What is Mesothelioma?

We have all seen the commercials for lawyers wanting to represent those who may have Mesothelioma, but why no commercials for doctors offering to treat Mesothelioma?  Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by the exposure to asbestos.  Although rare, there has been a significant increase in Mesothelioma cases reported in the United States.    Since the peak of asbestos use in the United States was between 1960 and 1970, and Mesothelioma has a latency period of 15 to 40 years, it makes since that doctors (and attorneys) are seeing a greater number of cases during the last ten years.  During the 1960’s and through about 1975, asbestos was commonly used in, on or around pipes, boilers, car brake pads, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, plasters, joint compounds and insulation.   There were certainly other uses for asbestos, however these examples represent the major uses and applications.

Mesothelioma can be found in three different parts of the body: the lining around the heart, lining of the abdominal cavity and lining around the chest.  It is reported that exposure to asbestos for as little as two to three months can result in Mesothelioma.  The early symptoms of Mesothelioma are nondescript, which often leads to either a misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all.  These symptoms may include: shortness of breath, chest congestion, chest pain (mild to stabbing), fatigue, coughing, weight loss, fever and night sweats.  Some suffering from Mesothelioma may not have any symptoms at all.

Although asbestos is no longer used, it still poses a serious health concern for all of us who may have been purposely or accidentally exposed to it.  If you worked as a plumber, insulator, plasterer, steel worker, electrician, shipyard worker or did other industrial type work or had a job where you may have been exposed to asbestos, please let your physician know.  If you have any of the symptoms listed above and have worked in any of these jobs or industries, please seek medical treatment immediately.  The key to beating any type of cancer is early detection.  If your physician knows you may have been exposed to  asbestos, there is a process by which he or she can check you for Mesothelioma.  This is usually done with a non-invasive X-Ray, although a ultrasound or CT scan may also be used.

For more information concerning Mesothelioma, please visit: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma