Mesothelioma

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lining of the abdomen and rarely the sac surrounding the heart, or the sac surrounding the testis may be affected. Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma may include shortness of breath due to fluid around the lung, a swollen abdomen, chest wall pain, cough, feeling tired, and weight loss. These symptoms typically come on slowly.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals, which all have in common their eponymous asbestiform habit: long (roughly 1:20 aspect ratio), thin fibrous crystals, with each visible fibre composed of millions of microscopic "fibrils" that can be released by abrasion and other processes. They are commonly known by their colours, as blue asbestos, brown asbestos, white asbestos, and green asbestos.

Asbestos mining existed more than 4,000 years ago, but large-scale mining began at the end of the 19th century, when manufacturers and builders began using asbestos for its desirable physical properties: sound absorption, average tensile strength, resistance to fire, heat, electricity, and affordability. It was used in such applications as electrical insulation for hotplate wiring and in building insulation. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibres are often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats. These desirable properties made asbestos very widely used. Asbestos use continued to grow through most of the 20th century until public knowledge (acting through courts and legislatures) of the health hazards of asbestos dust outlawed asbestos in mainstream construction and fireproofing in most countries.

Prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause serious and fatal illnesses including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis (a type of pneumoconiosis). Concern of asbestos-related illness in modern times began in the 20th century and escalated during the 1920s and 1930s. By the 1980s and 1990s, asbestos trade and use were heavily restricted, phased out, or banned outright in an increasing number of countries.

Mesotheliama in U.S.

Did you know that doctors diagnose an estimated 3,000 cases of mesothelioma annually in the U.S.? The majority of those are traced to job-related exposures to asbestos. Most people have the pleural mesothelioma type, which forms on the lining of the lungs, but the cancer can also form around the lining of the abdomen or heart.

Although asbestos use in this country has dropped in recent decades, a steady number of people are still getting mesothelioma. That's because this cancer can take anywhere from 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure before symptoms appear, and an oncologist can make a definitive diagnosis.

While there's no cure for mesothelioma and the outlook is generally poor, researchers have made significant progress in understanding the cancer and developing new treatment options and alternative therapies.

Mesothelioma Prognosis and Survival of Mesothelioma Patients

When mesothelioma diagnosis, the mesothelioma prognosis is usually poor, as there is no cure for the disease, and typically it is discovered at a late stage of development. Generally, the earlier mesothelioma diagnosis occur, the better prognosis a patient has.

How Does Asbestos Cause Mesothelioma Cancer?

Mesothelioma typically develops after people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, in industrial settings, shipyards, auto repair shops, old houses, schools and public buildings. While it usually takes long-term exposure to put someone at risk, short-term and one-time exposures are also known to cause this cancer. Mesothelioma and asbestos has particular connection because asbestos exposure can cause malignant mesothelioma prognosis.

Asbestos can cause health complications when work duties or other activities disturb asbestos-containing materials and release fibres into the air. When we inhale or swallow these microscopic fibres, our bodies struggle to get rid of them. Over decades, the trapped fibres trigger biological changes that can cause inflammation, scarring and genetic damage that sometimes leads to cancer. The lengthy gap between asbestos exposure and diagnosis is called the latency period.

Asbestos fibres most often become trapped in the lining of the lungs, called the pleura. They also can collect in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum) or heart (pericardium). Once fibres cause biological damage, the stage is set for the decades-long latency period for the development of malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma treatment

Mesothelioma treatment typically involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In cases where standard treatment of mesothelioma do not work for mesothelioma cure, mesothelioma patients may also be able to try experimental treatments through clinical trials.
While no cure currently exists, mesothelioma patients can usually improve mesothelioma prognosis through some form of treatment. Even in cases where improving lifespan is not viable, palliative care and alternative therapies often help reduce pain and suffering from symptoms for many individuals with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Lawyer and Mesothelioma lawsuit

Choosing a good mesothelioma lawyer and mesothelioma lawsuit in good mesothelioma law firm is imperative to ensuring that you will be awarded the highest amount of compensation for your case.

Attorneys who specialise in asbestos litigation have experience with and knowledge about the complex issues, medical considerations, and history surrounding asbestos legislation, case law, and the applicable procedural rules and formalities of each and every case they handle.

Finding a Mesothelioma Law Firm

Finding a reputable mesothelioma law firm with mesothelioma attorneys who are understanding and compassionate, and at the same time willing to fight hard on your behalf, is essential to making sure you receive the highest level of compensation for your injury.

Mesothelioma Center

Mesothelioma center based in Orlando where free information, resources and personal assistance is provided for the person affected by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma treatment center is dedicated to providing those who suffer from the asbestos-related cancer malignant mesothelioma also known as asbestos cancer or from asbestos-related lung cancer, or who know someone who does, with the most up to date information and support.

Learn more about Mesothelioma here