Should you file a Mesothelioma Lawsuit?

By M. Allan


Mesothelioma is a cancer that is caused by exposure asbestos fibers, a naturally occurring mineral substance. Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health issues including mesothelioma and asbestosis. Symptoms of an asbestos-related disease may take as long as sixty years to manifest.

Over the years, the Americans who are at the greatest risk has changed. Many construction workers and craftsman still have the greatest risk of developing the disease-along with the spouses and children of these individuals due to household exposure to asbestos. Because asbestos was used in construction sites across the country (and in some cases is still used in products manufactured in America), teachers and students were also at risk.

Mesothelioma is very aggressive type of cancer, and sometimes difficult to initially diagnose. Many victims often do not remember having suffered exposure as a result of the long latency period. On average, a person with mesothelioma lives only an estimated eight to 14 months after the time they are diagnosed. Some, however, may live up to five years following the initial diagnosis. Contributing factors to the estimated lifespan can include age, health and the stage of cancer. There is no cure for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma patients have many treatment options that they may discuss with their doctors before choosing to consult with family members or friends about what might best work for them. Of the available treatment options, there are several that involve options still in the clinical testing phase.

One method currently being tested is heated chemoperfusion or hot chemotherapy. This therapy is enacted post-surgery after as much of the tumor has been surgically removed as possible. A heated solution of chemotherapy drugs and saline is administered to the cancerous cavity.

The solution soaks in the abdominal cavity for up to 90 minutes while doctors monitor the patients' progress. Research shows the heated solution makes cancer cells more receptive to absorbing the chemotherapy medication.

Often cancer is difficult to see, so the heated chemotherapy allows doctors to kill cells that may have been overlooked by other forms of treatment such as surgery. Scientists and researchers believe this helps length of life and improved quality of life for mesothelioma sufferers.

Individuals who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or family members may be eligible for financial compensation if their asbestos exposure occurred on a jobsite because of occupational or household exposure. Mesothelioma lawyers can help explore the legal rights and potential options available for those individuals to help with emotional and financial hardships from the diagnosis.




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