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Showing posts with label Mesothelioma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mesothelioma. Show all posts

Sunday, 7 March 2010

Mesothelioma Patient Advice



A peritoneal mesothelioma patient offers support and encouragement to others facing a mesothelioma diagnosis.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma Patient Advice

Monday, 22 February 2010

Mesothelioma and Dentists

It is well know that people who are directly involved in activities where they come in touch with asbestos material are at high risk of developing mesothelioma cancer. Many think only people in construction industry are susceptible to this asbestos cancer and hence this was termed as a blue color disease. This is not true. There is another profession whose people are at the same risk – Dentists. Yes, dentists fae a high risk of developing mesothelioma.


Research says that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is used in dentistry for casting rings. Continuous exposure to smaller quantity of asbestos could increase the number of times you inhale asbestos particles which increases your risk of developing asbestos mesothelioma cancer. Since the rooms in which dentists work are smaller, there is a higher risk of inhalation of asbestos fibers.

Inhaling asbestos fibers into the lungs cause damage to DNA of the tissue which in turn grows uncontrollably in your body. Mesothelioma symptoms would not be easy to identify and it takes tens of years to show itself where by that time the disease reaches an advanced stage.

Mesothelioma prognosis is very grim and not many survive for more than few years.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma and Dentists

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Mesothelioma funding by US Defence Deaprtment

We all know that veterans suffer the highest risk of mesothelioma cancer as thousands of buildings and navy ships are built using asbestos until 1970’s.


U.S Department of defence has announced an increase in spending on mesothelioma research to fight the mesothelioma cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Several millions of dollars are being funded to identify ways to detect mesothelioma in early stages and also invent new ways to treat mesothelioma cancer.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma funding by US Defence Deaprtment

Monday, 15 February 2010

Mesothelioma and UN members

A group of several United Nations members are putting their efforts to add chrysotile variety of asbestos to the world’s list of most hazardous substances. Canadian asbestos industry is the biggest loser if at all this happens. The Canadian asbestos industry supports several hundred workers.

Most of the asbestos from this industry is exported to the developing nations around the world where there are no proper regulations around handling on asbestos. Many are concerned that lack of regulations and inexperience in handling the asbestos material may expose many people to mesothelioma cancer in those nations.

Mesothelioma cancer is caused as a result of asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure also causes lung cancer and asbestosis. The symptoms of this cancer are very subtle and cannot be diagnosed until the disease is severe. It takes years for this cancer to develop in a person exposed to asbestos and is not something that is imminent.
Many lawsuits have been filed around the world and especially in US there are hundreds of cases where the employers where sued for not informing the employees about the risks of asbestos exposure.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma and UN members

Saturday, 13 February 2010

Mesothelioma cases rising in Mexico

Recent studies done my America journal of Industrial Medicine shows that the diagnoses of mesothelioma which are caused by asbestos exposure are raising in Mexico. Developed nations like EU and North America already banned or regulated the use of asbestos while many other countries still continue to use it.

Since there is no so much demand in developed nations, the asbestos sellers are trying to increase their exposure in developing countries. If Mexico has to contain their rising cases of mesothelioma they either have to ban or at least regulate the use of asbestos in industries.

Many cases diagnosed for mesothelioma are as a result of exposure to asbestos at work places and many workers are not very aware of the side effects of playing at workplaces which involved working with asbestos.

There are many lawsuits that are being files in US for settlements with the employers.  There is a huge percentage of lawyers that from Houston, San Diego, Ohio. Houston mesothelioma lawyers are famous just for the percentage of the lawyers that hail from that region. Houston mesothelioma lawyers will sometimes fly to your place to understand the case as such is the returns in those cases.

Overall, Mexico has to either ban or at least regulate the use of asbestos at work places.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma cases rising in Mexico

Thursday, 11 February 2010

Living with Mesothelioma

There is nothing good about being diagnosed with mesothelioma – it is developed as a reason for asbestos exposure. More bad news is there is no definite cure for this cancer. It is important to maintain a good relationship with your doctor. You will depend on your doctor for care throughout your illness.


How you feel when you are receiving your mesothelioma treatment will depend in part on the level of trust you feel in your medical team. Doctors will do their best to relieve troubling symptoms such as chest pain (possibly from a pleural effusion, or fluid in the lungs) or abdominal swelling (ascites fluid). But there’s much more to dealing with advanced mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is sometimes called asbestos cancer because it is almost always associated with having been exposed to lose asbestos fibers at some point in your life. It may help to read about asbestos exposure and to find materials created by those who have also received a mesothelioma diagnosis. Hope is the most important factor in living with mesothelioma.

Difficulty breathing and coughing are frequent symptoms in the earlier lung cancer stages. Report this type of symptom to your doctor as soon as possible. Early detection can give you greater hope. When you’re living with mesothelioma in its later stages, you may have chest pain from a pleural effusion (fluid in the lungs), swelling from ascites fluid (in the abdomen), and other more difficult symptoms. Talk to your doctor. Explore the Internet for information and mesothelioma advice.

Many doctors in cities like New York and Los Angeles are well versed in diagnosing and treating mesothelioma. Contact one of the centers of excellence for mesothelioma treatment—they are in states such as Ohio, California, Texas, New Jersey, Michigan, Florida and others.

Experienced asbestos mesothelioma lawyers are familiar with much of the research being done and may be able to direct you to active clinical trials. The right attorney may have relationships with doctors and other professionals who can make a difference in how you’re living with your mesothelioma. Find a mesothelioma attorney you trust and that you feel comfortable with—s/he can offer support and assistance in addition to potentially winning a settlement for you if your case warrants.

Source: http://www.mesothelioma-advice.org
READ MORE - Living with Mesothelioma

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Houston Mesothelioma Lawyers

Mesothelioma victims often end up with that cancer because of employers’ negligence and hence they tend to make settlements with employers either in court or out of the court. It all depends on how well you have built your case against your employer. In this kind of settlements, a lawyer is your best friend. Not any lawyer, but an attorney with good track record of dealing such cases. Where there are many lawyers or attorneys around US but Houston has got the biggest such group, dealing with mesothelioma or asbestos lawsuits.


http://www.houstonmesotheliomalaw.com/ is a Houston based group of lawyers who are specialized in such cases. Search around the net and you will find many of them. The important factor is to make sure you find an attorney with whom you are comfortable dealing your mesothelioma case. The amount of compensation you get depends on many factors like relationship of the employer to the employees, extent of illness etc. Lawyers are your best resources.

One thing to note is, for instance in Texas even if you have settled an asbestosis claim before or a pleural plaque claim, which if considered as non-cancerous, a new claim can be made if cancer has developed after the initial claim. These are the kind of things only experienced attorneys would know hence, taking legal advice be it from Houston lawyers or Delaware lawyers or any such group is important.
READ MORE - Houston Mesothelioma Lawyers

Monday, 8 February 2010

Radiation therapy as a treatment for Mesothelioma

In this post I will discuss one of the treatments to treat mesothelioma. The treatment is Intensity-modulated radiation Therapy (IMRT). IMRT is a kind of radiation therapy which uses x-rays of high energy to kill mesothelioma cancer cells to destroy the tumors.


Two types of radiation therapy are

1) External radiation therapy

2) Internal radiation therapy

External radiation therapy uses a machine to beam x-rays into the body where the mesothelioma cells are located. Proper care has to be taken in this method as some times good cells adjacent to the bad cells could also get damaged. IMRT is a type of three-dimensional therapy. A computer delivers the radiation as it moves around the patient’s body. The machine can shape the beams; adjust the strength of the beams and the angle at which they are delivered.

Internal radiation therapy also called at brachytherapy is a process in which chemicals are introduced to produce radiation at the mesothelioma cancer affected location in the body. A thin plastic tube is used and is inserted into the chest or abdomen.

Mesothelioma tumors are not discrete solid tumors but are usually spread over a large area and because of this it is very difficult to deliver radiation in sufficient doses properly to kill the tumor without damaging good cells. For this reason, radiation is mainly used to kill the remaining tumors after a surgery. Another usage of radiation is to relieve symptoms of mesothelioma. However, radiation has its side effects as in the process good cells can also get damaged.

Source: mesothelioma-data.com
READ MORE - Radiation therapy as a treatment for Mesothelioma

Sunday, 7 February 2010

Mesothelioma and ongoing research

Mesothelioma is one of the cancers where the survival rate of the victims is very less. Successful treatment is wholly dependent on how early it is diagnosed, but what makes the diagnosis difficult is the subtle nature of the symptoms in its early stages and only in the advanced stages the cancer shows up. So treating mesothelioma is mainly dependent on how early the disease is diagnosed.

 The traditional treatments have been so ineffective in treating mesothelioma and none of them were able to increase the survival rate of the victims by more than a few months. Mesothelioma research foundation of America is very focused on developing new and innovative treatments for this cancer. Some of them include

1)      New chemotherapy agents
2)      Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
3)      Immunotherapy
4)      Gene therapy

It is good to know that research has been going in this field for treating mesothelioma. The regulation in United States has immensely helped in reducing the number of cases but countries around the world are still playing catch up game.  They are still letting people mine asbestos and affecting their lives and putting them at risk of this cancer. Science has come off ages in past couple of decades but there is still lot of things left on the table for it to conquer.
I will detail on each of the treatments mentioned above in my future postings.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma and ongoing research

Friday, 5 February 2010

Mesothelioma - Employer Sued

Today I was going through the news articles and found there was a Woman who sued the employer on behalf of his father. Samuel Mann server the US army 3 years from 1959 to 1961 and later he worked as a mechanic at crown cork till early 1970s and later he did construction work for 7 years for Norfolk Southern Railroad.

His daughter is suing these companies for letting his father exposed to asbestos at work without prior indication. As you see, Mann had worked in asbestos related work many years ago but the effects are visible now after several 10’s of years. Mesothelioma is very hard to diagnose and the survival rate is very low among the patients.

As per other statistics, every year 2 to 3 thousand of new patients are recorded to be affected by this deadly cancer which is caused my mesothelioma.

On a whole, the patients family has to go through severe crisis but if they win the settlement cases the make against the employers, they get sometimes millions of dollars but the loss of a human is not comparable to the money they get. Hope the employers around the US make their employees know the bad effects of asbestos and they themselves can escape from costly lawsuits.

Source: http://www.asbestos.net/
READ MORE - Mesothelioma - Employer Sued

Thursday, 4 February 2010

The Mayor of Landon Road Dies from Mesothelioma

“The Mayor” of Landon Road,  Robert W. Landon died from mesothelioma. He served U.S during the second world war 2. He used to work in the cargo ships, engine rooms etc and this could have been the reason for exposure to asbestos. It is widely used in military ships, but is extremely harmful to inhale the dust. When it lodges into the thin membrane that lines the chest cavity and protects the lungs, called the mesothelium, it can cause tumors to form.

There are 5 different types of mesothelioma and the most common is pleral mesothelioma which is also most difficult to cure. More often than not, the symptoms will be visible only after 20 to 30 years of exposure.
This form of cancer is rare but deadly as the statistics tells us that single digit percent of people will live after 5 years of diagnosis and the prognosis is dependent on multiple factors which wsa discussed in my other post.

Asbestos should have been long banned but it still widely used in western countries. A number of people in hundreds are dying and many are puzzled what wrong they have done. Many people who developed mesothelioma go for settlements with the employer to secure the future of their dependants. Although therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be used, it is usually inoperable.



Source: Asbestos.net
READ MORE - The Mayor of Landon Road Dies from Mesothelioma

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

Mesothelioma Prognosis

As in many of the diseases, the important factor determining the prognosis of mesothelioma is how severe is the cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis is particularly crippled as the time by which patient recognizes the symptoms valuable time is lost as the initial symptoms are very light on the body making it difficult to identify.


Peritoneal mesothelioma has multiple stages. Pleural and peritoneal types of mesothelioma are very hard to be treated. They would ultimately be diagnosed at an advanced state and the statistics show that there are very few survivors. There are lot of contradictions among the studies whether peritoneal mesothelioma or pleural mesothelioma is more deadlier than other but one thing which cannot be contradicted is they both are difficult to treat as there is no proper treatment.

Only 10% of all who are diagnosed with mesothelioma live 3 years or more and only 5% of those go beyond 5 years, which shows the deadly nature of the disease. Only in people where mesothelioma is diagnosed in the early states, the survival rate goes till 50% for who lived more than three years. This was a study conducted on more than 200 people of mesothelioma affected people.

There was a broad study conducted in Europe on 5 million people and the outcome of that research is nothing different as only 25 % of people with pleural mesothelioma and 35% with peritoneal mesothelioma survived more than 10 months after study.

The overall health of the patient could also determine the prognosis of the patient. The healthier the higher chances for more days of survival. However, patients should not get disheartened as the statistics represent only the past but the future could be bright and different.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma Prognosis

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Compensation for Mesothelioma sufferers

The danger of continuous exposure to asbestos is well known to all the companied for decades however many let their employees work with asbestos without proper protection and directly putting them at risk of developing mesothelioma. After several years of work with asbestos, the employees who got now retired are not enjoying their retirement but had to take severe pain and go through the treatment which they did not ask for.


Since there will be long latency for the asbestos related cancer, the employees will not know whether they developed mesothelioma until 20 to 30 years. Once they start observing the symptoms they go to the doctors and finally they discover that they developed mesothelioma cancer as a result of their work which involved asbestos. This would come as a total surprise to so many victims.

The compensation the mesothelioma sufferers get will make them eligible to file for is to cover all the medical expenses which this bloody disease can incur not more than the suffering, pain the victims go through. Another way to look at the compensation is to help the dependants of the victim if he is severely disabled. Four to twelve months is the typical survival rate of a mesothelioma patient.

You must act swiftly to file your claim for compensation. A lot of effort is required to put a solid case or build a solid case and there are certain time limits within which action has to be taken. According to the state laws, the attorney can suggest what to do to hasten the process. The amount the victims get from such cases depends on a number of factors. If your case is very strong, he may try to get a out of the court settlement which saves you lot of time instead of dragging the case in the court for years. The compensation depends on how badly you are affected by the asbestos exposure. Many people claim millions securing the futures of their families and also covering the pain and expenses of mesothelioma treatment. Time is important if you are planning to file a lawsuit on mesothelioma and you should do it as early as possible.
READ MORE - Compensation for Mesothelioma sufferers

Wednesday, 2 September 2009

Story of Mesothelioma survivor

A friend of my colleague whose name I cannot disclose here developed severe mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure at work. He was once operated in early 2007. The doctors provided a number of treatment options to him but none of them convinced him .He suspected they might further deteriorate his health. He went through chemotherapy for the cancer which was caused by exposure to asbestos but now he stopped doing that seeing no good improvement.


He stopped talking any medication and he believed running will help him his condition as he got to know it from a fellow sufferer. So he went running day in and day out to prove the doctors wrong who had not much hope to cure the cancer. He is proactive in treating his disease and has participated in several meso races to raise awareness and funding.

Inspite of all this, it is very surprising that asbestos is not banned in United States. This material is still used in various manufacturing industries and particularly construction industry, There was a bill to ban asbestos in 1989 and the Washington senators almost got it passes but the judge overturned it. However, Europe countries have banned the use of asbestos in mid 2005.

There is a lot of medical research going on with treating mesothelioma however the current measures are very ineffective. The reason for him to run is to raise funds for the research so he was kind of great in helping not only him but every sufferer of mesothelioma.
READ MORE - Story of Mesothelioma survivor

Wednesday, 19 August 2009

Mesothelioma treatment and settlement help

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that can develop after many years of asbestos exposure. It can affect your lungs, heart or abdomen. New research is going every day for this hard to treat cancer. People with mesothelioma will need medical support as well as legal assistance for settlements and emotional support to keep them going.


You should immediately consult your preferred doctor for diagnosis and early treatment improves the outcome. Tumors which are often hard to get rid of can be removed surgically if they have not yet metastasized. Radiation is another option as a treatment and chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma is also recommended which will help in slow the growth of cancer. Oncologists are usually recommended by your primary physicians. Even after the treatment, statistics tells us that the survival rate is not impressive but all hope is not lost as there are many people who responded well to the treatment and are living healthier now.

There are a lot of advertisements on the television about this disease that offer legal advice on mesothelioma which will make people wonder if they need attorney when they develop this disease. Legal assistance is required if you want to make a settlement for your case. Legal assistance is always helpful and is free for initial consultations in most cases. Attorney can help people to find where they have significant asbestos exposure and will help you sue the companies that landed you in your situation. They can also help in getting supplemental security income or disability but you might have to pay for this service.

A successful lawsuit can pay for your health care which many time may not be covered in your insurance or could be used to support the dependants of the victim. It will take several years to win mesothelioma lawsuits so patience is required. It is important to look for a lawyer in this area and enquire about the percentage wins.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma treatment and settlement help

Friday, 14 August 2009

How do I choose a mesothelioma attorney to file lawsuits?

It is always helpful to choose an attorney or a lawyer who has experience in handling such cases. It is important to know from your attorney how he is going to handle your case. Before proceeding to choose a lawyer for the lawsuit, compile a list of all attorneys that you can find. Don’t forget to ask for referrals.


If you come across other people who have had gone through the mesothelioma lawsuit successfully, ask about their experience and also about their attorney. If you get positive feedback, he could be the person who can go with. If you have suffered asbestos exposure many years ago, you may not come across people who got affected by asbestos.

In such cases, find all your local attorney listings either from internet or any such resource. Call into each attorney and schedule a free consultation. Ask the attorney specific questions related to their experience in dealing with mesothelioma lawsuit cases. Also find if they successfully handled the asbestos exposure cases to get money for their clients.

Pay attention to the details the attorney discusses with you. Make sure your attorney understands your complications and find an attorney with patience. Patience is highly required in dealing such cases. Also talk about the payment arrangements beforehand. Most attorneys accept to handle the case and take money only if they win the asbestos exposure case for you.

Also check the mesothelioma attorney directory.
READ MORE - How do I choose a mesothelioma attorney to file lawsuits?

Thursday, 30 July 2009

Mesothelioma settlement and mesothelioma claims

People develop mesothelioma by continuous exposure to asbestos. Western countries use more asbestos compared to others and people from western countries have higher rate of developing mesothelioma compared to others. Those who develop mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure should pursue settlement for compensation.


Mesothelioma is a cancer which develops in lung cancer and spreads to other parts. This is very difficult to treat. Asbestosis on the other hand is a chronic respiratory disease which can impair your lung functionality. People who develop one or the other can pursue an asbestosis or mesothelioma settlement.

If you are planning to seek a mesothelioma settlement, you should first locate an attorney who can deal your case. I will explain in other post how to find an attorney for mesothelioma settlement cases. As with any other cases, it is important to find an attorney who has experience in dealing such cases. Once you find an attorney with whom you are comfortable with, you have to build your case.

Many factors influence your case such as a when and where you were exposed to asbestos. Is it a work or home location? Were you aware of it at that time or for the matter has your employer made you aware? You have to build your case in such a way that(only if you want to win), you should prove that you are exposed to asbestos at work location only because of your employer’s negligence.

There are two ways to make your mesothelioma settlement. One is you go to the court along with defendant and the outcome will be determined by the jury. The other is out of the court settlement so your employer will pay you money. Your attorney will be able to advice you which route you should take.
READ MORE - Mesothelioma settlement and mesothelioma claims

Friday, 17 July 2009

What are the different types of mesothelioma?

1) Peritoneal Mesothelioma


The symptoms occur in the abdomen and spreads to other organs like spleen or bowel. It causes severe discomfort in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include difficult bowel movements, nausea and vomiting, fever and swollen feet.

The survival rate is even worse for those diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma will patients typically surviving only ten months from time that they first started experiencing the symptoms noted above.

2) Malignant Mesothelioma

This is the cancer that is caused because of asbestos and is most serious and often the symptoms are hard to diagnose. Malignant mesothelioma is diagnosed, it will be in severe stage and patients may not respond well to the treatment by the doctors.

3) Pericardial Mesothelioma

This is the least common form. This involves the heart and as the disease spreads, the heart will not be able to deliver oxygen to the body which in turn causes further bad health. Symptoms are pain in the chest and shortness of breath.

4) Pleural Mesothelioma

This affects the chests and lungs and is not always detectable. This form of mesothelioma can affect lot of organs including brain. The survival rate for patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma typically is not high. Patients typically do not live beyond seventeen months from the onset of symptoms. Only 8% of those diagnosed with mesothelioma will live three to five years from the onset of symptoms.

5) Benign Mesothelioma

This affects the peritoneum. This is also extremely difficult to diagnose and requires specialized microscopes and immunologic techniques to aid in diagnosis.
READ MORE - What are the different types of mesothelioma?

Sunday, 21 June 2009

Signs and symptoms of Mesothelioma

Symptoms of mesothelioma are hard to confirm and more over they may not appear until 15-30 years after exposure to asbestos. Common symptoms of mesothelioma are

1) Shortness of breath

2) Pain in chest etc

3) Anemia

4) Fatigue

5) Hoarseness

6) Cough

7) Blood in sputum coughed up


Symptoms also include weight loss, abdominal swelling etc. In very severe cases, the person may have tumor masses. As such mesothelioma is hard to diagnose. Helen Davies, specialist registrar and research fellow at Oxford says, "Pleural effusion, or the accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity, can be maddeningly difficult to diagnose as a wide variety of malignant and benign causes exist". One of the causes, malignant pleural mesothelioma, is a relatively rare cancer, but its incidence is rapidly increasing on a global scale.

The first test for mesothelioma in patients with a pleural effusion is pleural fluid cytology, but it is not very sensitive. Obtaining a prompt diagnosis of mesothelioma has benefits for patients and physicians alike. Because mesothelioma has a median survival time of 12 months, minimizing the number of invasive procedures and tests patients require is crucial to reduce morbidity and the time they need to spend in hospital, says Davies. An earlier diagnosis also allows speedier interventions to relieve symptoms as well as initiation of other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy if appropriate.

Exposure to asbestos is the main risk factor and accounts for the majority of mesothelioma cases. Legislation to prevent occupational exposure to asbestos has been enforced in the developed world; however, unrestricted contact continues in developing countries.

Over 90 percent of patients with mesothelioma present with a pleural effusion and its incidence is predicted to peak within the next two decades. Mesothelioma treatment is one of the highly researched activities in medicine.
READ MORE - Signs and symptoms of Mesothelioma

Saturday, 6 June 2009

What is mesothelioma cancer?

Malignant mesothelioma, a disease in which a tumor of cancerous nature grows on the mesothelium – the lining of the internal body cavities. In this disease, cells in mesothelium develop into malign cells. Its most common site is the pleura but may also occur in the heartm peritoneum, the pericardium or tunica vaginalis.


People who have worked on jobs where they inhale asbestos particles or any other jobs where people are exposed to asbestos dust develop mesothelioma. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma.

Symptoms of this cancer are,

1) Shortness of breath

2) Chest wall pain

3) Weight loss


This could be diagnosed with X-ray and CT scan but could only be confirmed with a biopsy and microscopic examination. Even after treatment with radiation, chemotherapy etc the disease carries a poor prognosis.

Will cover more signs and symptoms in my next post.
READ MORE - What is mesothelioma cancer?