Archive for the tag 'decades'

Mesothelioma Prognosis Facts

by James F. Howell

Unfortunately, individuals suffering from mesothelioma (a form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure) have a rather poor prognosis. There is currently no cure for mesothelioma, and once the disease is discovered, patients usually only have a short time to live. Without treatment, mesothelioma is fatal within four to eight months. New forms of treatment are always being developed and tested, however, and there is evidence that the healthier a patient is at the time of diagnosis, the longer the life expectancy of the patient.

There are cases where patients receiving treatment have lived for as long as five or even ten years, but this is very rare. Even under treatment, most people survive less than one year, and often only a few months after receiving their mesothelioma diagnosis. According to recent studies, around 10% of mesothelioma victims live at least three years after their diagnosis, and 5% reach five years.

One of the reasons that the mesothelioma prognosis is so bad is that there is such a long period of time between a person’s exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma symptoms. It can take several decades before signs of mesothelioma begin to show up in a person. One study showed that when mesothelioma is caught and treated in its early stages, 50% of patients survived two years, and 20% reached five years, but unfortunately it is very difficult to discover the disease early on. The fact that the symptoms of mesothelioma are so easily confused with other illnesses further delays a correct mesothelioma diagnosis in many cases.

About the Author
James Howell is a freelance writer and researcher. Find out more about Mesothelioma Prognosis. Or learn more about Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Cancer Facts

by James F. Howell

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Over time, cancerous cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Only after several decades do symptoms begin to show, and often because of this delay, by the time mesothelioma is diagnosed it is too late for treatment to be effective.

Mesothelioma is rare, with a rate of infection of only 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004. It is most often found in individuals who encounter asbestos on the job, such as shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople.

There are three primary areas mesothelioma can develop, the lining of the lungs and chest cavity known as the pleura, the lining of the abdominal cavity called the peritoneum, or the sac surrounding the heart called the pericardium. Each form of mesothelioma cancer has its own specific symptoms, but there are many symptoms that can be found in all of them. Such symptoms include coughing, fever, shortness of breath, chest or abdominal pain, and fatigue.

Because the symptoms of mesothelioma are so general, it can be very difficult to diagnose the disease. This, combined with such a long delay before symptoms begin to develop often means that little can be done to help the patient. The most common forms of treatment are radiation, chemotherapy, and sometimes surgery. Unfortunately however, these treatments have been unable to increase the survival rate of mesothelioma victims beyond a few months.

About the Author
James Howell is a freelance writer and researcher. Find out more about Mesothelioma Cancer.

What is Peritoneal Mesothelioma?

by James F. Howell

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a disease that affects the lining of the abdomen, or peritoneum. Like the other types of mesothelioma, it is caused by exposure to asbestos, which has been widely used in many industrial products, such as cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a relatively uncommon form of mesothelioma cancer that accounts for less than a quarter of all mesothelioma cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma, like other forms of mesothelioma, is inconspicuous until decades after asbestos exposure.
While peritoneal mesotheliomas are less common than pleural mesotheliomas, they tend to be more invasive, and thus often result in a shorter life expectancy for the patient. An early diagnosis of the disease is important. The relief and treatment of people with peritoneal mesothelioma improves dramatically the earlier it is detected. Unfortunately, it often goes undiagnosed until it is quite advanced.

The first step towards detecting peritoneal mesothelioma involves X-rays and CT scans, but a definitive diagnosis is only achieved through a biopsy, which usually involves removing a tiny piece of tissue for analysis. At this time, even though there are various treatment options available, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, there is no known cure for peritoneal mesothelioma.

Typical symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal pains, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal swelling. Because these symptoms are so common, and may be attributed to numerous ailments other than mesothelioma, diagnosis is often delayed until it is too late for treatment to do much more than help the patient feel more comfortable.

About the Author
James Howell is a freelance writer and researcher. Find out more about Peritoneal Mesothelioma. Or learn more about Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma: The Silent Killer

by Patricia Woloch

On September 11, 2001, 2,602 people died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Thousands more may die a slow and painful death caused by exposure to asbestos released in the collapse of the towers. Immediately after the attacks over 100,000 people were exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos and over 670,000 New Yorkers may still be at risk for developing environmental illness.

;Mesothelioma is cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The symptoms of mesothelioma can take 10 to 50 years to appear, but once the disease is diagnosed it progresses rapidly and most patients have less than a year to live. Asbestos levels after the 9/11 attacks were so extreme that symptoms have appeared as soon as two years after exposure.

The danger could have been minimized
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repeatedly tried to issue warnings about the threat of airborne contaminants. These warnings would have given emergency workers and others the chance to protect themselves from airborne contaminants. The warnings were removed from the EPA press releases by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In April, 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals issued a decision supporting the Council’s actions.

First responder first to die
Emergency responder Deborah Reeve developed symptoms of asbestos related illness in 2003 and was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2004. While she was save the lives of others during the aftermath of 9/11 she was unknowingly being exposed to massive amounts of asbestos which, leading to her own death in 2006. In the words of her husband David, “(Deborah) got killed on September 11, and she didn’t die until March 15, 2006. She got killed and didn’t know.”

The evidence was hiding in a shirt
Yehuda Kaploun worked at ground zero for about 48 hours immediately after the collapse. He saved the shirt he was wearing to honor the fallen of 9/11. In April, 2006, the New York Post reported that when a portion of that shirt was analyzed, it was found to contain 93,000 times the amount of chrysotile asbestos normally found in American cities.

The World Trade Center Cough
You may not have heard about mesothelioma in connection with 9/11, but you probably have heard of “the World Trade Center cough.” In April, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 62% of those caught in the dust cloud, and 46% of those not caught in the cloud but living or working in the area now suffer from respiratory problems. The Mount Sinai Medical Center’s World Trade Center health study found that 85% of its 70,000 participants suffer from respiratory problems. First responders have been suffering respiratory problems since immediately after the attacks.

Who may be affected?
First responders are among those known to be adversely affected, but they are not the only ones. Anyone who was in the area during and after the collapse of the towers may have been exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos. The contamination lasted for weeks or months after the collapse. Even as tests were showing enormous amounts of asbestos in the air, officials were urging the public to return to the downtown area. People who lived and worked in the area, children going to school in the area, and anyone who happened to pass through, may have been affected. Because the disease can take up to 50 years after exposure to develop, it will be decades before we really know how many people were really killed by the events of 9/11 and the government’s cover-up of the contamination.

About the Author
If you live in Mobile, Alabama, or anywhere on the Mississippi or Alabama Gulf Coast, and believe that you or a loved one has become ill because of asbestos exposure, please contact the Alabama Mesothelioma lawyers at The Injury Lawyers, PC.

Pleural Mesothelioma: A Quick Look

by James F. Howell

Pleural mesothelioma is one of several types of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. It is caused by asbestos fibers being ingested into the lungs and affects the pleural lining of the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma is a deadly and devastating disease with no known cure. There are a number of symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, and like other forms of mesothelioma, they can appear very non-specific and could be mistaken for a number of common diseases or illnesses. Shortness of breath, caused by pleural thickening which gradually contracts the breathing space, is often the first symptom of pleural mesothelioma. Cough, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, facial swelling, weight loss, fever, and rasping are some of the other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. In many cases, however, individuals with the disease never experience symptoms at all until well after it has matured.

It typically takes several decades for the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma to develop, and once diagnosed, patients typically have a life expectancy of only a few months. Men between the ages of 50 and 70 are more commonly diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma than any other demographic, largely because asbestos was widely used in numerous industries from World War II until the 1970s, and due to the amount of time it takes for the symptoms to occur, it is just now being discovered that they have the disease.

The treatments that are currently available for pleural mesothelioma patients are primarily palliative, to ease the patient’s suffering. These treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

About the Author
James Howell is a freelance writer and researcher. Find out more about Pleural Mesothelioma. Or learn more about Mesothelioma.

Study Finds Increased Mesothelioma Death Rates In A Group Of Shipyard Workers

by Sam Gurgis

A recent study conducted on workers in a US Coast Guard shipyard has found a significantly greater mortality rate associated with lung cancer and mesothelioma compared to the general population. The study also found an increased general mortality rate.

The study followed 4702 (4413 men and 289 women) civilian workers who were employed at the shipyard between January 1950 and December 1964. The study then measured the number of deaths and their causes through 31 December 2001.

The study was conducted by S Krstev, P Stewart, J Rusiecki, A Blair and was published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The original study publication is available at http://oem.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/64/10/651.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is usually associated with exposure to asbestos. The majority of individuals who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have a history of exposure to asbestos particles at work or home. Family members of workers have also been affected. Renovators of homes containing asbestos cement material are accounting for an increasing number of diagnosed sufferers. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear for decades after the exposure to asbestos. Symptoms include abdominal pain and weight loss. Diagnosis of mesothelioma can be difficult due to the fact that the symptoms are similar to other respiratory diseases.

Since mesothelioma is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma can be best be prevented by avoiding or limiting exposure to asbestos in homes, public buildings, and at work. Workers that may be at risk include miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers, railroad workers, ship builders, contractors and construction workers, particularly those involved with insulation. If there is a possibility of exposure (such as when renovating old buildings) protective equipment should be used and safety procedures should be applied. Asbestos was commonly used in building materials due to its durability and fire-resistant properties. In addition to buildings, asbestos was used in the manufacture of cars and ships and many other products.

About the Author
Sam Gurgis is a scientific writer and the webmaster at mesotheliomawise.org and sam-gurgis.com

What Are The Four Stages of Mesothelioma Cancer?

One rare form of cancer is called Mesothelioma, a malignant tumor in the mesothelial tissues of the lungs and the abdomen, arising from the inhalation of asbestos. Its rarity is one of the reasons why a lot of people are not aware of this kind of fatal disease. In fact, many people die of Mesothelioma undiagnosed. Although there is now a growing awareness of the hazards of asbestos to health, still many have not heard of Mesothelioma and thus, have not understood its nature, cause, signs and treatment. Even some physicians find it hard to detect Mesothelioma because its symptoms are akin to other diseases like lung cancer and pneumonia. Furthermore, it takes decades for a patient who was exposed to asbestos to develop Mesothelioma — fifty years, at most.

Being unaware of Mesothelioma poses higher risks since it deters diagnosis and treatment. A person undergoing treatment must know the different stages of the cancer or the extent of the disease. Chances of recovering from Mesothelioma and the kind of treatment depend on the stage of the illness. There are basically two staging systems used for Pleural Mesothelioma (lungs): TNM system and Brighan system. These staging systems are also used in other kinds of cancers; however, the first is commonly used. There is no established method in determining the stage of the Peritoneal Mesothelioma cancer (abdominal) so the TNM system is used.

There are three variables in the TNM system: tumor, lymph nodes and metastasis. In the earliest stage of Mesothelioma, stage I, the malignant Mesothelioma cells start to grow and multiply only one layer of the pleura. The pleura is the membrane that encloses the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. However, there are some instances wherein the pericardium (membrane that covers the heart) and diaphragm cover are already affected. In this case, the cancer patient is still in stage I Mesothelioma.

In the second stage, the two layers of the pleura are already affected by Mesothelioma. Take note, however, that in this stage, only one side of the body is affected. Normally, the pleura produces only small amount of lubricating fluid that allows easy expanding and contracting of the lungs. The excess fluid is absorbed by the blood and the lymph vessels so there’s a balance between the amount of fluid produced and removed. During the second stage Mesothelioma, fluid starts to build up between the membrane of the lungs and the membrane of the chest wall, resulting to pleural effusion. The increase in the volume of fluid produced causes shortness of breath and chest pain. Other Mesothelioma cancer patients experience dry and persistent cough. Diagnosis of the pleural effusion is achieved through a chest x-ray.

Stage III Mesothelioma means that the malignant cells have already spread to the chest wall, esophagus and the lymph nodes on one part of the chest. The patient may suffer severe pain near the parts affected. When not treated immediately or when the Mesothelioma patient doesn’t respond well to medication, the cancer may advance to the fourth stage. The fourth stage Mesothelioma is formidable since at this stage the Mesothelioma cells have penetrated into the bloodstream and other organs in the body like the liver, the bones and the brain. The lymph nodes on the other side of the chest may also be affected by Mesothelioma in stage IV.

Brighan staging system, on the other hand, determines whether the Mesothelioma can be surgically removed or not and whether the lymph nodes are affected or not. In stage I Mesothelioma, the lymph nodes are not yet affected and the patient can still recover through surgery. In stage II, surgery can still be executed but some lymph nodes have already been infiltrated by the cancer cells. In stage III, the heart and chest wall are already affected; thus, surgery is no longer advisable. The lymph nodes in this stage, however, may or may not be affected. In the final stage, stage IV Mesothelioma, cancer cells have already gone to the bloodstream and other parts of the body like the heart, brain, bone and liver. In most cases, a patient who has reached stage IV Mesothelioma only has four to twenty-four months to live.


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Asbestos Attorney - Legal advice about cancer and mesothelioma regulation

It takes decades, somewhere between 20 and 30 years before cancer or mesothelioma to asbestos grows. The reason for this is that it takes time before the asbestos fibers actually cause damage in the lungs, abdominal cavity or part of the body where there is a strong presence of asbestos fibres. So are the people who are usually people who have worked in an environment such as shipyards, factories and construction sites of the view that they have a cancer, after ten or twenty years wait. Schlimmer, even worse, they have not even find their disease to all, only a few days before his death.

Once you have a contract or mesothelioma, a disease related to asbestos, it is better to ask advice on how to fairly compensate the damage and injuries that you are related to the exhibition. Normally, the file for the victims of bodily harm against the person / s or in the company / s involved in the issue of the persons concerned.

For example, the people who have worked in the mines of asbestos almost always a lawsuit against the company that owns the mine. But it must be demonstrated, and it should be much evidence that the name of the company or the organization of the persons responsible for violations.

The investigation is quite costly, as the facts come in the last few decades and could be extended to other persons as witnesses. If there are allegations and evidence of solid it is a great opportunity for the cause. But the process has been very long and expensive process, which many parties for a regulation. Thus, the majority of cases are not the same regularity effectiveness of the procedure, because it has already cut at the beginning of the procedure a regulation mutually agreed.

Of course, the victims have their options in the filing. You may choose deposit itself, with or without a lawyer to the case, as a group of files or in one case by a power of attorney. The best solution is, of course, mesothelioma, or asbestos cancer case with a lawyer or in a group, with the assistance of a lawyer. The lawyers of course, are learned, in the scheme of the Act, and they are also able to be passed to the yard of the victim.

Also, do not forget that the area of the law is a complex system in which only the experts can leeway. There is also a continuous change. For instance, some companies are protected by the courts against mesothelioma, or asbestos claims. It is inevitable that when a lawyer to find would be the case for the victims.

And in the case of personal injury lawyers, they are assigned to the case, and go into the process, or a regulation, without that the victims, all expenses. Personal injury lawyers, as some of you know, just get their living through a database of contingency.

If you want to know your best opportunities, it is recommended that your case immediately with a personal matter for full power or violation of the company to maximize the possibility of a reasonable compensation, a full or a regulation.

If you are in the process of waiting for several months constant hearings, in which each negotiation is a different story. If you think that you are not using this form of stress, it is better to deal with your lawyer, the possibility of regulation.

If you do, however, for a regulation, maybe you have fewer chances to lose. She noted that some companies that have cases of complaints relating to asbestos have a great experience in the conquest (and sometimes) lose their process. Therefore, it is better to know what options at once to lose, and the cause. The level of regulation is often the case that those who leave at the end of a complete process. But in view of all this, what is not saved the continuation of the process in the courts, such as spending on research, the answer is clearly worth it. In addition, violations complaints usually have a high level of regulation.

Before your personal, the best thing you can do is to begin the search for a lawyer who really strong case. This is due to the qualification for the value of the Regulation, the reputation of the lawyer. Then decide how you want things to the end, you want to set a regulation or a complete process?

Asbestos - a thin and very enemy

During the centuries, asbestos was used. Thousands of workers are the risks of this mineral has several properties, the benefits, but on the other hand people in the death.

First, the relationship between asbestos and the deaths of some workers are not clearly identified. The Greek geographer Strabo, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noticed something unusual in relation to the workers, with the asbestos. So there was a disease in the lungs of the slaves who worked with asbestos.

Despite the evidence, disease, in connection with the use of asbestos were long ignored. Only in the course of the year 1931, the first laws were in England with the aim of creating preventive measures.

The use of asbestos

The Greek people called this mineral asbestos unite two words in Greek: a, for the non-sbestos, extinguishable. Also, asbestos inextinguible means, which can be easily understood once it on the effects of this mineral in the lungs of workers.

Asbestos was widely used because of their different properties. This is fire-resistant mineral, in some chemical reactions, and it is also waterproof. Because of this property to be fire-resistant, it has sold unreliability of the dealers, the cross - has been reported, the song from the cross where Jesus Christ was hanged - from asbestos. Since the asbestos is a presentation of old wood, it could easily be sold and the fire resistance is the perfect excuse to sell.

In the years 1800, the use of asbestos due to the increased industrial revolution. He began deployment in the world, without regard to the working conditions. More than 3000 parts of the industrial production of asbestos used in the manufacture of their products, which helped a little, the development of a disease diagnosed in persons exposed to asbestos.

The conditions for health in relation to asbestos exposure

During the centuries, asbestos was used. And during the decades, its effects were simply ignored. Doctors some deaths associated with exposure to asbestos, but it took many years before the first measures taken.

During the industrial revolution, and in the following years, the working conditions were much despised. At that time, it was not important for them, as people are working under, but at what speed and efficiency with which they can do their work. This situation has helped that the number of persons, the problems of the respiratory tract.

The problem and the threat to health in relation to asbestos is a simple measure: the inhalation of particles from the spreading of this mineral. If the particles are inhaled, it is not a danger. But the truth is that working with asbestos, it is almost impossible not to inhale the particles.

The particles attach to the inhalation into the lung tissue, leading to a type of cancer known as mesothelioma, or amiantose. The Mesothelioma is the cancer of the chest and abdominal skin conditions. If it is, it is usually too late to do anything, it is often fatal. In addition, mesothelioma, a long time in the still latent: It may go unnoticed, while 15 to 60 years.

The amiantose is a disease of the elasticity of the lungs so that it is difficult for the institutions to exchange gas, resulting in a low oxygen supply to the blood. It restricts breathing and can go unnoticed to a maximum of 30 years.

Even with the measures for the prevention of laws, the number of deaths associated with exposure to asbestos has increased. In 1968, there were 153 deaths caused by mesothelioma, but in 2003, the statistics show 1874 deaths. And it is not number one world: it is registered in the UK.

Why do the people in Dallas legal help from asbestos and mesothelioma Attorneys

Dallas people must be well informed about the risks suspends diseases associated with asbestos from Texas is the 5th Place in conjunction with the highest death rate from mesothelioma. But it is also important that the people of Dallas for a legal assistance in the exercise of their rights against the risk from asbestos.

It is also very important that the people of the facts related to asbestos and the nature of the disease, which he leads.

Asbestos diseases are very difficult to diagnose and are several years, even decades, before the presence of asbestos fibers in the body of the victim. According to recent research, about 2600 victims of asbestos exposure and some 1400 to 2300 victims may have mesothelioma. In 2002, there were 259 victims of the deaths from asbestos and 127 were by mesothelioma.

The mesothelioma is a chronic, inflammatory disease. It is not for the treatment and the treatment is not enough to prevent the symptoms of the disease. The people who are not treated, could eventually die in the next few years after the first symptoms.

There was an increase in cases of mesothelioma in recent years and the statistics are light. This is because the period of maturation of the cancer has already reached. It is good that most people who are victims of this disease, have their 50 years. In short, the victims were asbestos began to develop the disease, about 20 - 50 years ago.

It is likely that these victims were exposed over long periods of time, the asbestos. It is also possible that they and their families have over the asbestos fibers inhaled them, and thus the transmission of the disease to other people. Constant exposure almost always leads to disease, so that they can for the level of exposure, as dangerous for the health.

The main reason for Texas has a high mortality rate associated with asbestos is that it is in the pollution caused by asbestos vermiculite, which is also reflected by Dallas.

Because of these cases, the asbestos spread, the need for lawyers of asbestos in Dallas. Many lawyers decide their career in the mesothelioma. From time to time, however, a new start his mark to do, and therefore, the system of refining of the asbestos law, in Dallas, Texas.

There are obviously great resources Dallas asbestos and law firms. As already mentioned, there has been an increase in extreme cases asbestos in this state, and there are many people in the search for a legal advisor.

If you are a lawyer from Dallas asbestos is simple, but requires a lot of time and effort, due to the fact that the suffering of an obstacle for the person to take. The fact is that someone, the victims of asbestos exposure supplemented by the company’s negligence should be fairly compensated, and that is not covered by the law.

We can not afford to lose time to seek, lawyers or law firms that are not experts. If you want to change the people who are really working for you. Your best choice is to ask for help legal basis, a good reputation and a lawyer or law firm. In this way, you will benefit from its resources, and experts.

You have to understand that a lawyer from Dallas Asbestos is never enough, you must make sure that someone who is a big part of his career with a specialization in the cases, mesothelioma and asbestos. In this way, the process almost flawlessly, and you are sure that your applications are in good hands.

Dallas lawyers of asbestos are easy to contact. There are several options to achieve. They glide through their lawyers or their offices, and to check on the employment prospects. You can also surf the Internet, to Dallas Lawyers of asbestos and mesothelioma and legal assistance. You can also see, and if you can make an appointment.

You have your rights, and you should exercise it. If you believe that someone is responsible for your suffering, it is better to see what options for you right into the right positions.