Asbestos Cancer: Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lung Cancer

Asbestos Cancer

Asbestos is a common mineral which has been used throughout history as an insulation material and as a fire retardant.  While the connection between asbestos and illness has been known for thousands of years, the correlation between asbestos and cancer was only officially acknowledged in the last century.

Types of Asbestos Cancer

Asbestos cancer, the most notorious form of which is pleural mesothelioma, can also affect the abdominal cavity, heart, colorectal and gastrointestinal systems.  Studies by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC) have shown that exposure to asbestos can also increase a person’s risk for developing lung, gallbladder, throat, kidney, esophagus, breast and prostate cancer, as well as lymphomas and leukemia.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a particularly aggressive asbestos cancer that develops in the cells that line many of the body’s internal organs, known as mesothelial cells.  Roughly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the cells that line the lungs, known as the pleura.  Mesothelioma can also attack the cells that line the peritoneum (abdominal cavity) and the pericardium (lining of the heart).  In very rare cases of peritoneal mesothelioma, mesothelioma can affect the cellular lining of the testicles.

Asbestos Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is another disease that can be caused by asbestos exposure.  While many people think of mesothelioma as a lung cancer, it is not technically classified as such because it affects the mesothelial cells that line the lungs and not the lungs themselves.  There are two types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.  Non-small cell lung cancer affects roughly 80 percent of patients, while small-cell lung cancer is the more aggressive form of the two.

Common lung cancer symptoms are similar to mesothelioma symptoms, and can include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

Anyone who displays these symptoms for a prolonged period of time and who has been exposed to asbestos should consult a doctor to rule out lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuits

Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuits

Because so many companies and unions exposed their workers to asbestos while knowing the deadly repercussions of asbestos exposure, many people who were occupationally exposed to asbestos have successfully filed lawsuits against these negligent parties.  Likewise, people who were exposed non-occupationally to asbestos, such as family members of asbestos workers, have filed asbestos cancer lawsuits to pursue compensation from the parties responsible for their asbestos exposure.

Contact an Asbestos Cancer Attorney

If you or someone you love has developed asbestos cancer or another disease related to asbestos exposure, you need to understand your rights.  You may be able to hold negligent parties accountable for the toxic asbestos exposure that led to asbestos cancer.  Your should approach to some dedicated asbestos mesothelioma attorney and lawyer who has dedicated his or her career to becoming fully educated on asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, and the rights afforded to victims of asbestos exposure. He / She can help guide you and your family through the legal process, tirelessly pursuing just compensation for you and your loved ones.

18 Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer Centers Worldwide

18 Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer Centers Worldwide

1. Brigham and Women’s Hospital
15 Francis Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
877-637-6347
Web Site: http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Departments_and_Services/surgery/services/thoracicsurgery/services/mesothelioma/default.aspx

2. Cleveland Clinic
Taussig Cancer Institute
R Building
2010 East 90th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
877-637-6347
Web site: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/cancer/default.aspx?utm_campaign=cancer-redirect&utm_medium=offline&utm_source=redirect

3. Dana – Farber Cancer Institute
Thoracic Cancer Treatment Center
450 Brookline Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
617- 632-6875
Web site: http://www.dana-farber.org/pat/adult/thoracic-cancer

4. Duke University Medical Center
Duke Cancer Institute
2301 Erwin Road
Durham, North Carolina, 27710
Web Site: http://www.cancer.duke.edu

5. Johns Hopkins
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
10753 Falls Road, Pavilion II, Suite 415
Lutherville, Maryland 21093
410- 955-5222
Web site: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center

6. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Thoracic Oncology Program
12902 Magnolia Drive
Tampa, Florida 33612
877-637-6347 or  1-877-637-6347
Web site: http://www.moffitt.org/site.aspx?spid=A567BDDCC59845298A683F181F94FB4B

7. Mayo Clinic
200 First Street S.W.
Rochester, Minnesota 55905
877-637-6347
Web Site: http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester    

8. Mayo Clinic
13400 East Shea Boulevard
Scottsdale, Arizona 85259
877-637-6347
Web Site: http://www.mayoclinic.org/arizona

9. Mayo Clinic
4500 San Pablo Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32224
877-637-6347
Web Site: http://www.mayoclinic.org/jacksonville

10.  MD Anderson Cancer Center
Thoracic Care Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77030
877-637-6347
Web Site: http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/care-centers-and-clinics/care-centers/thoracic/index.html

11. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
1275 York Avenue
New York, New York 10065
877-637-6347 ( 866-MSK-LUNG)
Web site: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/76954.cfm

12. UCLA
Thoracic Oncology Program Clinic
UCLA Oncology Center
200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 120
Los Angeles, California 90095
310- 825-7341
Web site: http://lungcancer.ucla.edu/index.html

13. UCSF
Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion
1600 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, California 94115
415- 885-3882
Web site: http://cancer.ucsf.edu/about

14. The University of Chicago Medical Center
5841 S. Maryland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
1-888-UCH-0200
Web  site: http://www.uchospitals.edu/specialties/cancer/mesothelioma

15. University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
1500 East Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Patient Care Center -  877-637-6347
Web site: http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/thoracic/lung_cancer.shtml

16. University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute
Hillman Cancer Center
5115 Centre Avenue, Second floor
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232
Phone: 412-623-LUNG (5864)
Web site: http://www.upmccancercenters.com/portal_lung/program.cfm

17. University of Washington
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
1354 Aloha Street
Seattle, Washington 98109
877-637-6347
Web site: http://www.seattlecca.org/diseases/mesothelioma-overview.cfm

18. Yale Cancer Center 
Thoracic Oncology Program
333 Cedar Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06520
203- 688-5864 or  203- 785-4198
Web site: http://www.yalecancercenter.org/top/index.html

Asbestos Mesothelioma Therapy

Asbestos Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy usually involves the intravenous administration of drugs designed to interfere with the processes that occur during cell division, thereby killing rapidly-dividing cancer cells.  Depending on the stage of a patient’s mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be given as the primary treatment or in conjunction with other treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy.

While chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, they also kill or damage some normal cells.  Thus, careful attention must be paid to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment while minimizing the side effects.

Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a form of mesothelioma treatment that is usually given in conjunction with other treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. Radiation works by using X-rays to kill cancer cells.  There are 2 types of radiation therapy that have proven effective with mesothelioma cancer patients: external beam radiation and brachytherapy.

External beam radiation entails bombarding cancer tumors with X-rays to kill cancer cells.  Brachytherapy is a newer radiation treatment that involves the implantation of radioactive material directly into tumors to provide a stronger dose of radiation while doing very little damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

In some cases, radiation therapy is the main form of mesothelioma treatment.  This is more common in patients whose overall health has declined to a state where they are too weak to endure chemotherapy or invasive surgery.  In other cases, such as a follow-up to mesothelioma surgery, radiation therapy is used as a complementary treatment.  Radiation is also used as a palliative therapy to relieve mesothelioma symptoms such as pain, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, and bleeding.

As with chemotherapy, radiation therapy damages healthy, normal cells as well as cancerous cells.  For this reason, careful planning is needed to ensure the proper dosage to maximize the benefits of radiation therapy while minimizing the damage to healthy cells.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Gene Therapy

Mesothelioma gene therapy is a newer treatment used in conjunction with chemotherapy. The type of gene therapy used for mesothelioma patients is often referred to as “suicide gene therapy” because it forces cancer cells to cause their own death.  In essence, genes are introduced into the body that render cancer genes’ defense mechanisms useless and thus make them more susceptible to cancer medications issued through chemotherapy.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy is commonly used to treat skin cancers, some types of lung cancers, and pleural mesothelioma. This therapy involves the use of light energy to eliminate cancer cells. The patient is given an I.V. solution of medication designed to make cancer cells highly particular to a specific kind of light. A few days after administration of this medicine, the patient is exposed to this specific kind of light, killing the medicated cancer cells.

Photodynamic therapy is only effective in localized mesothelioma, and is unsuitable for patients with other types of mesothelioma.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Surgery

Asbestos Mesothelioma Surgery

There are a number of surgical procedures that may offer hope or have a palliative effect for mesothelioma patients. Thoracentesis is a minimally invasive procedure during which a needle is inserted into the chest cavity to drain excess fluid and provide relief to the patient suffering from pleural mesothelioma.  In some cases, antibiotics or talcum powder may also be injected into the chest at this time.  In patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, a similar procedure may be performed to drain the abdomen. Similarly, a needle may be inserted into the area around the heart to drain fluid that is a result of pericardial mesothelioma.

In rare cases, when the patient’s mesothelioma is at an early stage, curative surgery known as pleurectomy may be performed to remove pleura (the lining of the lungs), thus removing the cancerous tumor, as well.  Unfortunately, in many cases microscopic cancer cells have already spread, so this procedure is not an effective cure to mesothelioma.

In cases of localized (early stage) mesothelioma of the pleura, extrapleural pneumonectomy is a very extensive surgery that may be offered.  This operation is only performed by a select few doctors, as it involves the removal of portions of the lung, pericardium, and diaphragm on the affected side of the body in order to remove a tumor without dissecting it.

 

A surgical option for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma is known as a peritonectomy.  This procedure can only be performed at very early stages of the cancer, and involves the removal of a portion or all of the peritoneum to rid the body of cancerous tissues.

As with most cancer surgeries, patients who undergo mesothelioma surgery may also be treated with chemotherapy and radiation.

Asbestos Mesothelioma: Diagnosis and Treatments

Diagnosis of Asbestos Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma has an unusually long latency period, which means that patients may not be diagnosed with the disease for as long as 5 decades after they were last exposed to asbestos.  After careful evaluation, a variety of tests are necessary to correctly diagnose mesothelioma.  Some of these clinical and radiological tests include a complete physical examination, including the patient’s medical history and history of asbestos exposure, x-rays, lung function tests, CT scan, MRI, and sometimes a tissue or fluid biopsy.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Many patients opt to undergo one or more mesothelioma treatments to combat the disease and to ease the physical symptoms of mesothelioma cancer. Not all treatments listed on this page are appropriate for every mesothelioma patient. The best way to determine the course of your own treatment is to consult with your own doctors.

• Mesothelioma Surgery
• Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
• Mesothelioma Radiation
• Mesothelioma Gene Therapy
• Mesothelioma Photodynamic Therapy

Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys and Lawyers

Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys and Lawyers

Mesothelioma cancer is a rare disease caused by asbestos exposure. Most mesothelioma patients were exposed to asbestos on jobsites where the parties in charge were well aware of the dangers of asbestos inhalation and exposure. Under the law, mesothelioma victims and their families are eligible to file suit against negligent parties to recover compensation for their damages.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos mesothelioma attorneys and lawyers can help you build a strong case. While there is no way to compensate for the loss of your health due to mesothelioma, asbestos mesothelioma attorneys and lawyers can help you recover compensation to help with the cost of care and other expenses.

We will provide list of asbestos mesothelioma attorneys and lawyers which can help you. Each mesothelioma attorney and lawyer at these firms has been defending the rights of mesothelioma cancer and asbestos exposure victims for years. We know how devastating a mesothelioma diagnosis is for victims and their families, and these mesothelioma attorneys and lawyers always treat their clients with the dignity and respect they deserve.

1. Humphrey Farrington & McClain, P.C.
2. Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC
3. William G. Pintas & Associates, Ltd.
4. Cavanagh Law Group
5. Klest Injury Law Firm
6. Kaiser Gornick LLP
7. Gori Julian & Associates, P.C.
8. Sokolove Law, LLC
9. Connelly & Vogelzang
10. Klest Injury Law Firm