Articles Posted in Mesothelioma Diagnosis

While the general public did not become aware of the dangers of asbestos until the 1970s at the earliest, the asbestos industry was well aware of the risks associated with their products prior to that.

Through the discovery process in civil mesothelioma lawsuits, we know not only was the asbestos industry aware of the dangers, those involved took affirmative steps to hide this knowledge from the public and even fraudulently marketed some of their asbestos-laden materials as safe alternatives to asbestos.

It is this willful and wanton disregard for the safety of factory workers, construction workers, and consumers of asbestos-containing materials that has led to the award of extremely high verdicts including punitive damages.

According to a recent news article from CNY, the family of a deceased school bus driver from upstate New York was awarded $7.7 million in a mesothelioma lawsuit. In this case, plaintiff was employed as school bus driver from 1957 to 1994. During that period, plaintiff was exposed to asbestos on daily basis while in the bus garage.
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Asbestos removal, or asbestos abatement as it is known in the industry, is an expensive process that requires professional inspections and certified contractors. Asbestos abatement also requires permits and a well-trained crew that is provided with proper safety equipment, including protective clothing and respirators or ventilators.

Some property owners who are renovating or demolishing a building choose to ignore the law and remove the asbestos in an illegal and dangerous manner. This is dangerous to the workers and the community at large, as asbestos dust is known to cause deadly forms of cancer such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other respiratory illnesses. According to a recent news article from the Detroit Free Press, federal authorities are increasing efforts to curb illegal asbestos removal and disposal.

The article discusses how workers in a now-closed automotive plant showed up without proper training of safety equipment to remove asbestos. The building was dark, as there were no working lights. Workers would use scissor lifts and cut off sheets of asbestos-laden pipe insulation as their supervisors yelled, “let ‘er rip.” By the end of each day of work, these untrained workers were covered with asbestos dust.
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Not only is mesothelioma deadly, there is also no effective means to control or cure the disease, as there are with some forms of cancer. If it were not for exposure to asbestos, malignant mesothelioma would rarely occur.

A recent article from Fox News looks at efforts by scientists to learn how mesothelioma forms and what can be done to treat the disease more effectively. One major difference discovered between mesothelioma and other forms of cancer is mesothelioma is likely caused by mutations in more than one cell.

Most forms of cancer are considered monoclonal, that is they are caused from mutations within a single cell. In making this finding, scientists used a method called HUMARA to trace cells from female embryos. The studied involved taking a serious of samples from 14 mesothelioma tumors removed from female mesothelioma patients. Through a change involving the deactivation of one x chromosome, researchers were able to make this link.
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As it stands today, mesothelioma is an incurable cancer.

However, researchers are making strides in treatment options. One of the best new methods of cancer treatment is the use of genetically-modified cells. As the LA Times reports, training the human immune system to recognize and fight cancer is now being called the the “fifth pillar” of cancer treatment.

Boston mesothelioma lawyers know many of the treatments effective with other type of cancer frequently do not work as well for mesothelioma patients. This is also true of genetically-engineered cells. However, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are taking a new approach that may work better.
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Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer and many patients are not diagnosed until the later stages of the disease. While there is no cure, surgery can be performed to attempt removal of most of the cancer in order to prolong the life of the patient.

Boston mesothelioma lawyers understand it is essential for a patient to have an accurate diagnosis and understand the extent of his health issues before deciding whether to undergo surgery.

A number of different medical tests can be performed on a mesothelioma patient to assess whether mesothelioma has spread throughout the body and whether a particular treatment will be effective. Patients need to seek treatment from specialists with experience in mesothelioma in order to make sure the appropriate diagnostic tests are used so the right treatment method can be chosen. The costs of this medical care should be paid for through workers’ compensation if the asbestos exposure occurred at work, or from compensation from an asbestos victim’s trust or from the asbestos manufacturer.
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Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. However, it generally takes 20 to 50 years after inhaling asbestos fibers before a patient develops any symptoms. Once a patient develops symptoms and gets diagnosed with mesothelioma, the disease is generally in a very advanced stage, and the patient may only have a very short time to live. There is currently no cure for mesothelioma.

According to a recent news article from the New York Times, an experimental treatment being used for people dying from brain tumors may have future applications for mesothelioma patients.

The medical device that is glued to a patient’s scalp and generates a low alternating current electrical field that the manufacturer calls tumor-treating fields. It’s believed the electrical fields can stop tumor growth by preventing cancer cells from dividing.
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According to a recent article from Huffington Post UK, more than 3,000 students in Wales were housed in dormitories that contained asbestos. University officials confirmed the presence of the toxic material, but, because it was deemed “low risk,” the university chose not to tell students. This decision was called reckless by one British health foundation and others are calling for transparency.

These organizations are asking the university to put the safety of students first and to provide students will all known information about the asbestos contamination in student dormitories.

As your Boston mesothelioma lawyers knows, asbestos was a commonly used building material from the 1950s to the early 1990s. It was primarily used in construction for fireproofing and insulation. During this period, workers were exposed to deadly fibers present in asbestos dust. If inhaled, fibers are known to cause a deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma. However, the victim does not normally experience any symptoms of the cancer for decades after exposure.
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According to a recent article in the Mail, an Australian court awarded plaintiff a $2.2 million verdict. The plaintiff is dying of the deadly lung cancer, mesothelioma. This case is significant because it is the highest verdict ever awarded in an asbestos exposure case, and it occurred in a country that is not known for high verdict amounts in personal injury cases.

The worker, who is now 54 years old, worked at a steel mill from the time he was 19 to the time he was 21. Evidence at trial showed that his employer knew asbestos dust was present in large quantities at the steel mill. The company also knew that even a very small amount could be fatal to workers.

Four years ago, plaintiff was diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. He is currently confined to his bed, suffering from severe depression due to the fact that he does not have long to live. He has said his mood has suffered along with his health. He will never get to spend time with his grandchildren or grow old with his wife.

As your Boston mesothelioma lawyer can explain, the fact that asbestos manufacturers and factory owners knew they were exposing workers to deadly fibers and didn’t warn them or take safety precautions is the reason for such high verdicts.
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A study of more than 14,000 patients with mesothelioma in the United States has revealed that women are more likely than men to survive mesothelioma. The research was published in the June edition of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery in a report entitled: “Women with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Have a Threefold Better Survival Rate Than Men.”

While this is good news for women throughout Boston who suffer from this aggressive type of cancer, it is unfortunately not good for the many male victims. Men were more likely to work in professions where they were exposed to mesothelioma and thus there tend to be many more male victims. Both men and women affected by this type of cancer should consult with a Boston mesothelioma lawyer for help understanding their rights if asbestos exposure made them sick.
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