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).
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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. |
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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
Wisconsin Asbestos Consultant here. . .
To your right you will find links to various
Mesothelioma related pages. There you will find great information about
Wisconsin Asbestos Consultant.
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 Wisconsin Asbestos Consultant 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
Against Asbestos Defense Law Legal Suit
Alabama Asbestos Lawyer Mesothelioma
Alaska Mesothelioma Attorney
Alaska Mesothelioma Lawyer
Albuquerque Asbestos Attorney
Asbestos Cancer Attorney
Asbestos Cancer Center Lung Treatment
Asbestos Carolina Law North Regarding Removal
Asbestos Consulting Testing
Asbestos Fund
Asbestos Home Testing
Asbestos In Lung
Asbestos Law Arizona
Asbestos Lung Disease
Asbestos Mesothelioma National Statistics Update Us
Asbestos Poisoning
Asbestos Removal In New Jersey
Asbestos Removal Jobs
Asbestos Vermiculite
Asbestosis Lawyer Texas
Attorney County Mesothelioma Sarasota
Boston Mesothelioma Lawyer
Desoto County Mesothelioma Lawyer
Help Mesothelioma Urgent
Malignant Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Attorney Southern California
Mesothelioma Clinical Trial
Mesothelioma Law Litigation
Mesothelioma Lawyer Massachusetts
New York Mesothelioma Lawyer
Mesothelioma -
Cancer of the Lung Lining - Part 3
Among men 55 years and older, a
possible reason for the current increase in diagnosed cases is due to asbestos
use in their work environment. Since the 1930's, asbestos has been used
primarily in factories, shipyards, and other industrial settings. It was not
until 1973 that work places began reducing asbestos exposure. The cases now
being seen have developed many years after a worker's first exposure to asbestos
back in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
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
Mesothelioma is a rare form of
cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a
protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who
develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.
What is the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects
most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells:
One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The
mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers,
allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and
contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. The mesothelium
has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is
the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity.
The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the
chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial
tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica
vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive
organs in women.
Here are some
Additional
Mesothelioma Resources
-
Find Asbestos Consulting & Testing in Superior, WI (Wisconsin) and search our online directory at DexKnows.com. Dex Knows the internet yellow pages. |
Find Asbestos Consulting Testing and other area businesses in Elm Grove, WI (Wisconsin) using YELLOWPAGES.COM. Find local businesses and services by name and location. |
Find Asbestos Consultants in Eau Claire, WI (Wisconsin) in the Yellow Book business directory. Yellow Book - For Complete Local Yellow Pages Nationwide. |
Find Asbestos Inspection & Consulting near Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin at SuperPages.com. Superpages has listings for many more Wisconsin Dells businesses. |
Milwaukee Lead/Asbestos Information Center, Inc. Wisconsin Lead and Asbestos Contractors and Consultants ... Companies Offering Asbestos Abatement Roofing ... |
Today's News Related To
Mesothelioma
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Featured
Mesothelioma Articles |
Mesothelioma -
Cancer of the Lung Lining Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma
Asbestos is the major cause of
Mesothelioma in the United States. Asbestos is a mineral that occurs as a long
thin fiber in the environment. Until the 1980's, when it was banned due to its
health dangers, it had been used in many industrial and insulation materials as
a fire retardant. Some of the jobs in which people have been exposed to asbestos
directly or indirectly are those that involve factory work, demolition,
insulation, shipbuilding, carpentry, installation of brake linings in vehicles,
and many others.
Review our At Risk Job section for a more detailed list of jobs. Despite efforts
to eliminate asbestos from our environment, many public and private buildings
still contain asbestos today. Personnel who remove asbestos from such structures
or work around asbestos are required to wear personal equipment to lower their
risk of exposure.
What is
asbestos?
Asbestos is the name for a group
of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers.
The fibers are strong, durable,
and resistant to heat and fire. They are also long, thin and flexible, so that
they can even be woven into cloth. Because of these qualities, asbestos has been
used in thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific and
building products. During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of
asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial
buildings in the United States.
There are several types of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for
commercial applications: (1) Chrysotile, or white asbestos, comes mainly from
Canada, and has been very widely used in the US. It is white-gray in color and
found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos, comes from southern
Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes from southern Africa and
Australia.
Amosite and crocidolite are called amphiboles. This term refers to the nature of
their geologic formation.
Other asbestos fibers that have not been used commercially are tremolite,
actinolite and anthophyllite, although they are sometimes contaminants in
asbestos-containing products. It should be noted that there are non-fibrous, or
non-asbestiform, variants of tremolite, anthophylite and actinolite, which do
not have the adverse health consequences that result from exposure to commercial
forms of asbestos.
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.
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