| Mesothelioma |
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs (pleura), or around the abdominal organs (peritoneum).
What is Mesothelioma?
What does asbestos have to do with mesothelioma?
The only known cause of mesothelioma in the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos manufacturers knew about the hazards of asbestos seventy years ago - but they kept this knowledge to themselves. The first warnings to workers exposed to asbestos were given in the mid-1960s, and they were terribly inadequate. Even today, workers are not always told they are working around asbestos and are at risk for asbestos disease.
What can someone with mesothelioma do?
Seek out the best and most up-to-date information.
Seek out the best medical care.
Early screening for mesothelioma diagnosis.
Stay in close contact with your doctor.
Consider whether or not you want to bring a lawsuit because of this asbestos-related injury.
Remember that resources are available to you through community and medical support groups, asbestos victims' organizations, your place of worship, as well as your family and friends.
Do you want more information about mesothelioma?
Please explore our website or contact us to request additional information.
I Don't Know Where to Start to Find Information on Mesothelioma
It can be quite confusing trying to find your way through the huge amount of material that seems to be mesothelioma information, but mainly turns out to be advertisements by various legal firms. If this is what you're looking for, great. If, however, you're just trying to find some basic facts, it can be pretty frustrating. so, let's just start with what you're looking for and why.
Why Do You Need Mesothelioma Information?
Are you worried, after seeing all the TV ads, that you or someone in your family may have mesothelioma? If so, you need to know that mesothelioma, despite all the publicity lately, is really a rare disease. There are only about 2,000 cases per year in the U.S.and they are very strongly linked with occupational hazards. So if you have never worked at a job which may have exposed you to asbestos, you probably don't have to worry about mesothelioma.
The most common jobs which resulted in asbestos exposure were in the building products manufacturing and shipbuilding industries. Also, this exposure would have to have taken place a number of years ago, as asbestos was banned from use in most areas by the EPA in 1986. So, unless you have information that you worked in a hazardous industry during that time frame, relax.
What Specific Type of Information on Mesothelioma Do You Need?
Are you a patient or relative of a patient diagnosed with mesothelioma? In this case, your doctor may be able to provide the most current information regarding treatment options, prognosis, and care. If you need more medical information, check with your local Health Department. There are also a couple of good websites dealing with the basics. Mesotheliomaweb.org is for people dealing with issues relating to mesothelioma, and won't try to sell you anything.
If you are looking for local information, check your phone book to see if there may be a mesothelioma support group in your area. Meso-info.com is another helpful site. Are you a student or researcher trying to locate basic facts regarding mesothelioma? If so, you may want to check with some of the federal government websites.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health websites have quite a bit of information regarding incidence, causative factors and history of the disease. The CDC also offers some informative data.
Why are There So Many Sites for Mesothelioma Information?
And why are most of them less than helpful? The simple answer to that question is money. Once the legal community realized that mesothelioma was a disease produced by occupational hazards, that meant someone was at fault. And that someone, in most cases, was a very large corporation with lots of money and little desire for bad publicity. Obviously, we all want to see people suffering from this disease compensated for their suffering and medical care costs.
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