Mesothelioma Victim

Asbestos and Its Uses

Asbestos is a fiber made of minerals. Because of its flame retardant and heat resistant properties it used to be utilized in many different applications. Some of the more common uses for asbestos were insulation, electrical wiring and even brake pads. Kent cigarettes were even made using asbestos in the 1950's. Asbestos was also used extensively in construction. Drywall panels for walls and ceilings were made using it because it was fire resistant.

Another area that asbestos was often used in was shipbuilding during World War II. Shipbuilders lined boilers and wrapped pipes with asbestos. They also used it for turbine parts and to cover ship engines. Asbestos was also used in clothing, most notably in fire suits and the suits that race car drivers wear.

Mesothelioma

The danger from asbestos comes from breathing in the fibers. After prolonged exposure it can lead to many types of health problems including lung cancer. Mesothelioma is also known to occur in people that worked in and around asbestos. The mesothelia is a lining that surrounds your organs. Asbestos fibers are directly related to causing cancer of that lining, also known as mesothelioma.

A mesothelioma victim can have symptoms of the disease long after their exposure to asbestos. Some of the symptoms include wheezing or difficulty breathing, weight loss, and coughing up blood. It can also cause anemia and in the later stages contribute to ascites, which is a build up of fluid in the abdomen. There are a few different places in the body that it will settle in.

Pleura (lining of the lung cavity)

Pericardium (the lining of the heart)

Abdominal cavity

This type of cancer can also spread to other areas of the body.

Diagnosis and Prognosis

Mesothelioma can cause tumors. Sometimes these tumors will spread and create pain in other areas, such as the face and neck. That can lead to a difficulty in swallowing. It can also lead to lung collapse, which is a painful but common condition in a mesothelioma victim.

Diagnosis is generally made after a lengthy medical exam and numerous tests. Some of those tests include a CT scan, MRI and biopsies of the affected areas. For a final diagnosis, a pathologist must examine the tissue and look for certain tell-tale signs that indicate the disease.

There are treatment options available to a mesothelioma victim. There are four different stages of the cancer and if caught in the first two stages then radiation and chemotherapy are two viable options. Sometimes surgery is performed along with radiation treatment and chemotherapy. If you have been exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you might be able to take legal action.