Articles Posted in Mesothelioma Case

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If a person is exposed to deadly asbestos fibers, it normally takes between 20 and 50 years for the victim to know they have cancer. Once the cancer has reached a certain level, it will cause the victim to have chest or abdominal pain, in most cases, and cause shortness of breath. Many patents may think they are having a heart attack or some other type of illness and go to the doctor. Once the doctor confirms the patient has mesothelioma, which is easy to do when a lung biopsy is taken and sent to a lab, the patient will usually be told he or she has between six months and two years left to live, depending on how advanced the cancer has become.

surgeon-3-391477-mThis does not mean there are no treatments that can be performed for mesothelioma, but it would hard to consider any of the options anything close to what might be called a cure for malignant mesothelioma. All of the treatments are radical and invasive. Some involve high doses of chemotherapy or radiation, or more likely a combination of both. Many treatments involve major surgery to remove the tumors, along with all or part of the organ to which the tumors are attached. Continue reading

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The United States House of Representatives has recently passed a tort reform bill that included another bill specifically designed to make it harder for victims of mesothelioma to sue the companies that negligently or intentionally exposed them to deadly asbestos fibers. This bill is called the Fair Asbestos Claims Transparency (FACT) Act. One of the major provisions would require the cases to go through a review to make sure all plaintiffs are similarly situated. This change to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) is above and beyond the class action requirement already in place.

tosignacontractAccording to a recent news article from Business Insurance, even if the bill should pass in the United States Senate, and many question whether that will happen, it is likely that President Barack Obama would veto the bill should he have the opportunity. Continue reading

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Over the past year, GOP members of the United States House of Representatives have been working on their latest tort reform plan. This plan is officially called the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act (H.R. 1927), and includes a specialty piece of legislation known as the Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency (FACT) Act.

u-s--capitol-building-918333-mAccording to a recent news article from Bloomberg, the House has just passed the FACT act, H.R. 1927, and now it will be sent the United States Senate to see if can pass and make its way to the president’s desk to be signed or vetoed. Many think it will never make its way through the Senate, because even though there the Republicans control like the House, there are not enough total members to pass the bill. Continue reading

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According to a recent article from the Buffalo News, the national average for asbestos-related deaths is 4.9 per 100,000 people. While the term asbestos deaths can include those caused by asbestosis, lung cancer, or serious respiratory illness, the vast majority of asbestos-related deaths are caused by malignant pleural mesothelioma.

questionMalignant pleural mesothelioma is rare form of cancer caused almost exclusively by exposure to deadly asbestos fibers. The fibers become trapped in a layer of tissue known as mesothelium, where they can develop into the deadly form of cancer after a period of 20 to 50 years; however, it can form in less time in some cases. Once a person is diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, they usually only have a year or so to live, and the worst part is, they generally had no idea they were sick prior to learning they have cancer. Continue reading

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Mesothelioma lawsuits are generally filed under a theory of negligence. The claim is that the company knew or had reason to know that their product could cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, or respiratory illness, and they failed to warn the millions of workers who dealt with the deadly substance on a routine basis.   Failure to adequately warn of a known danger is a specific claim filed in many lawsuits in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

asbestosdangerThe reason asbestos is so deadly is because, once inhaled, the fibers can become trapped in a layer of tissue known as the mesothelium. Once in the mesothelium, they can metastasize into a deadly form of cancer known as malignant mesothelioma. This process usually takes between 20 and 50 years, so many companies were willing to trade present profits for future risk of mesothelioma lawsuits. Continue reading

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When a victim first learns he or she has a malignant mesothelioma, there is often very little time to reflect on the diagnosis. The patient is normally told he or she have very little time left to live – in many cases, this means a matter of months or less than a year.

shotThe mesothelioma patient can elect to have treatment, but this is a hard decision. Most treatment options are able to extend a patient’s life for anywhere from a matter of months to even a year or two, but this extension comes at a big cost – not only in terms of dollars (which happens to be quite expensive), but also in terms of pain and suffering. If a mesothelioma victim elects not to undergo treatment, he or she will essentially be given painkillers and breathing aids and placed in a hospice type status for the duration of his or her life. Continue reading

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According to a recent article from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (one of the nation’s leading cancer hospitals), new collaborative research suggests that there may be beneficial treatment for mesothelioma if the BAP1 gene is targeted.

mWd8Wf2Mesothelioma is technically not what we typically refer to as lung cancer. It is an entirely different type of cancer caused by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers, which become embedded in a layer of tissue surrounding internal organs known as the mesothelium. Mesothelioma can form in the chest cavity, stomach, or other organs, but, since it affects breathing and often develops in the lungs, many people incorrectly believe it is the same as lung cancer. Continue reading

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There has been a lot of media attention lately and strong public reaction about a report released concerning bacon, which should be expected from both camps on the validity and importance of this recent report by the Worth Health Organization (WHO), according to a recent article by Reuters.

bacon-1-1323904The report conducted by the World Heath Organization and its Internal Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) stated there was a causal link between eating red meat and developing prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. The agency also found that eating processed meats such as what is found in many sandwich meats, bacon, and other processed foods, increases one’s risk of colorectal cancer, if the patient eats these processed meats every day. Continue reading

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When firefighters arrive at a burning building, truck crews will typically go to work fighting their way inside to look for victims, while ladder companies and engine companies set up and start fighting the fire itself. Every aspect of working as a firefighter and responding to a blaze is very dangerous.   There is always the risk firefighters will be badly burned, trapped under a building as it falls apart around them, or suffer severe injury from breathing thick smoke.

mgySaLaTo prevent smoke inhalation injuries, firefighters will often wear a self-contained breathing apparatus, like a scuba driver wears, but this equipment is designed to work in fire instead of underwater.   Air packs firefighters wear are often called Scott Packs after the company that makes them. This is the same company that makes respirators and ventilators for use in asbestos abatement projects, but the two products are not interchangeable. In other words, a firefighter air pack is not extremely effective at keeping a firefighter safe from asbestos inhalation in a fire, and an asbestos abatement pack wouldn’t be much help in fire. Continue reading

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As many know too well, there is not much doctors can do for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. This is not say there aren’t a multitude of FDA-approved treatment options, because there are, but even in the best case scenarios, patients undergo invasive and painful procedures and may only be given an extra few months to live.

syringe-1238929-mThere is, however, hope that, one day, there will be real treatment options for mesothelioma patients that can actually arrest the growth of tumors or even force them into remission. One drug that people thought might help doctors and patients achieve these goals was known as VS-6063, being developed by Verestem Inc. pharmaceuticals based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company had recruited patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma in 2011, and, by 2012, the company had announced it was closing enrollment in the study because it had enough patients with the deadly disease to complete the study. Continue reading

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