Asbestos Litigation - Some Basic Facts About The Process

When Should I Consult an Asbestos Attorney?

If asbestos diseases have adversely affected you or a family member then you should consult an asbestos attorney regarding litigation. Asbestos is a natural forming mineral that, in the second half of the twentieth century, was widely used as a building material. It was cheap and effective with plentiful resources. Despite the discovery that the inhalation of asbestos fibers leads to serious illnesses, companies covered up this information in order to continue its use. Asbestos laws have only recently been introduced to help control the use of this deadly substance.

Who is Affected by Asbestos Diseases?

It was estimated that approximately 10 million workers had been exposed to asbestos by the year 1978 and that by 1970 25 million tons of asbestos had been used in building work across the USA. Exposure to asbestos usually occurs when materials that contain asbestos are cut, sawn or broken; this results in the fibres being released into the atmosphere. Anyone involved in these processes was immediately at risk.

Asbestos fibres are so small they can only be seen under a microscope. They are colorless, odorless and tasteless. It is more than possible that anyone who has come into contact with the deadly asbestos fibers wouldn't even know.

Early Danger Signs.

In the 1920s the asbestos industry was aware of the damaging effects of asbestos, and yet they did nothing to protect workers or their families. By this time, insurance companies had even started to place higher premiums on workers in the asbestos industry but companies decided to put profit above the health of their workers.

As time moved on, more and more people within the asbestos industry learned of the dangers involved but it was some time before anything was done about it. It is only fairly recently that proper health and safety measures have been implemented to stop exposure to asbestos. Any asbestos attorney or asbestos law firm can tell you whether you were unduly put at risk and whether you have the right to proceed with an asbestos lawsuit.

Diseases Associated with Asbestos.

Many fatal and non-fatal diseases are associated with the exposure to asbestos. Many prove fatal to the sufferer. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. Lung cancer can also be contracted, as well as asbestosis. When the lungs inhale asbestos, some of the fibers become caught. In turn these fibers cause scar tissue and decrease the lungs' capability to breathe sufficient oxygen.

If you suffer from any of these illnesses, and you haven't already done so, contact an asbestos attorney immediately; you may be entitled to pursue asbestos litigation.

Loni Taylor is a freelance author from Dayton, Ohio. For examples of other articles, see http://www.a1-asbestos-attorney.net Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND http://earn-2.com

Resource: http://mesothelioma-cancer-asbestosis.blogspot.com/

Asbestos - Mesothelioma

Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral found in the ground and mined all over the world. It is so small it can only be identified under a microscope. In the past, asbestos was added to various products such as insulation to increase fire resistant properties. Asbestos exposure, especially of an extended duration, has been linked to mesothelioma and other health problems, including lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects cells in the lining of the chest and abdomen. The tissues in these areas are called the mesothelium, and they produce a lubricating fluid that allows the organs to move easily and without irritation or injury in the torso cavity.

Asbestos fibers attach themselves to the lining of the lungs or other parts of the respiratory tract and remain there indefinitely. Asbestos is most dangerous when it is airborne. The fibers are small and light and can stay afloat for a long time and can travel great distances from their source. Since asbestos fibers are microscopic and airborne, people can breathe in asbestos fibers for many years without realizing it. Workers in environments in which construction materials, especially insulation, are handled are at greatest risk. Starting in the 1940s, workers, unaware of the danger, regularly handled and were exposed to large amounts of asbestos, often for long durations. Trades that involved especially high levels of exposure included asbestos production related fields like mining, milling, asbestos tile manufacture, and the manufacture of products that used asbestos. Other industries with high levels of possible exposure included shipbuilding, construction, car repair, and any form of demolition. Today, worker's exposure to asbestos has been reduced due to government regulations. Still, however, demolition workers are at risk when they disturb antiquated materials that contain asbestos in older structures. It can take anywhere from 10 to 40 years for symptoms of an asbestos related disease to surface.

Critics have charged that asbestos manufacturers knew of the dangers of asbestos exposure many years before alerting the public of potential health risks. Despite the dangers associated with asbestos, the substance can still be found in thousands of products today. Because of its airborne mobility, its microscopic size and harmful properties, professional assistance is required to remove asbestos. There are professional abatement services that will remove asbestos from homes or other buildings. Asbestos is most harmful when the structure containing it is disturbed, releasing asbestos fibers into the air.

Some observers contend that asbestos product liability lawsuits have resulted in over $100 billion in claims and bankrupted over 100 companies.

Wayne Walker is president of CapTran, the leader in litigation financial services. http://www.captran.com

© 2005 Capital Transaction Group Inc

Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND http://earn-2.com

Resource: http://mesothelioma-cancer-asbestosis.blogspot.com/

The Asbestos Disaster - Who Is To Blame

The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians were all aware of the health dangers of asbestos. It seems strange that the asbestos industry in many parts of the world chose to ignore the risks.

Even if the ancient wisdom had been lost, insurance companies were refusing to insure asbestos workers, or charging higher premiums for them by the 1920's. 50 Years later some companies in the asbestos industry were still doing nothing to protect their workers.

To be fair, the workers themselves had the same access to information as the companies, so must also take responsibility for their actions in deciding to work in a dangerous industry. In many respects that decision was similar to the decision that many people still take on a daily basis today - to smoke a cigarette. The apparent benefit of taking home a pay check overrode the distant possibility of death for those workers and their families, just as the immediate pleasure of a cigarette does for smokers today.

Having said that I believe that the employers have a duty to ensure that their workers are in as safe an environment as possible, and that they are aware of the risks, so that if they decide to work there, they are making an informed decision. Clearly this did not always happen, and as a result the industry is going through a series of lawsuits, where people who have become ill are suing for compensation. Many companies around the world have already gone bankrupt as a result of this, and the process appears to be continuing. In the US there is legislation proposed to pay compensation from a central fund, but this proposal seems unlikely to succeed because of the level of agreement that will be required on how the money in the fund will be collected.

Both workers and employers in all types of business would do well to reflect on this sorry saga where no-one with the possible exception of a few lawyers, will ever feel that their decision to either work in, or employ people in a dangerous environment, was justified.

The asbestos site makes it easy to find the information you need if you think you may have been exposed to asbestos. To receive your free 35 page support guide visit the asbestos cancer http://www.asbestosabc.com/asbestos-cancer.html website.

Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND http://earn-2.com

Resource: http://mesothelioma-cancer-asbestosis.blogspot.com/

What You Need To Know About Lung Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells don't function right, divide very fast and produce too much tissue that forms a tumor. A leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women is probably lung cancer. This is the number one cause of cancer deaths surpassing breast cancer as the leading cause of deaths in women. Cancers that begin in the lungs are divided into two major types, the non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer depending on how the cells look under a microscope.

Cigarette smoking is known to be a cause of lung cancer. The risk of developing the disease increases with the number of cigarettes smoked particularly if the person starts to smoke at a young age. The person's risk of developing lung cancer may be reduced slightly if you smoke filtered and low tar cigarettes, but it is still far greater than that of a non-smoker. Lung cancer has always been more common in men, particularly those over the age of 40, as more men used to smoke than women. Considerably, there are a growing number of women having lung cancer since women have started smoking. About 90% of all lung cancer deaths among women are from smoking. The risk of lung cancer goes down quite quickly if the person stops smoking and after about fifteen years, the person's chances of developing the disease are similar to that of a non-smoker. Passive smoking or the breathing in other people's cigarette smoke, slightly increases the risk for lung disease and lung cancer, although the risk is still much less that if you smoke yourself.

Usually, the symptoms of lung cancer do not appear until the disease is in an advanced stage. Some are diagnosed early because they are found as a result of tests for other medical conditions. Screening examinations are done to detect a disease in people without symptoms of the disease. And since lung cancer usually spreads beyond the lungs before causing any symptoms, an effective screening program to detect the cancer early could save many lives. So far there is not screening test that has been shown to prevent the ill person from dying of the cancer. It has been concluded that the tests could not find many lung cancers early enough to improve a person's chances for a cure. Because of this, lung cancer screening is not a routine practice for the general public or even for people at increased risk like smokers.

Symptoms of lung cancer could be continuing cough or change in a long-standing cough; a chest infection that does not get better; increasing breathlessness; coughing up blood-stained phlegm; a dull ache or a sharp pain when coughing or taking a deep breath; and loss of appetite and loss of weight. If you think you are having any of these above stated symptoms, then it is important to have your condition checked by your doctor even if you know that any of these symptoms may be caused by illness other than cancer.

Treatment for lung cancer could be through surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy which may be used separately or together depending on what your physician requires you to undergo with. Basically, the doctor will plan your treatment, taking into account your general health condition, the type of lung cancer you have and the size of the tumor as well as its stage. There are differences in the treatment for different people depending on their needs. You should not be afraid to ask your doctor and it often helps making a lot of queries about the disease and your condition from your doctor.

For more information please goto the lung cancer resource center.

Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND http://earn-2.com

How to Treat Mesothelioma from Asbestos Exposure

There are many forms of treatment for Mesothelioma. Their effectiveness is on a cases by case basis. Here are five possible treatments that have been used:

1) Surgery - this is where the cancerous tissue is cut out. In extreme cases where the cancer has spread to the lungs, a lung may be removed.

2) Gene therapy (still in clinical trials) - this is where a "suicide gene" is inserted into the cancer making those cells susceptible to drugs that can be used to kill the malignant cells, leaving the healthy ones behind.

3) Radiation Therapy - high energy x-rays are directed at the cancer cells to kill these cells and/or shrink the tumors.

4) Chemotherapy - drugs are placed directly into the bloodstream through pills or injection. In Mesothelioma cases these drugs can be injected into the chest cavity.

5) Intraoperative Photodynamic therapy - uses drugs and light therapy is used during surgery.The patient is injected with drugs 3 days before surgery. These drugs make them sensetive to light. A special light is shined on the cancer cells during surgery.
Speak to your doctor about the risks involved with each procedure and which would be appropriate for your individual case.

For more information go to: http://www.topmesotheliomalawyer.com/Mesothelioma_Physicians.php
Caterina Christakos is a published author and internet publisher. For more information on the types of Mesothelioma and its treatments go to: http://www.topmesotheliomalawyer.com/
Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND http://earn-2.com

Mesothelioma Research

Research offers hope of cure for mesothelioma. A laboratory mouse fully recovered from mesothelioma and built up immunity to further tumors during trials of a new mesothelioma research & treatment regime being tested by West Australian researchers.

Mesothelioma cells were transplanted into Mouse 5 before it was given a chemotherapy drug called coramsine, which is still in development, in combination with drugs to stimulate the immune system.

University of Western Australian researcher Richard Lake said Mouse 5 not only recovered from mesothelioma, which is presently regarded as incurable in humans, but rejected subsequent attempts to grow another tumor. Dr Lake said the principle of combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy was a relatively new one that was providing "extremely promising" results that could be applied to other human cancers.

"Combining the right sort of chemotherapy with the right sort of immunotherapy - this has been our strategy to try and understand how we might best develop useful combinations and therapies," Dr Lake said. In the trial, which is in its "very preliminary" stages, Mouse 5 was the only survivor, with two others dying of a coramsine overdose and another two put down after their tumors returned.

Full Story: Research offers hope of cure for mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Research & Foundations

See the list below for mesothelioma researches and foundations. Don't forget to do your homework for more information on each mesothelioma research and foundation and consult your doctor for more information.

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Provides detail information on mesothelioma and all type of cancers. Visit NCI website for more information on mesothelioma research by NCI.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

To Protect America's Health from Toxic Exposures. The ATSDR provides information about asbestos and where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Visit ATSDR website for more information on mesothelioma research by ATSDR.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

EPA regulates the general public's exposure to asbestos in buildings, drinking water, and the environment. Visit EPA website for more information on mesothelioma research by EPA.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

CPSC responsibilities for the regulation of asbestos in consumer products. You can either call their toll-free number or visit CPSC website for more information on mesothelioma research by CPSC.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is concerned with asbestos contamination of foods, drugs, and cosmetics and will answer questions on these topics. For more information, visit mesothelioma research by FDA.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Also provides information on asbestos mesothelioma which available here: HHS.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

A national nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease. For more information, visit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation for mesothelioma research by MARF.org.

Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America (MESORFA)

The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America has a mission: fund research that will lead to the quickest cure for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure, has very few treatment options at this time. Since the year 2001, the foundation has funded the opening of the Mesothelioma Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Gill at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

For more free legal information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits, please visit Free Legal Information.

Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND http://earn-2.com

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura) or abdomen (the peritoneum). Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos.
A doctor should be seen if a person has shortness of breath, pain in the chest, or pain or swelling in the abdomen. If there are symptoms, the doctor may order an x-ray of the chest or abdomen.

The doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope. A cut will be made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope will be put into the chest between two ribs. This test, called thoracoscopy, is usually done in the hospital. Before the test, the patient will be given a local anesthetic (a drug that causes a loss of feeling for a short period of time). Some pressure may be felt, but usually there is no pain.

The doctor may also look inside the abdomen (peritoneoscopy) with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. The peritoneoscope is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is also usually done in the hospital. Before the test is done, a local anesthetic will be given.

If tissue that is not normal is found, the doctor will need to cut out a small piece and have it looked at under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. Biopsies are usually done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy.
The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on the size of the cancer, where the cancer is, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancer cells look under the microscope, how the cancer responds to treatment, and the patient's age.

Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment

There are treatments for all patients with malignant mesothelioma. Three kinds of treatment are used:

Surgery (taking out the cancer)
Radiation Therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)
Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)

Surgery is a common treatment of malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, the doctor may drain the fluid out of the body by putting a needle into the chest or abdomen and using gentle suction to remove the fluid. If fluid is removed from the chest, this is called thoracentesis. If fluid is removed from the abdomen, this is called paracentesis. The doctor may also put drugs through a tube into the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be put directly into the chest (intrapleural chemotherapy).

Intraoperative photodynamic therapy is a new type of treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before surgery. During surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, a special light is used to shine on the pleura. This treatment is being studied for early stages of mesothelioma in the chest.

Recurrent Malignant Mesothelioma

Treatment depends on many factors, including where the cancer came back and what treatment the patient received before. Mesothelioma Clinical trials are testing new treatments.

For more free legal information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits, please visit Free Legal Information at: http://www.bankdynamic.com/
Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND http://earn-2.com