Asbestos Linked to Mesothelioma

Ottawa, Ont: Like countless hundreds of men of his generation, Gilles started his working life as a young teenager. He learned a trade – he became a plumber and a pipefitter. Over the decades he was exposed to asbestos, with no knowledge of the health effects. He died of lung cancer, very possibly mesothelioma just 3 years after being diagnosed, barely having seen retirement. [ Read More ]

Bozeman, MT: His would have been one of several obituaries in the Chicago Tribune this past weekend; to the average reader, just another name in a list of people suddenly no longer here. Sadly, Michael McLoughlin was only 63 when he died. But saddest of all, is the reason why he died: asbestos mesothelioma, which was traced back to when he was a boy. A BOY. And yet that asbestos exposure invaded his lungs and lay silent for decades, until he was diagnosed in February of last year. Less than two years later, asbestos cancer claimed him. [ Read More ]

Delrook, OH: Up to the mid 1980s little was made public about the long–term effects of asbestos exposure. However, that changed with the realization that the mineral can cause asbestos mesothelioma and severe breathing difficulties. For some people, these illnesses can take many years to manifest, but for Bonnie it only took a year. [ Read More ]

Asbestos can pose a serious health threat when disturbed or when it begins to deteriorate and asbestos fibers are released into the air and inhaled. Exposure to asbestos fibers has been linked to cancer, asbestosis (scaring of the lungs that restricts breathing), mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the chest cavity), and silicosis. The chances of getting an asbestos-related illness increase as the level and duration of exposure to asbestos increases.

To date, companies which have exposed their employees to asbestos have faced thousands of lawsuits and settled hundreds of millions in damages. To resolve these ongoing battles, Congress is discussing the creation of a $140 billion fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.

If your home was built before 1970 or if you work in an industry that uses or has used asbestos, you may be at risk. Asbestos testing and removal should be performed by a professional. And if you or your family has suffered from asbestos exposure or poisoning, specialized lawyers and attorneys can evaluate your claim and help secure justice and compensation.

The European union has banned all uses of asbestos, as has Australia. Japan is expected to ban it soon. The US banned most uses and then the courts overturned the ban.

Asbestos is still used in numerous products in the US and Canada.

Although the links between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma has been known since the early 1900's, few regulations for exposure were implemented until the 70's. The first lawsuit was filed in 1929.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare lung cancer which attacks the lining of the lung (pleural mesothelioma) or the lining of the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma). The only known cause of mesothelioma in North America is exposure to asbestos. There have also been reports linked to asbestos which include cancer of the esophagus, larynx, stomach, colon and rectum.

Like the other asbestos-related diseases, mesothelioma has a long latency period (amount of time between first exposure to asbestos and disease diagnosis). Typically, mesothelioma is diagnosed 20, 30, 40 or more years after the first exposure to asbestos. In rare cases the latency period has been as short as 10 to 15 years.

Pulmonary asbestosis is caused when asbestos particles are inhaled which can cause a scarring of the lung tissue. Similar to mesothelioma, the latency period is delayed 10 to 30 years. Symptoms of asbestosis can include shortness of breath or an inability to take a deep breath, fatigue, dry cough, rales or crackles at the base of the lungs. Other names for pulmonary asbestosis are pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial fibrosis, lung scarring, diffuse linear opacities (on x-ray) and pneumoconiosis.