Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. The disease affects the mesothelium, the thin membrane that covers the majority of the body’s internal organs. Mesothelioma is not a hereditary disease nor is it contracted by making poor lifestyle choices. The only established cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure.
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.
There are two common types of mesothelioma:
- Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form. It occurs when asbestos fibers are breathed in and become lodged in the pleura -- the thin membrane that lines and encases the lung. The irritation from the asbestos fibers creates changes in the mesothelial cells. Pleural mesothelioma is sometimes misdiagnosed as lung cancer. The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are shortness of breath, chest or back pain, chronic hoarseness, pleural effusions (an accumulation of fluid between the lining of the lung and the chest cavity), difficulty swallowing, coughing up blood, swelling of the face and arms, fever, muscle weakness and sensory loss and nausea.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma is a less common form. This is cancer of the membrane that encompasses the lining of the abdomen. The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include pain or swelling of the abdomen, bowel obstruction, weight loss and anemia, the presence of tumors in the peritoneal tissues, night sweats, frequency in urination, fever and loss of muscle tissue.
There is a very long latency period associated with exposure to asbestos and the cancer it causes. Mesothelioma make take anywhere from 10 to 60 years to develop. If you were exposed to asbestos on the job 40 or 50 years ago, you may just be experiencing the symptoms of mesothelioma now. Companies that manufactured asbestos products have long been aware of the health risks that those products posed, but the risks were ignored because asbestos was cheap, abundant and effective. Asbestos was widely used in products from the 1920s until the 1980s.
If you worked in any of the following occupations, you may have been exposed to asbestos:
| Electricians Carpenters Cement Finishers Painters Plasterers Roofers Brake Mechanics Auto Mechanics Navy Yard Workers Longshoremen Paperworkers Boilermakers Sailors Merchant Marine Seamen Plantworkers Sheetmetal Workers Papermill Workers Aircraft Mechanics |
Millwrights Pipefitters Machinists Lathers Insulators Welders Foundry Workers Tapers Masonry Workers Pipe Coverers Crane Operators Navy Personnel Inspectors Bricklayers Powerhouse Workers Railroad Workers Steamfitters Plumbers |
For those who contract mesothelioma and their families, the course of this asbestos-caused cancer is devastating. There is presently no known cure for mesothelioma. As the disease progresses, the cancerous cells harden the pleura and spread. As time passes, breathing, sleeping and eating become more difficult. It becomes increasingly more challenging for the victim to engage in normal activities and enjoy life.
A number of treatments may be available to help contain the spread of the disease and reduce the pain associated with it. Radiation, chemotherapy, and radical surgery to remove the lung or pleura are among the options that will be explored by the treating physician.
If you have been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from any of the symptoms associated with mesothelioma, you should contact a doctor immediately. The medical treatments are costly and the compensation won from a lawsuit can help to ease the burden placed on you and your family. If you have lost a loved one to mesothelioma, you may have a claim for wrongful death. You should contact a Virginia mesothelioma attorney who can advise you of your legal rights. Often, the initial attorney consultation is free, and your VA mesothelioma lawyer will advise you of your options, while ensuring your legal rights are protected.
Contact a Mesothelioma attorney today to discuss your case:
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