The Best Information on Mesothelioma

 
A Baltimore city jury recently awarded more than $20 million to a woman who contracted mesothelioma lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos during the late 1960s.
Jocelyn Farrar, a 57-year-old nursing professor at the University of Maryland, believes she developed malignant mesothelioma after experiencing secondary asbestos exposure from washing her grandfather’s work clothes as a teenager.

 Farrar’s grandfather, worked with asbestos-containing insulation on a regular basis and likely carried home asbestos on his clothes. While doing laundry, Farrar inhaled asbestos fibers which later became lodged in the lining of her lungs.

Asbestos exposure, the primary cause of mesothelioma, can occur by either inhaling or ingesting microscopic asbestos fibers. If inhaled, the likely result is pleural mesothelioma. Ingested asbestos fibers are more likely to cause peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the abdomen.
(Find out more about the symptoms of mesothelioma)

The severe latency period associated with mesothelioma symptoms is what makes this cancer so dangerous. In most cases, symptoms do not arise until the tumor has reached the advanced stages of development, resulting in a late diagnosis and a very poor prognosis for patients. Farrar was diagnosed about 40 years after her initial exposure to asbestos.

 Farrar’s grandfather worked with asbestos-laden insulation made by Georgia-Pacific Corporation. Since her diagnosis, Farrar has undergone surgery that removed part of her lung.

The mineral asbestos was incorporated in a wide variety of manufacturing and construction products throughout the 20th century. Those who suspect they have been exposed to asbestos should receive regular checkups with a qualified physician for signs of an asbestos-related condition.