Asbestos products were used in the late 19th century to the early 1980s. During those years asbestos exposure was extremely high. Workers that handled asbestos and asbestos materials were unaware that their lives were at risk due to being exposed to asbestos on job sites. Individuals that were at an increased risk for developing mesothelioma cancer were regularly exposed to asbestos over prolonged periods of time on the job.
The Mesothelioma latency period is very long. A latency period is the time it takes a disease to become apparent in its victim. With Mesothelioma cancer, this can range from 10 years to 40 years, with the uppermost number being more common. This latency period is the longest of any of the illnesses cause by asbestos exposure.
Since the passing of laws that allow mesothelioma victims to sue companies for compensation if they believe they contributed to them developing mesothelioma, over six hundred thousand such cases have been filed. As a result, asbestos lawyers have a well-oiled machinery that they employ when tackling big companies who themselves employ a battery of high profile attorneys to defend them in mesothelioma cases.
Every year, over 3000 individuals are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the mesothelium lining of the chest, heart and abdominal cavity. Malignant mesothelioma is caused from exposure to asbestos particles which are either inhaled or ingested and become lodged within the tissues of the lungs and gastric tract.
Individuals who care for mesothelioma victims or are in their proximity all have nothing to fear. The only known cause for the development of mesothelioma is from the exposure to asbestos particles. The root of the disease develops from the asbestos particles being lodged within the walls of the lungs where they remain until these cells become cancerous.