Mesothelioma Lawyer, Treatment, and Support Information

Mesothelioma is a medical term refers to the development of cancer cells in the mesothelial tissue due to inhalation of asbestos fibers. This is a severe form of cancer that can be caused uniquely by asbestos fibers. Depending on the organ affected and its severity, mesothelioma is classified in:

- Pleural Mesothelioma , which affect the pleural cavity , thin layer of tissue covering the lungs

- Peritoneal Mesothelioma , affecting the peritoneum, tissue that lines the abdominal and pelvic cavities;

- Benign Mesothelioma , the less severe of mesothelioma characterized by occurrence of noncancerous tumor cells in the pleura.

Although severe, mesothelioma is still a rare type of cancer. About one person in a million is affected. In 2004, it was estimated that around 15 individuals to 1,000,000 were victim of the disease in the United States. No one knows for sure the percentage of this year, 2008, since the number is increasing. However, about 200,000 individuals die each year from cancers causing by carcinogenic workplaces, including job sites containing asbestos fibers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Are the causes of mesothelioma are well known?

Yes. Whether it is pleural, peritoneal, or benign mesothelioma, it is caused by exposure to asbestos, an airborne mineral made of microscopic bundles of fibers according to US Environmental Protection Agency. Once enters your lungs, asbestos damage silently the tissue affected. The damaging effects can continue for years without any obvious medical signs. Usually, you start seeing or feeling symptoms 20 to 30 years after you were exposed to the pathogenic fiber.

Where asbestosis can be found?

In rare cases, you can be affected indirectly by asbestos contamination through your friends or family members who brought the fiber to the house from work in their clothes, hair or on their skin. However, the inhalation is, most of the times, the result of direct contact to the fiber in workplaces. Companies that are susceptible to have asbestos include:

* Extraction units: mines for instance

* Industries that manufacture asbestos products: textiles, friction products, insulation, certain building materials, etc.

* Places where asbestos is used as protection against heat

* Certain industries that specialize in shipbuilding, steel, foundry, glass manufacturing, etc.

* Construction industry, during renovation or demolition, or particularly during removal of asbestos, according to U.S. Department of Labor

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