Financial Compensation Results
Baron & Budd, P.C. has won many significant legal victories and settlements for mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer victims. Here are some examples of monetary recoveries we have been able to achieve for our clients.The cases described here reflect the net amounts of the judgments or settlements our clients received after the deduction of attorneys fees and expenses-in other words, what our clients actually received. The actual settlement or verdict would be higher. These cases were all handled by Baron & Budd attorneys serving as lead counsel.
Specific Results Depend on the Facts of Each Case.
$10,603,661.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses for a gentleman who developed malignant mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to joint compound as a construction worker. This case went to trial and resulted in a significant verdict in favor of the gentleman, his wife and children that was listed by a national legal publication as one of the top verdicts in the U.S. that year. The case subsequently settled.
$6,356,942.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the widow of a man who died at the age of 50 after developing asbestos-related mesothelioma. He was exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy aboard nuclear submarines during the 1960s. This case went to trial against the manufacturer of an asbestos-containing pipe covering product. The jury awarded a significant verdict, which was affirmed on appeal.
$4,380,755.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for an ironworker who worked at a number of industrial sites throughout his career and who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 79.
$3,749,270.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the widow of a gentleman who developed mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to asbestos while working as an engineer at a power plant. This case went to trial and resulted in a significant jury verdict, which was affirmed on appeal.
$3,665,248.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman who developed mesothelioma at the age of 70. Our client began his working career in the construction industry in the 1940s as a latherer/plasterer, and eventually formed his own construction company. He was exposed to asbestos-containing products throughout his career. The case went to trial, with the jury awarding a significant verdict against the manufacturer of an asbestos-containing joint compound product to which our client was exposed.
$3,625,231.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for an aircraft mechanic with mesothelioma who worked around construction projects at two airports during his career, resulting in his exposure in asbestos. The case went to trial against the manufacturer of an asbestos-containing pipe covering product, with the jury awarding a significant verdict. The case subsequently settled.
$3,122,080.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of a gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while working as a mechanical contractor at a variety of industrial sites during his career.
$2,828,514.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 49 who was exposed to asbestos while working as a machinist and a welder.
$2,754,598.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 62. He was exposed to asbestos while working in construction as a young man.
$2,421,607.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the widow of a gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos during his career laying water and sewer lines.
$2,367,594.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 46-year-old man with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos as a roofer and tradesman at an oil company.
$2,378,142.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the widow of a man who died of mesothelioma at the age of 58. He was exposed to asbestos as a child through his father's work clothing in the family home.
$2,298,832.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of a man who worked as a millwright at numerous industrial sites throughout his career and who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 40.
$2,263,366.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 62-year-old man with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while working in carpentry and construction.
$2,265,656.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 63. He was exposed to asbestos while working as a machinist and operator at an oil refinery.
$2,261,427.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while serving in the engine rooms of Navy ships in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
$2,158,840.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a career insulator at an oil refinery who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 75.
$2,117,719.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of a 57-year-old man with mesothelioma. He was exposed to asbestos as a young man while working as a laborer at a chemical plant during the summer months while a student.
$2,070,662.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos through her construction worker-father's work clothes.
$2,004,682.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of a former custodian who developed mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to asbestos-containing products during the construction and remodeling of three school buildings. At times, he would personally use asbestos-containing joint compound products to make repairs at the schools. He died of mesothelioma at the age of 60.
$1,975,087.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman who had once worked as a custodian at an oil refinery where he was exposed to asbestos. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 70.
$1,960,941.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 59 who was exposed to asbestos while working as a tradesman at an aluminum plant.
$1,905,005.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a career electrician/journeyman who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 58.
$1,889,416.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman who developed mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to asbestos while working as a carpenter at a munitions plant.
$1,876,786.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a lady diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 67. She came into contact with asbestos by handling her construction contractor husband's work clothing.
$1,857,890.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a career construction worker who developed mesothelioma at the age of 70. He was exposed to asbestos while working on various industrial and commercial construction projects.
$1,811,800.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 61. He served as a boiler tender aboard Navy ships and later worked as an auto mechanic.
$1,746,727.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 61, who was exposed to asbestos while working as a roofer, carpenter and drywaller at residential and construction sites.
$1,730,599.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of a woman who died at the age of 44 from mesothelioma. She was exposed to asbestos as a child through her father's work clothes in the family home.
$1,700,365.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, who developed mesothelioma at the age of 74 as result of his exposure to asbestos while working at a petrochemical plant in the 1960s and 1970s.
$1,689,084.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, who developed mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to asbestos during his career as a pipefitter and plumber.
$1,683,959.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for an 85-year-old gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos during his career as a construction worker.
$1,655,269.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of a steelworker who died of asbestos-related mesothelioma at the age of 49. At trial, the jury awarded a significant sum after finding the manufacturer of an asbestos-containing refractories product responsible for the gentleman's exposure to asbestos.
$1,639,861.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 72-year-old woman diagnosed with mesothelioma. She was exposed to asbestos in the family home both as a child and an adult through her father's and husband's work clothing.
$1,637,308.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while working as a tradesman a number of industrial facilities throughout his career.
$1,616,379.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a retired insulator who worked at a shipyard and who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 72.
$1,581,167.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 62-year-old former engineer diagnosed with mesothelioma.
$1,573,492.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a lady who developed mesothelioma at the age of 65. She was exposed to asbestos through her father, a shipyard worker, and through her husband, an oil refinery worker.
$1,564,497.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman with mesothelioma who worked as a machinist in the 1950s - 1970s.
$1,552,840.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 58-year-old man exposed to asbestos while working at a paper mill.
$1,547,950.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 60-year-old gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while working as a boiler repairman and carpenter.
$1,520,594.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a lady diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 77 who was exposed to asbestos in the home while laundering her husband's work clothes.
$1,451,520.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, who was exposed to asbestos as a construction worker and was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 61.
$1,442,225.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman with mesothelioma who had worked as a career machinist.
$1,394,921.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a housewife who developed mesothelioma resulting from her exposure to asbestos while laundering the work clothes of her husband, a construction worker.
$1,380,449.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a man who was exposed to asbestos as a power plant operator and who developed mesothelioma at the age of 65.
$1,352,736.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for an 80-year-old gentleman exposed to asbestos as a career plumber.
$1,346,991.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 74-year-old gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos as a boiler operator in the Navy and later, while working in schools and hospitals.
$1,343,380.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 74 year old gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos as an oil refinery worker.
$1,281,181.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 77-year-old man with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos during his career as an electrician.
$1,279,514.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman exposed to asbestos as a foreman at a lead smelter who developed mesothelioma at the age of 72.
$1,274,437.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while working as a laborer and brick mason at an aluminum plant.
$1,268,771.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 75-year-old man exposed to asbestos during his career as a power plant operator.
$1,258,052.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a career ironworker who was exposed to asbestos during the course of his career and who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 68.
$1,246,006.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a woman who developed asbestos-related mesothelioma as a result of her exposure as a child to her father's work clothing.
$1,245,191.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 55-year-old man with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy.
$1,237,986.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 74-year-old gentleman diagnosed with mesothelioma who worked as a furnace installer and repairman.
$1,226,641.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while working as an equipment mechanic at a steel mill.
$1,205,854.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a career brick mason who was exposed to asbestos at several industrial and commercial job sites and who developed mesothelioma as a result.
$1,205,399.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for an 82-year-old gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos as a ship engineer for an oil company and while serving in the Navy.
$1,196,570.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 78-year-old gentleman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos while working in the construction and maintenance of several power plants.$1,193,802.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a gentleman with mesothelioma exposed to asbestos while working as a journeyman electrician.
$1,188.425.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, who was exposed to asbestos-containing refractory products while working as a construction engineer for a steel plant and who developed mesothelioma as a result.
$1,171,365.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 75-year-old man with mesothelioma who had worked as a rigger at an oil refinery.
$1,157,491.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the widow of a career insulator who worked at a chemical plant and who died of mesothelioma at the age of 77.
$1,147,533.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a 67-year-old gentleman who was exposed to asbestos as a journeyman electrician.
$1,072,639.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for a career pipefitter who was exposed to asbestos at several industrial facilities and who developed mesothelioma as a result.
$1,046,541.00 Received by Client after Attorney's Fees and Expenses, for the family of an ironworker who developed mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to asbestos while working at an oil refinery as well and industrial sites. The jury awarded a significant verdict against the oil company where he once worked.
See… Previous Client Verdicts & Settlements
Sources: http://www.mesotheliomaattorney.com/financial.htm#settlement01
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Mesothelioma Compensation And Cases
Financial Compensation
Mesothelioma Lung Cancer
Mesothelioma cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers or dust and primarily strikes persons who worked with asbestos products. It is a type of lung cancer that takes many years to develop and produce symptoms.If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, or a family member has died as a result, you may be entitled to recover compensation from the companies that made these asbestos products.
Representation:
With over 28 years of experience, over 80 lawyers and over 300 staff, Baron & Budd, PC will give your case the attention it deserves. We have represented clients from across the country and look forward to helping you and your family.
Recovering Financial Compensation:
Baron & Budd has won many significant victories and settlements for mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer victims. For example, the following are amounts received by some of our mesothelioma clients after all attorney's fees and expenses are paid. These cases were all handled by Baron & Budd attorneys serving as lead counsel.
$2,828,514 - Man, age 58, exposed to asbestos as a child through father’s work clothes. (Case settled before trial).
Specific Results Depend on the Facts of Each Case.
Specific Results Depend on the Facts of Each Case.
Find Out if You are Eligible to Recover Compensation If you would like more information about Mesothelioma and the availability of financial compensation please call 1 800 975-6376.
For information, click here
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The X-ray may reveal pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and increases suspicion of mesothelioma.
A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If a large amount of fluid is present, abnormal cells may be detected by cytology if this fluid is aspirated with a syringe. For pleural fluid this is done by a pleural tap or chest drain, in ascites with an paracentesis or ascitic drain and in a pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis, heart failure).
If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.
If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a laparoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.
Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The X-ray may reveal pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and increases suspicion of mesothelioma.
A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If a large amount of fluid is present, abnormal cells may be detected by cytology if this fluid is aspirated with a syringe. For pleural fluid this is done by a pleural tap or chest drain, in ascites with an paracentesis or ascitic drain and in a pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis, heart failure).
If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.
If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a laparoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.
Signs And Symptoms
Signs And Symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:
abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:
blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness
of breath
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:
abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:
blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.
What Is Mesothelioma?
What Is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is nearly always caused from previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre 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 is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.
Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that is becoming more and more common. Affecting the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium – the outer lining that protects the body’s major organs such as the heart, stomach and lungs – this form of cancer is a direct result of regular and unprotected exposure to asbestos. The symptoms and the latency period of this disease mean that it is difficult to diagnose. Treatment for mesothelioma is still being investigated through clinical trials and research, but as a rule it responds poorly to the treatments that are currently used.
The people most at risk from being carriers of this cancer are those have worked with asbestos over the past thirty to fifty years. Because of this, the disease is most common in men between the ages of sixty and seventy as this is the group that commonly worked with asbestos during those years.
Because of the lack of protection and regulations in those days, these workers were constantly exposed to the dust and fibres from the asbestos, which caused the cells of the mesothelium to become abnormal. However, because the disease takes decades to develop fully and manifest, many of them were oblivious to this until thirty to fifty years later. It is these men who are now lodging multi-million dollar lawsuits against the unscrupulous companies that exposed them to the dangers of asbestos, even though they were aware that it could cause harm to the employees.
There are also other people at risk from the disease; namely those who have had regular contact with a person who has worked with asbestos. Because these workers regularly carried dust and fibres on their clothes, skin and in their hair, they fibres and dust could be ingested by family members, who were then at risk of developing mesothelioma, respiratory problems or another asbestos related disease.
The organs most affected by mesothelioma are the lungs and the surrounding tissue. Pleural mesothelioma, which is the type affecting the lining of the lungs, is the most common variation of this cancer with symptoms which include breathing and swallowing difficulties, coughing, shortness of breath, fever and weight loss.
The abdomen is another area affected by this cancer, and this variation is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of mesothelioma is not as common as pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include nausea and vomiting, weight loss and loss of appetite, fever, bowel obstruction and pain or swelling of the stomach area. The last variation of the cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, which is where the cancer affects the heart and the tissue surrounding it. This variation is a rare one, and symptoms can include palpitations, breathing difficulties, and persistent coughing.
The symptoms of mesothelioma are very common to a number of other diseases which are more well-known in society. Therefore, it is not unusual for the patient to be misdiagnosed when he or she goes in displaying any or all of these symptoms. People who have worked with asbestos should always let their doctor know this so that the doctor is more aware and more conscious of the possibilities in the event that the symptoms do manifest. A speedy diagnosis is important to the effective treatment of mesothelioma, and without being aware of the facts your doctor may not be able to make the diagnosis as quickly as he would if he is aware of the situation.
Although there are treatments for mesothelioma, they do not have a high success rate particularly on patients in whom the cancer is in its later stages. The faster the mesothelioma is diagnosed and treated, the more chance of success, which is why it is important to get as fast a diagnosis as possible.
Current treatments for mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy, palliative therapy and chemotherapy. The National Institute of Cancer along with a variety of other organizations and sponsors are currently conducting research into mesothelioma and carrying out clinical trials to try and find a treatment that will not only be more effective but will enable the successful treatment of the disease even in its later stages.
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is nearly always caused from previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre 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 is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.
Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that is becoming more and more common. Affecting the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium – the outer lining that protects the body’s major organs such as the heart, stomach and lungs – this form of cancer is a direct result of regular and unprotected exposure to asbestos. The symptoms and the latency period of this disease mean that it is difficult to diagnose. Treatment for mesothelioma is still being investigated through clinical trials and research, but as a rule it responds poorly to the treatments that are currently used.
The people most at risk from being carriers of this cancer are those have worked with asbestos over the past thirty to fifty years. Because of this, the disease is most common in men between the ages of sixty and seventy as this is the group that commonly worked with asbestos during those years.
Because of the lack of protection and regulations in those days, these workers were constantly exposed to the dust and fibres from the asbestos, which caused the cells of the mesothelium to become abnormal. However, because the disease takes decades to develop fully and manifest, many of them were oblivious to this until thirty to fifty years later. It is these men who are now lodging multi-million dollar lawsuits against the unscrupulous companies that exposed them to the dangers of asbestos, even though they were aware that it could cause harm to the employees.
There are also other people at risk from the disease; namely those who have had regular contact with a person who has worked with asbestos. Because these workers regularly carried dust and fibres on their clothes, skin and in their hair, they fibres and dust could be ingested by family members, who were then at risk of developing mesothelioma, respiratory problems or another asbestos related disease.
The organs most affected by mesothelioma are the lungs and the surrounding tissue. Pleural mesothelioma, which is the type affecting the lining of the lungs, is the most common variation of this cancer with symptoms which include breathing and swallowing difficulties, coughing, shortness of breath, fever and weight loss.
The abdomen is another area affected by this cancer, and this variation is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of mesothelioma is not as common as pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include nausea and vomiting, weight loss and loss of appetite, fever, bowel obstruction and pain or swelling of the stomach area. The last variation of the cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, which is where the cancer affects the heart and the tissue surrounding it. This variation is a rare one, and symptoms can include palpitations, breathing difficulties, and persistent coughing.
The symptoms of mesothelioma are very common to a number of other diseases which are more well-known in society. Therefore, it is not unusual for the patient to be misdiagnosed when he or she goes in displaying any or all of these symptoms. People who have worked with asbestos should always let their doctor know this so that the doctor is more aware and more conscious of the possibilities in the event that the symptoms do manifest. A speedy diagnosis is important to the effective treatment of mesothelioma, and without being aware of the facts your doctor may not be able to make the diagnosis as quickly as he would if he is aware of the situation.
Although there are treatments for mesothelioma, they do not have a high success rate particularly on patients in whom the cancer is in its later stages. The faster the mesothelioma is diagnosed and treated, the more chance of success, which is why it is important to get as fast a diagnosis as possible.
Current treatments for mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy, palliative therapy and chemotherapy. The National Institute of Cancer along with a variety of other organizations and sponsors are currently conducting research into mesothelioma and carrying out clinical trials to try and find a treatment that will not only be more effective but will enable the successful treatment of the disease even in its later stages.
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