Pleural Mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, making up over two-thirds of all cases. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lung and chest cavity known as the pleura.

The pleura is is the membrane that surrounds the chest and lungs. This membrane, known as the mesothelium, lines several body cavities. While the pleura surrounds the lungs, cancer of the pleura is not actually lung cancer

Pleural mesothelioma, like all kinds of mesothelioma, can be difficult to diagnose or easily misdiagnosed. If you are aware of prior asbestos exposure, it is important to inform your physician so that mesothelioma symptoms can be correctly identified.

While a diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma is certainly serious, it is not without options. A variety of new and novel mesothelioma treatments are available, as are a variety of clinical trials.

Causes of Pleural Mesothelioma

Asbestos causes pleural mesothelioma. Used in a variety of industrial and construction applications, asbestos fibers are small, lightweight, strong, and easily airborne.

Once in the air these fibers are easily inhaled or injested, their size and sharp shape makes it easy for them work their way into the smallest passageways of the lungs and then into the pleura. Asbestos fibers thwart the body's natural defenses. Whether it is the sharp shape of the asbestos fibers, an unknown chemical reaction, or a combination of both these factors that cause the mesothelial cells of the pleura to become abnormal and divide without control is unknown. The connection, however, between asbestos and pleural mesothelioma has been clear since the begining of the 1960s.

Asbestos is the single largest cause of occupational cancer in the US¹. In addition to pleural mesothelioma, asbestos causes lung cancer, other forms of mesothelioma, including peritoneal mesothelioma, and it is linked to several other types of cancer such as colon, stomach, throat, and laryngeal cancer.

In addition, absestos causes several non-cancerous conditions such as asbestosis, pleural effusions, pleural plaques, and pleural thickening (also known as pleural fibrosis). The majority of those diagnosed with these non-malignant conditions do not develop mesothelioma. However, the asbestos exposure levels associated with these conditions is an important factor to take into account when considering your risk of developing pleural mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms

"Do I have pleural mesothelioma?" If you have been asking yourself this question, chances are you have a history of asbestos exposure.

Pleural mesothelioma's symptoms are not specific, and may indicate other, less serious, conditions. However, if you know you have a history of asbestos exposure, it is wise to be proactive regarding your health care choices and observant of potential symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Have regular check ups with your physician and make sure he or she is aware of your concerns and your history of asbestos exposure.

Pleural mesothelioma is a dose-dependent disease, meaning that the longer and more heavily your exposure to asbestos, the greater the chance you have of developing pleural mesothelioma (or another type of mesothelioma). This dose-dependence can also affect how quickly you are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, although the disease is known for its long latency periods of 10, 20, even as many as 40 years from exposure to disease progression.

Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include, but are not limited to:

Breathlessness (dyspnea)

Along with shortness of breath, patients may suffer from a cough. Rarely, patients may develop hoarsness or cough up blood (hemoptysis).

Chest pain

Chest pain is often nonspecific, and may sometimes be felt in upper abdomen, shoulder, or arm. Chest pain and breathlessness are the most common, and usually earliest presenting, symptoms of pleural mesothelioma

Weight Loss

Unexplained weight loss is cited as a symptom in about a third of pleural mesothelioma cases.

Pleural effusion

A pleural effusion is the result of too much fluid building up between the parietal and visceral pleura (linings of the chest and lungs, respectively); a pleural effusion may cause chest pain and difficulty breathing (dyspnea), however, many cause no symptoms and are first discovered during the physical examination or seen on a chest x-ray.

Night sweats

Less common, but still cited enough to be considerd a symptom of pleural mesothelioma are fever, chills, and night sweats.

Pleura Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Pleural mesothelioma, while the most common type of mesotheioma, is still a rare diagnosis. It is important that you seek out specialists who can effectively diagnose any symptoms suspected of indicating pleural mesothelioma. Many patients begin exhibiting symptoms for several months before addressing them with their physician; once in the care of a doctor, pleural mesothelioma is still somewhat tricky to diagnose, thanks to its rarity and nonspecific symptoms. While not surprising that early diagnosis is tricky, if you have a history of risk factors and concerns regarding an unusual symptoms, visit your doctor; ask about your concerns regarding pleural mesothelioma.

Diagnosing Pleural Mesothelioma

A physical exam and patient history will likely be your doctor's first step in diagnosing pleural mesothelioma. Past exposure to asbestos is a strong risk factor for pleural mesothelioma and the longer and more seriously you were exposed to asbestos, the greater your risk. If your doctor does not ask about your work history and potential mesothelioma risk factors, let him or her know about your asbestos exposure.

The next step is usually an x-ray of the chest. Pleural effusions, masses, and scarring may be seen on x-rays. Because x-rays are less sensitive than newer imaging techniques, an abnormal finding on an x-ray will likely prompt your physician to order further imaging through a CT or CAT scan or MRI. This will likely provide a better idea of the size, location, and invasiveness of the mass, but not a definitive diagnosis, nor a complete picture of if the mesothelioma has metastized into the lymph system.

Once a suspicious mass or fluid has been spotted, your doctor will probably order a thoracentesis and/or biopsy be performed.

Thoracentesis is a minimilarly invasive procedure where fluid is removed from the pleural space. As many as 95% of patients with pleural mesothelioma have pleural effusions, or excess fluid collection in the pleural space. Thoracentesis (or thoracocentesis) is generally an outpatient procedure and usually requires only local anesthestic. A hollow needle or catheter is interted into the chest to drain the accumuated fluid.

Generally the first biopsy, or tissue collection, performed is a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Using a thin, hollow needle, cells from the suspcious mass are extracted. Like the thoracentesis, it is not as invasive as many surgical procedures and can help avoid the need for diagnostic surgery.

The collected fluid and/or biopsy tissue will then be sent for analysis by pathologist and/or cytologists. These specialists will look for signs of cancerous cells in the samples. Immunohistochemistry is the chemical staining of these samples to better identify abnormal cells. "Immunos," as these tests are sometimes called, are an important form of testing and are usually recommended.

If a definitive diagnosis has still not been reached, more invasive testing may be required. Your doctor may perform a thoracoscopy; this involves inserting a lighted scope, sometimes with a camera on it, into the chest for a closer look. If suspicious masses are seen, the doctor may cut out a sample of tissue to be examined for maligant cells.

Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Mesothelioma treatment can entail a number of therapies intended to kill cancerous cells, prevent the tumor from spreading or alleviate the symptoms of the disease. Each patient’s situation is unique and will shape their treatment plan. Factors such as the stage and form of mesothelioma, treatment history, patient’s location, ability to travel and financial situation are all important to consider when seeking treatment.

Types of Mesothelioma Treatment

If a patient’s diagnosis and health indicates that their response to curative treatment may be positive, their doctor may develop a course of treatment to remove the tumor(s) and attempt to prevent metastasis throughout the body. If the patient is dealing with a late-stage cancer, the treatment is more likely to be palliative in nature, addressing the symptoms while improving the patient’s quality of life. The following treatment options may be either palliative or curative, depending on the patient’s case:

Surgery

Surgery is one of the most common treatments for mesothelioma. Patients whose cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the lymph nodes may be eligible for curative surgery that removes the tumors. Depending upon the patient’s diagnosis and overall health, mesothelioma surgeries can be either curative or palliative, and may fall somewhere in between if surgery efforts are effective. Mesothelioma surgery is commonly followed by other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation in an attempt to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has shown to be the most effective and least invasive form of treatment to extend life expectancy. Depending upon the location of the cancer, some patients may be eligible for heated chemotherapy, a treatment commonly used for cases of peritoneal mesothelioma. Cisplatin, the most commonly used chemotherapy drug for mesothelioma, is frequently used in conjunction with pemetrexed to achieve the most advantageous results in reducing tumors.
Learn more about chemotherapy for mesothelioma

Radiation

Radiation therapy directly applies radiation to the cancerous locations. This is through either sealed or unsealed source radiation. Patients of all stages are eligible to receive radiation therapy, as it can be used in conjunction with other treatments to reduce tumor growth and ease symptoms.
Learn about the types of radiation therapy and how they work

Emerging & Alternative Treatments

While surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are considered the most common types of mesothelioma treatment, a number of new therapies are currently in development. Immunotherapy manipulates the patient’s immune system into attacking the tumors, while photodynamic therapy exposes cancer cells to photosensitizing drugs and specific lights. Gene therapy is another experimental treatment that attempts to correct defective genes that may lead to cancerous changes.

Immunotherapy Gene Therapy Photodynamic Therapy

Multimodal Therapy

In a recent study, 46% of mesothelioma patients showed a 5-year survival rate following multimodal therapy

Multimodal therapy is one of the most common approaches to treating mesothelioma, combining two or more treatments that may be completed simultaneously or in a planned sequence. A mesothelioma specialist can most adequately analyze a patient’s condition and develop a treatment regimen that will best benefit the patient.
Learn how multimodal therapy works

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are used to test experimental treatments before they are approved for widespread clinical use. These trials often explore new procedures and drugs and compare them to the current standard of mesothelioma treatment.

Get help enrolling in clinical trials View recruiting clinical trials

Alternative & Complimentary Treatments

When choosing a therapy plan, some patients consider alternative and complementary mesothelioma treatments. Alternative treatments refer to any unconventional treatment methods, and complementary treatments refer to an alternative therapy used to supplement one or more conventional treatments. A number of mesothelioma survivors credit their remission to alternative therapies.

A diagnosis is always difficult, whether it is pleural mesothelioma or another variety. Because this is such an aggressive malignancy, patients and their families may have a difficult time addressing the issue of treatment. However, because options for mesothelioma patients are steadily increasing, the discussion of treatment with one’s primary oncologist, family members, and loved ones is important. Nearly all mesothelioma patients have treatment options-be they curative or palliative that can extend survival, alleviate pain, and increase quality of life.

Each mesothelioma case is considered individually and there is no singular prescribed roadmap for the management of malignant mesothelioma. What's best for each individual patient will depend on any number of factors. Diagnostic procedures such as x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and biopsies will be used to determine these factors and these tests will assist your primary care physician and/or oncologist in determining the best treatment for the individual and their particular circumstances.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Cancer treatment usually focuses upon destroying malignant cells and preserving healthy ones. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. At the present, patients will typically utilize three primary mechanisms for mesothelioma treatment. Either surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, or some combination of the three are considered the most effective for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. What course of treatment is recommended will largely depend on these issues:

• The type of mesothelioma and location of the tumor
• The size of the tumor(s)
• The degree to which the cancer has spread or metastasized
• The staging of the cancer – I, II, III, etc.
• The age of the patient
• The overall physical health of the patient

Setting up any type of treatment may involve seeing a variety of doctors, including an oncologist (cancer specialist), pulmonologist (lung specialist), or radiologist. Patience is sometimes necessary to determine the exact malignancy variety and location, but knowing these factors will undoubtedly assist the oncologist in prescribing the best possible method of mesothelioma treatment.

Surgery for Mesothelioma Treatment

Surgery can be performed on mesothelioma patients for one of two reasons: in an attempt to cure the disease or for palliative reasons in order to keep the patient more comfortable and improve the quality of life. Because mesothelioma is nearly always diagnosed in its later stages, curative surgery is typically not an option. Once the tumor has metastasized outside the pleural cavity, palliation is typically the only ends for which surgery is utilized.

As tests are developed that may help to diagnose mesothelioma at an earlier stage, surgery may become more of an option in the future. At that point, doctors may be able to attempt to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue in an attempt to stabilize the disease.

More often, however, surgery is used as a palliative measure. For example, doctors may opt for a surgery called a pleurodesis, which involves injecting talc into the lungs to prevent fluid from returning. A thoracentesis, a surgical procedure that removes fluid from the lungs by means of a thin needle, may also be recommended.

In severe cases, a pleurectomy may be recommended for palliative purposes. This involves removing the pleura - the lining of the lung - and can control fluid build-up and lessen pain and breathing difficulties.

Advancements in Mesothelioma Surgery

In recent years, doctors have made progress at some of the leading cancer medical centers with extensive surgeries that have prolonged survival rate in those diagnosed with early stage disease. Among the more exciting of these treatments is what is known as extrapleural pneumonectomy. This procedure, which requires the expertise of a leading mesothelioma surgeon, involves the surgical resection of the entire affected lung, pleurectomy, removal of the pericardium (a membrane which surrounds the heart), and the diaphragm. During the course of surgery, intra-operative chemotherapy agent (i.e. cisplatin or GEMzar) will be applied directly to the affected area to eliminate any remaining malignant cells. Following the application of chemotherapy, the diaphragm and pericardium are reconstructed with prosthetic material.

Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma Treatment

If a patient’s health is too fragile for surgery or chemotherapy, radiation is often recommended. Radiation is associated with the fewest side effects and is typically more to tolerable than chemotherapy for mesothelioma treatment. There are a few different methodologies of radiation therapy available to mesothelioma patients. Radiation is often used in conjunction with another type of treatment such as an in complementary capacity to an existing chemotherapy regimen.

External beam radiation - the preferred type to treat mesothelioma, this type of radiation comes from a machine outside the body and is aimed toward affected areas. Usually administered 5-days-a-week for up to 5 weeks, this type of radiation is often used for palliative purposes - to lessen breathing difficulties, pain, bleeding, or difficulty swallowing - but has seldom shown true efficacy as a curative mesothelioma treatment. This type of radiation may also be used in addition to surgery.

Brachytherapy - Rarely prescribed for mesothelioma, this kind of radiation places radioactive material directly inside the lung or abdomen.

Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma Treatment

Like radiation, chemotherapy provides no cure for mesothelioma but can be extremely effective in providing relief from the difficult symptoms of the disease. As researchers continue to trial different combinations of chemotherapy drugs, patients will continue to benefit from their findings. The hops is that someday, chemotherapy drugs may go a lot further in prolonging the life of a patient and developing a cure for mesothelioma.

Chemotherapy drugs, in general, are either ingested in pill form or injected into the patient systemically. In the case of mesothelioma patients, the drugs are administered intravenously. Doctors will typically combine two drugs for the best result. One will act as the primary cytotoxin and another will serve as an alkalizing agent to stabilize surrounding healthy cells. At the present the only combination approved by the Food and Drug Administration is Alimta^®; (pemetrexed) and Cisplatin^®, but other drugs are used in tandem if deemed preferable for a specific patient participating in a clinical trial. In some cases, patients can only tolerate a single drug so only one is used for treatment.

Other drugs are given to the patient to combat the unpleasant side effects of chemo, such as medication to relieve nausea and vomiting or vitamins to replace essential ones lost during chemotherapy. Some patients for one reason or another will make a measured determination that the side effects of chemotherapy are too severe and opt not to receive this treatment.

Clincal Trials for Mesothelioma Treatment

Clinical trials are the study of promising new treatments for a particular disease. These trials are constantly in need of patients who are willing to try these experimental treatments before they are approved by the FDA. Patients should speak to their doctors about current clinical trials available to them and if they might qualify to be a part of a particular study. Those opting to participate in a clinical trial should carefully weigh what advantages and disadvantages, in addition to the goals of the trial before deciding to participate.

Mesothelioma Cure

Following the backlash of asbestos-related exposures and illnesses, many people were wondering how scientific research was going to proceed. The response has been encouraging, with cancer specialists and other doctors working each day towards a cure for malignant mesothelioma. While a way to completely eliminate the cancer from the body does not presently exist, there are several successful mesothelioma treatment programs as well as clinical trials that are working towards developing a way to eliminate this unfortunate form of cancer.

Treatments for patients of malignant mesothelioma commonly fall in line with treatment of other lung and lung-related cancers. Curative treatments are those which remove the cancer from the body completely. While there are no cures for mesothelioma, any treatment could theoretically be curative, so long as it is successful in completely removing the cancer from the body. While the treatment may be curative, it is important to remember that curative treatments do not rule out the recurrence of the disease.

While curative treatments may not prevent the disease from recurring, it is important to be aware of current initiatives that are working towards a total cure for the disease. There have been instances of unique treatment programs that have prevented the recurrence of the disease for several years. Paul Krauss was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1997 and given only a few months to live by his physician. Today, Paul Krauss is still alive and active and has dedicated himself towards spreading awareness of the disease and working with others in developing treatment programs that would be as successful as his has been.

Combination treatments, which integrate two or more different treatment options, such as surgery coupled with radiation, or surgery paired with radiation and chemotherapy have been successful in extending life expectancies. Medical researchers believe that when the right combination of therapies is found, prognoses will be far longer than anyone could have imagined when the disease first manifested. Technology has also afforded new possibilities to mesothelioma patients. CT (Computer Topography) scans have been able to map three-dimensional images of the body's internal organs for targeted chemotherapy or radiation therapy to be administered.

Another novel technique is being integrated with surgical resections of mesothelioma tumors. Heated chemotherapeutic agents have shown increased proficiency in the elimination of cancer cells. Side effects of chemotherapy have, in the past, prevented physicians from delivering an optimal dosage of the drug. However, a novel procedure known as intracavity heated chemotherapy treatment has integrated these two concepts into a successful program. Heated chemotherapeutic agent is administered directly to the affected area during the surgical removal, destroying any remaining cancer cells in the area and extending prognoses well beyond typical timeframs.

It is through technology and advancements such as these that cancer specialists and physicians are laying the groundwork for a cure

Source from: http://www.maacenter.org/mesothelioma/treatment/

Asbestos Law

Federal Asbestos Laws, Regulations, Standards

Asbestos is governed by several federal laws, regulations, and standards. Among them are the following:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

• Occupational Safety and Health Standards

Environmental Protection Agency

• Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)
• Clean Air Act (CAA)
• National Emission Standard Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)
• Regulations on

asbestos-containing materials in schools
asbestos abatement projects
asbestos prohibition and labeling requirements

• Agency rules published in the Federal Register which propose, implement, and revise regulatory changes

Occupational Safety and Health Standards

Code of Federal Regulations. Title 29, Volume 8, Part 1926. Revised as of July 1, 1999.

Title 29: Labor. Chapter XVII: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor. Part 1926: Safety and Health Regulations for Construction. Subpart Z: Toxic and Hazardous Substances.

§ 1926.1101 Asbestos

Code of Federal Regulations. Title 29, Volume 7, Parts 1911 to 1925. Revised as of July 1, 2000.

Title 29: Labor. Chapter XVII: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor. Part 1915: Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Shipyard Employment. Subpart Z: Toxic and Hazardous Substances.

§ 1915.1001 Asbestos

Toxic Substance Control Act

United States Code. Title 15. Laws in effect as of January 6, 1999. Documents not affected by Public Laws enacted between January 6, 1999, and April 7, 2000 or October 26, 2000.

Title 15: Commerce and Trade. Chapter 53: Toxic Substances Control. Subchapter I: Control of Toxic Substances.

§ 2605 Regulation of hazardous chemical substances and mixtures

Subchapter II: Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response.

§ 2641 Congressional findings and purpose
§ 2642 Definitions
§ 2643 EPA regulations
§ 2644 Requirements if EPA fails to promulgate regulations
§ 2645 Submission to State Governor
§ 2646 Contractor and laboratory accreditation
§ 2647 Enforcement
§ 2648 Emergency authority
§ 2649 State and Federal law
§ 2650 Asbestos contractors and local educational agencies
§ 2651 Public protection
§ 2652 Asbestos Ombudsman
§ 2653 EPA Study of asbestos-containing material in public buildings
§ 2654 Transitional rules
§ 2655 Worker protection
§ 2656 Training grants

Clean Air Act

United States Code. Title 42. Laws in effect as of January 6, 1999. Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between January 6, 1999 and October 26, 2000.

Title 42: The Public Health and Welfare. Chapter 85: Air Pollution Prevention and Control. Subchapter I: Programs and Activities. Part A: Air Quality and Emission Limitations.

§ 7412 Hazardous air pollutants

National Emission Standard Hazardous Air Pollutants

Code of Federal Regulations. Title 40, Volume 7, Parts 61 to 62. Revised as of April 1, 2000.

Title 40: Protection of Environment. Chapter I: Environmental Protection Agency. Part 61: National Emission Standards For Hazardous Air Pollutants. Subpart M: National Emission Standard for Asbestos.

§ 61.140 Applicability
§ 61.141 Definitions
§ 61.142 Standard for asbestos mills
§ 61.143 Standard for roadways
§ 61.144 Standard for manufacturing
§ 61.145 Standard for demolition and renovation
§ 61.146 Standard for spraying
§ 61.147 Standard for fabricating
§ 61.148 Standard for insulating materials
§ 61.149 Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills
§ 61.150 Standard for waste disposal for manufacturing, fabricating, demolition, renovation, and spraying operations
§ 61.151 Standard for inactive waste disposal sites for asbestos mills and manufacturing and fabricating operations
§ 61.152 Air-cleaning
§ 61.153 Reporting
§ 61.154 Standard for active waste disposal sites
§ 61.155 Standard for operations that convert asbestos-containing waste material into nonasbestos (asbestos-free) material
§ 61.156 Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations
§ 61.157 Delegation of authority

Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) in Schools

Code of Federal Regulations. Title 40, Volume 23, Parts 700 to 789. Revised as of July 1, 2000.

Title 40: Protection of Environment. Chapter I: Environmental Protection Agency. Part 61: Asbestos. Subpart E: Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools.

§ 763.80 Scope and purpose
§ 763.83 Definitions
§ 763.84 General local education agency responsibilities
§ 763.85 Inspection and reinspections
§ 763.86 Sampling
§ 763.87 Analysis
§ 763.88 Assessment
§ 763.90 Response actions
§ 763.91 Operations and maintenance See Rule Revision effective Dec. 15, 2000
§ 763.92 Training and periodic surveillance See Rule Revision effective Dec. 15, 2000
§ 763.93 Management plans
§ 763.94 Recordkeeping
§ 763.95 Warning labels
§ 763.97 Compliance and enforcement
§ 763.98 Waiver; delegation to State
§ 763.99 Exclusions

Asbestos Abatement Projects

Code of Federal Regulations. Title 40, Volume 23, Parts 700 to 789. Revised as of July 1, 2000. See Rule Revision effective December 15, 2000

Title 40: Protection of Environment. Chapter I: Environmental Protection Agency. Part 61: Asbestos. Subpart G: Asbestos Abatement Projects.

§ 763.120 Scope
§ 763.121 Regulatory requirements
§ 763.122 Exclusions for States
§ 763.124 Reporting
§ 763.125 Enforcement
§ 763.126 Inspections

Asbestos Prohibition and Labeling Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations. Title 40, Volume 23, Parts 700 to 789. Revised as of July 1, 2000.

Title 40: Protection of Environment. Chapter I: Environmental Protection Agency. Part 61: Asbestos. Subpart I: Prohibition of the Manufacture, Importation, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce of Certain Asbestos-Containing Products; Labeling Requirements.

§ 763.160 Scope
§ 763.163 Definitions
§ 763.165 Manufacture and importation prohibitions
§ 763.167 Processing prohibitions
§ 763.169 Distribution in commerce prohibitions
§ 763.171 Labeling requirements
§ 763.173 Exemptions
§ 763.175 Enforcement
§ 763.176 Inspections
§ 763.178 Recordkeeping
§ 763.179 Confidential business information claims

Agency Rules

Federal Register. November 15, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 221). Rules and Regulations. Page 69209-69217.

Part VI. Environmental Protection Agency. 40 CFR Part 763. Asbestos Worker Protection: Final Rule. Effective Date: December 15, 2000.

40 CFR Part 763 Asbestos Worker Protection; Final Rule

Source : http://www.mesotheliomacg.com/asbestos-law.php

Mesothelioma Attorneys

 Mesothelioma Law Firm

If you or a loved one has been affected by Mesothelioma, you need to know your legal options. We at the Lanier Mesothelioma Law Firm are dedicated to helping your family. In stressful times like these, your family needs someone strong to stand beside you.

With your health and treatment in mind, we have created a Free mesothelioma Information packet and DVD that will explain what Mesothelioma is and help in finding doctors, treatment centers and other important information. Our free DVD includes information about the asbestos industry - what they knew, what they covered up and how victims can go about recovering financial compensation. We hope that we can help you and your loved ones during this difficult time.

Please complete the form below so we can begin a confidential review of your case and start the process to help you and your family.

Mesothelioma Attorneys

Mesothelioma is such a disease that can be prevented if proper precaution and necessary steps are taken in time. Moreover, it is a well known fact that being a victim to Mesothelioma it is a really difficult and almost impossible to contend with. But the interesting fact is that it can be avoided if proper precaution is taken in time. As it is commonly known that this is a form of cancer which may occur to persons working with asbestos. This is the most common means of being victimized by Mesothelioma. But along with that it should also be kept in mind that it is not necessary that everyone working with asbestos or working in a asbestos factory should be vulnerable to this disease. The first and foremost thing that should be kept in mind in this respect is that while working with asbestos it is essential to get proper precaution to avoid the consequences.
It should be kept in mind that the effects or symptoms of Mesothelioma shows up after quite a long period of time and when it does it is already in a serious state and immediate action is needed to prevent its worsening. It is essential to note that the symptoms includes breathlessness, excessive cough, chest pain, weakness, unnatural weightless and other such symptoms. It is one of the most dangerous forms of cancer and to find the proper cure for it is almost unattainable. But that does not mean that there is no treatment facility available for that but it is always better to take preventive measures if possible than to find a cure. In this context it is essential to note that this disease germinates with the exposure to asbestos fibers and therefore it is essential for the employers to take proper precautionary measures to help protect their workers from being exposed to such a disease while working with asbestos.
And being a victim of this fatal disease as a result of the fault of your employer to take proper precautionary measures there are certain legal claims you can make with the help of Mesothelioma attorneys. It is a very crucial fact that if you want to get your legal claim for this disease a Mesothelioma attorney is the best help you can get. With the help of Mesothelioma attorney assistance it is a lot easier and effective to get your legal claims against the carelessness of your employer.
As it is a life threatening disease therefore you should always keep in mind that you should always take the aid of a Mesothelioma attorney to fight for you and your family rights. Moreover, it is a fact that every state has certain statute of limitations in regard of the legal claim for the disease for which the Mesothelioma attorneys can prove to be the best help one can get.
It is always better if you can find someone specialized as Mesothelioma asbestos attorney so that you can get the best results regarding your claim. With the help of Mesothelioma attorney assistance a victim of such a deadly disease may not save himself from the fatal effects of the disease but at least can get the legal claims and provide some sort of help to his family. The Mesothelioma asbestos attorney is the best and the most appropriate help for the legal claims against the careless employer.
A Mesothelioma attorneys can guide you best in what to do and can also provide you all sort of guidelines about the time and the place when and where you should file the case. In this respect it is essential to get the suggestion of your Mesothelioma asbestos attorney about where you should file the case. Say for example if you are living in Texas you can file the case with the help of Mesothelioma Texas. But what you should always keep in mind is to take the proper suggestions of your Mesothelioma attorney so that you can get the best results for your claim.

Source from: http://www.mesotheliomaattorneysinfo.com/

Mesothelioma lawyers

When you have been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease like malignant mesothelioma, legal matters are probably not the first issue on your mind.

It is completely natural to be fearful, angry and concerned over how you will pay for your mesothelioma treatment and what will happen to your family when you are no longer able to work. It is for these last two reasons however that you should be considering legal action from the moment you are diagnosed with mesothelioma. The main reason for this is because of the statute of limitations on legal action. This is a period of time within which you must file a claim, or forfeit your right to do so. The statute of limitations varies from one state to another. Any delay could impact your right to make a claim, but do not assume it is too late. A mesothelioma lawyer may still be able to recover damages on your behalf even if the common statute of limitations has passed. The other reason you need to find a mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible is because it may be the only recourse you have in order to get compensation for medical expense and lost income. Because of the system currently in place, –retaining a lawyer and filing a lawsuit may be your best choice to hold corporations accountable and force them to cover your pain, suffering, expenses and losses - all for which they may be found liable.

Finding the right mesothelioma attorney will help maximize your chances of winning a settlement in a court of law.

What an Asbestos Attorney Does

A mesothelioma lawyer is one who practices in the field of torts - that is, personal injury law and has experience representing victims of asbestos. Torts cover everything from minor sports injuries caused by a Little League coach's oversight to wrongful death due to gross negligence on the part of a large corporation.

Because asbestos litigation is now entering its fifth decade, has become so frequent and involves such large sums of money, it has become a sub-specialty of the law; in legal terms, asbestos liability is said to be a mature tort. This means that there have been enough cases over a sufficient amount of time to establish case law and precedent.

Since mesothelioma can take years and even decades to appear after initial asbestos exposure, these cases pose unique challenges. Over such periods of time, companies go out of business, change their names and/or go into the production of different materials; they move to other states or even other countries; often, they have been acquired by other corporations and are operated as subsidiaries.

This can cause difficulty in identifying the party who bears ultimate liability. Typically, preparing for an asbestos case requires large amounts of painstaking research which involves close examination of old records, previous cases, legal documents and even photographs. Often, witnesses must be found and asked for testimony regarding events and issues dating back twenty to forty years and more.

In addition, because the onset of the disease is often years after exposure to the cause, establishing this causation ("cause and effect," which is at the heart of all personal injury litigation) often requires the testimony of medical experts.

How to Find the Right Mesothelioma Lawyer

It is tempting to go straight to the Internet and type "mesothelioma lawyer" into your favorite search engine. However, this may not be the best strategy. First of all, such a query will result in well over two million hits. Even if you limit your search to a specific state, you may wind up with a million hits or more. You should be satisfied with your communication with a lawyer and mesothelioma law firms before making your decision.

Consider what is at stake, and then proceed accordingly. You may want to ask a potential mesothelioma lawyer the following questions:

· How many mesothelioma (not just asbestos) cases have they handled?

· What were the usual outcomes (out-of-court settlement, win, loss, appeal)?

· Will the attorney be handling your case personally? (At times attorneys may refer your case to another firm that may be better suited to help in your situation - often providing you with the services of both their firms and another at no extra cost to you- this may be a benefit to you)

· Will you be able to speak with him/her as needed? Will your calls be returned in a timely manner and your questions answered clearly?

· Will s/he and/or the firm accept the case on a contingency basis? (Because of high costs of this type of case, this is often the only option for many individuals; the lawyer takes his/her fee and expenses as a percentage of the final award)

· Will your case be handled on an individual basis, or "bundled" with several other similar cases? (This may hurt you if your case is a strong one, but can be helpful to weaker cases)

· Does the attorney or firm have a network of lawyers nationwide who will share their research and expertise in order to build a solid case on your behalf?

Mesothelioma injury

Let's talk a little bit about the great state of Texas and mesothelioma injury attorneys.

Mesothelioma injuries are caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was once perceived as one of the greatest building materials ever. But the tables have turned since. The fact of the matter is, asbestos if extremely heat and fire resistant, which makes it ideal for using in areas were safety and fire play a huge role. But here is the downside.

The use of asbestos was found to be the cause of diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma. And Texas is amongst the top ten states that shows the highest number in mesothelioma injury incidents.

It is currently ranked number five. Only Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and California are ahead. There reason why Texas is so high up there has numerous causes. One of which is the all the petroleum companies - they use asbestos heavily - that are based there. Further to that, the ship building facilities use asbestos massively, too. Lastly, there are also a lot of regular homes that still contain the toxic material in their structures.

Asbestos was used widely up until the mid 80s not only in the USA, but also in Europe and parts of Asia. This material was easy to produce and first and foremost, very inexpensive. As a result, whole manufacturing sites geared their production line towards producing asbestos building materials.

That’s why you see old houses still having asbestos shingles or asbestos siding, especially if they were built before 1975.

But the situation is not the same everywhere across the state of Texas. There are six counties that account for the majority of all reported mesothelioma injury cases: Bexar County, Dallas County, Tarrant County, Jefferson County, Harris County and Galveston County.

When we talk about mesothelioma injury cases, we also need to have a look at mesothelioma injury attorneys. This niche grew rapidly as more and more mesothelioma personal injury cases were reported.

Huge class action lawsuits caught the eye of the public, especially since the compensation amounts that were at stake were often in the millions. Therefore, the whole thing grew into a lucrative business enterprise for personal injury lawyers.

Frequently, the cases get resolved through mesothelioma injury compensation settlements and don’t require the decision of a court. Some employers in the asbestos production industry, either voluntarily or because they were ordered to do so, placed large amounts of money into personal injury and mesothelioma trust funds. These funds are used for compensation settlement agreements.

source from : http://www.mykidneycancer.com/mesothelioma/the-state-of-texas-and-mesothelioma-injury-cases

Cancer Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. Once a realatively obscure disease that meant little to the general public, mesothelioma is now known to be among the most aggressive and difficult to treat tumors oncologists yet have encountered.

Thanks to dedicated health professionals, like thoracic surgeon Dr. David Sugarbaker, as well as researchers and watchdog organizations, we're learning more and more about mesothelioma and how it can best be treated and managed. However, there's still far to go as both better efficacy in treatment and a cure for the disease are sought.

About the Disease

Mesothelioma which is sometimes referred to as asbestos cancer, is an aggressive cancer caused primarily by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. The disease attacks the mesothelium, a protective, two-layered membrane that covers the internal organs of the body including the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Between these layers, the cells produce fluid, which allows easy movement of the heart and lungs within the chest cavity. The layer that covers the lungs is called the pericardium, which is where pericardial mesothelioma is known to occur. The peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity. Mesothelium also lines the male and female reproductive organs. Mesothelioma can affect any of these cells, but is usually seen in the pleural or peritoneal mesothelium. The most commonly diagnosed form of this cancer is pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma takes anywhere from 20 to 50 years to develop, which is why it is more commonly diagnosed in older individuals. However, recent cases involving September 11th ground-zero first responders and clean-up crews show that high concentrations of asbestos can cause the disease to develop much more rapidly. A few WTC workers have already died of the disease.

Diagnosis and Symptoms

The invasion of the mesothelium by cancer cells makes it very difficult for the patient to breathe, resulting in the need for oxygen, especially as the disease progresses. Those with the pleural form of mesothelioma may also suffer from pleural effusions. These effusions prevent the smooth movement of the lungs and other organs in the chest. Peritoneal mesothelioma also affects the stomach area and abdominal cavity, causing nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite, which can result in dangerous weight loss. In addition to breathing difficulties and loss of appetite, mesothelioma victims also complain of excessive coughing, sleeping difficulties, persistent chest pain, fever, and pain in the lower back.

Malignant mesothelioma, in general, is a very painful disease and because it is usually not diagnosed until it's in an advanced stage. For this reason, the mesothelioma symptoms are typically quite serious. Late diagnosis also means that the cancer is more likely to have metastasized, or spread, making successful mesothelioma treatment even more difficult.

Who Gets Mesothelioma?

Statistics show that, because of their work history, the disease most often affects men between the ages of 50 and 70 who were employed in an asbestos-laden environment before asbesto regulations were imposed in the late 1970s. Though women still have a much lower frequency of the disease, cases of second-hand exposure to asbestos has prompted more diagnoses among women, especially those whose male family members worked with asbestos. The occupations most associated with mesothelioma are shipyard workers, electricians, plumbers, construction industry workers, pipefitters, boilermakers, and anyone subject to heavy exposure to dangerous airborne asbestos fibers.

An abundance of cases have also shown us that mesothelioma can develop among people who lived in communities where asbestos factories or mines were located. In some instances, entire towns have been adversely affected by the presence of asbestos in the air. For example, in Libby, Montana - site of a former vermiculite asbestos mine - hundreds have already died of mesothelioma.

Though still significantly rarer than other cancers, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Other countries, notably the United Kingdom and Australia, report a much higher incidence of the disease. Nevertheless, the United States - like many other countries - has seen an increase in asbestos-caused cancer as men who worked in U.S. shipyards in the 1940s and 1950s, at the height of production, are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Living with Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in its late stages, a diagnosis that is often devastating to the individual and his/her family. Though research into the disease has been ongoing, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma. Some patients may be candidates for surgery to remove tumors or even an entire lung, but most are better treated with radiation or chemotherapy. More often than not, these treatments are palliative, serving to lessen the severity of the symptoms of the disease rather than offering a cure.

Medical professionals and research scientists, however, are constantly exploring new ways to combat the disease. For example, doctors know that some combinations of chemotherapy drugs work better than others and tests developed to ascertain earlier diagnosis of the disease or to monitor those most at risk have arrived on the scene.

After a Diagnosis: What to Do

The reason someone develops mesothelioma is usually the lack of proper protection offered to those who worked with asbestos. Though the dangerous properties of asbestos and asbestos products have been evident for decades, many employers neglected to protect their workers from inhaling asbestos while on the job. It wasn't until public awareness of the dangers of the material were revealed in the 1970s that many employers began offering protective clothing such as respirators, gloves, aprons, and other such items to those working with asbestos on a daily basis.

Due to the negligence of employers, many companies who manufacture asbestos or products that contain asbestos have been subject to literally thousands of lawsuits filed by those who've been harmed by the material. Many of these lawsuites filed with a mesothelioma lawyer are filed by the victim and their family in an effort to secure compensation from those culpable for their exposure.

Source from : http://www.maacenter.org/mesothelioma/