Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused solely by exposure to asbestos, a substance once used extensively in certain industries from the early 20th Century into the 1970s. People who were exposed typically experience few if any symptoms for decades until unusual health problems surface that lead to this diagnosis.
There is no cure for this deadly cancer. If you or a loved one have contracted this disease, call our law firm at to discuss your legal options.
What is Pleural Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma takes a number of forms. One is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the pleura, a thin membrane of cells that lines the lungs and chest wall. This is the most common form of mesothelioma, constituting about 75% of all cases.
It occurs when asbestos fibers become lodged within the pleura, causing plaques to develop that eventually become cancerous tumor cells. Symptoms slowly become evident as the asbestos fibers irritate and inflame the tissue.
Is Pleural Mesothelioma Fatal?
Like all cancers, if you seek medical treatment soon after symptoms arise, you have a good chance of surviving for several years beyond that of other patients who waited too long or who were misdiagnosed and did not receive prompt treatment.
What are the Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma?
Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include the following:
- Lower back or side chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Persistent cough
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Coughing up blood
Unfortunately, many patients ignore these symptoms or doctors misdiagnose the condition. Since these symptoms often take many years to manifest, patients may not relate their condition to their exposure to asbestos, which may have occurred 25 to 40 years previously.
What Treatments are Available?
If detected early enough, patients can undergo surgical resection of the tumor. Two surgeries performed are pleurectomy and extrapleural pneumonectomy, which involves removal of the lung, pleura, diaphragm and the pericardium. This can slow the disease but is not a cure and complications from the surgery are common.
A pleurectomy is a less extensive procedure that does not remove the lung or diaphragm. It can improve breathing by controlling the accumulation of fluid. Debulking is another surgical procedure where less tissue is removed in attempting to remove the mesothelioma.
Other treatments consist of chemotherapy and radiation. There are also less traditional treatments or those that complement the usual ones such as massage and reflexology that can help patients manage their pain and anxiety.
If caught in its later stages, surgery may not be an option since the cancer can quickly metastasize to other parts of the body such as the abdomen and lymph nodes.
What are My Legal Options?
Many people suffering from pleural mesothelioma are able to collect compensation from asbestos manufacturers, even if their initial or only exposure occurred many years ago. You do have a time limit to file a claim since each state has a statute of limitations within which you must file your claim or be barred from any recovery.
Most states allow you to file within a few years after you were diagnosed with mesothelioma or from when you should have discovered the disease. If a loved one passed away from mesothelioma, you and the eligible survivors only have about 1 to 3 years to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Many mesothelioma cases are filed as part of a class action lawsuit where similar suits are consolidated to reduce the time and expense normally involved in trying thousands of individual cases.
In some of these class action lawsuits, responsible companies have contributed to a fund where a victim’s case is evaluated to determine what compensation, if any, should be awarded. Also, mesothelioma patients may qualify for expedited Social Security benefits.
Do not hesitate to speak to a diligent mesothelioma lawyer from our law firm about your pleural mesothelioma case and for an assessment of your claim. You have a limited time to seek compensation so call us today at .
