The three main types of mesothelioma are:

The three main types of mesothelioma are:
Pleural Mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the lung
Peritoneal Mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the abdominal cavity
Pericardial Mesothelioma, which occurs lining of the heart
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form, followed by peritoneal mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma is exceptionally rare. The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, a mineral commonly incorporated in insulating and fire retardant materials. Asbestos was widely used in manufacturing and construction through the mid–1970’s. Its use continued in asbestos cement products, automotive brakes and gaskets into the 1990’s.

Asbestos cancer victims tend to be men ages 50 and up, though nearly anyone who has been exposed to asbestos can contract the disease. Most victims are industrial and construction workers but asbestos fibers from workers’ clothing exposed family members as well. Children and spouses of industrial workers have developed mesothelioma as a result of household exposures.

Symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, a chronic cough, chest and back pain, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and weight loss. Other symptoms may include weakness, abdominal pain and nausea. Mesothelioma can occur as the result of very low levels of exposure to asbestos fibers. It often takes several decades for signs of the disease to surface.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may wish to consult with one of the doctors listed on our Mesothelioma Treatment Centers or Mesothelioma Doctors pages of the website.
Early Detection of Mesothelioma is Imperative
The diagnosis of mesothelioma is usually made by a pathological review of tissue taken from the tumor. Pathologists use a series of immunohistochemical stains to distinguish between mesothelioma and other types of cancer.

When detected early enough and treated by an oncologist with experience treating mesothelioma, a patient’s prognosis may be much better than the average. Early detection is vital. Treatment protocols used for mesothelioma include chemotherapy, surgical removal of tumor, and post–surgical radiation.

To learn more about this rare form of occupational cancer please browse our mesothelioma and asbestos related topics on our website. If you have questions or concerns please call us at (800) 440–4262.

Visit our Mesothelioma Treatment Center page for an extensive list and directory of research information, service providers, treatment facilities and physicians related to mesothelioma and asbestos cancer treatment and after–care.
Mesothelioma: A Preventable Disease
Many people with mesothelioma and other asbestos–related cancers mistakenly believe that the asbestos companies did not know their products caused cancer until it became newsworthy in the 1970’s. In fact, we have evidence that manufacturers of asbestos products knew as early as the 1930’s that their workers were at risk for lung cancer and mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.

The asbestos industry’s history of disclosure is shameful. Workers whose jobs involved installation of asbestos products–such as insulators, boilermakers, construction workers and shipyard workers–were not told of the devastating impact a lifetime of exposure would have.

Our mission at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason is to hold the asbestos industry accountable for the damage their products have done to thousands of Americans over the past century, and to recover the maximum compensation possible.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos–related cancer, please contact us right away. Usually, one of our lawyers will fly to your home anywhere in the United States within a few days. If the testimony of a mesothelioma patient is needed, it can usually be recorded on videotape so that there is no need to appear in court. We advance any costs incurred in pursuing the case. You will pay attorney’s fees only when we obtain a financial settlement for you.

Having an experienced attorney to represent you can provide additional support during this most challenging time. Please call us at (800) 440–4262 today for a free consultationwith an experienced mesothelioma attorney.

Prevention

n terms of asbestos, mesothelioma prevention is extremely important to reduce the risks of this serious cancer . Mesothelioma is a fatal cancer that affects the lining of the heart, lung, or abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma has been almost exclusively linked to asbestos exposure, a group of hazardous fibers that were manufactured in hundreds of industries around the world. There are many ways that people to protect themselves against workplace or non-occupational exposure to asbestos in an effort to prevent mesothelioma.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has enacted a number of workplace asbestos regulations to aid in mesothelioma prevention. Under workplace asbestos laws , the permissible level of exposure is 01. fibers per cubic centimeter for an eight-hour work day and one fiber per cubic centimeter in any thirty minute time frame.

Furthermore, workplace regulations to prevent asbestos exposure require employers to frequently monitor and regulate the work environment in addition to providing their employees with protective clothing and respiratory equipment, sufficient hygiene facilities, routine medical exams, and training .

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends a number of steps and precautions people can take to help protect themselves against non-occupational asbestos exposure that may lead to mesothelioma. These mesothelioma prevention methods include, but are not limited to:

Regular inspection and monitoring of asbestos-containing products or materials around the home since asbestos was commonly used in the production of roof shingles, insulation, flooring, and more.

Don't attempt to remove any asbestos-containing materials. It is vital that you enlist the help of an asbestos removal professional who is properly trained to handle the material and can ensure safe removal.

Avoid vacuuming, sweeping, drilling, sanding, or scraping any surfaces that may contain asbestos fibers. Once these fibers are airborne, they may be inhaled or ingested greatly increasing the risk of mesothelioma.

Quit smoking, especially if you work in an industry in which you are frequently exposed to high levels of asbestos. Studies have indicated that asbestos workers who smoke cigarettes have a 50 to 100 times greater risk of dying from mesothelioma or lung cancer.

If you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma side effects, it is vital that you seek immediate medical attention at the first sign of symptoms such as chest pains, shortness of breath, coughs, severe weight loss, and more . Early diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma is the best form of prevention and can produce the most favorable outcome of the disease.

Please contact us today to learn more about mesothelioma prevention or to speak with an experienced and qualified mesothelioma attorney FREE of charge.

Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma can attack the pleural lining around the lungs. It can also attack the peritoneum, a tissue that surrounds the GI tract. Mesothelioma can attack the stomach lining, other internal organs, or even the pericardium (the tissue sac covering the heart). Thus, mesothelioma can be generally classified into the following types:

* Pleural — 75% of all mesothelioma cases
* Peritoneal — 10%–20%
* Pericardial — 5%

Mesothelioma can also be classified by the cancer type rather than the location of the cancer:

* Epithelioid — most common, best survival rate
* Sarcomatoid — most severe, but more rare
* Mixed/biphasic — a mixture of epithelioid and sarcomatoid cancer

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The symptoms of mesothelioma differ somewhat according to the location of the cancer cells. In addition, each mesothelioma patient may have a different combination of symptoms. Tumors that affect the pleura may result in the following signs:

* Wheezing, cough, and/or hoarseness
* Anemia, fatigue
* Bloody sputum
* Shortness of breath
* Chest wall pain, or pain under the rib cage
* Pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lung)

Mesothelioma in the abdominal cavity often doesn't show symptoms until it's at a late stage. These symptoms may include:

* A mass in the abdomen
* Abdominal pain and/or swelling
* Weight loss
* Bowel problems
* Ascites (an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen)

Treatments for Mesothelioma

Research into new and more effective treatments for mesothelioma is ongoing. There is no cure as yet for mesothelioma. The standard treatments that attempt to hold back the progression of this cancer are:

* Surgery — to remove part of all of the affected body tissues
* Radiation therapy — to target and kill the mesothelioma cells
* Chemotherapy — the use of drugs, injected or taken orally, to kill or stop the growth of the cancer cells

Learn More about Mesothelioma

If mesothelioma has stricken you or your family member, you should learn all that you can about this deadly cancer. Contact us today for a free consultation about mesothelioma.

Related Mesothelioma News

July 16, 2008 - Estate of Mesothelioma Victim Files Suit

June 24, 2008 - Children Developing Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Cancer

esothelioma is a dreaded cancer that is nearly always caused by just one factor: exposure to asbestos. It's an unfortunate truth that millions of Americans and people all over the world have been poisoned by toxic levels of asbestos, putting them at risk for mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other deadly diseases that are directly caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers.
Causes of Mesothelioma

Before the grave dangers of asbestos were known, and even for years after the dangers were known, asbestos was used in literally thousands of products that humans and animals encounter every day — particularly in building components such as ceiling and floor tiles, walls, bricks and stucco, and in automotive parts such as brakes and clutches.

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People who worked in the asbestos industry or in fields in which asbestos is used as a component of a product are most at risk for mesothelioma. Many individuals who have mesothelioma labored for years or even decades in jobs that required frequent contact with asbestos. When this mineral is mined, processed, woven, sprayed or otherwise manipulated, its microscopic fibers can be released into the air, where they may be inhaled, initiating the development of mesothelioma.

Florida mesothelioma sufferer charges complaint in Madison County

Leo Flynt, a resident of Florida, suffering from mesothelioma cancer accused an asbestos suit in Madison County Circuit Court May 22, asserting his disease was caused in an unfair manner.

Flynt was actually employed as an electrician from 1946 through 1977 at different locations in Florida, Indiana and Illinois. He alleges that during the course of his employment and during home and automotive repairs he was exposed to and inhaled asbestos fibers emanating from specific products he was working with and around.

Flynt names 59 defendant corporations including Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Bondex International, CBS, Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Trust, General Electric, General Motors, Goodyear, Honeywell International, Ingersoll-Rand, and International Paper etc.
He lays claim on defendants that they knew or should have known that the asbestos fibers contained in their products had a poisonous, lethal and highly harmful effect upon the health of people.

The case has been attributed to Circuit Court Judge Daniel Stack.

Good Day for Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment: International Symposium On Malignant Mesothelioma 2008

Contributing experts worldwide on the asbestos-related mesothelioma cancer, will join meso patients, caregivers, loved ones and advocates to allocate the most modern trends in mesothelioma treatment, research and clinical trials at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma, 2008, Thursday, June 26 - Saturday, June 28 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C.

The Symposium, which is unionized annually by the Meso Foundation, will focus on the latest advances in research and treatment for patients and caregivers, provide psychosocial support to them plus those who have lost someone to the disease, and offer significant advocacy and volunteer opportunities for all who are intent on carrying off the vicious and terminal effects of this tragic type of cancer; mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Survivor Speaks

Mesothelioma survivor, Paul Kraus and his wife Sue spoke to another inspiring teleconference on June 06. They addressed over 30 newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients and their relatives. During the session, they talked about Paul’s diagnosis and prognosis, the physical treatments he pursued, the mental and spiritual approaches he used, working with doctors, and the caregiver’s perspective.
Paul was diagnosed in 1997, with widely disseminated mesothelioma cancer. Paul’s doctors expressed that his cancer was “terminal” and that he should start putting his activities one by one. Rather than giving up, he made his own path to remedial using many alternative and integrative therapies and modalities. At the moment, after 11 years of his “death sentence” diagnosis, Mr. Kraus is happily living.
Paul also wrote a book about his healing journey and named it “Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient’s Guide”.