The Asbestos & Mesothelioma Cancer Resource Center

Asbestos

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that consists of long, thin fibrous crystals.  Although long recognized as a carcinogen,  asbestos is still legally used in many consumer products and substances. When stable, asbestos fibers are not harmful. It is only when asbestos-containing substances are damaged, broken, or exposed to extreme heat that the larger fibers can fracture into thousands of insidious, microscopic fibers. These fibers are then breathed into the lungs, and penetrate the lungs, heart and bodily membranes. Additionally, asbestos fibers can cling to clothing, car seats and other fabrics, as well as becoming airborne, so that exposure may occur even beyond the immediate area of asbestos contamination.

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Click above for general information on asbestos, the history of asbestos, exposure, health risks, the asbestos industry, common locations where asbestos is found, and more.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is diagnosed in 2,000 to 3,000 people in the United States each year, and is becoming more common. The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs, although mesothelioma may be also affect the heart (pericardial) or abdominal cavity (peritoneal).  To learn more, click the links above for information on diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and more.

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Click above to find information on the many different aspects of this deadly disease, including Malignant Mesothelioma, Pleural Mesothelioma, the types of Mesothelioma, the symptoms of Mesothelioma, how Mesothelioma is diagnosed, the stages of Mesothelioma, support groups, risk factors, research and much more.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis And Symptoms

Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.  As with most cancers, early diagnosis greatly increases the efficacy of treatment.  Unfortunately, due to the way it forms, mesothelioma may not manifest until anywhere between 10 and 50 years after the initial exposure.

Mesothelioma symptoms are generally non-specific and resemble the signs of more common illness, such as flu, bronchitis, viral pneumonia and heart disease.  These symptoms include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, excessive coughing and/or coughing up of blood, chest or abdomen pain caused by excessive fluid, weight loss, husky voice, difficulty swallowing, fever, anemia, bowel obstruction, inability to sleep, and loss of appetite. Since these are general symptoms of common viral diseases, it is always important to inform your doctor of any asbestos exposure history.

Usually it is the most common symptoms – breathing difficulties and shortness of breath – which prompt patients to consult with their doctor.  It's crucial to disclose any history of exposure to asbestos, even if it occurred decades before, as this information can aid doctors in their diagnosis.  Such disclosure can also prevent uncomfortable and expensive tests as well as making treatment more effective.

Mesothelioma Treatment

There are three main categories for treatment of mesothelioma: established therapies, experimental treatments, and holistic therapies.  Often these treatments are not isolated-or used alone-but as a combination treatments. 

Established Therapies
Established therapies include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.  Surgery is an option once the tumor is located, which can allow doctors to remove it.  Curative surgery is the only surgery that can potentially remove all the located cancer.  To be most efficient, the tumor has to be found in the early stages.

Radiation is often used in correlation with surgery.  Internal radiation is the non-traditional method where tiny radioactive rods are implanted within a tumor in order to isolate the damage done to the healthy cells.  External radiation, the traditional method, beams radiation to kill the cancerous cells.

Chemotherapy is used as an assistant, as well as a stand alone treatment.  Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy shrinks the tumor prior to surgery.  Adjuvant chemotherapy helps destroy cancer cells after surgery.  Chemotherapy also aids in the efficiency of radiation therapy.

Experimental Treatments
Clinical trials have shown encouraging results with experimental treatments.  These treatments include: photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, as well as others. 

Holistic Therapies
Holistic therapies, also known as alternative therapies, are treatments that the patients choose to either use alone or to add on to the established techniques.  Such treatments include: massages, acupuncture, TENS therapy, aromatherapy, meditation, and yoga.  Holistic therapies are a way in which to relieve the side effects associated with established therapies.

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Click above to find information on mesothelioma treatment, conventional & experimental therapies, questions for your doctor, medical centers, clinical trials, and more.

Veterans at Risk

According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, there are currently 25 million individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces.  Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of these living veterans have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials during their services.

Due to the chemical, electric, and heat resistant characteristics, asbestos was widely used by every branch.  It was so powerful that it was mandated for wide spread usage prior to being phased out in the 1970s.  It was used mainly for insulation purposes but was also used in over 300 products. 

Veterans of the United States Navy were perhaps the most susceptible to asbestos-related diseases, especially if they served between the 1930s and 1970s, as every ship and shipyard built by the Navy was fitted with numerous asbestos-containing materials.

As early as 1939, the Navy's Surgeon General was fully aware that prolonged exposure to asbestos was causing asbestos-related diseases in its' crews and even publicly reported detailed health conditions at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  This report revealed that the yard's pipe covers and insulators exposed workers daily to deadly asbestos dust.  The Navy chose to hide this from their sailors and continued to utilize the asbestos for almost four more decades, suggesting industrial production, due to cost efficiency,  was more important than human protecting human lives. 

The site aids veterans by providing thorough information on legality issues and the processes involved.  You fought for our freedom now let us aid in your fight.

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Tens of thousands of veterans have been exposed to asbestos while serving in the US military in general, and the US Navy in specific. Click above for more information on various aspects of veterans and asbestos exposure, asbestos cancer, lung cancer, & Mesothelioma.

Legal Resources

The health hazards of asbestos were fully known as far back as the 1930s. For decades even into the present, employers--including the U.S. Government--have wrongfully used asbestos and exposed workers to the dangers of this carcinogen. 

The major element of litigation is recovery for medical costs and loss of income.  For many, who either have no health insurance or whose insurance refuses to cover treatment of a "pre-existing condition," the only recourse is to take judicial action and bring a lawsuit to civil court.

There are qualified legal professionals who specialize in exactly these sorts of cases. Mesothelioma law has a provision that helps victims receive compensation by the makers and distributors of asbestos, as well as by companies or other employers who knowingly exposed their workers to asbestos.

Asbestos.net offers well-documented, solid information on every step of the legal process including what is involved, how to prepare an asbestos case, what documentation and/or evidence is needed, and other aspects of the legal process.

The site also provides an extensive glossary of legal terms, with easy-to-understand definitions in order to aid confident and authoritative interaction with counsel.

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Click above for information on mesothelioma and asbestos cancer lawsuits, lawyers, law firms, litigation, legislation, financial support for victims of asbestos exposure, and more.