Mesothelioma & Asbestos

Over 3,000 people are diagnosed with Mesothelioma each year in the United States.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Most individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma are between the ages of 50 and 70. Exposure may have occurred many years, even decades, before their diagnosis. Detecting and diagnosing mesothelioma early can improve a patient’s life expectancy and expand their treatment options. Explore more about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma.

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What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium, a thin lining that protects the major organs of the lungs, heart, and abdomen. Malignant mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose and poorly responsive to therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases.

A layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells lines the chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart. These cells also cover the outer surface of most internal organs. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.

The mesothelium helps protect the organs by producing a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around. For example, this fluid makes it easier for the lungs to move inside the chest during breathing. The mesothelium of the chest is called the pleura and the mesothelium of the abdomen is known as the peritoneum. The mesothelium of the pericardial cavity (the "sac-like" space around the heart) is called the pericardium.

Tumors of the mesothelium can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A malignant tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma.

Many mesothelioma patients develop the cancer due to negligence of companies that have exposed workers, customers, and others to asbestos. Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney and Meisenkothen have over 40 years of experience helping mesothelioma patients and their families secure financial compensation.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer arising from a tissue in the body called the mesothelium, a thin, almost transparent sheet of tissue that surrounds some internal organs, particularly the lungs, heart and abdominal cavity. It is unique among cancers in being so linked to environmental exposure; in this case asbestos. Dr. F. Perry Wilson
Medical Advisor

Types of Mesothelioma

There are four main types of mesothelioma that patients can be diagnosed with depending on the area of the body that is affected.

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma. It accounts for 80% – 90% of all mesothelioma cases.

The four main types of mesothelioma include:

• Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs
• Pericardial mesothelioma affects the lining around the heart
• Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdominal lining
• Testicular mesothelioma affects the lining around the testicle

Mesothelioma Cell Types

There are three main categories of Mesothelioma cell types, including Epithelioid, Sarcomatoid, and Mixed/Biphasic. The cell type is determined through a biopsy, and is critical to determining the prognosis of the disease and what treatment options are available.

Mesothelioma Type	Percentage of Cases	Prognosis
Epithelioid	50%-70%	Best prognosis
Sacromatoid	7%-20%	Poorer prognosis
Mixed/Biphasic	20%-30%	Intermediate prognosis

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Recognizing symptoms associated with mesothelioma may be challenging since they don’t always arise until the disease is more advanced. Signs of disease will be more noticeable the more the disease has progressed. Symptoms vary depending on disease type, location in the body, and stage of the cancer. They may be unique and vary by person.

Common mesothelioma symptoms include:

Rare mesothelioma symptoms include:

Diagnosing Mesothelioma

Diagnosing mesothelioma comes with its challenges since signs and symptoms tend to resemble those of other diseases and conditions, leading to frequent mis-diagnoses. A variety of diagnostic tools and procedures are often used by doctors to make a conclusive mesothelioma diagnosis. After an initial physical examination, imaging scans and biopsies are most commonly used to detect whether or not mesothelioma is present. Pathologists confirm the presence of mesothelioma by examining biopsy samples.

How Mesothelioma is Staged

There are four stages of mesothelioma. The TNM (Tumor Node Metastasis system) is typically used by doctors to evaluate and stage the progression of a mesothelioma tumor. An early diagnosis of mesothelioma is generally associated with a more favorable prognosis.

• Stage 1: Tumors are confined to one area
• Stage 2: Tumors have started to spread to nearby tissue, organs, or lymph nodes
• Stage 3: Tumors have spread more extensively to more organs and lymph nodes
• Stage 4: Disease has reached distant organs

Mesothelioma Prognosis

The prognosis for a mesothelioma diagnosis is dependent on how advanced the cancer is and what treatment options are available for the specific disease type, tumor origin, and stage of disease. The age and overall health of the patient are additional factors that determine the treatment options and effectiveness. Early diagnosis and early intervention will give patients a better prognosis with more treatment options for the best chance of a favorable outcome. Although the prognosis and survival rate for a patient diagnosed with mesothelioma is typically poor, there are many mesothelioma survivors who are living to tell their success stories.

Treating Mesothelioma

To determine the best treatment, mesothelioma doctors look at several factors. The type of mesothelioma, cell subtype, and the patient’s age, and overall health. The stage of the cancer also matters. A patient with cancer that hasn’t spread may have more treatment options than someone whose cancer has spread.

Conventional mesothelioma treatment include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Advanced cases may be treated with immunotherapy or targeted therapy. There are also numerous clinical trials and studies underway that provide promising new and emerging mesothelioma treatment protocols and hope for asbestos cancer patients.

What Causes Mesothelioma?

Asbestos exposure is the primary risk to developing Mesothelioma. Individuals employed in certain industries and occupations were often exposed to asbestos while working on their jobs. Asbestos fibers were commonly used as a heat and fire-resistant additive to products. Tradesmen were in danger of breathing in harmful dust while working with these various asbestos products, leading to asbestos-related illnesses.

Asbestos Exposure?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance that is found across the planet. Asbestos has been used in industries throughout history because of its strength and flexibility, and also its amazing ability to insulate and resist heat. As the link between asbestos and mesothelioma became more apparent, the use of this material has decreased. However, up to 8 million Americans have been exposed to asbestos.

At-Risk Occupations

Asbestos use was prevalent in a number of industries until the late 70’s. As a result, many workers were exposed to asbestos on the job and developed mesothelioma. Some of the occupations most at risk for asbestos exposure include shipyard workers, construction workers, firefighters, power plant workers and those serving in the US Navy.

Asbestos in Products

Asbestos was used in a wide range of products in the 20th century. It was commonly found in construction materials, automotive products, sealants, gaskets, adhesives, flooring tiles, boilers, pipe insulation and more. Asbestos exposure has been linked to mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects thousands of people each year.

Asbestos Companies

Mesothelioma patients may be eligible for compensation due to occupational asbestos exposure. Asbestos law firms are able to file mesothelioma lawsuits against viable companies on behalf of patients and their families to compensate for asbestos injuries. Common defendants named in mesothelioma litigation include Union Carbide, Carrier, and Honeywell.

Companies formed asbestos bankruptcy trust funds after numerous asbestos lawsuits forced them to declare bankruptcy. These trust funds are dedicated to funding asbestos exposure victims. Experienced mesothelioma attorneys can determine whether asbestos victims’ exposure is eligible to file bankruptcy claims through these asbestos trust funds.

Some notable companies that created bankruptcy trust funds include: