Asbestos Industry History

The Asbestos Cover Up
Asbestos use became popular in the United States during the early 1900s. It was used in hundreds of applications for its strong insulating properties, as well as its fire and corrosion resistance. In addition, it was plentiful and inexpensive to mine - which translated into abundant profit for asbestos companies. Its primary uses included insulation for pipes, gaskets, protective clothing, nautical insulation, auto brake pads, and as insulative material for buildings.

However, evidence has existed for almost a century that linked asbestos exposure to respiratory illnesses. The first documented asbestos related death was in 1906, when an asbestos worker's autopsy revealed the case of death to be lung fibrosis. By the 1920s and 1930s, doctors had a good understanding of the hazards of asbestos exposure.

Around this same time, the asbestos industry began to take steps to protect their businesses. Asbestos trade associations were formed that funded scientific studies to prove that asbestos was safe. However, these studies backfired on the asbestos companies, as scientists found that asbestos was a highly toxic material. Their tests on laboratory animals showed that asbestos exposure could cause respiratory illness as well as cancer.

Instead of going public with the results and ceasing production, the asbestos companies instead chose to cover it up. The results of the studies were altered or destroyed to prevent profit losses. In addition, the indsutry then set about keeping the studies from reaching the public while continuing to sell cancer-causing asbestos. The asbestos industry even went so far as to buy out companies manufacturing non-asbestos based insulation to fuel their own profits. Eventually, through the efforts of some the scientists involved in the original studies, the government was warned of the risks of asbestos and began a campaign to stop its' use.

Mesothelioma Lawsuit FAQ

Lawsuits are perhaps the best way for mesothelioma victims to get the justice they deserve. You should not be intimidated by the legal process, and these questions should help illuminate how you can pursue financial compensation for your condition.

What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen, and the heart.


What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
Symptoms for mesothelioma include shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing up blood. Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose because it shares symptoms with many different conditions, or natural signs of aging. Also, different types of mesothelioma cause different symptoms.


What should people do if diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease?
Victims should follow all the directions of their doctors, but they should also contact an attorney to see if they have reason to pursue legal action against the party responsible for their injuries.


Are there time constraints for filing a Mesothelioma suit?
Yes, individual states have laws called statues of limitations, which limit how much time victims can initiate legal action.


What does the compensation cover?
The compensation you could potentially receive can cover the mounting medical bills resulting from tests and treatment for your illness, the pain and suffering you have experienced as well as the mental anguish and grief suffered by yourself and your family, and financial security for your family after you have gone.


How can I afford to pay a lawyer?
Most mesothelioma lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means they don’t get paid unless you do. This ensures they will devote all their energy to winning your case.

Mesothelioma lawyer and Legal Guide to Lawsuits

When you are faced with something as devastating as a Mesothelioma diagnosis, you have a right to seek answers about why you weren’t forewarned of the dangers of asbestos, and you have the right to seek reparations for you and your family. If you are a grieving family member or executor of the will of a person who has died from asbestos-related disease or mesothelioma, you may be eligible to file a claim as well and our mesothelioma lawyer can help.

Legal details are understandably the last thing that someone wants to confront after the initial shock of an asbestos-related illness. However, taking advantage of your legal rights can create the necessary funds to finance aggressive treatment, pay off huge medical bills incurred during diagnosis, and provide financial security for your family for years to come.

Proving the link between one’s illness and their asbestos exposure is a difficult and time-consuming responsibility. This is why the guidance of an experienced Mesothelioma lawyer is critical in helping victims and their families seek and receive financial compensation for their profound suffering. A good Mesothelioma attorney understands the unique complexities involved in this kind of lawsuit, including asbestos product identification, specific asbestos-related medical issues, and specific time constraints that narrow the window of opportunity to file a claim. It’s important to find the right Mesothelioma lawyer before your state’s statutes of limitations expire, leaving you and your family grieving and empty-handed.



Why File a Mesothelioma Lawsuit

Mesothelioma is one of the most disastrous, yet preventable, diseases of the last century. Substantial evidence has emerged proving that the dangers of asbestos exposure - the only known cause of malignant mesothelioma - have been known since as early as the 1920’s. The industry has systematically valued profits over human lives by suppressing such information. This kind of deadly deceit is both immoral and illegal.

A diagnosis of Mesothelioma is a tragic and extremely emotional experience, and the last thing on a victim’s mind is the nightmare of legal logistics. Unfortunately, this is the time when filing a lawsuit is so important, for a successful suit is one of the few ways to ensure financial security for the family, and a rare opportunity to help offset huge medical expenses that pile up during treatment and diagnosis. A successful suit can provide a financial safeguard for you and your family.

Nationwide Mesothelioma Doctors List

Mesothelioma Doctor in Alabama
James W. Ballard, MD
4012 Greystone Drive
Birmingham, AL 35242
email: jwballard@albreader.com

California Mesothelioma Doctor
Robert Cameron, MD
P. O. Box 951741
Los Angeles, California 90095–1741
Phone: 310–794–7333
email: rcameron@mednet.ucla.edu

David Jablon, MD
UCSF Mt. Zion Medical Center
2330 Post St., Suite 420
San Francisco, CA 94115
415–885–3882

Theirry Jahan, MD
2356 Sutter, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94115
415–567–5581

Connecticut Mesothelioma Doctors
Mark Cullen, MD
Yale University School of Medicine
Occupational and Environmental
135 College Street, 3rd floor
New Haven, CT 06510–2483

Jack A. Elias, MD
Pulmonary Medicine
Yale Cancer Center
203–785–4163

Michael Grey, MD
UConn Health Center
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06032

Bruce G. Haffty, MD
Therapeutic Radiology
Yale Cancer Center
203–785–2959

Graeme L. Hammond, MD
Cardiothoracic Therapy
Yale Cancer Center
203.–785–2699

Michael Kashgarian, MD
Pathology
Yale Cancer Center
203–785–2750

Ronald Ponn, MD
Thoracic Surgeon
333 Orchard St., Suite 107
New Haven, CT 06511

Carrie A. Redlich, MD, M.P.H.
Occupational Medicine
Yale Cancer Center
203–737–2817

Washington, DC Mesothelioma Doctors
Cesar A. Moran, MD
Department of the Army
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Washington, DC 20306

Paul Sugarbaker, MD
Sugarbaker Oncology Associates, P.C.
110 Irving St., NW
Washington, DC 20010
Phone: 202–877–3908

Mesothelioma Doctor in Florida
Lary A. Robinson, MD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
At The University of South Florida
12902 Magnolia Dr.
Tampa, FL 33612

John Ruckdeschel, MD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL 33612–9497

Mesothelioma Doctor in Massachusetts
Richard Kraiden, MD
Pulmonary Pathologist
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA 02114

David Sugarbaker, MD
Dana Farber Cancer Institute &
Brighams & Womens Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115

Michigan Mesothelioma Doctors
Harvey Pass, MD
Karmanos Cancer Institute
Detroit, MI
313–745–8746

Gregory P. Kalemkerian, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Co-Director of Thoracic Oncology
Cancer Center Member
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center/Ann Arbor, MI
Phone: (734) 936-5281

Mesothelioma Doctors in Minnesota
Arkadiusz Dudek, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant professor of medicine
Phone: 612-624-0123
Email: dudek002@umn.edu

Nebraska Mesothelioma Doctor
Brian Loggie, MD
Creighton University Medical Center
Cancer Center, Suite 2321
601 N. 30th Street
Omaha, NE 68131
Phone: 402–280–5009

New York Mesothelioma Doctors
Manjit Bains, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021

Philippe A. Chihanian, MD
Mt. Sinai Hospital
5 East 98 St.
New York, NY 10029
212–241–6368

David Ilson, MD
Borys Mychalczak, MD
Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY

Valerie Rusch, FACS
Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Phone: 212–639–5873
email: ruschv@mskcc.org

Stephen Rush, MD
North Shore University Hospital
Manhasset, NY

Roman Perez–Soler, MD
NW York University Kaplan Cancer Center
550 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212–263–8043
212–263–6485

Robert N. Taub, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Program Director
Columbia–Presbyterian Hospital
Atchley Pavilion Room 907
161 Fort Washington Ave.
New York, NY

North Carolina Mesothelioma Doctor
David H. Harpole, Jr., MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director of General Thoracic Surgery (DUMC)
Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Durham VAMC)
Appointments (919) 684-3683

Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Doctors
Larry R. Kaiser, MD
University of Pennsylvania
4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Phone: 215–662–7538
Email: Kaiser@mail.med.upenn.edu

Joseph S. Friedberg, MD
Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA
Phone: (215) 955-2996 or 1-800-JEFF-NOW (1-800-533-3669)

Rhode Island Mesothelioma Doctors
David Ettensohn, MD
Pulmonary Medicine
109 Beechwood Avenue
Pawtucket, RI

David Kern, MD
Memorial Hospital of RI
Occupational Health Clinic
111 Brewster Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860

John Pella, MD
St. Joseph Hospital
Pulmonary Fatima Unit
200 High Service Avenue
North Providence, RI 02904

S.T. Sambandan, MD
Oncologist
1180 Hope Street
Bristol, RI

Anthony Testa MD
Oncologist
100 Highland Avenue
Providence, RI 02904

South Carolina Mesothelioma Doctors
James Bradof, MD
406 Tiffany Park
Gaffney, SC

Spencer McCachren, MD
Thompson Cancer Center
Knoxville, TN
423–541–1812

Texas Mesothelioma Doctors
W. Roy Smythe, MD
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd., Box 39, Rm. R7.2215
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 713–792–6933

Claire Verschraegen, MD
Department Of Clinical Investigation
University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd., Box 39, Rm. R7.2215
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 713–792–7959

Washington Mesothelioma Doctors
Samuel Hammer, MD
700 Lebo Road
Bremerton, WA 98310
360–479–7707

Eric Vallieres, MD
Box 356310
1959 NE Pacific
Seattle, WA 98195–6310
Phone: 206–543–3093

Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma treatments have thus far been unable to limit the spread of the deadly cancer. Treatments for mesothelioma are divided into two categories: traditional mesothelioma treatments and new mesothelioma treatments.
Traditional mesothelioma treatments are the same as those used to treat most other cancers, and include:

Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy (radiotherapy)
Traditional mesothelioma treatments are often used in conjunction with one another in an effort to provide the most thorough and effective care. For example, trimodality therapy combines all three traditional methods of treatment. First, chemotherapy is administered with the aim of slowing the growth of malignant mesothelioma.
Next, surgery designed to physically remove a mesothelioma tumor mass is performed (extrapleural pneumonectomy is often performed as part of trimodality therapy). In the final step, postoperative radiation therapy is used to target any lingering mesothelioma cells. Although trimodality therapy has been unable to eradicate malignant mesothelioma, it has proven to be effective in prolonging patients' survival time by as much as five years (the average post-diagnosis survival time is one to two years).

New mesothelioma treatments have been researched and developed with the hope of succeeding where traditional methods have not. Mesothelioma researchers are optimistic that new mesothelioma treatment modalities will eventually prove to be successful, though they have yet to yield results that are any better than traditional methods.

New treatments for mesothelioma include:

Development of new chemotherapy agents
Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
Immunotherapy
Gene therapy
As with other cancerous diseases, the progression of mesothelioma is typically broken into stages, with the treatment options based on the stage of the disease.

Stages of Mesothelioma
The staging commonly used for mesothelioma is the Brigham staging system, and it can be described as follows:

Stage 1 occurs when the tumor lies completely within the capsule of the
pleura, without swollen lymph nodes (adenopathy).

Stage 2 has the characteristics of Stage 1, except that the tumor has spread and there is presence of adenopathy. The boundaries of the tumor still allow for a resection (removal of the tumor) without cutting into other organs.

Stage 3 includes extension of the disease into the chest wall or into the heart, through the diaphragm or peritoneum, or outside the pleura to involve the lymph nodes.

Stage 4 occurs when the cancer has formed in distant organs through metastases.

Unfortunately, none of the treatment strategies have been shown to be particularly effective against the disease.

Mesothelioma Statistics

Approximately 2000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Internationally, the incidence is approximately nine cases per every 1 million persons.

In the fall of 2004, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a surge in deaths related to asbestos exposure. Even though the use of asbestos has fallen dramatically over the last several decades, the number of asbestos related deaths are rising.

Mortality
This death rate is expected to continue to increase for at least the next decade, according to statistics developed in a report from the CDC. Asbestosis, which is caused by the inhalation of asbestos, can cause fibrous growths of scar tissue in the lung, and ultimately lead to the inability of the patient to breath. Deaths from asbestosis increased from a recorded 77 in 1986 to 1,493 in 2000. This disease, which is characterized by shortness of breath and incessant cough, and which is linked to a higher risk of mesothelioma, now causes more occupational related deaths than silicosis and black lung disease. It is the deadliest of all work-related respiratory illnesses.

The CDC’s assertion that the death toll may continue to rise, despite the reduced use of asbestos, is based on the time lag between initial exposure to asbestos, the development of asbestosis and death. This time lag can be as long as 45 years. In 1998, asbestosis overtook black lung disease as the top killer among work-related respiratory diseases, partially because of the decline in coal mining and partially due to the fact that the incubation period was giving way to the formation of asbestosis among many asbestos workers.

The CDC reached these conclusions by inspecting the death certificates of over 125,000 people who had lung conditions linked to inhaling dust or fibers from minerals such as coal, asbestos and sand.

The median survival for patients with malignant mesothelioma is 11 months. It is almost always fatal. The survival rate depends on the type of mesothelioma. Sarcomatoid cancer is the most aggressive with a median survival rate of approximately 9.4 months. Epithelioid cancer and biphasic cancer (or mixed) have somewhat longer survival rates at 12.5 and 11 months, respectively.

Malignant mesothelioma is not linked to race or gender, as asbestos exposure is thought to be the most important risk factor. Asbestos exposure is directly linked to at least 50 percent of mesothelioma cases.

Asbestos Exposure
Approximately 8 million people in the U.S. have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace. Family members who have been exposed through residual asbestos dust from work clothing are also at risk. The risk of developing lung cancer is five times greater for those exposed to asbestos. For those who smoke and have had exposure to asbestos, the chance of developing mesothelioma is 55 times greater than normal.

Studies show that mesothelioma is three times more common in men than women, but this is thought to be due to asbestos exposure and not gender. Of men with mesothelioma, a case series study showed that 45 percent had a history of exposure to asbestos and 53 percent had occupational exposure to asbestos. Most of the men were railroad workers, construction workers, naval mechanics and automobile mechanics.

Malignant mesothelioma has a peak incidence about 40 years after asbestos exposure, and it commonly develops when a person is between 50 and 70 years of age.

Symptoms of mesothelioma

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:

abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

What is Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma (mez-uh-thee-lee-O-muh) is a type of cancer that begins in the tissue that line different organs and spaces inside the body. This tissue, called mesothelium (mez-uh-thee-le-um), protects organs by making a special fluid that allows the organs to move. For example, this fluid makes it easier for the lungs to move during breathing.

Mesothelium surrounds the lungs, the stomach, the heart, and other organs. Tumors can start in any of these places. These tumors can be benign or they can be cancerous. The information that follows covers only those that are cancerous.

There are three main types of mesotheliomas. The most common (50%-70%) is the epithelioid type. This type has the best outlook. The other two types are less common. The treatment choices for all three are the same.

About three out of four mesotheliomas start in the chest cavity. These are called pleural mesotheliomas. Another 10%-20% begin in the abdomen (peritoneal mesotheliomas). Those starting around the heart are very rare. This cancer can also start in the tissue around the testicles, but this is also very rare.

There are also benign (not cancer) tumors that can start in the mesothelium, but the information here applies only to malignant (cancerous) mesotheliomas.