Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in the protective sac that covers the lungs.  Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they were exposed to asbestos fibers.  Mesothelioma does not develop immediately after inhalation of asbestos, there is a latency period that can last between 10 and 50 years.  Although not everyone who has been exposed to asbestos develops mesothelioma, if you have been exposed to asbestos at some point during your life, it is important, both medically and legally, to consult an expert.

What is mesothelioma?

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Mesothelioma, or cancer of the mesothelium, is a malignant disease.  It is caused by cells of the mesothelium mutating uncontrollably due to infection with asbestos fibers.  The mutating cells, or cancer, may invade and damage nearby tissues and organs, or may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.  The majority of mesothelioma cases originate in the tissue surrounding the lungs, called the pleura, or the tissue surrounding the stomach, known as the peritoneum.

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, and chest pain due to fluid buildup in the pleura are common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.  Weight loss and abdominal swelling and pain due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen are common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma.  Bowel obstruction, blood clotting problems, listlessness and weakness, and fever are other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma.  If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 10 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.  These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.  It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.

How is mesothelioma diagnosed?
Prior to diagnosis, a doctor must completely review your medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure.  A doctor may perform a complete physical examination, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests.  A CT scan or an MRI may also be performed.  The detailed X-ray pictures created by CT scans and MRIs assist the doctor diagnose the disease, however, a biopsy is usually necessary to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma.  A biopsy consists of a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor specializing in cancer treatment) removing a tissue sample for examination.  A biopsy may be performed in different areas of the body, depending on the location of the cancer.  If the cancer is in the chest, a common procedure a doctor may perform is a thoracoscopy.  A thoracoscopy consists of a doctor making a very small incision through the chest wall and placing a small camera called a thoracoscope into the chest between the ribs.  The procedure allows the doctor to see inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.  If the cancer is in the stomach, the doctor may perform a similar procedure called a peritoneoscopy.  Again, the doctor makes a very small incision, and inserts an instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity.  If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the doctor diagnoses mesothelioma, it will be important for the doctor to examine the patient to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease.  Staging involves more testing to determine if the cancer has spread, and to what extent and where.  Staging is an important process in planning treatment.

Mesothelioma is localized if the cancer remains only on the membrane where it originated.  It is systemic if it has spread to other parts of the body.

How is mesothelioma treated?
Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health.  Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.  Sometimes, these treatments are combined.

• Surgery. 
  A doctor may remove the affected portion of the lining of the chest or abdomen and the tissue surrounding it.  In cases involving cancer of the pleura, a doctor may opt to remove the affected lung in an operation called a pneumonectomy.
   
• Radiation therapy. 
  Radiation therapy uses of radiation rays to kill cancer cells and minimize tumors.  This treatment affects only the cancer cells in the affected area.
   
• Chemotherapy. 
  Chemotherapy is generally used to treat cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.  Anticancer drugs are injected into a vein (or intravenously, through IV) to kill cancer cells throughout the body.
   

Doctors may also use a needle to drain fluid build-up in the chest or abdomen to temporarily relieve symptoms.  This procedure is called thoracentesis, for fluid in the chest, and paracentesis, for the abdomen.

What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
Working with asbestos has been proven the major risk factor for development of mesothelioma.  A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all mesothelioma cases.  However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the common name for a cluster of natural minerals that have been used industry because of their strength and resistance to heat.  The manufacturing processes involving asbestos, including cutting, shaping, grinding, sawing, and manipulating asbestos-containing products, or being in the vicinity of such activity, cause tiny asbestos fibers to float in the air.  This dust enters the body when breathed through the nose or mouth and indirectly when dust settles on clothing and is later breathed by others who come into direct contact with exposed workers.  Also, when work clothing is shaken out and washed at home, the household becomes exposed to the asbestos dust released into the air.  Many housewives have been exposed to these toxic fibers from simply washing their husbands' work clothes.  

When asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed, they can cause serious health problems.  In addition to mesothelioma, asbestos exposure increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis, and other cancers, such as larynx and kidney cancer.

Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma?
Asbestos-related diseases are dose-related diseases, meaning the risk increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time.  Unfortunately this does not always hold true, some people who have only been exposed for a short period of time have developed mesothelioma.

Workers in the following trades have historically been exposed to asbestos-containing products, especially if such worked was performed prior to the mid-1970s.  The following are examples of such trades; however, even if you did not work in these trades but worked around these trades at common job sites where asbestos was used, you may have been exposed.

The following are examples of products known to have contained asbestos.  You may also have been exposed to asbestos if you worked with or around or used other types of products containing asbestos.

Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace.  People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure, however, many of the companies who produced asbestos-containing products in the past have ceased doing so due to the harmful nature of asbestos.

Why may asbestos companies be liable?
Victims of disease and families who have lost loved ones to asbestos disease may be entitled to compensation.  Many manufacturers of asbestos-containing products knew about the dangers of asbestos, including the cancer causing capabilities of asbestos, as early as the 1930's.  Evidence proves these companies did not warn workers of the potential hazards of their products, nor did they inform workers that respiratory protection would help prevent the development of cancer in the future.  Due to this failure to provide a safe workplace, thousands of workers have developed asbestos-related diseases over the past century, and many have died prematurely.

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Corporations that manufactured asbestos-containing products in the past, and companies that continue to do so today, have known about the dangers of asbestos-related diseases for more than six decades.  In an effort to increase profit, these companies kept this information secret and instead of safeguarding their workers, chose to place profits over lives.  

Fortunately, there are laws that help to protect those individuals that have been harmed by exposure to asbestos-related products.  Under our system of justice, those who have been harmed may be entitled to compensation.

Please contact a mesothelioma attorney with any questions about mesothelioma, asbestos disease, treatment of mesothelioma, or if you'd like to explore your legal rights. A qualified mesothelioma attorney is waiting to receive your call or e-mail.