Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a term for several commonly found fibrous magnesium-silicate minerals. Due to their durable and versatile nature, asbestos materials were used widely in construction and manufacturing for most of the 20th century. Today, it is widely understood that asbestos is an extremely harmful substance. However, this was not always known. Even minimal inhalation of these asbestos fibers can develop into serious, and even fatal, conditions. In 1918, The United States Department of Labor issued a bulletin stating that there was an "urgent need for more qualified extensive investigation" into the severe harm caused by asbestos. Nevertheless, many industries kept using asbestos.
For decades, construction workers, vehicle mechanics, shipyard workers, electricians, and others employed in the building trades did not realize the danger, as they were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. Even now, workers renovating or demolishing old buildings may encounter asbestos. The danger was not limited those who directly handled the asbestos. If a worker had substantial exposure to asbestos, his or her co-worker or spouse also was vulnerable to asbestos-related illness.
Eventually scientific research confirmed the life-threatening risks caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. However, companies still ignored the danger, and continued to make and use products containing asbestos, until it was banned during the latter part of the 20th century. Asbestos was used widely in heavy industry, as well as insulation in hair dryers, electrical wiring, cement, paper, roofing materials, floorboards, and hundreds of other common items. Despite the legal ban on new uses, over one million Americans are endangered by exposure to existing asbestos sources every year.
Asbestos Removal
Asbestos still exists in many older buildings, including schools, hospitals, airports, and factories across Michigan. From skyscrapers to residential buildings, asbestos continues to threaten the health of unsuspecting citizens.
Removal of asbestos is a complex process. Special precautions are necessary, to avoid release of asbestos fibers into the surrounding environment. Otherwise, the asbestos will endanger anyone in the area, who inhales or ingests its odorless and tasteless microscopic fibers. The danger is great, because any amount of asbestos can be harmful. For these reasons, there is a conflict between those who push for removal of asbestos from existing structures, and those who oppose it, if it is unlikely to enter building ventilation systems.
Some companies and government agencies arrange for asbestos removal to prevent public exposure, while others do so to avoid potential litigation. Still other projects are driven by legislation or public outcry for asbestos removal from public buildings, including many older schools across the country.
Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases
Three serious health conditions may result from exposure to even a small amount of airborne asbestos fibers. All three conditions result from inhaling the fibers, which become embedded in the lungs or other parts of the body. It can take years for symptoms of any of these asbestos illness to appear. Some experts believe that no symptoms appear for more than a decade after exposure. In some cases, it takes even longer for the illness to become evident. The following is information about the three major conditions resulting from asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma
The medical profession used to consider this type of cancer as quite rare. While still uncommon, the number of workers diagnosed with mesothelioma has risen. Now, about 3,000 new mesothelioma cases are reported in the United States every year. The incidence of this disease is increasing at an even higher rate in Europe. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer, usually caused by asbestos fibers that actually penetrate lung tissue. It is also possible for mesothelioma to develop after these fibers penetrate the heart or the abdomen. While doctors have found many different causes for other forms of cancer, the only definitely identified cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.
Asbestosis
Sometimes, this term is used incorrectly to refer to all ailments resulting from asbestos exposure. However, it is actually a very specific condition. Asbestosis (also known as interstitial fibrosis) develops when inhaled asbestos fibers cause scarring of the lung tissue. Over time, this scarring reduces the capacity of the lung. Individuals with asbestosis may suffer disabling lung impairments, and must be monitored closely because they are at increased risk of even more serious asbestos-related conditions.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is all too common in our society and has many possible causes. However, there is evidence of a link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is even higher for an individual who has been exposed to asbestos, and also smokes cigarettes. Mesothelioma Treatment Options "Staging" is a term that medical professionals use to define the spread and extent of cancers like mesothelioma. In general, the least serious "first stage" only involves the lining of the lung. By the most serious "stage four," cancer has spread to other organs of the body.
Medical researchers continue to improve treatment for mesothelioma. The most common form of treatment is still chemotherapy. With new combinations of drugs, such as pemetrexed and carboplatin, chemotherapy may slow the progression of cancer in some victims. Radiation or surgery is the an appropriate treatment for other mesothelioma patients. In addition, some experimental treatments are yielding promising test results and offer hope for future victims.
Mesothelioma is still regarded as a deadly form of cancer. The average life span after diagnosis is only one to two years. However, the stage of the disease when it is discovered, and an individual's response to treatment are significant factors in determining life expectancy. Due to medical progress, 20% of those diagnosed at an early stage of mesothelioma have at least 5 more years to live.
Mesothelioma Symptoms and Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Men are many times more likely to develop mesothelioma than women. This may be due to the higher percentage of men who work in factories and construction, where there is an increased risk of exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Older men are more likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is not surprising, because of the relatively long period of time between asbestos exposure and the onset of this cancer.
Physicians may have difficulty diagnosing mesothelioma, because initial symptoms, such as shortness of breath and chest or abdominal pain, can be confused with other conditions. There are tests to rule out mesothelioma, including a thoracoscopy or a peritoneoscopy. If you have symptoms and believe that you may have past asbestos exposure, see your doctor immediately. If you or a loved one suffer from asbestos related cancer or mesothelioma cancer, talk with an experienced asbestos lawyer today.
Attorney Marya Sieminski joined the Law Offices of Sam Bernstein in 2003. She is admitted to practice law in Michigan state courts and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated magna cum laude from Wayne State University Law School. Marya has worked as a trial lawyer for 10 years and exclusively represented victims in personal injury litigation and in workers compensation claims. She also was appointed by the Governor to serve on the State of Michigan Workers Compensation Qualifications Advisory Committee. The Law Offices of Samuel I. Bernstein, our Michigan mesothelioma asbestos cancer, and personal injury law firm, has championed the cause of seriously injured Michigan victims for three generations.
Author: Marya Sieminski
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An Overview of Mesothelioma Treatment Options
Mesothelioma treatment options depend on many internal factors such as: stage, location, and the patient's age and desires. Important external factors to consider include the experience level of the oncologist with mesothelioma cases and whether or not a rural dweller would have to be transferred to a larger city for aggressive treatment or palliative care.
Patient survival rate is determined to be up to a year; while some leading cancer centers have reported life expectancy after diagnosis to be as much as five more years.
Screening
Imaging tests allow doctors to see a picture of the cancer site. These tests could include x-rays, CT scans (computed tomography), or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
New Screening Instrument: The Mesomark Test
The Food and Drug administration has just approved (January 2007) the world's first in-vitro test for mesothelioma. The Mesomark assay test, developed by Fujirebio Diagnostics is administered to patients diagnosed with biphasic or epithelioid mesothelioma by a simple blood test. The test measures proteins within the blood that reflect changes in the patient's tumor volume, a key factor for monitoring patient status and response to therapies.
Traditional Treatment Types
Surgery, removal of the entire lung and a part of the chest lining, the diaphragm and part of the sac surrounding the heart.
Thoracoscopy is the insertion of an endoscope which is a small narrow tube, containing a tiny cameria into the pleural cavity to look directly at the tumor. Pathologist's perform a biopsy to collect a tissue. Often, chemical pleurodesis (draining fluid in the intrapleural space), can be accomplished during the same procedure.
Mediastinoscopy, another type of surgical incision is sometimes used to stage the extent of disease when enlarged nodes are seen using imaging techniques.
Laproscopy is used in mesothelioma patients when imaging techniques suggest that the tumor has penetrated through the diaphragm. This information is important in evaluating a patient for potential pleurectomy or extrapleural pneumonectomy.
Radiation Therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
Radiation - Although mesothelioma tumors are highly resistant to radiotherapy, these treatments are sometimes used to relieve symptoms arising from tumor growth, such as obstruction of a major blood vessel.
Radiotherapy is commonly applied to the sites of chest drain insertion, in order to prevent the growth of the tumor along the track in the chest wall.
Chemotherapy - is used to stop the cancer cells from growing and dividing.
Immunotherapy: Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy requires the removal as much of the tumor as possible followed by the direct administration of a heated between (40 and 48°C) chemotherapy agent, into the abdomen for 60 to 120 minutes and then drained.
Palliative Procedures
Pleuroperitoneal Shunt is a procedure where a catheter is placed under the skin from the pleural to the peritoneal cavity. This procedure raising concerns as the catheter can cause damage by embedding itself into the abdomen.
Pleurectomy, a palliative procedure, may be performed when more extensive surgery is not an option. The procedure does not effectively remove all tumors. It is considered the most effective means of controlling pleural effusion (fluid buildup) in cases where the lung's expansion is restricted by the mesothelioma.
Potentially Curative Procedures
These procedures are performed with "curative intent".
Pleurectomy/Decortication is usually performed on patients with early stage pleural mesothelioma disease (Stage I and selected Stage II), and attempts to remove all gross tumor.
Extrapleural Pneumonectomy is surgery to remove a diseased lung, part of the pericardium, part of the diaphragm and part of the parietal pleura. This type of surgery is used most often to treat malignant mesothelioma and is combined with traditional chemotherapy and/or radiation, gene therapy, immunotherapy or photodynamic therapy.
Cytoreductive Surgery removes visible tumors in the peritoneal cavity. The remaining cancer cells are treated by Intra-Peritoneal Hyperthermic (heated) Chemotherapy (IPHC) and then delivered to the abdominal cavity.
New or Experimental Therapies
Gene Therapy: The best known tumor suppressor gene is called p53. If this gene is damaged or non existent oncogenes or cancer genes multiply at an abnormal rate. The main focus of gene therapy for mesothelioma involves injecting a virus that has been modified in the laboratory. The virus is injected into the pleural space in the chest, where mesothelioma develops as an attempt to kill the cancer cells.
Drug or Vaccine Therapy
Patients with mesothelioma have much higher levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) a chemical controlling blood vessel than people with any other type of cancer. Trials are being conducted to see if VEGF can be blocked, thus stopping the growth of blood vessels feeding the mesothelioma tumors.
Bevacizumab is a drug vaccine currently in use. One trial recently reported that this drug may increase survival for patients with lung cancer. An American phase 2 trial tested bevacizumab for mesothelioma, in combination with chemotherapy drugs. Bevacizumab is still in the experimental phase and much larger trials are needed before we will know how effective it will be in treating mesothelioma and other types of cancers.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
In Photodynamic therapy a drug called a photosensitizing agent is injected into the bloodstream and absorbed by the body's cells rendering the cells sensitive to light. When the area to be treated is exposed to laser light, the cells are killed. PDT has to be combined with surgery to treat patients in the early stages of mesothelioma. PDT is still in the trial stages and very experimental.
Clinical Trials and Eligibility
Clinical Trials provide research by using a sampling of people affected by the cancer. The National Cancer Institute states that the purpose of most listed clinical trials is to test new cancer treatments or new methods of diagnosing, screening for or preventing cancer.
Eligibility requirements for clinical trials are not the same; each study has specific guidelines for participation. Some trials allow participation after other treatments have failed, while others require that the patient did not have prior treatment. Choosing a clinical test should only be done after a medical consultation.
Prevention trials - study ways to reduce the risk, or chance, of developing cancer. Most prevention trials are conducted with healthy people who have not had cancer. These trials use drugs, vitamins or diet to reduce risk of cancer. Some trials are conducted with people who have had cancer and want to prevent the return of cancer (recurrence), or reduce the chance of developing a new type of cancer.
Screening Trials - study ways to detect cancer. They are often conducted to determine whether finding cancer before it causes symptoms decreases the chance of dying from the disease. These trials involve people who do not have any symptoms of cancer.
Diagnostic Cancer Trials - develops new tests or scans
Treatment Trials - studies new drugs or combinations of drugs; new ways of giving treatment, and new types of treatment
Quality of life trials explore ways to improve the comfort and quality of life of cancer patients and cancer survivors. These trials may study ways to help people who are experiencing nausea, vomiting, sleep disorders, depression, or other effects from cancer or its treatment.
Genetics Study Trials - are sometimes part of another cancer clinical trial. The genetics component of the trial may focus on how genetic makeup can affect detection, diagnosis, or response to cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are conducted in 4 phases:
Phase 1 trials look at whether a trial treatment drug is safe or has any harmful effects and attempts to establish the right dosage required.
Phase 2 trials look at the effectiveness of the treatment.
Phase 3 trials test a new treatment against the existing standard treatment. If it yields better results, it may become the new standard treatment.
Phase 4 trials are carried out after a drug has been licensed. They collect information about side effects, safety and the long term risks and benefits of a drug.
Ongoing research attempts to improve mesothelioma treatment options but clinical trials will not all result in new and better treatment. After testing, it may be discovered that the treatment being tested does not work, or that it has worse side affects than existing treatments. But, to researchers and doctors, and in the end for patients, it is crucial to keep this research going.
About the Author:
Dave Casey is a medical writer for Mesothelioma-Adviser.com, an informational guide for mesothelioma cancer victims. The site provides guidance on mesothelioma treatment options and asbestos legal information.
Copyright 2007 Mesothelioma-Adviser.com
Author: Dave Casey
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What is a Mesothelioma Lawyer?
What is a Mesothelioma Lawyer?
Mesothelioma lawyers deal specifically with cases concerning people being exposed to asbestos in the work environment. Asbestos was used as a building material years ago because it was not flammable and did not conduct electricity. However, later studies have shown it can cause some forms of cancer. Mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the inner lining of the chest, is one of those forms of cancer. Because asbestos was a common building material and is still found, there has been a call for mesothelioma lawyers to look into cases of people who were exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with this form of cancer.Mesothelioma lawyers deal specifically with cases concerning people being exposed to asbestos in the work environment. Because asbestos was a common building material and is still found, there has been a call for mesothelioma lawyers to look into cases of people who were exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with this form of cancer.
The Mesothelioma Lawyer and Asbestos Cases
Before asbestos was found to be a potential cause for cancer, it was seen as a great building material. Therefore it was used a lot, and both workers who installed it and employees who worked in these buildings were unknowingly exposed to a cancerous element. These people are only now seeing the effects of their exposure to asbestos, and are bringing cases against the companies that either installed it or owned the buildings. The cases are increasing, causing a need for a specialized brand of lawyer - the mesothelioma lawyer.
Some types of asbestos that can cause cancer:
- Amosite
- Anthophyllite
- Chrysotile
- Crocidolite
Mesothelioma Lawyers and the Courtroom
Though has not yet been definitively proven that asbestos cause Mesothelioma, many studies have been done to prove a link between the two... enough studies to make mesothelioma lawyers very busy. The asbestos is made of loosely bonded fibers, which can easily be separated. These fibers can float in the air and easily get into your respiratory system. Before these studies, when asbestos was used as a common material, no one suggested the need for proper safety procedures - a fact that mesothelioma lawyers point to as a reason their clients now have this form of cancer.
Want to learn more about Mesothelioma Lawyers and other types of lawyers? Research Lawyers is a collection of free articles related to law and lawyers.
Author: Travis Newman
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Use Mesothelioma Lawyers As a Last Resort
Mesothelioma lawyers specialize in cancer cases and have many years of experience in gaining benefits for their client cancer sufferers. Mostly they work on a contingency basis so the patient does not have to find lots of cash to fight for compensation. Mesothelioma lawyers are aware of all of the potential sources of compensation. There are several.
Mesothelioma cases are complex and lawyers need to have access to huge amounts of data and documentation concerning asbestos related cancer cases. If you are in need of a good mesothelioma trial lawyer be sure they are "AV rated." This is the highest level of professional excellence awarded by an independent lawyer-rating agency.
When we think about lung cancer we all too often link the disease to tobacco use. Smoking surely is the commonest cause of lung cancer however it is not the only one. The tiniest speck of asbestos inhaled to the lungs is an even more definite source of cancer cell growth and it is called mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma sufferers pay the ultimate price and consequences of mans' historical ignorance. Our knowledge of mesothelioma was woefully inadequate and architects and builders were unaware of the hazards of asbestos as an insulating material. Mesothelioma lawyers now know better than anyone that asbestos is a deadly carcinogenic. For workers in an asbestos removal environment the risks of contracting mesothelioma are constant and serious.
For those who smoke and also work in close proximity to asbestos, particularly when it is being disturbed, the risks of contracting asbestos lung cancer are doubled. Mesothelioma sufferers should not have to pay financially and should seek legal redress through compensation.
A mesothelioma lawyer worth his or her salt can definitively prove the clinical link between tobacco use, asbestos dust and the factor of eight likelihood of lung cancer. To put it another way, smoking, now or in the past, together with the inhalation of even just one minute speck of asbestos makes the person become eight times more likely to develop mesothelioma than a non-smoker breathing in the same particle.
Asbestos is a man made substance. Airborne asbestos particles are a completely avoidable health hazard. However when they are accidentally released to the atmosphere the responsible organizations must be brought to book for causing mesothelioma and to be made to compensate the victims of their actions.
Workers in the asbestos industry who smoke should seriously rethink their lifestyle if not their employment. Asbestos workers should think carefully about giving up the job because of the dangers of getting this fatal industrial disease. At the very least if they choose to continue working with asbestos then quitting smoking will greatly reduce the risk of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma lawyers are all about compensation and money rather than prevention or cure. If you suffer with mesothelioma it is too late and your only recourse is the law. Mesothelioma lawyers are experts in helping in all the ways the law can.
The Internet is the first port of call for people under the shadow of the disease, and the definitive directory of mesothelioma lawyers at http://www.mesothelioma-lawyers-search.com. Kirby Vasquez is a freelance writer from Southern CA that writes about health and technology related issues. To find out more info please visit http://www.mesothelioma-lawyers-search.com/
Author: Kirby D Vasquez
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The Importance of Your Mesothelioma Attorney
The importance of a mesothelioma attorney is not fully appreciated by most people. Mesothelioma is an incurable form of lung cancer that is generally associated with exposure to asbestos fibers, and is probably the one form of cancer that has led to more lawsuits for damages than any other.
It would be thought that a person suffering from mesothelioma that had previously worked in the asbestos industry would have a cast iron case, but this is not in fact the case. The real facts are that mesothelioma is a term for cancer of the mesothelium, more commonly known as the pleura, the lining of the lung. The problem is that most forms of lung cancer are termed mesothelioma, and it can be extremely difficult to prove that they are caused by one source alone. This in itself could give a mesothelioma attorney a big headache. However, there is worse to come for them.
Smoking! Believe it or not around 80% of Mesothelioma cases in North America are caused by smoking - not asbestos! Hence, if a smoker contracts the disease then the asbestos companies will naturally use that as a defense, and claim that smoking was the real cause and not the asbestos. Your mesothelioma attorney now has a real fight on his or her hands to get you any compensation at all. Now that compensation for asbestos relayed cancers has reached very high levels, most asbestos companies will vigorously contest any case against them, and the services of a good attorney are absolutely essential if you are to have any success at all.
One of the problems involved here is that, just as smoking has not been definitively proved to cause lung cancer, neither has exposure to asbestos. Most doctors will agree on the relationship, but the courts require proof, and it is not there. There are still those that deny any relationship, and without cast-iron evidence their claim could be construed to be as legally valid as those of the vast majority that believe in the relationship. However, belief is not proof, even when that belief is held by over 95% of the population!
It is strange, however, that most people will accept that asbestos can cause mesothelioma while many that do so will not believe the same of smoking. It seems a case of unwilling to accept what might affect themselves. However, all of this is academic, and you will need a good mesothelioma attorney if the compensation awarded is to be sufficient to provide the palliative care that all mesothelioma patients will eventually need.
Most will require hospice care so that some of the pressure can be taken from their family, and while hospices in Europe are free, this is not true of the USA. What is certain is that a smoker will not receive the same level of compensation as a non-smoker since it has been established that smokers who are also known to have had long-term contact with asbestos are more likely to contract the disease than any other.
The importance of a mesothelioma attorney cannot be overemphasized, and if you are seeking one then there are many choose from since it is a lucrative profession. Make sure that you choose a good one, since there are also many of these around. Here are a few tips:
1. Make sure that your attorney has handled mesothelioma cases before, and that yours is not their first case.
2. Have they had previous successes in such cases, and what level of compensation have the succeeded in achieving?
3. Does your mesothelioma attorney have the backing of a good law firm, with others that can take over the case in the event of illness, or is your attorney a one man band. You are better to have a group of people helping you than a individual with this type of case.
4. Is your case being handled as an individual case or as as part of a class action. Class actions can save a lot of trouble, but can also result in a lower level of compensation - not always though, so discuss it with others who may have been involved in both before making a decision.
These are some of the aspects of your case that should be discussed with your solicitor. However, once you have considered everything related to your claim, you will always have to fall back to one simple decision. Who is to be your mesothelioma attorney and what instructions are you going to give.
For more information on how to choose your mesothelioma attorney visit Mesothelioma Attorney [http://www.welshhealth.com/Mesothelioma/mesothelioma-attorney.html] where you will also find more information on the disease itself.
Author: Peter Nisbet
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The Beneficial Roles of the Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorney
If you or a loved one has been damaged by asbestos, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma attorney for more information as soon as possible. A mesothelioma lawyer can evaluate you case to decide if you are entitled to damages in your lawsuit.
Mesothelioma, like other kinds of cancer comes in two types - benign and malignant. By far the majority frequent mesothelioma is the diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma. This type of tumor is all-encompassing and extremely destructive. It extends quickly over the outside of the lungs, abdominal organs and heart.
Getting the right mesothelioma attorney can be complicated, but will frequently pay off in the end. Asbestos attorneys or mesothelioma lawyers will assist you win asbestos lawsuit. Therefore, it becomes significant to select knowledgeable and qualified lawyer.
There are also a lot of asbestos mesothelioma attorneys who are now assigned to cases of asbestos poisoning who work on behalf of both the affected and the defendant as well. There are some class action mesothelioma lawsuits against asbestos exposure due to the unlawful intent of some companies operating in such unsafe situation; as to make their workers in hazard of asbestos poising leading up to mesothelioma disorder.
If you consider you may have rights to such a mesothelioma lawsuit an attorney can assist decide if you qualify, and help you in getting the process started. They are a good resource when you become conscious that you have been affected by asbestos in your life.
If you get the right attorney to deal with your case, the results can be very beneficial for both you and your family.
Asbestos mesothelioma attorney can help victims in finding compensation for asbestos-related mesothelioma. A lot of mesothelioma attorneys with knowledge in this subject have effectively attained compensation from asbestos manufacturers.
Mesothelioma attorneys can recover medical expenses, lost wages, and punitive charges for sufferers and their family. A mesothelioma attorney can be familiarized to the victims to talk about legal responsibility in mesothelioma cases.
If you want to get some excellent resources on asbestos, please visit my site on All about Asbestos or Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorney
Author: Dilek Eickelmann
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