What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma Cancer is an aggressive cancer that forms on the protective coatings of the chest, abdomen, heart, and testicles. Many of the 3,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year can be traced back to work-related asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma takes 10 to 50 years to develop. Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma and the risk of developing deadly cancer does not diminish over time, even after the end of exposure to asbestos.

Symptoms And Treatment Of Mesothelioma:

When surface symptoms of mesothelioma and an oncologist can make a definitive diagnosis, the disease is often advanced. This is because people can confuse the first symptoms of mesothelioma, such as pain, weight loss or fever, due to common ailments.6

Mesothelioma disease can be very difficult to treat, regardless of the stage of cancer. Doctors generally turn to four types of standard treatment: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Clinical trials are testing new types of treatment, such as biological therapy.

Types Of Mesothelioma:

The medical community recognizes four main types of mesothelioma. Each is named for the area of ​​the body where cancer begins.

Pleural Mesothelioma (Lungs):

Pleural mesothelioma affects the thin lining of the lungs and is the most common type of disease, accounting for about three out of four - or 75 percent - of diagnoses.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma (Abdomen):

Peritoneal mesothelioma, the second most common type of cancer, is formed on the lining of the abdominal cavity and may result from coughing and swallowing inhaled asbestos fibers.

Pericardial Mesothelioma (Heart):

Pericardial mesothelioma begins in the covering around the heart. It is a very rare form of the disease, which constitutes only 2 to 5 percent of newly diagnosed cases each year.9

Testicular Mesothelioma:

Testicular mesothelioma is a tumor of the lining of the membrane that covers the testicles. Only about 100 cases have been reported in the medical literature and the disease is difficult to diagnose due to its rarity.

Who Is Diagnosed With Mesothelioma:

The lawyers of Weitz and Luxenberg support men and women whose lives have been ruined or altered by asbestos. Many of them are spouses of someone with mesothelioma, and sometimes they are veterans who met asbestos while serving in the US army. Although the use of asbestos in the United States of America has declined dramatically in recent decades, asbestos is still present in older homes and buildings, including some schools. Asbestos is still used also in products such as car brakes and roofing materials.

The US Administration for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) has estimated that over one million employees in construction and general industry "face significant asbestos exposure in the workplace". Persons at risk of exposure to asbestos in the workplace include some miners, workers, insulation manufacturers and installers, railway workers and motorists, shipbuilders, gas mask makers, plumbers, firefighters, and construction workers.

On-Site Exhibition And Asbestos Discovery:

Weitz & Luxenberg has represented over 33,000 people and families who have been affected by asbestos exposure, offering our company in-depth knowledge of construction sites in the United States.

Our company investigates each case, tracing the source of contact with asbestos. Since we have worked on so many cases of asbestos, we are experts in the study and determination of where people have been exposed to asbestos, which products have been exposed and which company is responsible.

Shipyards:

The ability to withstand corrosion and high temperatures has made asbestos a reference material for the construction, repair, and maintenance of ships.

Electrical And Chemical Installations:

The power and chemical plants were rich in asbestos. Employees wore asbestos clothing for protection from heat and chemicals.

Metallic Works:

With its heat-resistant qualities, asbestos was considered ideal for protecting workers and machinery in the metallurgical industry.

Construction Sites:

Both commercial and residential buildings relied heavily on asbestos products: they were on roofs, in tiles and mixed with cement.

Military:

Veterans who have served in certain occupations may have been exposed to asbestos, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Industrial Sites:

Workers made about 3,000 products using asbestos and the industrial uses of the material were virtually endless asbestos exposure.