Mesothelioma Basics: A Unique Cancer

Asbestos Exposure Attorney

Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the lining of the lung or abdomen. The only known cause is exposure to asbestos. When microscopic asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can lodge in the lung and cause scarring, inflammation and eventually serious respiratory disease. About 2,500 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The number of cases of mesothelioma is still increasing because the cancer takes anywhere from 20 to 60 years to appear after initial exposure to asbestos. So even though asbestos is no longer widely used in the U.S., people are still suffering the effects of exposures decades ago. Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed about 30 years after the worker was exposed. Because it’s an uncommon cancer, it often isn’t diagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage.

The experienced mesothelioma lawyers at Belluck & Fox understand the serious consequences of asbestos-related disease and the suffering it causes. We believe it’s important to hold accountable the asbestos companies and manufacturers whose acts caused people to develop serious diseases such as mesothelioma. We help mesothelioma victims and their families recover money needed to pay their medical bills and living expenses. We help them collect damages by filing lawsuits against asbestos companies.

Mesothelium, A Protective Membrane

Mesothelioma takes its name from the mesothelium, a protective membrane that lines many organs of the body. It is here that malignant mesothelioma cancer cells develop. The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location. The mesothelial lining of the lungs and chest cavity is called the pleura. The mesothelial lining of the abdomen is called the peritoneum. Mesothelioma generally occurs in the lining of the lungs or abdomen and rarely in the tissue around the heart. It may also occur in the testicles and colon.

Medical research shows that people who are exposed to asbestos through breathing asbestos fibers are at a greater risk of developing mesothelioma and other serious respiratory diseases, including lung cancer and asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lungs. With mesothelioma, malignant cancer cells divide and grow out of control and invade nearby tissues and organs.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you have a legal right to file a lawsuit to recover money for the harm done you've suffered through no fault of your own. While no amount of money will compensate you for the damage to your health or the loss of a loved one, money may help pay your medical and household expenses and protect your family’s well-being. It’s important for you to focus on your quality of life. Let us advocate for your legal rights.

Belluck & Fox LLP is a nationally recognized law firm whose attorneys represent individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims. Our attorneys have won more than $220 million in compensation for our clients and their families. We can help you. For more information, contact the firm at 877-MESOTHELIOMA (637-6843) or through the online contact form.

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Mesothelioma Was Preventable, Click to Learn More

In past decades, workers in many industries did not know that the air they were breathing was filled with toxic fibers. But the companies that sold asbestos products knew or should have known that they were putting the very lives of workers in jeopardy. Unfortunately, the companies recklessly pursued profits while risking workers’ health. It is commonly accepted that even small amounts of asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma and other serious respiratory diseases. Even the simplest, least-expensive precautions -- for example, requiring workers to wear dust masks or to shower and change clothes at the end of a shift -- would have helped protect them and their families from deadly asbestos-related diseases. But asbestos companies chose not to warn workers of its potential hazards and continued using the mineral from the 1920s to the 1970s and 1980s, when the asbestos was finally removed from most products.

Lung Disease Lawyer

Perhaps you or a loved one has recently received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, and you have questions about your legal options. The experienced mesothelioma attorneys at Belluck & Fox understand the serious consequences of asbestos-related disease and the suffering it causes. We believe it’s important to hold accountable the asbestos companies and manufacturers whose reckless and negligent acts caused people to develop mesothelioma and other deadly diseases. We bring legal action to help mesothelioma victims and their families recover the money they need for their medical bills and other expenses.

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How Were You Exposed to Asbestos? Click to Learn More

Today, most products do not contain asbestos. But until the 1980s, many building products and types of machinery contained asbestos -- and it is still used in some products today, such as automobile brake linings. You may have been exposed to asbestos in the Navy or in an industry such as shipbuilding, construction, automobile repair, mining, textile mills, sheet metal, plumbing and paper mills. For decades, asbestos materials were commonly used in those industries and trades. You may have been exposed in your home. Asbestos was also used in the Navy. Some families of asbestos workers were exposed through the dust their family members brought home from work on their clothing and shoes.

Lung Cancer Attorneys

However you were exposed to asbestos, you have suffered a serious harm through no fault of your own. You have a legal right to hold those responsible accountable for their recklessness. by filing a lawsuit. While no amount of money can compensate for the damage to your health or the loss of a loved one, you shouldn’t have to worry about how to pay the medical bills or provide for your family while you are confronting this devastating disease.

Article Summary: Mesothelioma Basics: A Unique Cancer

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin membrane lining of the lung or abdomen. The number of cases of mesothelioma is still increasing in the United States because the disease takes anywhere from 10 to 60 years to appear after the initial exposure to asbestos. Most cases are diagnosed about 30 years after the initial exposure.

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