff
Asbestos Floor Removal Tile
Asbestos Hampshire Law New
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Asbestos Lawyer Southern California
Asbestos Mesothelioma Pericardial
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Asbestos Replacement Shingles
Asbestos Siding House
Asbestosis Symptom
Broward County Lawyer Mesothelioma
Delaware Asbestos Lawyer
Failure To Diagnose Mesothelioma Case
Florida Asbestos Attorney
Mesothelioma Attorney Maryland
Minnesota Mesothelioma Attorney
Nebraska Mesothelioma Attorney
New Jersey Asbestos Lawyer
Rhode Island Mesothelioma Lawyer
Diagnosis for
Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer: Screening
"There's no such thing as a free
asbestos screening," Worksafe! Newsletter (October 1998, p.6) Mesothelioma
Treatment Options - Patient Medical Research & Pain Management
Keep up an open dialogue with
your doctor It is natural to want to understand as much as possible about a
disease and its treatments, particularly when the disease is as rare as
malignant mesothelioma. The Internet has opened up a wealth of information on
mesothelioma, however, it is still important to keep in mind that your doctor is
your FIRST and (hopefully) BEST resource for understanding and dealing with this
disease.
This does not mean that you shouldn't explore resources and treatments on your
own; a good doctor wants informed patients who are interested in discussing
every available option. Only a trained physician, however, can help you
understand each treatment and evaluate how it fits in with your particular
circumstances, including the stage of your disease.
There are valuable research and support resources available via the Internet
which can assist you in your efforts to gain medical knowlege as you begin your
interaction with your doctor. To begin, there is an online resource that tutors
on how to use the Internet to research a lung cancer diagnosis. This tutorial
also cautions you as a researcher to be mindful of the limitations of
Internet-based research and to learn how to evaluate the information that you do
find. Another useful tool to assist in being an informed patient is The Cancer
Patient's Workbook: Everything You Need to Stay Organized and Informed, (DK
Books, 2001). This workbook hopes to help the patient better understand their
situation so they may deal with and fight their disease from an informed
position. This interactive guide helps patients cope and also explains how to
receive the best treatment possible.
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.
Mesothelioma -
Emerging Mesothelioma Treatments
Mesothelioma - Photodynamic
Therapy - Part 2
Photodynamic therapy is a new
approach to treating Mesothelioma cancer and is based on using light to kill the
cancer cells. In photodynamic therapy, a drug is first administered
intravenously that targets and renders the cancerous cells more sensitive in a
number of days.
The drug is easily eliminated by normal cells, ensuring that they will not be
harmed when light therapy is given. After the cells have been given the proper
time of exposure to the drug, a special frequency of light laser beams are
directed towards the Mesothelioma cancer with the intent to eradicate it from
the body without having to use more invasive methods.
Although there are occasional cases of eye sensitivity and nausea and/or
vomiting, the main side effect of photodynamic therapy is skin sensitivity after
the procedure is completed.
More information on photodynamic therapy can be found on new Web site,
Mesothelioma Help ( http://www.mesohelp.net/
) The Web site contains several informative articles, including a primer on
emerging treatments for Mesothelioma.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
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