If you think you were exposed to asbestos, you should seek medical treatment even if you are not experiencing symptoms. Asbestos exposure is linked to Mesothelioma, Asbestosis, Pleural Disease and Lung Cancer. If you are experiencing any of these conditions or believe that you may in the future, you are urged to contact our lawyers for asbestos lawsuit information. Below are descriptions of the major asbestos-related diseases and conditions.
Mesothelioma is the most serious asbestos-related disease. It is a rare form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in the sac lining the chest or abdomen and is life-threatening. By the time cancer is detected the patient’s survival time is generally short. Mesothelioma spreads throughout the peritonal or pleural cavity before diagnosis, and total surgical removal is not likely. As a result, the average survival time is approximately 1 year. If the cancer is found early, almost 50% of the patients survive 2 years and nearly 20% survive 5 years. Unfortunately, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are not very effective.
Pleural Mesothelioma is cancer located on the lining of the chest. As the cancer spreads, the cells become irregular. The malignant cells start to split and multiply without order and can often affect other organs and tissues in the immediate area. Complications and damage to the surrounding organs begin to develop. Pleural mesothelioma has a poor record of treatment and a brief survival time. Early symptoms of mesothelioma are usually non-specific, and can lead to a delay in diagnosis. Sometimes resembling viral pneumonia, pleural mesothelioma patients may present with shortness of breath, chest pain and/or persistent cough; some patients show no symptoms at all. Less common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are fever, night sweats and weight loss.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a form of cancer found in the abdomen, in a thin membrane called the peritoneum. Symptoms include abdominal swelling, loss of appetite and weakness. This type of mesothelioma is the less common and is found in less than 30% of all mesothelioma cases. Symptoms of this form of mesothelioma include: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, difficulty sleeping, pain in the chest and abdominal regions, progressive loss of appetite and weight loss and pleural effusions (fluid in the chest cavity).
Pleural Effusions are a symptom of mesothelioma. Pleural effusions take place when fluid builds up between the linings of the lungs and the chest cavity. As fluid builds up, dyspnea (difficult or labored respiration) occurs. The increase of fluid between the linings and chest cavity can also lead to pain.
Pleural Thickening in mesothelioma is a fibrosis (thickening and scarring) of the lining of the cavity in the region of the lungs. Pleural thickening in mesothelioma happens when scar tissue builds up around trapped asbestos fibers. The scar tissue that causes pleural thickening in mesothelioma victims makes the lungs less flexible and stiffer, causing breathing problems. Treatment of pleural thickening in mesothelioma patients is often limited to reducing symptoms.
Lung Cancer and Other Cancers related to asbestos exposure affect the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Medical studies have linked asbestos exposure with certain cancers that originate in the throat such as pharynx, larynx or esophagus or in the stomach or colon-rectum. Asbestos also causes lung cancer.
Asbestosis is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. When fibers are inhaled into the lung, the defense cells attempt to destroy the asbestos fibers, but the body's defense mechanisms cannot break down asbestos. Asbestos fibers stay in the lungs and cause scarring and inflammation. The thickening and scarring inhibits oxygen and carbon dioxide from traveling between the tiny air sacs of the lungs and into the blood stream, so breathing becomes much less efficient. In people who develop Asbestosis, the inflammatory process continues to progress even after the asbestos exposure has ended due to the indestructible asbestos fibers.
Pleural Plaques are the most common condition related with asbestos exposure, and often they are the only condition a person will develop. Like other asbestos-related conditions, pleural plaques grow many years after asbestos exposure. They may occur after low, intermittent exposure (much like malignant mesothelioma). Pleural plaques are smooth, white, raised irregular areas of fibrous collagen tissue that develop on the pleura (usually the parietal pleura) and frequently become calcified. They vary in size from small to large and are mostly found by chance on a chest x-ray.
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