Natural occurrence of the disease historically hovered around the 1 per 1,000,000 mark.  The cause for the relatively recent spike in prevalence, which occurred after World War II, is due to the widespread use of one of its causes: asbestos.  Asbestos is a relatively lightweight mineral that is mined all across the world.  For decades, asbestos was used in many industries, specifically the shipbuilding and construction industries. Its uses were legion.

In the field of construction, asbestos was an important additive to concrete for several reasons.  The fundamental reason was that it made concrete lighter and stronger, which had the secondary benefits of reducing the volume needed to build, as well as lowering transportation costs.  The light, fibrous nature of asbestos also made it an excellent insulator, since it trapped significant amounts of air between its feathery structures.  For this reason, it was used as a flame retardant and an insulator in the construction of buildings.

In the shipbuilding industry, uses were similar, centering around the insulation of various parts of the ship.  Its importance to ships might arguably be even grater than its utility as a construction material, because ships often depend on lightweight materials, a property asbestos had in spades.

Unfortunately, asbestos, as previously mentioned, also causes mesothelioma.  Since it’s so lightweight, it can be inhaled when disturbed, or settle on clothes to be kicked up and inhaled later.  Once inhaled, and after a latency period lasting anywhere from 10 to 50 years, it can trigger the onset of mesothelioma.  And once that disease’s symptoms finally manifest itself, it advances rapidly.  Although there are treatments for mesothelioma, there is no cure, and the life expectancy of those afflicted with it is often measured in mere months.

According to the article, receiving an early diagnosis of mesothelioma might be harder than it seems.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, the cancer is so rare, with a prevalence of just 40 per 1,000,000 population in this country, that many doctors overlook it as a diagnosis option.  What’s more, its symptoms oftentimes resemble those of other, more common diseases, so mesothelioma often might not even cross a physician’s mind.

The article goes on to point out a couple of useful early detection methods.  One of them is called Mesomark, and it’s a blood test that measures the amount of Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides in the sample.  These SMRPs might be present in mesothelioma patients, which, in turn, might indicate the development of mesothelioma to physicians performing the test.

Though early detection, as previously mentioned, might be able to increase the quality of life and/or life expectancy of mesothelioma patients, this is still a crushing disease.  Though there are treatments, which may lessen suffering or slow its advance, there is, unfortunately, no cure.  What’s worse, the life expectancy of a victim suffering with mesothelioma can often be measured in just months.

Mesothelioma is most often caused by exposure to asbestos, a fibrous mineral that had been used for many years in several industries, especially the fields of shipbuilding and construction.  Asbestos was utilized for its lightweight flame-retardant and insulation properties; however, when inhaled, it’s incredibly dangerous, and can often lead to potentially lethal diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Founded in 1970 by the same act of Congress that introduced OSHA and its regulations to American workplaces, the goals of NIOSH include researching work-related hazards and then taking steps to prevent them. It was research NIOSH conducted, for example, that persuaded OSHA to broaden its former definition of asbestos in regulatory language to include asbestos of all forms, including tremolite asbestos.

Today, the government agency is responsible for conducting a host of scientific research in the field of mesothelioma prevention.  Such topics researched include asbestos exposure prevention, asbestos abatement procedures, and studies on the disease itself.  In addition to these pioneering services, NIOSH also disseminates useful information about best practices regarding the handling of mesothelioma-linked materials.  Workplace guidelines and regulatory recommendations are also provided.

Though it’s merely one organization among many that currently combat this devastating cancer, the historical contributions NIOSH has made to the field of mesothelioma research should not be discounted.

If you think you might have suffered from mesothelioma exposure, it might be a good idea to contact a mesothelioma law firm to try and secure a settlement for your woes.  When researching law firms, you might want to consider the track record of the lawyers who practice there, especially with regard to similar cases in the past.  Though a secured settlement can’t undo the damage asbestos fibers have done, one might go a long way to helping defray the expensive costs associated with treating the disease.

Mesothelioma is an exceedingly rare type of cancer that usually attacks the lining of the lungs and stomach, which is referred to as the mesothelium.  How rare is it?  The rate of prevalence for contraction of mesothelioma is generally considered to be somewhere between seven and 40 people per million population, in the United States.

Though that’s (thankfully) a pretty low number, it’s still a heartbreaking figure.  That’s because, although there’s treatment available for mesothelioma, some of which may improve the quality of life of victims suffering from this disease, there is no cure for it, and life expectancy for those who who have this asbestos exposure-triggered cancer is often measured in mere months.

Due to the relative rarity of mesothelioma, information about it might be harder to find than for other diseases. Here, then, are some helpful tidbits of info about mesothelioma:

• When considering mesothelioma cases, over 90% of them can be linked directly to asbestos exposure.
• When handled improperly (such as when mining it or using it in an industry that employs it), asbestos fibers can be inhaled or swallowed.  Once it has entered the lungs or stomach, the fibers remain, unable to be broken down by the body.
• Asbestos fibers lodged in the mesothelium will eventually cause cells making up the lining to divide rapidly.
• After asbestos exposure, there is a latency period lasting anywhere from 10 to 50 years, during which no mesothelioma symptoms show up.
• Once symptoms manifest themselves, the disease can spread quickly.  Common symptoms can include a lingering cough and chronic shortness of breath.

We often talk about the grievous physical damage mesothelioma inflicts on its victims because that’s the most visible aspect of the devastation it wreaks.  There are good reasons for that visibility.  First, mesothelioma attacks the body in a particularly cruel fashion, lying dormant for years or even decades before snapping out of its latency period and advancing with terrifying rapidity.  Along with that fearsome onset, there is no known cure for the disease, even though there are several treatments that might look promising out there.  After it’s detected, mesothelioma moves quickly, and the life expectancies of its victims are often measured in months, not years.

What’s talked about less often is the economic aspect of being diagnosed with this savage cancer.  Due to the quickly damaging impact mesothelioma has on the body, it often puts workers out of commission at the exact time money is most urgently needed.  Experimental treatments and expensive, exhaustive traditional ones can cost incredible amounts of money, financial burdens that are often compounded by the fact that many victims are already retired or might not have adequate (or any) health insurance.

When faced with all these unforeseen calamities all at once, it can be tough to face up to all of it.  A mesothelioma law firm might be just the help that victims need, especially if they’re qualified and experienced with similar cases.  The right law firm might be able to provide you with valuable information for securing a favorable mesothelioma settlement in less time than might be possible otherwise, which is an important consideration, especially when taking the brief average life expectancy of mesothelioma victims into account.

Of the three primary methods of treatment for most cancers—surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy—none has proven particularly effective.  One of the more effective treatments used by surgeons is a procedure known as a pneumonectomy, which involves intense chemotherapy combined with the removal of a lung.  Although this treatment does not typically result in a cure for the patient, it can extend that patient’s life.

Any extension of a mesothelioma victim’s life can be a pretty big deal, especially since the average life expectancy of someone diagnosed with this cancer is less than two years.  From the onset of symptoms, the disease moves very rapidly.

Mesothelioma, thankfully, is a very rare disease.  Only somewhere between seven and 40 in a 1,000,000 get it in the United States of America, which is a blessedly low rate.  However, this low rate of prevalence is yet another reason why it’s so difficult to treat effectively.  That’s because there is very little comparative data on mesothelioma out there.  There are projects that attempt to compile disease data, like the Cornell University Mesothelioma Program, which works to establish a national registry of all mesothelioma cases, but the sheer lack of victims results in a lack of studies, which, in turn, means fewer big steps forward.

No matter what happens, it might be a good idea to consult with a mesothelioma law firm about securing a mesothelioma settlement.  When looking for one, think about the amount of experience that law firm has when dealing with cases of that nature, along with the track record it’s amounted.  Gathering those two bits of information will help you make a more well-informed decision, because a mesothelioma lawsuit or settlement is not something that can easily be taken lightly.

There may be other causes of mesothelioma, but the one it’s most commonly associated with, especially as it pertains to mesothelioma law, is asbestos exposure.  Asbestos exposure was prevalent for centuries because, during that time, it was highly prized for its properties as an insulant and a fire retardant in the shipbuilding and construction industries.  The mineral’s fibrous form also made it much lighter than other alternatives, which was another reason it was so coveted.  However, its lightweight, fibrous nature allowed it to become airborne easily by workers mining for it.  And, once airborne, asbestos is easily inhaled.  It also settles on clothing, which can transport the fibers to a worker’s home, where his family members can inhale them.

Once inhaled, the fibers travel to the mesothelium, which is the lining of the lungs or the stomach.  There, the asbestos fibers cannot be broken down, so they remain, where they often cause the mesothelium cells to divide and subdivide unchecked.  Following a latency period lasting anywhere from 10 to 50 years, the cancer in the mesothelioma starts to rapidly advance, causing shortness of breath and a lingering cough.

Once the symptoms of mesothelioma begin to manifest themselves, the disease advances with what can be alarming rapidity.  The life expectancy of someone diagnosed with this brutal disease is often measured in months, not years.  Sadly, though promising treatments are being developed on a regular basis, there is no cure.

The judgment decided against the defendant, Union Carbide, who was found to be negligent for selling asbestos fibers to companies, such as construction equipment companies, who then used the fibers in the manufacturing of their products.  The man came into contact with these asbestos fiber-laden products in the 1970s, when he worked for his family’s construction company.

Though mesothelioma is an incredibly rare disease, it much more strongly affects those in an certain industries, especially the fields of shipbuilding and construction.  That’s because asbestos used to be a prized ingredient in many of the products used in those areas.  Asbestos uses in these disciplines was varied.  The mineral has excellent insulation and flame-retardant properties, and its light density set it apart from other similar additives.   Unfortunately, when inhaled, it also causes mesothelioma, a grievously lethal disease for which there is no cure.  In addition to workers in the aforementioned industries, the families of those laborers also were at higher risk of coming into contact with asbestos fibers, since they often got trapped in hair and clothing and taken home.

Once inhaled, asbestos fibers can remain relatively harmless in the lungs for anywhere from 10 to 50 years before triggering mesothelioma. Despite such a long latency period, however, once the disease is diagnosed, life it advances rapidly.  The life expectancy of a mesothelioma victim is often measured in months, and as previously mentioned, there is no cure for this devastating disease.

According to an article found on the Surviving Mesothelioma site, jurors in a recent case involving a woman who allegedly contracted mesothelioma by washing her husband’s asbestos-tainted clothing ruled in her favor, awarding her $208.8 million in total damages.  Of that total, $8.8 million was compensatory, while $200 million was punitive.

The article states that Bobby Evans, a worker for the L.A. Department of Water and Power from 1974 to 1998, had to, among other things, had to cut asbestos cement pipes as part of his job’s duties.  These pipes, manufactured by CertainTeed Corporation, released asbestos fibers into the air when cut.  These fibers then settled into his clothing, which were then apparently released into the air when his wife, Rhoda, washed them.

Unfortunately, there is nothing new about this claim.  Many industries, but primarily the shipbuilding and construction ones, historically used asbestos as an insulator and a fire retardant.  It did both jobs well, and was a remarkably light material to boot, so it was highly prized.  Unfortunately, it also causes devastating lung diseases, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other debilitating cancers.  It decimated workers in those very industries that used it most.

What’s more, the lightweight fibers did have a tendency to get stuck in clothing and hair, which could then be disturbed in workers’ households and inhaled by his family.  Hence the very real possibility that this is indeed what happened to Rhoda Evans.

Though $208.8 million seems like a staggering payday, there’s a good chance that the final amount will be lowered in an appeal.  What’s more, mesothelioma is an absolutely ravaging disease, one that, as of now, has no apparent cure.  Despite constant improvements in mesothelioma treatment, the life expectancy of a victim is often measured in months, not years.

Though immuno-gene therapy is a potentially fertile region for discovery, there are some hang-ups regarding this treatment.  First, there are concerns that the body’s own immune system, despite being comprised, might reject the infectious cells rapidly.  From a legal perspective, since the FDA has yet to approve immuno-gene therapy, the treatment is only available to those patients who qualify for clinical trials.  Still, it could be a step in the right direction.

About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an insidious and startlingly effective killer.  It is caused by asbestos, a fibrous mineral formerly prized in many industries, and particularly in ship-building and construction, for its excellent flame-retardant and insulation properties.  Unfortunately, for all its utility, asbestos fibers, when inhaled, can utterly ravage the lungs.  One way it does this is by fibers getting embedded in the pleural lining of the lungs.  This can happen without noticeable adverse affects for up to 50 years; however, once the mesothelioma’s onset occurs, patients rapidly deteriorate.  For all the forward advancements the medical field offers on a regular basis, the life expectancy of those diagnosed with this devastating, rare disease is often measured in months, not not years.

Nevertheless, we here at the Mesothelioma Help Network eagerly hope that science will one day catch up to this brutal cancer, rendering it a curable disease.  Who knows?  One of these experimental treatments on the horizon just might point the way to such a future.