Diagnosis

Respiratory Disease Lawyer

Doctors often have a difficult time diagnosing mesothelioma because the symptoms are common to a number of diseases and asbestos exposure may have occurred many decades ago.

The diagnosis begins with a review of a patient’s medical record and employment history, including any known exposure to asbestos. The doctor will perform a physical examination, including x-rays of the lung or abdomen and tests to measure a patient’s lung function. The patient may also undergo a CT scan or MRI so the doctor can get detailed images of the inside of the body.

The experienced asbestos-disease lawyers at Belluck & Fox understand the seriousness of a diagnosis of mesothelioma and the suffering that asbestos-related disease causes families. We believe it’s important to hold accountable the asbestos companies and manufacturers that acted recklessly and allowed people to be exposed to this deadly substance. We help malignant mesothelioma victims and their families recover money to pay their medical bills and other expenses. We are experienced in filing lawsuits against asbestos companies and manufacturers.

Confirming Diagnosis

To confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma, a doctor must take a biopsy of tissue and examine it under a microscope. This surgical procedure involves inserting a thin, lighted tube called a thorascoscope into the chest cavity through an incision between two ribs and collecting tissue. If cancer is suspected in the abdomen, the physician inserts a tube called a peritoneoscope through an incision into the abdominal cavity and collects a tissue sample. If the biopsy confirms the patient has mesothelioma, the doctor next will want to determine how advanced the cancer is.

Mesothelioma is localized if it is found only in the membrane tissue where it originated. On the other hand, it is described as diffuse or advanced if it is has spread to other tissue or other organs. Because it is difficult to diagnose, doctors often do not diagnose mesothelioma until it is in an advanced stage, making life expectancy short.

Mesothelioma is generally not curable, but doctors can treat the disease to relieve the symptoms and slow its advance in many cases. Doctors respond to mesothelioma with several treatments: surgery to remove cancerous tissue, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of those treatments. The median survival rate for malignant mesothelioma is 6 months to 18 months, according to the American Thoracic Society.

The mesothelioma lawyers at Belluck & Fox are experienced at tracking a patient’s mesothelioma back to its source and holding those employers and asbestos companies legally accountable for the harm they caused. We understand that no amount of money can make up for a life-threatening illness or the loss of a loved one. But the law allows victims of asbestos disease to file a lawsuit and collect damages for the harm they have suffered. That money can help pay medical bills and provide for a family’s future, offering some peace of mind.

Belluck & Fox LLP is a nationally respected 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 understand the consequences of a diagnosis of mesothelioma and we want to 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: Diagnosis

The symptoms of mesothelioma are common to many diseases, which makes this illness particularly difficult to diagnose. To confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma, a doctor must take a biopsy of tissue from the lining of the lung or abdomen and examine it under a microscope for cancer cells. Mesothelioma is generally not curable, but doctors can treat the disease to address symptoms and try to control the spread of the disease.

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