Mesothelioma Advice

There is a battle under way in Beaumont, Texas.  The Beaumont Independent School District voted last November to tear down the South Park School, used as a middle school until last year.  In response, more than 2,600 residents in the city of 110,000 signed a petition urging the school district to consider alternate plans for adaptive use.  The fate of this 1922 building is important to the safety and health of the community.  The demolition of this building could prove to be very dangerous because of the tons of asbestos containing materials it harbors. 
Removal of asbestos must be done under special procedures.  Asbestos removal must be done prior to demolition to keep the material from becoming airborne.  Inhaled asbestos fibers can cause serious health problems including mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive cancer and it is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos.  There is no cure for Mesothelioma.   

The district is still in the midst of selecting a company to hire for the project, and will factor in the company's bid and prestige into their decision.  It is in everyone’s best interest that the right company and correct procedures in removing the asbestos are used.  Incorrect removal can expose many people to asbestos and a wave of asbestos lawsuits against the Beaumont Independent School District and others.  Of course, if a child or school official is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the affected parties should consult a mesothelioma asbestos law firm for legal advice.

 Because of the nature of the disease and the law surrounding asbestos, mesothelioma litigation is very specialized and complex. It is important that the affected parties consult a mesothelioma cancer attorney. HendlerLaw, a specialized mesothelioma cancer law firm has successfully litigated many asbestos lawsuits. For more information, or help dealing with mesothelioma litigation, call us at 1-800-443-6353, or visit www.mesothelioma-advice.org or www.Hendlerlaw.com. 
 

The International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma is a three-day conference for the entire meso community, including patients, their families, caregivers and advocates.
Learn about mesothelioma treatment options from meso experts from across the world; have your voice heard on Capitol Hill; meet, connect and share experiences and support with other mesothelioma patients and their family members; or connect with others who have lost a loved one to meso.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is an excellent source of information for anyone suffering from mesothelioma.

Some of the presentations planned for the symposium include:

• Present and Future Trends in Malignant Mesothelioma: Surgical and Researcher Perspective
• Photodynamic Therapy
• Update on Clinical Trials
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma.
   

Malignant peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma is a very difficult disease that can involve  many different sites in the body. Its main known cause is asbestos exposure, and sources may include unsafe work environments, living near a source or mining or manufacturing, or living with someone who is exposed to asbestos elsewhere.

A recent study was designed to assess the various ways in which symptoms of mesothelioma unpredictably appear in various patients. Patients almost always had ascites (fluid buildup), abdominal pain, breathlessness and fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, abdominal mass, fever, diarrhea and vomiting in some combination and in different intensities.

Tumors were found  in a surprisingly wide range of locations. Some patients were found to have colorectal cancer. Others had developed cancer of the cheek, the testes, the tongue, bladder or thyroid.

Even some of the standard tests, such as fluid diagnosis,  did not uniformly reveal that the person had mesothelioma, though they did indicate malignancy.

In short, this dread disease can come disguised as dozens of other conditions. That’s why it’s so important to exercise extreme caution when choosing your doctor and choosing your medical care team.  They must be knowledgeable about this condition and willing to work with you as long as necessary to determine the correct diagnosis…because early detection is critical for you to receive the best possible treatments. Don’t be satisfied with less than total dedication to your case.

When you're dealing with a serious illness, like Mesothelioma, it’s natural to want to search for every legitimate possible treatment or therapy to fight the progression of the disease.

There is research going on all over the world to improve mesothelioma treatment. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, one recent trial recruiting participants is going on at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In this particular clinical trial, patients must have a histologically confirmed diagnosis of epithelioid, sarcomatoid, or mixed-type malignant pleural mesothelioma that is not amenable to surgery.

As described on the website www.clinicaltrials.gov , a service of NIH, the purpose is to determine the rate of clinical benefit (i.e. rate of complete or partial response plus stable disease) at 16 weeks for patients with malignant mesothelioma treated with everolimus as second or third line therapy. [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

The clinical trial description also includes the following secondary measure, among others:
• To determine the response rate, time to progression and overall survival for patients with mesothelioma treated with everolimus. [ Time Frame: 2 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
If you or someone you know is dealing with the horrific effects of asbestos exposure, find out what your rights are to hold the manufacturers and users of asbestos responsible.
Contact us at 1-800-443-6353, or learn more about our mesothelioma practice at www.hendlerlaw.com .

The risk of school children being exposed to asbestos fibers is a serious and legitimate concern. Inhaled asbestos fibers can cause serious health problems including mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer.  The effects of lung cancer, particularly on children, are devastating.

Because of this asbestos risk, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) in October 30, 1986.  The act is designed to protect school children and school employees from exposure to asbestos in school buildings.  AHERA required EPA to develop regulations for dealing with asbestos in public and nonprofit private elementary and secondary schools. 

The peak years of asbestos use in schools were from 1939 until the 1970s.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are asbestos-containing materials in most of the nation’s primary, secondary and charter schools. Asbestos is most commonly used in schools as insulation and in building materials. 

The AHERA schools rule requires all public school districts and private schools to conduct an asbestos risk assessment in all school buildings; to develop plans to manage asbestos in schools; and to carry out the plans in a timely fashion. The rule also provides an opportunity for parents, teachers, and other school employees to be informed about the asbestos risks in their children’s schools and become familiar with and involved in their school’s asbestos management program. School officials are required to notify parent, teacher and employee groups about asbestos-related activities.

The EPA developed steps that detail the proper way to deal with asbestos materials in public schools in order to minimize asbestos exposure. Upon finding asbestos in a school building, school officials can develop and carry out a special maintenance plan to ensure that asbestos containing materials are kept in good condition. This is the most common method when the materials are in good condition at the time of initial inspection.  School officials can also repair damaged pipe or boiler covering, which is known as thermal system insulation.  Another option is to spray the material with a sealant to prevent fiber release – a process called encapsulation.  Further, school officials can decide to place a barrier around the materials, which is known as an enclosure.  The last option is to remove the asbestos – under special procedures.  Only an AHERA-accredited management planner – an asbestos professional with proper training, qualifications, and experience – is authorized to advise school officials on which response action is appropriate for a particular situation. The final selection of the proper method is up to school officials after they receive the advice of the school’s accredited management planner.

Of course, if a child or school official is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the affected parties should consult a mesothelioma asbestos law firm for legal advice.  Because of the nature of the disease and the law surrounding asbestos, mesothelioma litigation is very specialized and complex.  It is important that the affected parties consult a mesothelioma cancer attorney. 

Imagine that the home you grow up in, that same home that shelters you and your family, causes more than half of the members in your family’s premature death.  That is exactly what happened to a Winnipeg, Canada woman.  Raven ThunderSky’s parents and four siblings all succumbed to mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity, caused by the asbestos that had been used extensively in the construction of their house. 

According to the EPA, up until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past include steam pipes, boilers, furnace ducts insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape, resilient floor tiles (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives used for installing floor tile, cement sheet, mill board, and paper used as insulation around furnaces and wood burning stoves, door gaskets in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves, soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls and ceilings, patching and joint compounds for walls and ceilings and textured paints, artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. Also, other older household products such as fireproof gloves, stove-top pads, ironing board covers and certain hairdryers. 

Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer mesothelioma, and asbestosis.  The risk of mesothelioma lung cancer increases with the number of fibers inhaled over time. The symptoms of this disease do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first asbestos exposure. 

This is just one story of hundreds of thousands where lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and users.  W.R. Grace and Co. has faced more than 270,000 mesothelioma lawsuits stemming from asbestos.

  HendlerLaw, a specialized mesothelioma cancer law firm has successfully litigated many asbestos lawsuits against W.R. Grace and Co. and many other manufacturers.   For more information, or help dealing with mesothelioma litigation, call us at 1-800-443-6353, or visit our resource site www.mesothelioma-advice.org or www.Hendlerlaw.com.
 

When excess fluid collects around your heart, you are said to have a pericardial effusion. Causes for this dangerous condition can vary, but it usually starts due to inflammation in the lining that surrounds the heart (called the pericardium).

The pericardium has two layers between which there is typically a small amount of fluid. When the tissue becomes inflamed--which may happen from an injury or from a disease such as mesothelioma lung cancer--the fluid starts to build up. You can also experience a pericardial effusion when blood accumulates between those layers after surgery or an injury. And you may also find other causes for pericardial effusion that don't involve inflammation.

Doctors around the world are increasing the energy and research dollars in the search for better treatment of mesothelioma. A recent study focused on a series of new bio markers (substances naturally in the body) which will prove useful to facilitate early diagnosis of  mesothelioma. Officials of the 'European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer' (EORTC) suggest focusing research efforts on finding bio markers to predict how well Chemotherapy works with mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive pulmonary disease, which is caused by asbestos exposure. The disease is difficult to diagnose and has resisted traditional treatment options, since it identifies for the first time as a particular type of lung cancer. Asbestos was widely used in industry for decades, and mesothelioma has a very long period of latency — can appear up to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.  Because of that, the number of cases of MPM should continue to increase throughout the world for the next 30-40 years.. 

 It may be useful to find out if you are a victim of this disease because many employers intentionally concealed their knowledge of the dangers of exposure to asbestos fibers from their workers who breathed them every day of their working life. And since even a small dose of asbestos can cause asbestosis or mesothelioma, even the families of workers exposed to asbestos may be in danger. Mesothelioma litigation has picked up significantly as more evidence has come to light about what employers and manufacturers knew about the dangers of asbestos.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or feel you’ve been exposed to asbestos or other toxic substances on the job, first find the right medical help. Then, understand your legal rights. If you have questions or need help regarding a potential mesothelioma or asbestos-exposure lawsuit, you can visit our site, www.mesotheliomaadvice.org, www.hendlerlaw.com or  call us 800.443.6353. We have years of experience helping people just like you  and your family face this difficult time in your life.