The Buildup of Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is a serious cancerous disease with very low survival rates despite the various new treatment options that have helped in increasing the longevity of patients. Statistics indicate that the average survival period after diagnosis is one year with a slight increase to two years with aggressive treatment. It has been found that in more than 95% of cases, mesothelioma occurs due to asbestos exposure.

Asbestos is a good heat resistant material that is used by various industries to make lagging for pipes and walls. Prior to the red flags raised by various medical groups, many individuals were unaware of the dangers of asbestos exposure. Studies show that the main effects occur about 20 to 40 years after first exposed. Owing to this reason, this disease has been labeled ‘old person disease’ because it occurs when individuals are in their latter part of their lives.

One of the most common types of mesothelioma is the epithelioid mesothelioma. This type has a higher prognosis for cure where patients can access better treatment and in turn improve their life expectancy. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused in the mesothelium, the epithelium adjoining certain organs. Epithelium is a tissue found within the body that separates different regions. For example, the epithelial cells found in the skin separate the outside of the body from its inside.

Causes and Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The most common cause of epithelioid mesothelioma is due to exposure to very fine airborne asbestos particles. In this cancerous disease, the membrane lining of chest cavity, lungs, heart abdominal abdominal cavity becomes damaged and results in the formation of cancerous cells. 50-70% of individuals suffering from mesothelioma exhibit syntoms of epithelioid mesothelioma thus making it the most common type. The survival period for epithelioid mesothelioma is about eight and a half months depending of the patient’s physical condition.

Epithelioid mesothelioma is identified based on the unique and organized cell structure. These cells have a tubular pattern with a specific cell nucleus. This easily leads to wrong diagnosis as the cells in other forms of cancer look similar to the epithelioid cells.

Epithelioid Mesothelioma symptoms start presenting themselves 40 to 50 years after being exposed to asbestos. Its symptoms are similar to that of common bout of asthma, pneumonia or bronchitis. These symptoms include chest pain and breathlessness. Apart from these symptoms, patients also experience coughing, weakness, tiredness along with inability to absorb nutrition resulting in significant weight loss. In addition, another common epithelioid mesothelioma symptom is the collection of fluid inside the pleural space and is known as pleural effusion.The breathlessness, pain and tiredness is develops when the tumor restricts the movement of the lungs during inhalation.

The symptoms of mesothelioma also depend on the location, size and nature of the tumor. In cases where the tumor is benign, it usually does not spread. However, when the tumor is malignant, the symptoms are very severe and spread rapidly. They also exert pressure on surrounding soft tissues.

The main symptoms are:

• Hemoptysis or Blood in the sputum
• A recurring cough
• Inability to swallow your food
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the chest or abdomen
• Weight loss

There are many steps involved when identifying mesothelioma.

• Step 1: patients need to have full details about the disease and be sure if the mesothelioma is cancerous or non-cancerous. They also need to know the location of the tumor to ensure the treatment is concentrated on that area.
• Step 2: recall if they were exposed to asbestos during their earlier years.
• Step 3: Be aware of the early symptoms of the disease to be able to identify them early and not wait until the later stages.
• Step 4: check on the various treatment options that can provide the maximum relief.

Mesothelioma Fundraiser – Walk a Cause

Miles for Meso is a program conducted for cancer awareness and research. It is a 5k race with attractive cash prizes. This walk/run will be not only fun but also educational. Whatever be your age or athletic capacity, you can participate in this event as it is targeted towards creating mesothelioma awareness in society and whatever little you do is sure to impact the cause.

Miles for Meso – More Info

Who?

The ‘Miles for Meso’ race is being presented by the Simmons Law firm and 100% of the registration fees and donations will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. This non-profit organization is deeply involved in research to discover and invent better treatment options for this terrible cancer. It has vowed to end the saga of mesothelioma as a life-ending disease. The Simmons Law firm is well known for their determination and passion towards the mesothelioma eradication cause. They have handled innumerable mesothelioma cases and have seen the victims suffering closely. Moved by their plight, the firm has vowed to raise $15 million towards cancer research.

When & Where?

Two races will be conducted –

• The Race at Alton, Illinois on September 26 and
• The Race at St. Louis, Missouri on October 11.

How?

If you are wondering in which to participate, then my best advice would be both. Just think of all the following goodies and I am sure you are going to do just that!

• The first day in Alton you can get a high-tech full sleeved running t-shirt.
• Then, you register at a reduced fee in Alton for the St. Louis race and get a branded water-bottle.
• Next, on the race day at St. Louis, get a branded gear bag.

The registration fee is $15 till September 16 and $20 after that. If you decide to register on the day of the event, the fee would be $25. Already 200 people have registered for the race. So, hurry! You can register yourself online at http://www.milesformesothelioma.org/. Remember, all the collected funds go towards Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

Why to participate?

If you are still wondering whether you should participate, then I would like to remind you again about mesothelioma. This terrible form of lung cancer has no cure and results only in death. While people can protect and prevent its onslaught, there is no way they can get themselves cured of it. So, lots of awareness about this disease needs to be created and funds are necessary for the same. So, be huge-hearted and contribute to the ‘miles for meso’ run even if you are not planning to participate in the same. It is all for a good cause.

Dad is Gone, Mom has Mesothelioma: Is Bankruptcy an Option?

My dad was exposed to asbestos while at work which lead to him contracting the deadly disease, eventually leading to his untimely death. The symptoms of Mesothelioma were non-specific and it took more than 30 years to appear from the time he was exposed to asbestos at his workplace. The symptoms included shortness of breath and severe pain in his chest due to accumulation of fluid around his lungs. It also led to him losing weight.

Now my mother has developed Mesothelioma because she handled his clothing. In spite of this disease being quite rare, it can be developed even if one member of the family is exposed to asbestos and brings it home on the clothes. It can affect family members through secondary exposure, just as it happened in my family. Though it occurs more among men than women and the risk of developing it is more for older people, there are chances that it can appear among either gender at any age.

As my mother has also developed this disease, there are only a few options for me to be able to take care of the family financially. One option is to file lawsuits against the company where my father was exposed to asbestos. Now, many states have enacted laws which enable family members to claim compensation from the employer of the victim. The lawsuit must be filed within a particular timeframe. I can make a claim for various consequences like:

• Medical expenditures for the treatment of my mother
• Rehabilitation charges
• Lost as wages after the death of my father
• The earning capacity of my father had he been healthy
• Mental trauma and emotional anguish

The Legal Procedure for MesotheliomaThe Legal Procedure for Mesothelioma

After filing lawsuit against the company, it will be necessary to prove the following:

• Confirmed diagnosis of Mesothelioma
• That my father was exposed to asbestos at this workplace and my mother developed the disease by secondary exposure
• My father’s employer was responsible for the exposure

Bankruptcy as an Option in Mesothelioma

When both my parents developed this deadly disease, I thought of the option of filing for bankruptcy. However, I checked out the option of compensation prior to going for bankruptcy. I would not have been eligible for compensation for following reasons:

• The case of my father contracting the disease is too old because the State and federal laws require legal claims for asbestos related diseases to be undertaken within a short period of time after diagnosis. According to law, it should be done within 1-3 years of the time of diagnosis or death.
• If the employer company is bankrupt and is without any funds, the compensation cannot be claimed unless it was taken over by another company. In order to avoid giving compensation for family members of the affected people, most companies declare bankruptcy protection in spite of having millions of dollars with them.

Choosing a capable lawyer to fight your case will help in getting thousands of dollars. Thus, it is better to go for the option of claiming compensation where there is the chance of settlement rather than looking at the option of filing bankruptcy.