- Can I afford a mesothelioma
lawyer?
- How common is mesothelioma?
- How much
exposure does it take to get the mesothelioma?
- What is asbestosis?
- Does smoking cause mesothelioma?
- Are new treatments
for mesothelioma being studied?
- Do
existing mesothelioma treatments have any side effects?
- Is
there any promising research or drugs for mesothelioma?
- Where can I
find information on living with mesothelioma?
Can I afford a mesothelioma
lawyer?
It costs you nothing. If we agree to be retained, Monheit Law takes the case
on a percentage contingency basis. If you don’t win your mesothelioma lawsuit,
Monheit Law doesn’t get paid.
How common is mesothelioma?
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years,
mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of
mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs
more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease
can appear in either men or women at any age.
How much
exposure does it take to get the mesothelioma?
As little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years
later.
What workers are mostly likely to come across asbestos on a day to day basis?
Most at risk are insulators, plasterers, electricians, mechanics, bricklayers,
carpenters, construction workers, and other trades people who work closely with
materials and products that contained asbestos.
What is asbestosis?
Asbestosis is not cancer but is a serious disease. It takes ten years or
more after asbestos exposure to develop. It causes scarring of the lungs and may
lead to disability or even death. When asbestos fibers remain deep in the lungs,
scar tissue forms, and may grow over years. The scar tissue can be seen on a
chest x-ray. It stops oxygen moving into the bloodstream, so the person with
asbestosis feels out of breath. Your doctor will also hear crackles in your
chest. These are signs of scar tissue in the lungs. People with asbestosis may
also develop lung cancer.
Does smoking cause mesothelioma?
Smoking does not increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination
of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of
developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.
Are new
treatments for mesothelioma being studied?
Yes. Because mesothelioma is very hard to control, the National Cancer
Institute is sponsoring clinical trials (research studies with people) that are
designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments.
Before any new treatment can be recommended for general use, doctors conduct
clinical trials to find out whether the treatment is safe for patients and
effective against the disease. Participation in clinical trials is an important
treatment option for many patients with mesothelioma.
Do
the existing mesothelioma treatments have any side effects?
In radiotherapy, the x-rays are carefully targeted to do as little damage
as possible to normal body tissues. It may cause some side effects, but most go
away after treatment stops. They can include tiredness, dry and sensitive skin
in the treated area, a sore throat, and difficulty swallowing for a few days or
weeks. It can also cause permanent changes known as fibrosis in the lung tissue.
This is not usually a problem unless high doses of radiotherapy are used to a
large area.
The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the drugs used and can vary from
person to person. The side effects usually go away after treatment stops. You
should talk to your doctor about the side effects you might expect, and how to
manage them. With surgery there may be a chest pain; this usually goes away or
greatly improves over weeks to months.
Is
there any promising research or promising drugs for mesothelioma?
Research is being conducted at various cancer centers all over the United
States as well as by pharmaceutical companies. To find more about these studies,
click on Clinical Trials. A recent study showed patients living much longer with
Alitma than other chemotherapy drugs.
Where can
I find information on living with mesothelioma? You are not alone. The
following organization attempts to match people with similar situations looking
for mutual support.
Anderson Network (cancer)
1-800-345-6324 (toll free)
www.mdanderson.org/andersonnetwork
The Anderson Network, part of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Center in
Houston has a database of 700 cancer survivors.
