The Grim Reality Behind Asbestos Exposure: Mesothelioma

Statistics show that 3,000 people die every year from mesothelioma. Like cigarettes the health industry was unaware of how damaging asbestos exposure could be until a trend started happening. More and more older Americans who are dying from mesothelioma also happened to have worked in an occupation where asbestos was present. Asbestos was used because of its ability to withstand high temperatures.


Unfortunately, mesothelioma progresses slowly and is therefore difficult to diagnose, but when the relationship of lung cancer and asbestos exposure was discovered, experts were quick to relate the two. Mesothelioma starts out as a tumor and can occur after the inhalation of asbestos fibers. The fact is that when the tumor shows up it is often times years after even a short exposure. The problem with asbestos related lung tumors is that there is no known cure.

It is recommended that anyone knowing that he or she was exposed to asbestos be monitored closely. Lung x-rays are taken to determine if and when a tumor is found. This disease afflicts more men than women because of the nature of the work, being predominantly male oriented such as plumbing or steel mill occupations. It has, however, been known to afflict women and children who simply had come into contact with the work clothes a husband or father had been wearing. A tumor can eventually develop even after the most minute exposure to the substance.


The fact remains, however, that once a person has been exposed to a sufficient amount of asbestos, there is no known way to remove it from the body. Industries, therefore, over the years, especially after it was realized what asbestos was capable of, have taken measures to assure that workers are no longer exposed either by removing asbestos all together or putting in place workplace safety codes such as the mandatory use of masks and/or protective clothing. Today if a man or woman uses asbestos while working, it is a requirement to shower and change clothing before leaving work to prevent the contamination of anyone the worker comes into contact with outside of the workplace.


Mesothelioma symptoms are atypical since it can be years before the exposure begins to physically manifest inside the body. The first signs and symptoms that the lungs are affected may be painful breathing, a chronic cough, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, or blood in the sputum. Again, however, some of the symptoms are not readily recognized as the beginning of a cancer. If asbestos exposure was known to have been used in the workplace, and someone begins to develop a chronic cough or has trouble breathing for no obvious reason, the person should see a physician and tell the doctor about being exposed years before to asbestos while at work.


All forms of cancer treatment have been tried to eradicate asbestosis resulting in mesothelioma such as chemotherapy, surgery, and irradiation. The sad fact remains that life expectancy from the time of discovery is, on average, typically less than 18 months. After being diagnosed death is an inevitability.
There are attorneys who specialize in defending patients who have had occupational exposure to asbestos. Lawyers have won large verdicts in both individual as well as class action cases for the victims of mesothelioma. It is recommended that a lawyer be consulted if mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure is diagnosed.