Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is usually found in those previously exposed to asbestos. Cancerous cells form in the mesothelium, which is a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. These cells typically form in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or the sac that encircles the heart.

The average life span of a person diagnosed with the disease is about 4 to 24 months from the finding. About 3,000 people in the U.S. die of mesothelioma every year. People at risk are those who have been previously exposed to asbestos dust, including former steel workers, auto mechanics, mineworkers, and military workers, among many others. Their family members may also be at risk, as the asbestos dust from clothing can travel through the air.

Mesothelioma has an extremely long latency period, which means that symptoms of the disease may not emerge until 30 to 50 years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Pleural mesothelioma, which is the most common type and affects the area around the lungs, may cause shortness of breath, chest pains, and a persistent cough, which may lead to coughing up blood. These symptoms are caused by the build up of fluid between the lining of the lung and the chest cavity. The disease may start in the chest area and spread to other areas of the body. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include weight loss, severe breathing trouble, fever, difficulty swallowing, and swelling of the face and neck areas. It should be noted that some people with the disease do not experience any serious symptoms at all.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is rarer than pleural mesothelioma, and affects the abdominal area. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal swelling and pain due to the build up of fluid in the abdominal cavity, nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting. Breathing complications and chest pains may also be present, as well as bowel obstruction, anaemia, fever, and blood clotting.

The rarest form of the disease is pericardial mesothelioma, which first forms in the area surrounding the heart. Tumors grow in the tissues around the heart and spread from there. Chest pain, shortness of breath, constant coughing, and shivering may be symptoms of this form of mesothelioma.

Diagnosis of the disease is oftentimes difficult, due to the fact that the symptoms associated with mesothelioma are similar to those of other conditions. The symptoms of the disease become more serious as the cancerous tumors enter the later stages of development, so people who have been exposed to asbestos at any time in their lives should contact their doctor immediately. Even if a person has never been exposed directly to asbestos but is experiencing any of the above symptoms, they should inform their doctor as soon as possible, as asbestos dust and fibres may have traveled through the air from items such as clothing.

People who have been diagnosed with any form of mesothelioma should immediately contact a lawyer. Individual states have their own statutes of limitation, meaning that there is a set time limit regarding how long a patient has to act on their diagnosis. When searching for a lawyer to handle your case, be sure to find one that has prior experience with mesothelioma cases. They will have the contacts and resources to take care of your case in a timely manner. The Internet is a helpful and efficient resource for a mesothelioma lawyer search.

Patients do not have to be concerned with paying lawyers up-front, since the majority of mesothelioma lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means that they will not request payment of any kind unless they successfully settle your case. Lawyers will usually take a 35% cut of whatever settlement or reward the patient receives, but patients seeking compensation for their disease have nothing to lose and everything to gain in going to a lawyer for help.

The average mesothelioma-related settlement in the U.S. is $1 million. Cases that go to trial average awards of approximately $6 million, according to the RAND Corporation. A bill called the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005 (FAIR Act of 2005) introduced on March 17, 2005, seeks to create set amounts of compensation for mesothelioma victims, which would depend on their symptoms.

People who have mesothelioma are able to seek large compensation amounts because their disease is a result of a company’s decision not to take sufficient measures to protect its workers from breathing in asbestos while on the job.

There are various symptoms of Mesothelioma cancer, but sometimes they don’t appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos, hence the importance of following the series of recommendations for prevention of asbestos-related diseases among asbestos workers.

The most common Mesothelioma symptoms are shortness of breath and pain in the chest. These symptoms occur due to a buildup of fluid in the pleura, what is known as Pleural Mesothelioma. However the symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma include weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling due to an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Peritoneal mesothelioma may include other uncomfortable symptoms too, such as bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia and fever.

However these symptoms can appear before if malignant cancerous cells have spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, and other symptoms such as trouble swallowing, pain, and swelling of the neck or face may appear.

Mesothelioma or other less serious conditions may caused these symptoms, therefore the importance of going to a doctor if you feel any of these symptoms, because only an expert like him can make a correct diagnosis.

Mesothelioma cancer rate has increased over the past 20 years and although this disease is not as common as other cancer pathologies, the number of new diagnosed cases in the United States has risen up to 2,000 per year.

According to experts the major risk factor for developing Mesothelioma lies in working with asbestos, so if you are a asbestos worker remember following the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendations in order to reduce your risk.

Next Article: Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Many people have never heard of Mesothelioma and are unaware of its symptoms. Although considered a rare form of cancer, each year the number of cases grows. With the prevalence of this disease on the rise, it is critical to understand why and how Mesothelioma develops and what courses of action can be taken in the event of diagnosis. The following are some questions and answers that will provide you with information on Mesothelioma.

**What is Mesothelioma?**

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs. The organs most commonly affected are the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. The most common form of Mesothelioma is Pleural Mesothelioma — cancer of the lung lining. But cancerous cells are also found in the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) and the lining around the heart (the pericardium).

**What causes Mesothelioma?**

Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is often found in building materials used before the mid 1970’s. In addition, materials such as pipes, boiler insulation, floor, ceiling and roof tiles may contain asbestos. It is believed that even insignificant exposure to asbestos in environments such as asbestos mills, mines, shipping yards, some older Navy ships or even in patient’s homes can result in mesothelioma. In many cases mesothelioma does not occur for decades after initial exposure to this cancer-causing asbestos. 2000-3000 cases of mesothelioma per year are currently being diagnosed. Family members of workers exposed to asbestos can also contract this disease through exposure to the worker’s clothing. Like many other cancers, smoking greatly increases the risk of contracting mesothelioma.

**How much asbestos exposure will cause Mesothelioma?**

Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is directly related to the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. The health risk also increases with the intensity of the exposure to asbestos.

However, an exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. At the age of 48, Canadian Member of Parliament Chuck Strahl, was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma and traces the cause back to changing brake pads on logging equipment after he graduated from high school. Strahl’s case is a good example of the fact that Mesothelioma has a latency period of anywhere from 20 to 50 years. Like thousands of others he developed the disease long after his exposure to asbestos.

**What are the symptoms of Mesothelioma?**

Mesothelioma is a very subtle form of cancer providing only a few noticeable symptoms until it becomes extremely advanced. 75% of all mesolthelioma cases are Pleural mesothelioma – cancer of the lung lining. This type of cancer causes shortness of breath and/or chronic coughing that can easily be mistaken for allergies or a common cold. Mesothelioma is often discovered by accident when patients are being examined for these common symptoms. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include: chest pain, shortness of breath, chronic coughing that worsens over time, fatigue, wheezing, lung infection, hoarseness, weight loss, difficulty swallowing, chest or abdominal pain or blood in the phlegm from the lungs when coughing

Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around the stomach and intestines and can be just as dangerous and deadly. Symptoms of Peritoneal mesothelioma include: pain or swelling in the abdomen, weight loss, bowel obstruction (blockage in the large or small intestines), anemia (reduced number of red blood cells) , and fever.

The onset of Mesothelioma is usually quite slow. Patients will begin to experience symptoms such as lower back pain and chest pain. Unfortunately, once Mesothelioma develops, it quickly becomes aggressive and treatment must be sought immediately.

**Can Mesothelioma be treated?**

Unfortunately, by the time most infected people become aware they have mesothelioma it has ceased being dormant and becomes extremely aggressive. Once it is no longer dormant, this type of cancer can travel quickly, and this makes it almost impossible to stop.

While there are treatments that are available in order to keep the patient comfortable, there is currently no cure for Mesothelioma, and as many as 75% of those who develop the disease will lose their life within one year. The remainder may last for up to an additional six months. Among the treatments that are used in order to reduce the effects of the disease are oxygen, postural drainage and pain killers. A wide range of treatment approaches are being tested, ranging from attempts to fortify the body’s natural immune system to gene therapy which tries to attack the problem at the DNA level to homeopathy, herbs and acupuncture. But none have yet been shown to be very effective once the disease reaches the aggressive stage.

Given the generally poor prognosis for people who do not catch the disease in time, early detection is the best defence against Mesothelioma. If you have worked in an industry such as construction or suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos, be alert for symptoms and contact your doctor immediately. Like all forms of cancer, detecting Mesothelioma at the earliest stage possible greatly increases your chances for survival.

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that occurs in the tissue covering the stomach and bowels (peritoneal tissue) or in the tissue covering the outside surface of the lung (pleural tissue). 90% of the cases of Malignant Mesothelioma are caused by exposure to Asbestos.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a silicate mineral made up of masses of tiny fibers that are as strong as steel and are highly resistant to heat and chemicals. Fibers of Asbestos are inhaled or swallowed and are able to penetrate to the outside surface of the bowel or to the outside surface of the lung where they become trapped. These trapped fibers can cause a reaction that leads to Mesothelioma Cancer. Mesothelioma symptoms may not appear until about 20 or 40 years from first exposure to airborne Asbestos fibers.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Mesothelioma treatments include radiation to shrink cancer tissue or cells, chemotherapy to stop the reproduction of cancer cells, photodynamic therapy and some times, surgery to remove cancerous tissue.

You Are Entitled To Compensation!

People who, faced with Mesothelioma Diagnosis are entitled to compensation from the manufacturers of any asbestos-containing product to which they were exposed in sufficient quantities to cause disease.

You can look for a qualified Mesothelioma lawyer in the Internet. Most law firms and Mesothelioma lawyers have their own sites.