Mesothelioma is one of the few forms of cancer for which there is a clearly known cause.
In about 70 to 80 percent of mesothelioma cases, it has been determined that patients
were exposed to asbestos at some level. Mesothelioma is also a very serious type of
cancer that is difficult to detect until it has reached advanced stages. Therefore it is
extremely important to become familiar with the types of materials that contain asbestos,
hazardous occupations and early symptoms if you think you are at risk.
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a protective
membrane that surrounds organs in the body to keep them from moving out of place or
rubbing against each other. There are a few cases where mesothelioma can affect the
outer layer of the heart (called pericardium mesothelioma) and if the abdominal cavity is
affected it is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. But most cases involve the pleura or
chest cavity, which can affect one or both lungs and this, is known as pleural
mesothelioma.
Typical symptoms include the following:
Pleural or lining of the lungs:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Lower back pain
- Fever
- Muscle weakness
- Persistent cough or coughing up blood
- Swelling of face and arms
- Hoarseness of voice
Peritoneal or abdominal lining:
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Bowel obstruction
- Bloating
- Anemia
- Swelling of the feet
- Fever
Pericardium or outer layer of the heart:
- Fatigue
- Palpitations
- Irregular heartbeat
- Loss of appetite
- Hyper- or hypo- tension
It is obvious that these symptoms are seen in many other ailments. Therefore this type of
cancer is frequently misdiagnosed, resulting in treatment being delayed. Mesothelioma
closely resembles other types of cancers as well, so even highly trained doctors can
prescribe the wrong type of treatment. This makes it even more crucial to understand the
risk factors involved if you think you were exposed to asbestos and have some of the
symptoms described above. A test that can be performed to show the extent of the
disease is called a computer chest tomography or CT-scan. If abnormalities are noted a
piece of tissue is extracted during a biopsy which is then tested. If the cancer is found
early enough and treated aggressively, almost half the patients reach the two year mark
and about 20% survive for 5 years. But the average survival time is about a year.
Asbestos products have not been used in construction since 1975, but there are still a lot
of older buildings that contain it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency believes
there are as many as 73,000 schools and public buildings in the country that contain
asbestos insulation. Asbestos is a fibrous material which is mined from crushed
serpentine rock. Fibrous strands of asbestos were extracted from the rock and then put in
bags and shipped to manufacturing facilities. There are two types of asbestos, serpentine
and amphiboles. Chrysotile is the only type of serpentine fiber, which is curly and
pliable. It is the most commonly used type of asbestos. Amphiboles asbestos is a thin,
rod-like fiber and is considered to be the most cancer-causing of the two. There are five
main types of amphiboles asbestos: crocidolite, amosite, anthrophylite, tremolite and
actinolyte. Any of the following materials could contain either type of asbestos if they
were produced before 1975:
- Pipe insulation
- Floor and ceiling tile
- Brake pads and linings
- Furnaces
- Building insulation
- Wallboard
- Shingles
- Roofing materials
- Fireproofing
- Electrical wires
Most mesothelioma patients were exposed to asbestos because of their occupation. And
one can even be exposed to the material by a family member who brings home dust or
fibers on their clothing. Even if you live or work near a facility containing asbestos, it
can easily be carried by wind over fairly long distances. If a building is being torn down,
dust containing asbestos can be released into the air, and trucks hauling the debris can
also spread the asbestos fibers into the environment. The following is a list of
occupations in which it is possible to be exposed to asbestos:
- Auto mechanics (brakes and clutch repair)
- Bricklayers
- Building Inspectors
- Electricians
- Floor coverings/tile setters
- Furnace manufacturing
- Insulators
- Longshoremen
- Maintenance workers
- U.S. Navy personnel/ merchant marines
- Welders
- Roofers
- Steam fitters
- Sand blasters
- Plasterers
- Iron workers
- Millwrights
- Plumbers
- Sheet metal workers
If you worked in a shipyard or construction site before 1970, you have an increased risk
of exposure. In one research study of asbestos insulation workers, the death rate was 344
times higher than the general population. After 1970, workplace exposure to asbestos
became less common, but it can take up to 50 years for signs of mesothelioma to appear.
In fact, an increasing number of mesothelioma cases are currently being reported, and are
expected to increase through the year 2010. The average age at diagnosis is now 50 to 70
years old, with men affected 3 to 5 times more often than women.
It is thought the way asbestos causes cancer is by the fibers traveling to the ends of small
air passages after they are breathed in. When other types of fibers are inhaled, most of
the time they are first cleared by sticking to mucus in the nose, throat, trachea or bronchi.
But the long, thin fibers of asbestos are not as easily cleared and can reach the pleura
(tissue lining or covering that surrounds the lungs) where they cause damage to the
mesothelial cells by physically irritating them. This damage causes malignant tumors to
form. Asbestos fibers can also injure lung cells causing lung cancer or asbestosis, which
is the replacement of the lung tissue by scar tissue. To get the type of mesothelioma that
harms the mesothelial cells surrounding the abdominal cavity, it is believed the inhaled
asbestos fibers were coughed up and swallowed.
No one knows for certain how much asbestos exposure it takes for it to cause
mesothelioma. Some people come down with the disease after many years of working in
a hazardous occupation using asbestos, while others have only been exposed to it for a
few weeks or months. But if you were exposed at an early age for a long period of time
at higher levels of asbestos, you have a greater risk. There are also genetic factors which
affect who actually develops the disease. This would help to explain why some people
exposed to high levels of asbestos never come down with mesothelioma.
Studies have shown that once the mesothelioma symptoms appear the median (half above
and half below point) survival time is approximately 17 months. The three year survival
time is 10% and the five year survival time is only 5%.
You do not want to be a smoker if you have been exposed to asbestos. The risk of getting
lung cancer is 50 to 90 times greater than the general population if you smoke tobacco
and work with asbestos. In fact, more asbestos workers die of lung cancer than of
mesothelioma.
Radiation from exposure to certain types of x-ray tests that used thorium dioxide has also
been shown to be a risk factor for mesothelioma. However, this material has not been
used for many years.
Legal Remedies
First of all, if you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should have no difficulty
qualifying for federal disability benefits such as SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or
SSD (Social Security Disability). But more importantly, you should be able to hold
manufacturers and distributors responsible. Many of them knew for decades that
asbestos was hazardous to your health, but chose not to warn people of its dangers. As
far back as the 1930s, numerous medical journals published studies linking asbestos to
cancer. In1960, J.C. Wagner wrote about 32 workers in the "Asbestos Hills" of South
Africa that clearly linked exposure to crocidolite asbestos with mesothelioma.
Since that time, numerous studies throughout the world have confirmed the relationship
between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure. In 1962 Dr. Jim McNulty not only
diagnosed asbestos mill and mine workers with mesothelioma, but also found the entire
town of Wittenoom, Australia had been exposed to asbestos dust. With a high incidence
of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in people who didn't work in the
mine, the Australian government phased out the town in 1978.
Even today workers are not always told they are working around asbestos and that they
are at risk for diseases caused by it. If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be
able to be compensated by the manufacturer, distributor or even the company you worked
for, which could help defray your medical costs and pay for your pain and suffering.
There is a statue of limitations, so you must file suit within a few years of being
diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis. Even if a family member diagnosed with the
disease has died, the executor of the estate can file a claim as long as it is within a short
time following the death. A person exposed to asbestos by another family member who
brought it home on their clothes, etc., may also be eligible. It is helpful if you can
remember the exact location where you think you may have been exposed and the name
of the manufacturer of the asbestos. There are many attorneys who specialize in
mesothelioma cases and they can help you track down this information. The amount of
compensation you can receive depends upon the amount of lost income, the laws in your
state, and whether the responsible parties are still in business. The award can range from
several thousand dollars to several million.
From this article you should take away the following points:
- If you have any of the symptoms described above and worked in an occupation where
you may have been exposed to asbestos, seek medical help immediately.
- If you currently work in an occupation that may involve asbestos exposure such as
tearing down old buildings or working on plumbing fixtures wrapped in asbestos, make
sure you wear the proper safety equipment so you do not breathe in any fibers. This
applies to family members as well if they are handling your work clothes.
- If you work in any environment that you suspect contains asbestos, write down the name
of the manufacturer and distributor if you can find it.
- If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis and you suspect
you were exposed to asbestos at any time in your life, consult with an attorney who
specializes in this type of litigation. If you type in "mesothelioma" on any Web search
engine, you will find the names of numerous law firms. They do not have to be located
in your state.