Mesothelioma Cancer: Prevalence, Occurrence, Causes and Legal View
by Novel Milton
Causes of Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer in the general population. However, in
individuals that were exposed to asbestos, it is not as rare. That's because the
only known, established cause of mesothelioma is asbestos. There are experts
that have speculated on other causes. There are incidences of mesothelioma with
no known asbestos exposure.
However, that does not mean that there was no exposure. The
right questions have to be asked. The person asking the question has to be
familiar with the uses and applications of the asbestos products. There are many
examples where inadequate occupational histories were taken and potential
exposures were not investigated.
Mesothelioma is not a lung cancer. It is not caused by smoking.
It is a cancer of the mesothelial cells. The asbestos fibers are breathed in,
travel through the lung and become lodged in the pleura, the thin, saran
wrap-type membrane that lines that encases the lung. The pleura, produces a
special lubricating fluid that facilitates the ability of the lungs to move
inside the chest during breathing. The process of irritation from the
infiltration of the asbestos fibers creates changes in the cells, which causes
the mesothelioma. This is known as pleural mesothelioma. Less common is
peritoneal mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the membrane that encompasses the
lining of the abdomen.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma: In a typical case,
an individual with mesothelioma will experience chest pain (usually caused by a
build-up of fluid in the pleural space called an effusion) and shortness of
breath. Since many doctors may not have expertise in the area of
asbestos-related diseases, these symptoms are often believed, at first, to be
attributable to other medical problems. A biopsy of the pleural tissue or fluid
may reveal the cancer of the mesothelial cells and a proper diagnosis can be
established. A history of the individual's occupational exposure will in most
instances be taken. The patient may or may not recall the precise nature of his
exposure to asbestos. Since there is no "safe" level of exposure to asbestos.
Even brief, low level exposures may be enough to cause mesothelioma.
Occurrence of Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that strikes over 3000 individuals per
year. The incidence of mesothelioma is actually increasing day by day. That is
because of the long latency period associated with this asbestos-caused cancer,
i.e. the time between the exposure to asbestos and the onset of the disease, is
typically at least 10 years and as many as 60 years after exposure. That means
that a worker in a factory or shipyard or otherwise exposed in the 1940's or
1950's may not experience any symptoms of mesothelioma until this year.
There is presently no known cure for mesothelioma. As the
disease progresses, the cancerous cells harden the pleura and spread. As time
passes, breathing, sleeping and eating become more difficult and eventually it
becomes increasingly more challenging for the victim to engage in normal
activities and enjoy life.
Treatments of Mesothelioma: A
number of treatments have been established to help contain the spread of the
disease and reduce the pain associated with it. Chemotherapy, radiation and
radical surgery to remove the lung and/or pleura are among the options that will
be explored by the treating physician.
Prevalence of Mesothelioma: This
disease was preventable. Many of the corporations that manufactured and profited
from the sale of asbestos-containing products were aware of the hazards of
asbestos. They were aware or could have been aware as early as the 1920's.
Alternative fibers were available in the 1920's that could have been used
instead of asbestos. But asbestos was cheap, and available, and was a good
filler and binder. Notwithstanding the deadly hazards of this fiber,
corporations chose to rip asbestos out of the earth and recklessly use it in
products from the 1920's through the 1970's and 1980's, until most of these
products were banned in the United States and abroad. The manufacturers did not
warn workers exposed to the asbestos in their products until, at the earliest,
the mid-1960's and the warnings were terribly inadequate. The result is that
many Americans have unnecessarily and tragically contracted asbestos-related
diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, other cancers and asbestosis, a
scarring of the lung or pleural tissue.
Legal View of Mesothelioma: The large
settlements and verdicts associated with mesothelioma cases are not accidental.
Jurors who have the opportunity to review the internal documents of these
manufacturers and sellers of these products are outraged by the actual knowledge
of these corporations and access to knowledge about the hazards of asbestos.
The varied and non-specific symptoms associated with
mesothelioma, can delay detection and diagnosis. If you or a loved one is
experiencing any of the above symptoms, consult your doctor right away. Make
sure that your physician is aware of any previous asbestos exposure, and
occupational risk factors.
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