Cure for Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, an asbestos-linked cancer, has always been considered a death sentence because it takes so long to develop that it’s usually too late by the time it’s been diagnosed. For one man in Australia it has not been a death sentence.

An article in The Daily Telegraph reports that Stephen Bolon is the first Australian to be cured of mesothelioma. The break-through of this treatment of cancer has provided some new early detection tests and Stephen was one of the earliest people to take advantage of the tests. Lung biopsy showed no cancer but the soluble mesothelin-related peptide that measured raised levels in his body told doctors otherwise.

Stephen underwent surgery to remove his right lung, part of his diaphragm, part of his pericardium and his pleura, the thin covering that protects the lungs. That was followed by radiotherapy and two years later he is fit , healthy and cancer-free.

Respiratory physician Deborah Yates, of Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital, said mesothelioma had an incubation period of 20-40 years so once it was discovered it was too late for meaningful treatment. “We are very cautiously excited,” said Dr Yates. “We see so many people dying from mesothelioma, it would be wonderful if this works, it really would.”

Because Australia has the the highest incidence rates of asbestos-related disease in the world, it is at the forefront of research into mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung.

Doctors hope to make early detection even easier and are working under a grant to develop a simple breath test for that purpose.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma refers to progressive growth of malignant cells found in the mesothelium, a thin sheet that covers and protects the vital organs of the body, such as the lungs.

Cancerous cells are described as malignant neoplasms. They demonstrate uncontrolled cell growth that follows no physiologic demand. When an abnormal cell is transformed by the genetic mutation of the cellular DNA, cancerous cells are formed. The cells infiltrate the tissues that surround them and gain access to lymph and blood vessels, which carry the cells to other areas of the body.

Normally, cancerous cells that develop in the mesothelium and eventually lead to mesothelioma are caused by glass-like particles that stick in the lungs. These particles come from asbestos, the common element used in building infrastructures. Asbestos is very popular in the industrial and construction field because of its high resistance against fire.

People who are exposed to asbestos have been found out to be the common patients diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is because the particles from asbestos that stick within the lungs tend to create cancerous cells. The damage caused by the process develops a disease process that triggers the growth of cancerous cells, where cell membranes are altered.

Overview of Mesothelioma and Compensation

Statistics show that nearly 80% of people afflicted with mesothelioma were working in the industrial field and construction area. Although mesothelioma is not a single disease with a single cause, the greatest common factor in developing the disease is asbestos.

Hence, society deems it necessary for these industries or employers, in general, to be responsible in providing the right compensation to their employees.

Issues on mesothelioma and compensation focus more on the privileges endowed to employees who have been sick with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos at work. The underlying connection between mesothelioma and compensation is seen in the lawsuits filed against the employers. Generally, these legal actions are done to claim financial damages from the company, who is entirely accountable for the safety of their employees working environment and for the implementation of safety gear against such hazards as asbestos.

Compensation for mesothelioma cases usually covers medical bills and other expenses related to mesothelioma, such as loss for daily wages or inability to provide their family with the quality life due to their non-working status.

People who are generally entitled for mesothelioma compensation are those who worked in the building, custodial, construction, shipyard, and automotive industry.

More information about mesothelioma and compensation:

1. It must be a cancer
Not everyone who had been exposed to asbestos can immediately file for mesothelioma compensation. The number one factor to consider for such claims is the development of cancer. The gravity of asbestos exposure will determine the condition that states one's eligibility for mesothelioma compensation.

2. Find a good lawyer
Not all mesothelioma lawyers can help you in claiming your compensation. Moreover, most mesothelioma lawyers that render services for mesothelioma compensation charge high fees. Hence, not everybody can afford to hire a mesothelioma lawyer.
However, some lawyers are willing to provide a "no win, no pay" agreement. By the time they win the case, the lawyer shares a certain percentage on the compensation. Hence, it is best that you find a good lawyer for you to obtain the right claims for you.

3. State laws
Mesothelioma compensation may vary from one state to another. This means that the existing state laws regarding mesothelioma lawsuits will be applicable only within its jurisdiction. Hence, not all provisions stated in a certain mesothelioma compensation are applicable on the other mesothelioma cases in different states

Social Class Dictates Cancer Risks

Lorraine Shack at the North West Cancer Intelligence Service and a team of researchers working on behalf of the United Kingdom Association of Cancer Registries used information from all eight English cancer registries from 1998 to 2003. They compared the rates of these four cancers with variations in deprivation. The data were further categorised by the person's age.

As Shack describes, "We looked at all invasive cases of lung cancer, cervical cancer, malignant melanoma of the skin and female breast cancer. The deprivation statistics were based on average levels of socioeconomic status in the patient's local area."

Malignant melanoma and breast cancer were most common in more affluent groups. According to the authors, the variations in breast cancer rates may be because "Women from affluent socioeconomic groups are more likely to have their first child at a later age, have fewer children in their lifetime and take hormone replacement therapy. Each of these factors is associated with a slightly higher incidence of breast cancer."

The higher incidence of melanoma in the more wealthy groups may be partially explained by holidays abroad and the resulting exposure to UV. However, the authors highlight that sun bed use may have an impact across all socioeconomic groups, particularly in the young, "It is difficult to estimate sun bed use as most salons are private and poorly regulated. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that sun bed use is increasing in England, particularly for teenagers and young adults. Sun parlours tend to be clustered in areas of deprivation."

The study also found that the highest rates of lung and cervical cancer occurred in the most deprived groups. The higher incidence of lung cancer in the deprived groups is squarely blamed on smoking, "Smoking is strongly associated with socioeconomic status and over 80% of lung cancer cases can be estimated to be attributable to smoking."

Worryingly, the authors found the greatest difference in lung cancer rates between socioeconomic groups in people under the age of 65, possibly suggesting that the more deprived groups continue to smoke while the wealthier groups have quit smoking.

The study provides further evidence of the link between wealth and cancer risk. Research such as this has a crucial role to play in tailoring government screening programmes, and other preventative measures, to local needs.

Child Lung Health

Child Lung Health

Each year more than three million children die before they reach the age of five from acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, HIV-related lung disease, and asthma. Most of these children die from severe pneumonia, which is five times more common in developing countries than in developed countries, with a death rate that is 10 to 50 times higher.

Pneumonia occurs less and is less deadly in the developed world due in part to vaccination and the availability of cheap and effective antibiotics. Many low income countries cannot afford the vaccines or the antibiotics, and efforts are further hindered by inadequate drug distribution. Moreover, there is generally no clear protocols for treatment of childhood pneumonia, so if sick children present in an emergency room, they may not be treated using evidence-based techniques.

One of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is to reduce the mortality rate of children under five by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. The World Lung Foundation contributes to international efforts to reach this goal by supporting innovative approaches to improving child lung health, such as the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease’s Child Lung Health Project. This project demonstrated that use of standard case management and other training and management techniques developed for tuberculosis control could also be effective with child pneumonia. In Malawi, where the initial project took place, pneumonia deaths in children under five were reduced from 20-25% to 10.3% of all cases.

Boosting the Immune System to Fight Cancer

Nearly every woman diagnosed with breast cancer feels conflicted about accepting treatment that knocks down her immune system. Intuition that tells you (more like SHOUTS at you) that you need to build up your immune system to combat the cancer and to restore your overall health. Once you understand that you need effective treatment to deal with a threat as serious as cancer, and you go ahead with your treatment, you still need to listen to your intuition. It does make sense that your immune system needs to be nurtured. Here are some practical ways to help you help yourself.
Complementary approaches to fighting infection and cancer
Nutrition, stress reduction, support groups, exercise—intriguing new studies suggest that these fundamental but non-traditional interventions may strengthen the immune system. For example, improved immune cell function has been documented after people with melanoma, a malignant skin cancer, attended regular support group meetings. Other studies find that women in breast cancer support groups live longer than those who don't join such groups. Researchers speculate that one reason is the stress-reducing, immune-supporting effects that these groups provide.
Nutrition
Any thing your body does is crippled by poor nutrition. This is true for healing a wound, building immune cell blood counts, and even managing stress. Attention to good nutrition makes sense whether it specifically benefits the immune system or not.
The power of nutrition to strengthen the immune function is not yet fully understood. But two leaders in the field: Dr. Keith Block (University of Illinois and the Block Medical Center, Evanston, Illinois), and Dr. Mitch Gaynor (Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Center, New York City), focus on nutrition as a means of reducing cancer risk and cancer death and increasing quality of life. Their work emphasizes vegetarian diets and fat restriction, coupled with stress reduction and other complementary medicine therapies. They believe these factors combine to strengthen the immune system.
Proponents of these innovative, non-traditional therapies say that excess weight and eating too much cholesterol and other fats are risk factors for cancer. They say that fat appears to reduce white cell production, affecting T-cell and macrophage activity. Further, they say, obesity and a poor diet compromise the lymphatic system, making the body more vulnerable to infection and disease. Eating large amounts of protein, such as that found in animal products, they believe, contributes to these undesirable effects. Thus, their nutritional programs strictly limit proteins that come from animal foods and unhealthy fats. In particular, stick to the monounsaturated fats like canola oil and olive oil, and avoid saturated fats like coconut oil, palm oils, and animal fats.

Mesothelioma Attorney

Mesothelioma attorneys - asbestos lawyers with a record of success.

Mesothelioma, a form of cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos, is a serious illness. At Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason, our attorneys understand how traumatic and devastating the disease of mesothelioma can be. Our approach to the process of helping mesothelioma victims obtain compensation and mesothelioma treatment is one based upon compassion and understanding, every step of the way. The challenges victims face can seem overwhelming, and mesothelioma treatment is expensive. A mesothelioma diagnosis can often mean severe financial hardship if you don't first obtain legal assistance provided by trial lawyers with the expertise and experience required. We have that expertise and two and a half decades of experience that can make the difference in successfully obtaining the compensation you are entitled to. The financial resources we make available allow our clients to focus on fighting mesothelioma, beating the odds, and enjoying time with their loved ones. If you are a patient seeking treatment for mesothelioma, you need the financial resources necessary to help you deal with this disease, and we can help.

Asbestos Exposure - holding asbestos companies accountable Every mesothelioma patient's exposure to asbestos is different. Some, such as insulators, shipyard workers, or boilermakers, had jobs that obviously involved working with asbestos. However, many mesothelioma victims we have represented have not known how or when they were exposed to asbestos until our lawyers and support staff completed an extensive asbestos exposure investigation. By getting to know each client as an individual, and by learning each client's personal story of asbestos exposure, we can show which asbestos companies were responsible for causing the mesothelioma. As lawyers representing people with mesothelioma, we hold the asbestos industry accountable for the damage their products have done. When asbestos exposure results in mesothelioma, no matter how far the asbestos company, construction company, or employer has gone to deny, disclaim or otherwise ignore the true cause for that mesothelioma, the attorneys at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason are your best ally in uncovering the truth and bringing your claim to successful financial resolution on your behalf. Many people with mesothelioma who first contact us mistakenly believe the asbestos companies did not know their asbestos products caused cancer until the 1970's or 1980's. This is unfortunately not true. Documents our lawyers have obtained in litigation show that manufacturers of asbestos products knew the workers in their own factories were getting lung cancer and mesothelioma from asbestos as early as the 1930's and 1940's, yet they hid this knowledge. It is a modern tragedy that most cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos cancers could and should have been prevented. While we cannot undo the harm that asbestos has caused, our mission as mesothelioma attorneys is to hold the wrongdoers accountable, and to recover the maximum compensation possible for our clients.

Mesothelioma - An Asbestos Cancer

Mesothelioma & Suggested Steps After Diagnosis

Exposure to asbestos has proven to result in a wide range of health conditions, including mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. This rare form of cancer is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure.

Due to a long latency period, mesothelioma symptoms (shortness of breath, severe cough, chest pain) may not appear for 20 or more years. For this reason, mesothelioma is often diagnosed in later stages of development, which severely complicates treatment and chances of survival. To learn more about this elusive and often puzzling disease, please review our extensive resources, featuring information on mesothelioma causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and more.

Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

From the 1930s through the 1970s, the U.S. Navy used hundreds of asbestos-contaminated products in all of its vessels, which led to hazardous asbestos exposure among thousands of veterans. Many veterans who worked in shipyards and aboard warships and submarines were heavily exposed to asbestos through standard operations.

As a result, more than 30 percent of mesothelioma victims are veterans. In addition to mesothelioma, navy veterans account for 16 percent of asbestos-related lung cancer. To learn more about when, where, and how veterans were exposed, visit our informative veterans and mesothelioma.