Some Truths About Asbestos Lung Mesothelioma

There are various types of mesothelioma but asbestos lung mesothelioma is an asbestos-induced cancer of the mesothelium of the lung, more familiarly known as the pleura, which is the external lining of the lung.

Many of the major organs of the body have a mesothelium, that of the heart being called the pericardium and of the heart the peritoneum. However, it is with the pleura that we are concerned here, and the symptoms of asbestos lung mesothelioma are what you would expect: coughing, discomfort in the chest cavity and eventual pain.

Before we come to possible treatments and palliative care, let’s have a look at what causes it and why we are still seeing new cases today after asbestos was banned for construction use in the 1970s.

Asbestos comes in several forms, the most dangerous thought to be crocidolite, commonly known as blue asbestos. This form of asbestos is in a highly fibrous form, and it is the inhalation and ingestion of these fibers that cause the problem. They tend to remain in the body for a considerable period of time and it can take up to 40 ��" 45 years before the symptoms of mesothelioma begin to appear, though some people contract it in their 30s.

To complicate the situation, it is not only asbestos that causes the symptoms, but any fibrous silicate, which it is why some compensation cases are not as cut and dry as they could be. To add to this complication, smoking adds to the possibility of cancer and it is argued that many patients would not have contracted mesothelioma had they not smoked.

This is not only an argument made by solicitors in court, but has been established by statistics. It is pretty certain that smokers have a greater tendency of contracting asbestos lung mesothelioma than non-smokers, since attorneys for the employers have used this as a reason for having the otherwise high compensation significantly reduced.

There is a popular misconception that mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, but it is just a misconception. Lung cancer is mesothelioma, and in the USA 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by smoking. That is an indisputable fact. In order to prove the intervention of asbestos in a case, therefore, not only would the patients have to prove that they had worked with asbestos, but also not to have smoked. Had they smoked, then the award could be greatly reduced.

The term “asbestos lung mesothelioma” is therefore a correct one because that form of the disease to which we are referring is caused by asbestos, and not smoking, is of the pleura of the lung and not of the pericardium or peritoneum, and is mesothelioma.

Its treatment is largely palliative, or intended to ease suffering, because the prognosis is fairly grim. Only about 20% of cases live to 5 years after diagnosis, with most surviving only one year, though much depends on how far the condition had developed by the time it was diagnosed. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are used, but not successfully, and various degrees of surgery are also used. Removal of the affected lung, pericardium and half the diaphragm is the most major of these, and even that only extends life to a maximum of around five years from diagnosis.

There are new treatments being tested, but all treatment is expensive, and a good attorney is likely necessary to secure the compensation to pay for these. Ultimately hospice care will be required and again compensation money should be kept back for this. Ultimately, in spite of all the treatment given, it is palliative care that will make the last days of the patient bearable, as will the help and support of the family, and this is what compensation can fund.

Diagnosis Mesothelioma - Tips On Diagnosis Mesothelioma And safety At Workplace

Diagnosis mesothelioma is a scary subject you don't want to talk or hear about. It is a heart wrenching news for you and your family. But fortunatelly, over the years scientist has been able through research to detect and treat mesothelioma. There are a lots sites online filled with helpful informations. There are also support groups and help mechanisms put in place for every stage of this dreadful disease. Mesothelioma disgnosis does not guaranteed a grim prognisis; therefore, in most cases early detection of the disease as with any cancer is important so that it can be treated early.

Simply put, the diagnosis of mesothelioma is the first step on a road to discovery. There are many websites to aid in the publics’ research of mesothelioma and the warning signs that lead to early diagnosis and subsequently the blessing of early treatment. It is common to treat a diagnosis of mesothelioma with surgery and chemotherapy or surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Mesothelioma is also known as the asbestos cancer. Mesothelioma shows subtle variations from asbestosis or asbestos pleural disease. Regardless it is highly recommended if you have worked around asbestos in anyway or form that you are checked for mesothelioma on a regular basis. Early diagnosis is imperative. Some of the varied warning signs include shortness of breath as well as pain in the lower back or pain at the side of the chest. Others signs may include hoarseness, difficulty swallowing or sweating and fevers.

Prognosis defers significantly among people that have been disgnosed with mesothelioma and this depends on a number of factors. These causes have a significant impact on the speed of recovery; the size of the cancer, what part of the body it is found, and how far it has spread. And also, how the cancer cells looks under the microscope, and their respond to treatment as well as the age of the patients has direct bearings on recovery time.

There are legal issues involved with a diagnosis of mesothelioma. There are several lawsuits against companies whose employees were exposed to asbestos. These are definitely matters to be researched if you are among the individuals who qualify involvement in a lawsuit. If you are uncertain whether you qualify, you can simply fill out an online form and an attorney will be happy to talk with you. It is not necessary but there are good reasons to acquire an attorney who is knowledgeable in mesothelioma litigation.

There are speciality lawyers and law firms for mesothelioma cases. Most of these specialized attorneys have an impressive settlement record and successes in obtaining verdicts in the courtroom as opposed to settlements out of court. As in most cases, there is money to be dispersed though the monetary value of the settlements are not as important as the impact lawsuits like these will eventually make in the safety issues surrounding workplaces where potentially harmful chemicals can be inhaled or absorbed into peoples bodies.

Warning is Your 1970 house full of asbestos

With all the fears about mesothelioma, an asbestos-induced incurable cancer, we had a real shock just before Christmas.

We went away for a week in Spain, and when we came back, we found our bedroom carpet was like a wet sponge. Looking up, we saw water marks right across our bedroom ceiling, and across the upstairs landing as well. Rushing up into the loft, we quickly saw the cause of this leak, a sticking ball valve in the main water tank. Although there seemed to be no damage apart for the stain on the ceiling, we though we had better call the insurance company in case there had been some more permanent damage to the roof.

Well, the response I got from the insurance company was mind-blowing...

They asked me what type of ceiling, and I told them it was ‘Artex’.

Silence...

‘Do you realise there may be asbestos in your ceiling’ we were told, even though our house was built in the mid 1970’s They said that they would have to send a specialist out to check the roof, and the cost of the repair would either be about $200 to repair the ceiling, or several thousand if they found asbestos was present. Regardless of the outcome, they would meet the bill. Well, the specialist came, with his special mask and breathing apparatus, who checked the ceiling, and sure enough, it contained asbestos!

So we were going to end up having to have all of our fitted bedroom furniture dismantled, and then the ceilings in both our bedroom and landing removed, and a new one fitted, plus the bedroom, hall, stairs and landing all redecorated â€" all for a $200 excess on the insurance.

Talk about total disruption!

Luckily we had built a ‘Granny annex’ for my father who died some years ago, so we moved into that for two weeks, while the decorators took over.

But â€" when the day came for the ceilings to come down, well, Torchwood had nothing on our house. They arrived in a great big truck, with generators, and air conditioning, and all sorts of space age gadgets. They sealed all the upstairs doors, except for our bedroom, built a plastic airlock across the bottom of the stairs, and then two of them waddled from their truck in what looked like space suits complete with air tanks, vanished though the air lock and proceeded to demolish our ceilings.

When they had gone, we were left staring through our rafters at the outside roof tiles - Boy was it cold that night.

It’s quite scary really, as over the years we had knocked our kitchen and dining room into one, smashing part of the ceiling in the process, drilled holes for TV cables, and latterly Ethernet cables to go through the ceilings. After all, why should we be worried about the presence of asbestos? We thought they stopped using that, what, in the 1950’s?

But thatâ's not all...

While the supervisor was here, he looked at our garage. "Did you know your garage has got absolutely lethal asbestos sheeting under the eaves...?" Well. Here we go again. 'Torchwood, we need you again...'

Do It Yourself-ers â€" Beware â€" there is no cure for asbestos-induced cancer.