The Maune Raichle Law Firm

Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the mesothelium which has been conclusively linked to asbestos exposure. The mesothelium is the lining which surrounds organs and makes up the thoracic, peritoneal, and pericardium cavities and facilitates the movement of the internal organs by secreting a lubricating fluid. The mesothelium is rarely prone to cancer but exposure to asbestos drastically increases the possibility of developing mesothelioma and asbestos exposure is responsible for over 90 percent of all cases of mesothelioma.

The vast majority of those diagnosed with mesothelioma are men between the ages of 50 and 70 who worked within industries which used asbestos prior to its ban in the mid 1970's. The HVAC, automotive, and building trades used asbestos in fire proofing and insulating until the use of asbestos in most forms was banned in the US during the mid 70's. Concerns about the health risks of working with asbestos began to grow within the medical community long before asbestos became a banned substance, but most individuals working with asbestos were never made aware of any of the illnesses which had been linked to asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma is most commonly a cancer which affects the thoracic, also known as pleural, mesothelium. About 70 percent of all cases of mesothelioma occur in the pleural mesothelium and often result in shortness of breath, painful breathing, labored breathing, and low dissolved oxygen resulting in clubbed fingers. Since the symptoms of mesothelioma are nonspecific and resemble those of many more common illnesses, mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed as another similar lung cancer or symptoms are dismissed altogether as simple aging. An X-ray, CAT scan, or MRI is necessary to diagnose the cause of symptoms as mesothelioma and a biopsy is usually used to confirm the cancer as mesothelioma.