Mesothelioma in the UK

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the external lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lower digestive tract (peritoneum). The disease has been linked to exposure with asbestos dust. Cancer of this kind is uncommon and rarely is a result of anything other than asbestos exposure. It is also very difficult to diagnose. Tumors of the mesothelieum can be either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Most mesothelial tumors are malignant. However this disease is not very responsive to therapy.

Between a person's first exposure to asbestos and the onset of this disease can be anywhere from 15- 60 years. By the time symptoms first appear and the cancer is diagnosed, the disease is often in its advanced stage. The average survival time is one to two years. If found early enough almost half of the patients reach the two year mark and approximately twenty percent survive five years.

Symptoms of malignant mesothelioma include shortness of breath, abdominal pain, a persistent cough, fever, sweating, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, muscle weakness, pain in the lower back or side of the chest and sensory loss. Many people mistake the symptoms of this disease for other common everyday ailments and do not seek treatment.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published statistics regarding work related mesothelioma deaths in the UK, spanning the years 1981- 2000. The study was published in 2003. The statistics showed that the highest rates of mesothelioma deaths in men were in West Dumbartonshire, Barrow-in-Furness, Plymouth, Portsmouth and South Tyneside, which were areas that were involved in shipbuilding, thus the high incidence of asbestos.

Other areas, which were considered high risk, were areas that were situated close to, or contained railway engineering sites. These areas included Crewe, Eastleigh and Nantwich. Also high risk was Barking, Dagenham and Newham, which housed factories that made asbestos products.

The mortality rate for mesothelioma related deaths showed higher in men than in women. The average for women was approximately fifteen percent of the annual deaths due to this disease. The results for women were considered less reliable but showed the following: the areas with the greatest incidence of death for women included Barking and Dagenham (because of asbestos factories), Sunderland (manufacturing and shipbuilding) and Blackburn with Darwen (gas masks were manufactured in this region during the war).

* The statistics for this study are available on the HSE website which can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/area8100.pdf.

Anika Logan is a freelance writer and librarian who writes on a variety of topics including fashion and beauty, food and dining, entertainment, weddings, writing, home improvements and alternative medicine. She is new contributor to http://www.mesothelioma-24-7.com.

Your Mesothelioma Case

Your Mesothelioma case is important to you. You have been robbed of years of your life because of someone's negligence. The question is what are you going to do about it? Mesothelioma is a serious disease. Mesothelioma is caused from exposure to asbestos materials. Often times, Mesothelioma takes decades for this disease to come to the surface. When it is noticed, Mesothelioma is often in its last stages, beyond medical treatment. What does this mean to you, the injured? What does it mean for your family as well? Mesothelioma is also reason to look into litigation.

There are many websites out there that will tell you about Mesothelioma, its causes and its treatments. What about the suffering that it causes? What about the years it takes off someone's life? This is where Mesothelioma laws come into play. Every state has very stringent laws regarding asbestos material. Although it has been banned from use for many years, it is often found and people are exposed to it in older buildings. Most of the time it is not known to be there but, every state also has laws regarding proper care of asbestos material and precautions regarding its removal in order to prevent Mesothelioma. That is because of how serious a disease Mesothelioma is.

If you are one of the people who have been exposed to asbestos and are now dealing with Mesothelioma, you should know that you may have a lawsuit claim. Now, perhaps you feel it is no ones fault. Or, perhaps it was so long ago that you just don't want to dig it back up. The bottom line is this. If you were exposed to asbestos and it leads to Mesothelioma, you may have a case to help with your care, your family's care, and even your medical bills. Mesothelioma is quite serious and someone should have to help with all of this, right?

To begin your search for information on Mesothelioma laws in your state, you can look on websites like www.thesmartattorneys.com . You can also look to that site for more information on finding a Mesothelioma lawyers. Your Mesothelioma attorneys will help you decide if and when you should pursue a Mesothelioma case. Find out what the laws in your area are regarding Mesothelioma. Find out if you have a Mesothelioma case.

S A Baker is staff writer at http://www.thesmartattorneys.com