Cancer treatment

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, commonly linked with prior exposure to asbestos. In this disease, cancerous cells grow in the protective lining (mesothelium) covering the internal organs of the body. This disease is commonly located in the outer lining of the chest cavity and lungs (pleura). It can also be found in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), or the sac that envelops the heart (pericardium). People who contract this disease have invariably worked on jobs that put them in close contact with asbestos.

One of the characteristics of mesothelioma is that symptoms can appear very late, sometimes 50 years following first contact with asbestos. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, the disease’s most common form, include discomfort in the chest and difficulty in breathing. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma, another form of the disease, include weight loss, abdominal swelling and pain. Blood clotting, bowel obstruction and fever are other symptoms of this type of mesothelioma. If the malignancy has spread to other body parts, then symptoms may include pain, face swelling and difficulty in swallowing food. However, it is important to remember that these symptoms are not exclusive to this disease; they can happen with other less severe conditions as well.

Over the past two decades, the rate of mesothelioma cases has gone up. Still, in the larger picture, it is a relatively rare cancer. The percentage of cases largely depends on the populations’ exposure to asbestos. In the United States, it has been reported that that frequency may have hit the highest point at 15 per million in 2004. This trend is thought to continue in other parts of the world. Interestingly, mesothelioma is more common in men than women. The risk of this disease augments with age, but a person of any age or gender can be affected. About one-fifth to one-third of all mesothelioma cases are peritoneal.

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, where cancer cells are located in the pleura, the peritoneum and the pericardium of the affected individual. Thus, the three main forms of mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma targets the lining of the lung, peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdominal cavity, and pericardial mesothelioma targets the lining around the heart.

Generally, people suffering from this disease have worked on jobs where they were in close contact with asbestos. Others have contracted the disease without any direct exposure to asbestos. There is a dormant period of 20 to 50 years between the first exposure to the mineral and the appearance of mesothelioma symptoms. There are rare occasions when the effects have been felt before 20 years, after first exposure to asbestos.

There are cases where people have been affected by the disease some four decades after a summer construction job brought them in contact with asbestos. It is not uncommon for housewives to catch the disease after washing asbestos-dust-infected clothes of their husbands and sons who work with asbestos-related products. There are several reported cases of people working in the Navy years back, who have contracted the disease now.

Some jobs put you at risk of the disease more than others. They are: insulators (people who install insulation); pipe fitters and steam fitters (who regularly work in claustrophobic conditions in ships and work with insulation); electricians; carpenters; mechanics; shipyard workers; maintenance workers; laborers, etc. Industrial sites characteristically are the most affected.

Though the survival rate for mesothelioma is low, there are some conventional treatments that can be tried. They are: surgery, where the tumor is removed; chemotherapy, where specific drugs are used to fight the malignancy; and radiation therapy, where high energy rays are deployed to kill the malignant cells.

Mesothelioma is mainly caused by exposure to asbestos during the production or use of asbestos products. It is widely believed that, for sixty years, the companies that dealt with asbestos related products knew about its hazards to health. The dangers of asbestos exposure were kept a secret by the companies for obvious reasons. This holding back of information on the connection between asbestos and mesothelioma has made those companies legally responsible for damages caused by their asbestos products.

Workers who subsequently contract this often fatal disease have the right to file lawsuits for damages. Mesothelioma claims settlements are huge, ranging from $200,000 to millions of dollars. Of course, that depends on the details of the case. Funds are usually set aside to repay the workers and their families.

In the United States, for instance, the median mesothelioma-related settlement is a million dollars. It is reported that cases that went into trial produced an average settlement of $6 million. Yet, it is important to remember that only a small portion of the thousands of asbestos-related lawsuits in the country are linked to mesothelioma.

Finding a decent lawyer to take care of these claims is vital. Since the settlements involve huge sums of money, attorneys are on the lookout for mesothelioma patients. Thus, claimants must take a cautious approach in finding an experienced lawyer to handle their claims.

Some law firms get hold of a mesothelioma victim, and transfer the information to lawyers experienced in handing such cases. Upon doing this, they get a decent referral fee from any successful claim. It is imperative for any lawyer selected to handle a mesothelioma case to have prior experience with litigation involving medical issues.

It is prudent to ask certain questions of attorneys who have been picked to handle the claim. The queries may include his experience in handling mesothelioma claims, the number of claims he has settled and the number that have gone into trial.

Mesothelioma claims can be a drawn-out affair, and law firms should have the necessary wherewithal to take care of them.

Mesothelioma is one of the most uncommon forms of cancer. It generally affects the lungs, heart or abdominal organs. The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma. The pleuron is a slight membrane between the chest cavity and the lungs. The lubrication it gives does not allow the lungs to get grazed when they come in contact with the chest wall. Pleural mesothelioma is also known as “”lung”" cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma is another form of mesothelioma. The membrane that envelops the abdomen’s organs is known as the peritoneum. While it is less common than pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is more invasive and consequently more fatal for the patient.

Mesotheliomas are either easily curable or malignant. The most widespread form of mesothelioma is the “diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma”. This tumor is invasive and destructive. It characteristically spreads quickly to the lungs’ surface, heart or abdominal organs. Life expectancy for patients afflicted by this cancer usually ranges between four months to two years. Of course, that depends a lot on myriad factors, like the stage of the disease’s detection, the patient’s health etc. With appropriate care, some patients have survived for a number of years.

Early diagnosis and surgery may elongate life expectancy. Surgery may not be a feasible option, however, for older or weaker patients. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy can help in the overall program. Home care and pain management are other alternatives during the later stages of the malignancy.

Automobile mechanics, painters, plasterers, pipe fitters, plumbers, shipyard workers and welders, to name a few, are in regular contact with asbestos and thus in greater danger of getting the disease than individuals of other professions.

Generally, it is believed that sustained exposure to asbestos is more liable to give one mesothelioma. However, some individuals with short but severe exposures have developed this malignancy. Also, a person can get this disease indirectly. Women, while washing the clothes of men (son, husband) who work with asbestos, can develop the cancer.

Mesothelioma Pleural is a lethal cancer that initially affects the thin membrane enveloping the lungs. This affliction is mostly caused by exposure to asbestos. Currently about 3000 cases are reported in the United States every year. But according to reliable estimates, nearly 8 million people have been exposed to asbestos during the past fifty years and about .3 million new cases would turn up by 2030. Higher rate of incidence is noted in the Pacific and Mid-Atlantic States.

The disease is almost always fatal. If it is detected early, surgery could be helpful. But the problem is that Mesothelioma Pleural has a long latent period of 20 to 40 years or more and by the time it is diagnosed the cancer would be usually in an advanced stage. There is no universally accepted line of treatment as of now. Chemotherapy is not considered effective. Several combination therapies are tried.

Radiation may be of use, particularly as a palliative measure. Here the problem is that since mesothelioma is resistant to radiation, high doses have to be applied. This, not only kill the cancerous cells but also the good ones. To overcome the difficulty, many doctors who treat mesothelioma pleural patients are employing a century old procedure known as Brachytherapy, which was being, and still is, used for treatment of certain other cancers.

Brachytherapy today is a high-tech and precise form of radiation. It is a process applied internally instead of through a gadget outside the body. Radioactive sources (sealed in needles, catheters, seeds or wires) are planted on the tumor or very close to it. By this process the radiation is focused on the bad cells and therefore spares the good ones. This has been found to be effective.

Like all radiation, Brachytherapy also has side effects. But they are minor ones like short duration soreness in the area where the procedure is done. There is nothing to worry about if the patient follows the doctor’s instructions.

Mesothelioma Pleural or Pleural Mesothelioma is generally a severe form of cancer that affects the membrane lining in the thoracic cavity. There are a few benign cases as well. The inhaling of asbestos dust either during the mining or manufacturing or handling of the material or from the systems and applications in which it is used is believed to be cause of this sickness.

The latency period, that is, the time taken for the symptoms to manifest, is anywhere from twenty to forty years. The time lag may even extend to fifty years. Because of this, most patients diagnosed with this disease are in the age group of sixties or seventies. Some may not even remember their exposure to asbestos. By the time the warning signs are noticed and correctly diagnosed, the disease may be in an advanced stage where treatment could be non-effectual.

Unfortunately, mesothelioma pleural doesn’t have any distinctive symptoms that prima facie identify the disease. The usual indications are dyspnea (shortness of breath), persistent coughing, disphagia (difficulty in swallowing), and tightness in chest accompanied by chest pain. Some patients may develop swelling of the neck, face and arms. This may indicate that the mesothelioma has spread. There could also be wheezing, hoarseness, fever and sweating, fatigue, sensory loss and nausea. At the advanced stage there may be hymoptysis (coughing up of blood).

The symptoms are mainly caused by effusion, which in this case means fluid collection in the thoracic area. Also, the delicate membrane covering the lungs may thicken and thus reduce expansion and contraction. In certain cases no perceptible signs may show till the cancer has spread beyond control.

Out of the symptoms of mesothelioma pleural the major ones are shortness of breath (90%) and weight loss (29%). About 84% of patients have pleural effusions (fluid collection).

Every year in the UK around 1,600 people die from mesothelioma, a terminal lung disease which is normally caused by contact with asbestos. Many of the people who have learnt the devastating news that they are suffering from an incurable condition, have made the decision to speak to a personal injury solicitor. A solicitor with expertise in this area of the law can help them to make a personal injury claim. Asbestos related illnesses, which people are suffering from today, could have been avoided if action was taken many years ago.

It is difficult to swallow the facts and figures surrounding asbestos use. Thousands of people are waking up to the fact that their professional lives as many as 30 or 40 years ago were in fact contributing to an early and painful death.

Asbestos was once hailed as a fantastic, revolutionary material and its fire resistant properties were ideal for use in the construction industries, in plumbing and ship building. Asbestos was installed in buildings throughout the world and many hundreds of thousands of men, women and children came into constant contact with it. Whilst it is not dangerous when lying untouched, it becomes deadly when its’ fibres are disturbed. People working in these industries are most at risk of contracting these diseases however; their families are also at risk of becoming ill at some point in the future. Barry Welch died at the age of 32 because he came into contact with asbestos dust when he was a child. His stepfather came home each night covered in the deadly fibres.

A large number of employers have now admitted liability for the suffering of their previous employees. Protection was not offered to many of the people who are now living with asbestosis, mesothelioma, emphysema, pleural plaques and lung cancer. It has been discovered that many employers continued to expose workers, even though they had become aware of the inherent risks.

Many people suffering from lung diseases as a result of their employers’ negligence have received injury compensation payouts as a result of their contact with a personal injury solicitor. Tracing previous employers and attributing liability is difficult, but people suffering because of another person’s action are legally entitled to make an injury claim for the suffering caused by their work accident.

Unfortunately, new legislation has recently been passed which may mean an end to large compensation payouts for families of asbestos disease sufferers. Britain’s highest court ruled that where a worker was exposed to asbestos dust by several employers, each was liable to pay only a proportionate share of compensation rather than the whole amount. Because many of the employers responsible for fatal asbestos exposure were operating as many as 40 years ago they may now no longer exist or cannot be traced.

Employers union the TUC is calling for the reversal of what it calls a cruel and unjust decision. Many people who may have received hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation may now only receive a fraction of this amount.

If you are suffering from an asbestos related illness then you may wish to discuss your options with a personal injury solicitor who has specialist knowledge of industrial diseases.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a malignancy that targets the lining of the abdomen. This form of cancer, like pleural mesothelioma, is mostly a result of exposure to asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining that guards the abdomen’s insides, and which also gives a lubricating fluid that facilitates the smooth movement and functioning of the organs.

This disease is also called diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma, particularly when the cancer has branched out. It accounts for about a tenth of all mesothelioma patients, and is the second most common after pleural mesothelioma.

There are a number of symptoms of this disease. Similar to other mesothelioma diseases, the latency period is long, and symptoms remain dormant for decades after initial exposure. By the time the symptoms become conspicuous, it may be too late. Furthermore, if your doctor is not aware of your previous exposure to asbestos, then he may treat you for different ailments.

The most common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are weight loss; nausea; abdominal pains and weakness; lack of appetite; bowel obstruction; and abdominal swelling. Problems such as shortness of breath and extreme pain can also be experienced.

Treatment for this form of mesothelioma is dependant on a number of factors, such as the extent of the cancer and the patient’s general health, age and past medical history.

Surgery is one conventional option of treating peritoneal mesothelioma. This involves taking out portions of the abdomen’s lining in order to remove the tumor. Surgery also depends largely on the age of the patient and the extent to which the cancer has spread. Sometimes, it becomes imperative to take out a part of the diaphragm, so as to facilitate the easy removal of the tumor.

In radiation therapy, high-energy x-rays are deployed to shrink the size of the tumor or kill off malignant cells. Radiation therapy can be approached in two ways. One is the external method, where radiation is emitted through the body from a machine placed outside. The second method is by emitting radiation directly to the malignant area through plastic tubes.

Chemotherapy is doubtless the most common and well-known method of combating cancer. Here, a combination of drugs – through tablets or needles — is used to kill malignant cells.

Pleural Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that affects the delicate membrane lining in the thorax. Sometimes a few benign cases are also noticed. Three thousand new incidences of pleural mesothelioma are reported in the United States every year. Usually the patient dies within eighteen months from diagnosis.

Unprotected contact with asbestos is the only known cause of this disease. The general view seems to be that most of the cases could have been possibly prevented if the asbestos manufacturers who knew about the ill effects of the product had warned their workers and taken the required safeguards. Today the industry is strapped with lawsuits totaling billions of dollars over the issue and some of the companies have gone bankrupt.

Pleural Mesothelioma is normally detected in people of the 60-70 years age group. This is mainly because the killer takes two to four decades to develop and manifest. Not only those who have worked in asbestos factories or have otherwise come into regular contact with material (like loading and unloading workers) but their families as well run the risk of being struck by the disease because of the asbestos dust the workers carry home on their bodies and clothing. Sometimes the heating systems are padded with asbestos to increase the efficiency. Till a few years back some ships used to be insulated with this toxic material.

The mesothelioma pleural patient goes through four distinctive stages en route to the inevitable end. Diagnosis is difficult for two reasons. First is the time lag for the symptoms to appear. Secondly the symptoms like shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, and weight loss, are common to several other diseases.

Traditional treatment for pleural mesothelioma is not very effective. If the problem is detected during the initial stage, surgery could possibly control it. In certain cases Brachytherapy could be a substitute for surgery. Pain management could be helped to some extent by radiotherapy. Chemotherapy doesn’t seem to be effectual. A great deal of research is afoot to discover better management procedures for pleural mesothelioma. Some new methods of treatment are being tried out.

Pleural Mesothelioma is a serious ailment that affects the thoracic cavity. It is believed to be caused by inhaling asbestos dust. Most of the three thousand such cases reported in the United States every year are malignant. There are two important reasons for this. The disease has a long latency period of twenty to forty years. By the time the symptoms manifest, the cancer would have already set in. Secondly, the outward signs that emerge are similar to that of many common and less serious diseases, rendering diagnosis difficult. Usually the problem is identified too late.

The outward symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include breathing and swallowing difficulty, loss of weight, constant coughing, chest congestion and pain, spitting blood, and fever. Detailed investigations reveal irregular thickening of pleura and fluid collection, reduced space between the lung lobes, and mineral deposits.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma goes through four separate stages. Initially it is restricted to the pleura, the membrane in the thoracic cavity. Next the lymph nodes are affected. In the third stage there would be local spreading of the disease. Finally the cancer penetrates to other parts of the body. Often, death strikes within six to eighteen months of diagnosing the disease depending on the stage at which the problem was identified.

In the initial phase surgery may prove helpful to some extent. Other lines of treatment include Brachotherapy. Several doctors prefer a multi-modality approach aimed at prolonging survival and reducing pain. Exciting new developments like photodynamic therapy, immuno therapy and gene therapy are undergoing human clinical trials.

The sad part is that we are yet to see the full spectrum of the menace. The present strike rate of 3000 new pleural mesothelioma cases per year is only a starter. National Cancer Institute estimates that eight million people have been exposed to asbestos during the past fifty years and that 300,000 new cases of pleural mesothelioma could come up by 2030! It is essential that efforts be made on a war footing to develop new effective methods of prevention and treatment.

But pragmatically, for the present, a person diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma and/or his close relatives should look for the best palliative care and a competent lawyer to sue for damages.