Mesothelioma Lawyer Blog

The Mesothelioma Center recently reported that Australia has tightened its restrictions on using asbestos after research showed that asbestos mixed into concrete can be lethal. It also reported that West Virginia has emerged as a hotbed for asbestos-related lawsuits.

Our mesothelioma lawyers represent clients and families dealing with this deadly diagnosis as a result of asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used for decades in construction for insulation purposes, but also to coat pipes and brake pads and other consumer products because of its resistance to fire.

But about 40 years ago, researchers began discovering that people who were exposed to asbestos were getting sick. Further research found that exposure for a short period of time can still cause mesothelioma some 30 or 40 years later.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that has been proven to be caused by exposure to asbestos. Sadly, it is fatal 100 percent of the time.

It can linger in a person's body for years or decades before a person is properly diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is because thought the asbestos forms tumors, typically on the lining of major organs such as the heart, lungs and abdomen, the symptoms are quite common. Older people who may have worked in a field 30 years ago where they were exposed to asbestos begin coughing, having trouble breathing or feel chest pain, which are common symptoms for a variety of medical problems.

Some victims ignore the symptoms or chalk them up to other things, which allows the cancer to spread. Because of where mesothelioma spreads, treatment options are limited.

But the more people can hear about this form of cancer, the better. It has gotten more attention in recent years and donors are spending money for researchers to study its effects and how to potentially discover it sooner or find a cure.

According to the article, officials have found that natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding and tornadoes can put people at risk for asbestos exposure. When buildings containing asbestos collapse, they can spread asbestos throughout the air.

This happened during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York. Studies have found that many firefighters, police officers and rescue workers were exposed to asbestos and other carcinogens in the aftermath. The threat of natural disasters has caused Australia officials to work to clear the country of asbestos by 2030.

Some bad news is that thalidomide, a drug used to treat people suffering from other forms of cancer, has been found by researchers to not be effective for mesothelioma patients. The Netherlands Cancer Research report came out recently.

The article also states that West Virginia has become an active state for lawsuits. A report found that asbestos claims statewide have been near the top of the list of examples of why medical and business professionals want tort reform in order to limit how much mesothelioma victims can get in jury verdicts.

That state has been known to have sympathetic juries, likely because there are many mines, steel mills, factories, oil refineries and other businesses where workers were exposed to asbestos.

Continue reading "There's Both Good and Bad News for Mesothelioma Patients This Week" »

With Veterans Day having passed in November, it is important that all of our military veterans be lauded for their efforts to keep us safe from harm -- which makes the freedoms we enjoy as Americans possible.

Sadly, however, many older veterans are struggling in the last years of their lives because after years of service, they were exposed to asbestos and now have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma lawyers have seen how service in the military has turned into a struggle to breath and we worry about the future for many of our veterans. Many ships and shipyards and other military installations used asbestos for decades.

Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used for insulation on buildings, coating for pipes, in brake pads, floor and ceiling tiles and other products. It was used extensively in the United States from the early 20th Century until around 1991, when studies conclusively showed that the effects of asbestos are life-threatening.

Asbestos exposure can lead to cancerous tumors forming on the walls and lining of major organs. After years of developing, they can spread throughout the body like other forms of cancer.

Mesothelioma has no cure. Researchers know that it is caused by exposure to asbestos, but they don't know how to cure people who have it. In fact, it's deadly 100 percent of the time. And given that a person can be exposed to a small amount of asbestos and live with the cancer for 30 years without knowing it, linking sickness to exposure can be challenging.

National Public Radio recently interviewed a veteran suffering from mesothelioma. Frank Currie, a Navy veteran who was stationed at Pearl Harbor, witnessed the attacks aboard the USS Tennessee.

He said he saw the USS Arizona get hit with a bomb and shoot 12 to 15 feet in the air. He said he wishes he could forget the death he witnessed that day, but he can't.

And along with suffering haunting memories of one of the darkest days in U.S. history, Currie suffers from mesothelioma. The article doesn't say whether his mesothelioma was a result of his service in the U.S. Navy, but many Navy veterans have made the link.

No segment of the population has been hit harder from mesothelioma than our veterans. The Navy was one of the largest consumers of asbestos, using its fire-resistant nature to ensure that large fires didn't break out in ships, causing them to sink.

But those who were around the flaky mineral may have survived their tour of duty only to realize decades later that nights working in boiler rooms or around other equipment inside a ship may have led to their death.

Our veterans should be honored all year, not just on one designated holiday. And they certainly deserve to be able to live healthy lives after serving, unlike many who have mesothelioma as a result of their service.

Continue reading "U.S. Veterans Should Be Applauded and Not Victimized by Mesothelioma" »

President Barack Obama recently signed an executive order that calls for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to address a shortage of prescription drugs that are designed to treat diseases and forms of cancer, The Washington Post reports.

The Mesothelioma Center believes that the executive order could benefit mesothelioma patients who may be struggling to get the medication they need to delay the effects of the cancer.

Mesothelioma lawyers certainly believe that there should be an abundance of medications and treatment options for those suffering from mesothelioma. As we have reported time and time again on our blog, there is no known cure, but those who are suffering from this form of cancer should have full and unfettered access to the treatment options and medications that are available.

Mesothelioma patients tend to find out about their cancer decades after they were first exposed to asbestos. The exposure can be over a period of months or years or a very short-term contact with the natural mineral.

When asbestos gets inside a person's body, it can cause tumors, attaching to the lining of the heart, lungs and stomach, as well as other major organs. Tumors form and yet symptoms can be hidden for years. And even once they present themselves -- chest pain, coughing, fluid build-up -- they can be masked as symptoms of old age or years of smoking.

Obama's executive order, The Post reports, forces the FDA to begin looking into why there is an unknown shortage of at least 232 drugs through October. This is a record number and includes drugs used to care for cancer patients, heart attack victims, accident survivors and scores of other ill people. The shortage has caused a spike in cost of medications.

The order, in part, calls on an end to price gouging and consumer protection. Experts believe the main cause for the shortage is that there are few manufacturers, so if there is a shortage of material to make the drugs, government crackdowns or a break down in machinery, a drug shortage is born.

The Mesothelioma Center believes that the order could help those seeking help for mesothelioma as well. Where intravenous chemotherapy is used, the order will help those patients get the care they need.

The drug Cisplatin is on the FDA's drug shortage list and it is commonly used to treat mesothelioma patients. Alimta is not on the list, but is extremely expensive -- $1,700 per vial in some cases -- and the order may help lower the costs.

The shortage of Cisplatin comes because of an increased demand. With the order, the FDA will be able to more quickly review a drug application and streamline the process of providing information of price gouging to the Justice Department to ensure consumers are protected.

We certainly hope this order can not only provide the drugs and treatment that mesothelioma patients need and deserve, but ensure that they are more affordable. Mesothelioma patients who have been exposed to asbestos were usually impacted through no fault of their own and they deserve to have as peaceful a treatment period as possible.

Continue reading "Obama Executive Order Could Benefit Mesothelioma Patients" »