Dr. Martin Muers

Dr. Martin Muers

On June 18, 2003, Dr. Martin Muers, the principal investigator of MS01, acknowledged the assistance of the June Hancock Fund at a meeting at the Royal College of Physicians, London; 350 nurses, general practitioners, medical specialists and victim support representatives attended the event: The Management of Mesothelioma. The presence of a capacity crowd confirmed the view that interest in mesothelioma has risen exponentially amongst the medical community in recent years. The opportunity for leading UK epidemiologists, pathologists, clinical oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, researchers, physicians and patient representatives to discuss their work produced a lively and informative debate about current research and treatment alternatives. While there were differences of opinion over the optimal management of mesothelioma, there was a consensus that a "nihilistic attitude" towards the disease was outdated: according to Dr. Robin Rudd: "It is never appropriate to tell a (mesothelioma) patient there is no treatment - (at the very least) there is active symptom control and this is very important." While the ultimate aim remains a cure, the alleviation of debilitating symptoms such as breathlessness, pain and fatigue can vastly improve a patient's quality of life. The need for cooperation between specialists was a recurring theme. Describing his input as one of "accurate clinical assessment and diagnosis," chest physician Robert Milroy highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation in the designing of individualized management plans. Difficulties in accessing mesothelioma data were described by Clinical Nurse Specialist Erica Lowry from the West Anglian Cancer Network who explained that "no central data source for mesothelioma" existed. Outlining the range of available sources, she commented that the weirdest one was a shoe box in which one doctor kept various useful bits of information. Praising the pioneering work of Macmillan Nurse Mavis Robinson, who has now retired, Ms. Lowry was optimistic that the National Macmillan Mesothelioma Resource Center, Leicester would soon be operational. For information on this initiative, contact Liz Darlison (email: liz.darlison@uhl-tr.nhs.uk). The launch of information booklets: Understanding Mesothelioma and Understanding the Mesothelioma Treatment Trial (MS01), by Debbie Coats from Cancer BACUP brought the conference to a close. These and other publications can be obtained from the website: www.cancerbacup.org.uk or freephone 0808 800 1234.

While researchers look to the future, asbestos solicitors deal with events which took place decades ago. In Scotland, the traditional rules of court disadvantaged mesothelioma claimants, most of whom died before their cases were resolved. The introduction, therefore, of procedures to fast-track compensation claims for plaintiffs with terminal diseases was warmly welcomed by victim support groups, trade unions and politicians. Harry McClusky, the Secretary of Clydeside Action on Asbestos, says: "While it is still early days, we feel that the knowledge that judges will no longer tolerate delays in terminal cases has filtered through to defendants who now seem more willing to settle." The new rules, which came into effect as of April 1, 2003, include a timetable for managing individual claims which is strictly monitored with a view to completing litigation within one year; there are also provisions in the rules to make an application for a much earlier date where the pursuer is dying from mesothelioma. The scope for the introduction of third parties into actions has been restricted to 28 days after the lodging of defences. In addition, the Lord President has made provision for expediting qualifying cases which pre-date the new regulations by application to the Keeper of the Rolls for a By Order hearing. These changes appear in two Practice Notes issued by the Lord President; these documents, more flexible than Rules of Court, are an indication of the policy of the Court in its treatment of personal injury actions. "The Practice Note sets out the approach that the Court will expect practitioners to take when raising these actions and it indicates what the policy of the Court will be in considering them. It is therefore equally applicable in every case, regardless of the parties who are presenting the case or the judge who is hearing it." According to Solicitor Advocate Frank Maguire, of Thompsons' Solicitors, Glasgow, in the three months since these rules have been in place:

"We have taken a number of live mesothelioma cases forward. Last Wednesday, I appeared before the Court of Session and made an application for an earlier date for a hearing for a pursuer dying of mesothelioma. The Court granted the trial date I was seeking which was July 15th. The expectations that we have of the new rules were clearly met in this instance. We will be making further applications in other cases and will see what pattern emerges."

Dr. Greg Deleuil-about mesothelioma

Dr. Greg Deleuil

In the keynote speech: Treatment and Research of Asbestos Diseases in Australia, Dr. Greg Deleuil, Medical Adviser to the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, described a decision taken last year (2002) to set up the (Australian) Asbestos Working Party "to identify research strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of asbestos-related cancer particularly mesothelioma, or curing these diseases." The budget for this program totals Aus$110 million over the next ten years. It is expected that this money will come from those with significant asbestos liabilities such as insurers, the national government and employers. The conditions which created the tragic legacy of disease and death in Australia were graphically shown by Dr. Deleuil with a breath-taking collection of photographs depicting the reality of life in an Australian asbestos mining town. Although the Wittenoom crocidolite (blue asbestos) mine was operational for only 23 years, it has produced an epidemic of asbestos disease in Western Australia amongst former workers, their families and town residents. Many young adults, who had lived in Wittenoom as children, have died from asbestos-related diseases in their 20s and 30s. A picture of race day in Wittenoom showed horses running on a blue track made from asbestos tailings. A photograph of children competing in sack races on the same track told its own story, while the image of men competing to fill 50 pound storage drums with asbestos tailings elicited gasps of disbelief; the 1st and 2nd prize winners and the judge of the asbestos shovelling contest have all died from asbestos-related disease. Within days of the seminar, Chairperson Michael Clapham wrote to MP Hazel Blears, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Health, informing her of the event and requesting that "an evaluation is done of some of the new treatments available to victims in other countries with a view to developing a co-ordinated and integrated approach to research and treatment of UK victims." He asked that a meeting be set up so that patients, specialists, trade unionists and politicians could discuss the way forward.

In view of the scarcity of research funds in the UK, the work of a small charity: the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund has been of real significance. Named after a remarkable Yorkshire woman who took on UK asbestos giant T&N plc and won a landmark victory for victims of environmental asbestos exposure, the Fund contributed œ20,000 towards the costs of a pilot study (MESO-1), which has now been expanded to a national trial (MS01); claimed to be the first randomized malignant pleural mesothelioma trial comparing active symptom control (ASC) with ASC + chemotherapy in terms of survival and quality of life (newsletter issue 50).

Dr. Kit Harling-about mesothelioma

Dr. Kit Harling

Within the medical community, a "high index of suspicion" is needed so that doctors, when encountering patients employed in high risk trades such as builders and plumbers, ask the right questions. Stressing the importance of prevention, Dr. Harling said that the new Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (2002) imposed a "positive duty" on individuals and companies to manage asbestos safely. Despite the new law, exposures were still occurring and stricter enforcement was needed.

Drawing on four decades of experience with asbestos issues, Dr. Nancy Tait, of the Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association, highlighted recent developments in her talk: Asbestos Issues: The Community:

• while legal aid is still available for clinical negligence cases, it is no longer available for asbestos personal injury cases;
• although the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council reported that lung cancer could occur in the absence of asbestosis in 1982 and 1984, the Government ignored their advice; many medical experts and solicitors "are unwilling to support lung cancer cases;"
• in 1995, the HSE issued warnings on the hazards of asbestos cement; in March, 2003, this material was referred to by the HSE as "normally low risk;"
• government benefits can now be claimed by asbestos patients who experienced low level occupational or environmental exposure but "these benefits are denied to relatives who washed the asbestos workers' clothes, to families who lived in asbestos houses or flats or near asbestos factories or waste dumps, to a wife who cleared-up for a DIY husband and to those with pleural plaques."

Concerned about insurers' attempts to escape asbestos liabilities, solicitors' lack of expertise at inquests and medical appeal tribunals and the disenfranchisement of asbestos claimants, Dr. Tait concluded that much remains to be done.

In the presentation: Mesothelioma: Treatment and Research in the UK, Dr. Ken O'Byrne, Head of the British Mesothelioma Interest Group, said that in the midst of a "national mesothelioma disaster" little funding was available for work on this killer disease: "one hundred thousand people alive in the UK today will die from malignant mesothelioma."

Dr. Mike Wise-about mesothelioma

Dr. Mike Wise

Dr. Mike Wise, a scientist who has contracted mesothelioma, was critical of the haphazard medical treatment received by sufferers in many parts of the country. A delay in being properly diagnosed can prevent early treatment which, as Dr. Wise has discovered, can significantly improve the quality of life. Based on his experience in Hull, Dr. Wise recommended that other regions adopt a similar approach in which chest specialists, oncologists, radiotherapists and surgeons work together. In addition, the availability of alternative therapies such as meditation and positive imaging can prove beneficial to mesothelioma patients. Dr. Wise explained the pivotal role played by specialist nurses in Hull; by acting as the interface between team members, the nurses ensure the system works smoothly. Dr. Wise, whose professional expertise lies in complex engineering systems, proposed that a team of ten specialists including mathematicians, physicists and medical personnel be convened to address UK research needs.

In the talk: Asbestos: The View from Westminster, Dr. Kit Harling, a consultant occupational physician representing the Department of Health, agreed that UK medical treatment for asbestos-related diseases is "not good".

MESOTHELIOMA: A NATIONAL TRAGEDY

Data released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in May, 2003, confirm a seemingly inexorable rise in UK mesothelioma mortality. The number of male mesothelioma deaths increased nearly 300%, from 2,317 in 1980-1985 to 6,475 in 1996-2000. According to Damien McElvenny, a statistician in the Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit: "the highest risk occupations for males are those found within industries associated with heavy industrial use of asbestos in the past, for example shipbuilding, railway engineering and the insulation industry." A May 7, 2003 seminar in the House of Commons heard calls for the UK Government to adopt a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to this epidemic. The meeting: Asbestos Perspectives was held under the auspices of the Asbestos Sub-Committee of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health and included contributions from sufferers, carers, victim support representatives, community workers, medical specialists, politicians and civil servants.

In his opening remarks, Chairperson Michael Clapham MP commented that the growth in the asbestos death rate demanded government action and national attention. For this reason, he announced, it had been decided to make the House of Commons Asbestos Seminar an annual event.

Who Is At Increased Risk For Developing Mesothelioma?

Since the late 1800's Asbestos has been mined and used commercially. The use of Asbestos dramatically increased during World War II and since the early 1940's millions of Americans have been exposed to asbestos dust working within industries where initally the risks were not known. There has been widespread exposure to Asbestos by workers within shipyards, mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople and an increase risk of deveolping mesothelioma has been the result. .

Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. By contrast, the British Government's Health and Safety executive (HSE) states formally that any threshold for mesothelioma must be at a very low level and it is widely agreed that if any such threshold does exists at all, then it cannot currently be quantified. For practical purposes, therefore, HSE does not assume that any such threshold exists. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.

The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases. Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers.

To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.

The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung. The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of mesothelioma have resulted. Smoking current cigarettes does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.

There is no curative treatment. Close monitoring (routine X-rays or even pleural biopsy) for mesothelioma is mandated. Oxygen therapy at home is often necessary to relieve the shortness of breath. Supportive treatment of symptoms includes respiratory treatments to remove secretions from the lungs by postural drainage, chest percussion, and vibration. Aerosol medications to thin secretions may be prescribed

Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma can attack the pleural lining around the lungs. It can also attack the peritoneum, a tissue that surrounds the GI tract. Mesothelioma can attack the stomach lining, other internal organs, or even the pericardium (the tissue sac covering the heart). Thus, mesothelioma can be generally classified into the following types:

* Pleural — 75% of all mesothelioma cases
* Peritoneal — 10%–20%
* Pericardial — 5%

Mesothelioma can also be classified by the cancer type rather than the location of the cancer:

* Epithelioid — most common, best survival rate
* Sarcomatoid — most severe, but more rare
* Mixed/biphasic — a mixture of epithelioid and sarcomatoid cancer

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The symptoms of mesothelioma differ somewhat according to the location of the cancer cells. In addition, each mesothelioma patient may have a different combination of mesothelioma symptoms. Tumors that affect the pleura may result in the following signs:

* Wheezing, cough, and/or hoarseness
* Anemia, fatigue
* Bloody sputum
* Shortness of breath
* Chest wall pain, or pain under the rib cage
* Pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lung)

Mesothelioma in the abdominal cavity often doesn't show symptoms until it's at a late stage. These symptoms may include:

* A mass in the abdomen
* Abdominal pain and/or swelling
* Weight loss
* Bowel problems
* Ascites (an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen)

Treatments for Mesothelioma

Research into new and more effective mesothelioma treatments is ongoing. There is no cure as yet for mesothelioma. The standard treatments that attempt to hold back the progression of this cancer are:

* Surgery — to remove part of all of the affected body tissues
* Radiation therapy — to target and kill the mesothelioma cells
* Chemotherapy — the use of drugs, injected or taken orally, to kill or stop the growth of the cancer cells

Choosing a Mesothelioma Attorney

Choosing a mesothelioma attorney to represent you in your lawsuit is a very personal decision. You should feel good about the people at the law firm that you deal with and be satisfied with any answers to your questions before you hire an attorney.

We invite you to consider Baron & Budd, P.C. We believe that you will be impressed by our experience, track record, reputation in the legal community, and the caring, friendly attention you will receive from our attorneys and staff.

When deciding to hire an attorney for any kind of legal service, you should feel confident that they have the experience and knowledge to represent you well. You might ask the following questions of attorneys who would represent you in an asbestos case:

* How long has your firm been handling this type of case?
* How many mesothelioma cases do you handle currently?
* How many mesothelioma cases have you handled?
* Will your law firm actually work on my case or will you refer my case to another law firm? If you are likely to refer my case elsewhere, what is the name of the law firm(s) that you might send my case to?
* How many cases like mine has your law firm actually taken to trial? What kind of verdicts have you obtained in such cases? Are these verdicts your law firm personally obtained? If another law firm obtained these results, what is the name of that firm?
* If you take a case to trial, will an attorney from your law firm actually be responsible for representing me at trial, or will you hire an attorney from outside your firm to handle the trial?
* In the event an appeal is necessary in my case, do you have lawyers at your firm who dedicate much of their time to appellate and legal issues work? What is your law firm’s track record for successfully handling appeals?

As one of the oldest and largest law firms of its kind in the country, Baron & Budd, P.C. has a lot of experience in representing victims of diseases caused by asbestos and other toxic substances. Your case will be assigned to a team of Baron & Budd attorneys and staff who will be responsible for your case from your initial contact with the firm to its completion. If, after an evaluation of your case, we feel your case would be better served if filed in a state where we do not practice or usually file cases, we might recommend a law firm in that state with experience in asbestos cases.

Also, because we are prepared to take any client’s meritorious case to trial, have lawyers who devote their practice to trial work, and have won several major trial victories, we believe that we are in a position to obtain an optimal outcome for our clients. Even if you prefer to settle out of court, a strong trial record helps a law firm negotiate a good recovery for its clients. Don’t be afraid to ask a potential law firm interested in your case about their trial record.

Baron & Budd has an appellate legal team with attorneys who devote their time to appeals, legal research, and briefing legal issues. The strength of our appellate team is reflected in our appellate legal victories.

lawsuit asbestos lawyer

The number of asbestos lawsuits filed and the number of asbestos lawsuit lawyers who will take up an asbestos lawsuit case are a sad reflection of a long-time construction mistake that may lead to the ill health of over 250,000 Americans by the year 2020. If you think you may have been exposed to asbestos without proper protective filter masks, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit with the help of an asbestos lawyer.

A natural, fibrous form of a number of minerals, asbestos was used since ancient times in fabrics because of its durability and fireproofing ability. For over seventy years, asbestos was used in the insulation of and as fireproofing material in numerous buildings. Over 30 millions tons of asbestos in America alone made its way into the walls of commercial buildings, home, schools, shipyards, and industrial sites. Construction workers labored with asbestos without protection.

In the 1970s, however, the medical community, faced with an overwhelming number of construction workers coming down with illnesses, found that inhaling asbestos can lead to mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, and the material was immediately banned for use in construction. Over the years, scientists have also linked asbestos to pleural disease, gastrointestinal cancer, and a disease specifically diagnosed for asbestos exposure, asbestosis.

A lawyer who specializes in asbestos lawsuits can tell you that each year asbestos surfaces in over 3000 new people and 10,000 people die of asbestos-related disease. As asbestos can line the lungs and accumulate over long periods of years before the body exhibits any symptoms, even workers who haven't worked in the construction field for twenty to fifty years have come down with asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestos lawsuit lawyers have filed lawsuits for more than just construction workers, though. Even some family members of construction workers have exhibited some form of asbestos disease because asbestos fibers can travel on clothing. Buildings over thirty years old that were made with asbestos likewise can seep asbestos to its occupants over time, although some efforts have been made to correct those buildings.

Do you think that you have been exposed to asbestos at a work site or by living in an asbestos-filled building or with a worker who was exposed to asbestos? You may be able to file a lawsuit, so contact an asbestos lawsuit lawyer. Some asbestos lawsuit lawyers have gotten their clients as much as $7.5 million dollars to offset the medical bills, pain, and suffering that have resulted as a consequence of this massive construction oversight.

If you feel that you may have been contaminated by asbestos, don't hesitate to see a doctor. If you find that you have suffered from asbestos complications, consult an asbestos lawsuit lawyer to decide where you should go from there. For one asbestos lawsuit firm that gives good information about asbestos contamination sites in the US and offers a free asbestos lawyer case evaluation, visit abestoslawsuitinfo.com.

Veterans Suffering From Asbestos-Related Disease

According to statistics, more than 30% of Americans suffering from mesothelioma--a deadly asbestos-induced lung cancer--were exposed to asbestos while serving their country. Veterans and shipyard workers face the greatest risk of developing mesothelioma or similar diseases because of the extensive use of asbestos in military equipment and products, buildings, ships, and submarines. This is especially true for veterans who served during or after World War II and before the1970s when the government began regulating use of asbestos.

Sadly, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American veterans have suffered exposure to asbestos, putting them at higher risk of developing asbestosis, mesothelioma, or other illness.

Veterans who have been diagnosed with an asbestos-induced lung cancer such as mesothelioma have legal rights and may be able to recover compensation for their losses and suffering. Only an experienced mesothelioma lawyer will know if you have a valid legal claim.

Navy Veterans at Risk

Asbestos-induced lung cancer is a significant problem among Navy veterans, particularly because the use of asbestos was so very extensive on ships. Virtually no area on a Navy ship built before the 1970s is safe including: · Fire and engine rooms
· Boiler rooms
· Navigation rooms
· Mess halls
· Sleeping quarters Additionally, commonly used products such as gaskets, cables, insulation, adhesives, valves, and numerous others contained asbestos. Navy veterans, like other veterans, were prone to carry asbestos dust home on their clothes, thereby exposing their loved ones to the dangerous fibers.

Rights of Veterans

Veterans groups across the country have started taking action to ensure their rights are protected. For instance, some veterans organizations have called on Congress to fund early lung cancer detection programs, which is especially important given the long latency period for mesothelioma--usually 30 to 50 years. Individual veterans, and, in some cases, their families, are filing legal claims to hold responsible parties accountable for the suffering caused by asbestos-induced lung disease.

About the Author
If you or a loved one is a veteran who has been diagnosed with illness, please contact an experienced Chicago Workers Compensation Lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C., serving residents of Chicago, Rockford, Aurora, and surrounding areas of Illinois.

Rights of mesothelioma patients

Most of the mesothelioma patients are ignorant and innocent. They do not know about the rights of action available to them. Ignorance about their legal rights makes it easy for the evil industrialists to prosper, harm and escape.

Mesothelioma patients should first realize that mesothelioma is a preventable disease; it is caused exclusively due to exposure to asbestos fibers. The industrialists involved in the mining, manufacture and use of asbestos products was well aware of the harmful effects of asbestos. The short-term economic gains from asbestos made them blind to the long-term harmful effects from asbestos. Because of this, millions of people around the World suffered while these few amassed fortunes. They did nothing to protect the workers, their families and the society. In fact, they caused much harm by trying to conceal important research reports on the harmful effects of mesothelioma. They tried to bribe authorities and threatened researchers to safeguard their profitable positions. Therefore, mesothelioma patients worldwide have a right to file suit against these evil people to compensate them for their medical expenses, pain and suffering.

Legal Rights: The law gives the following rights to mesothelioma patients against these people who have caused them harm. Every mesothelioma patient has a right to be compensated for all his or her medical expenditure. They do not have to bear even any small part of it.

They have a right to be compensated for all the pain and suffering they have undergone. Most of the times, it is the negligence of the employer or industry that has resulted in the person contracting mesothelioma. Even if you have very little time left on earth, you can opt for a huge compensation to enjoy that little life left or to safeguard the financial situation of your dependents. Immediate action is necessary in case of a mesothelioma diagnosis. File your case immediately using expert legal help. Mostly, mesothelioma lawyers do not charge any fees if they have not won any settlement for you. If they win a settlement, they usually charge a percentage of the settlement as their fees. Make all your paperwork ready before the case appears in court. Provide it to your lawyer and brief him in as detailed manner as possible. The data has to be very comprehensive and in depth. So, start early in compiling it.

There may be a situation in which you have no idea about how you contracted the disease. In this case, it is best to consult your lawyer who may be able to guide you in this matter. With his guidance, you can spot the factor that contributed to your contracting this disease. Then, you can proceed in the above stated manner. You have a duty towards your family and dependents and mesothelioma makes you feel guilty that you are unable to perform your duty. The settlement that you win out of your case will help in your children' education and in your spouses old age. So, file your case as soon as you are diagnosed with mesothelioma. The settlement will help your soul rest in peace.

Second Hand Asbestos Exposure

We've all, by now, heard the risks of inhaling asbestos fibers in factories, in houses, in schools, etc. What many people don't realize is that there is an equally large risk of second-hand exposure. Just like second-hand smoke hurts people, second-hand exposure to asbestos also hurts people.

When people say "second-hand exposure" they mean that the person that has been exposed to asbestos is not coming in direct contact with it at its source. The family of a miner that works in a taconite or asbestos mine would experience second-hand exposure if they came in contact with asbestos in their home rather than in the place where the material that contains asbestos is. It is similar to second-hand smoke in that there does not need to be direct contact with the cigarette (or insulation in this case) to experience some harmful affects of the item.

It is important to keep in mind, when dealing with asbestos, that the deadly fibers are inhaled into the lungs via other dust floating in the air. Just like when dusting, clothes can take in asbestos dust just like normal dust. This tendency of fibers to be trapped in the clothes of people means that whoever does the laundry is taking a serious risk. It gives a new adage to "Would it kill you to do the laundry?"

If the clothes to be laundered contain dust that has been exposed to asbestos, yes, it can actually kill you to do the laundry. The act of doing laundry involves picking up clothes from a laundry basket or hamper or something. When the clothes are picked up, there is air movement. This air movement stirs the dust particles to life and sends them floating through the air. When they are airborne, it is quite easy for someone to inhale that dust, just like any other dust. When one does the laundry for a husband or father's entire career in an asbestos mine, the asbestos fibers add up and accumulate in the lungs.

There does not need to be a lot of accumulation of fibers for Mesothelioma, the deadly lung cancer most commonly associated with asbestos, to develop. Lately, there have been numerous stories in the papers and across the internet about a dutiful wife doing her husband's laundry weekly and contracting Mesothelioma because of that. There have also been stories of children in large families contracting the disease after having been stuck with the chore of laundry while growing up. One of these instances resulted in the foundation of Kati's Hope Foundation for Mesothelioma.

Now, companies are requiring that their workers change out of their street clothes before starting work for the day. This requirement is designed to cut down on the amount of asbestos being taken home from the work place. Despite this new requirement, millions of people have still done a lot of laundry and given a lot of hugs over the years.

Epithelial Mesothelioma

Epithelial mesothelioma is a rare disease caused by asbestos exposure that may have occurred decades before the patient is diagnosed. It is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between epithelial mesothelioma and smoking. However, the Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of epithelial mesothelioma have resulted from that. Epithelial mesothelioma occurs much more often in men than women, and three-fourths of mesothelioma sufferers are over 65 years of age. Most people who develop the disease have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibers in other ways. One study of asbestos insulation workers reported a mesothelioma death rate up to 344 times higher than the general population. Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing epithelial mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos related diseases, such as lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, epithelial mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. Incidence of malignant epithelial mesothelioma currently ranges from about 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in industrialized Western nations, depending on the amount of asbestos exposure of the populations during the past several decades. More than 500,000 asbestos or mesothelioma lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known.

Although epithelial mesothelioma is generally resistant to curative treatment with radiotherapy alone, it is often used to make the person with cancer comfortable or to relieve symptoms arising from tumor growth, such as obstruction of a major blood vessel. Radiation therapy alone has never been shown to improve survival from epithelial mesothelioma. In fact, the necessary radiation dose to treat mesothelioma that has not been surgically removed would be very toxic.

What is Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer?

There are several varieties of mesothelioma cancer, however, malignant mesothelioma is considered one of the most lethal. It has been determined that malignant mesothelioma victims often have a median survival of only a few months in both untreated and treated cases, according to the study." Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer with malignant cancer cells forming on the sac lining of the chest or abdomen, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It is often associated with exposure to airborne asbestos particles and fibers, which increases the risk of malignant mesothelioma developing in an individual.

Signs and Symptoms of Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is often marked by several symptoms including lumps in abdomen, weight loss, pain or swelling in the abdomen, pain under the rib cage and difficulties breathing. The cancer can also often cause fluid retention in the abdomen or around the lungs. The cancer often has symptoms similar to other conditions making misdiagnosis of the condition common.

Medical professionals have even admitted that malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer are very similar and differentiating between the two is difficult, however, there is an array of tests that physicians can use to increase the potential for a more accurate diagnosis. Tests for diagnosis may include the patient enduring physical exams, chest x-rays, biopsy of body tissues, getting a complete blood count (CBC), cytologic exam, which is an exam of cells under a microscope, or a bronchoscopy procedure where a bronchoscope is inserted into the nose or mouth for a better view of airways.

Diagnosing and Treating Malignant Mesothelioma

While treatments for mesothelioma are rare in and of themselves, it becomes increasingly difficult to treat malignant mesothelioma because of the severity of the condition. Factoring in the best method of treatment often depends on several factors. The following is a detailed list of these factors, according to the NCI:

* The stage of cancer, which includes stage I or localized malignant mesothelioma or advanced malignant mesothelioma that includes stage II, stage III and stage IV.

* The size of a tumor.

* Potential for tumor removal through a surgical procedure.

* The amount of fluid gathered in the chest or abdomen.

* A victim's age, physical health and previous health issues.

* Type of mesothelioma cancer.

* Whether a cancer is diagnosed as reoccurring or not.

Often, cancer may spread through the lymph system, blood stream or other bodily tissues.

Treatments for malignant mesothelioma can range from surgery to therapy, including chemotherapy and biological therapy to clinical trials, although the outcome is based on the progression of the cancer and most often, individuals are not aware of their condition until it reaches an advanced and, usually, an untreatable stage.

Mesothelioma Cancer May Have Potential Early Warning Signs

The study focused on bio markers of mesothelioma cancer and found that bio markers often form before mesothelioma cancer symptoms appear, which may offer early warnings and potentially a successful treatment for mesothelioma cancer patients, according to the study which was published in a June issue of Mutation Research.

Studying Biomarkers to Help Mesothelioma Treatment

Biomarkers are a type of "biochemically expressed substance" similar to a protein, according to a news report on the study. An effort is being collaborated on by the International Cancer Biomarker Consortium (ICBC) to better address biomarkers as indicators of cancer types such as mesothelioma.

This effort is on the level of the Human Genome Project, according to officials from the ICBC, and biomarkers are being studied worldwide. The Polytechnic study followed 119 individuals who had been previously exposed to asbestos; of these individuals, all exhibited increased numbers of biomarkers compared to individuals who were not exposed to asbestos.

What is Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that can develop after an individual is exposed to asbestos fibers or asbestos dust. After an individual is exposed to asbestos fibers, they may begin to develop cancerous cells on the interior lining of the lung. The cancer is often described as one of the only preventable forms of cancer especially since individuals are still being exposed to asbestos in America through improper cleanup and disposal methods. Currently, asbestos is found in insulation in homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, offices and schools.

Unfortunately, individuals continue to be exposed to asbestos fibers because of its existence in many products implemented throughout the country, and because it is too costly to remove all asbestos by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many remain at risk. Additionally, because mesothelioma cancer usually remains dormant for years, it becomes increasingly difficult to diagnose and to successfully treat.

Finding Help for Asbestos Related Conditions Like Mesothelioma

It is important that individuals who may have been exposed to asbestos to contact a medical professional immediately to assess and potentially diagnose their condition. The sooner mesothelioma cancer can be diagnosed the more successful an outcome will be.

In addition to contacting a medical professional it may also be important to contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn about developing a mesothelioma lawsuit, which may result in receiving monetary compensation to pay for expensive mesothelioma medical bills.