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What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a preventable cancer that as far as known is caused by
exposure to asbestos. Sometimes patients or patients families may be
eligible to file lawsuits because of the exposure to asbestos.
The following article is found on
Mesolink.org which is a great resource for information about Mesothelioma.
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.
Again we strongly recommend
Mesolink.org as a great resource for information about Mesothelioma.
A resource for Mesothelioma lawyers, attorneys, Mesothelioma law and
lawsuits, Click
Here
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