Mesothelioma Laws

Mesothelioma Laws are generally divided into two separate sides, the preventive laws and the compensation laws. Preventive laws as the name indicates relates to the employee exposure to asbestos while compensation laws related to dealing with patients who have already been diagnosed with Mesothelioma and how compensation for their illness. Even now new laws are being passed through congress regarding the compensation of asbestos victims. Provisions have been made for medical expenses, pain suffering, possible loss of future income and now even descendents compensation as well.

With over 1.3 million people in the US still exposed to asbestos in their work environment each year, the laws regulating the use of asbestos and also compensation for those made ill by its effects are getting tighter by the day. Employees in the building, construction, railroad, factory, automotive, and shipyard industry employees are all potential victims of asbestos related illness and are the people protected by mesothelioma and asbestos laws. Of all the workers mentioned earlier, construction workers have the highest risk of exposure to asbestos and thus are most protected in the eyes of the law.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created a special council for the development and administration of mesothelioma and asbestos laws outlining the levels of asbestos control that is required of employers. The Mesothelioma law states that an employee cannot be exposed to levels of asbestos that exceed 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter (f/cc) during an eight hour work day or one f/cc in any given thirty minute period. This is regarded as the “safe” level of exposure where anything above that would be considered dangerous and may cause Mesothelioma in the future.

In addition to the asbestos level exposure guideline, there are also many other guidelines which must be followed. These relate to exposure monitoring, regulated asbestos work areas, respiratory protection, clothing protection, hygiene facilities, and proper training for people who work with asbestos.

Another area of Mesothelioma law related to personal injury laws. The law states that if any victim is found to have developed Mesothelioma from a proven previous exposure to asbestos then the said victim can seek damages from the other party’s negligence. Victims have the legal right to recover damages for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, and loss of income from the manufacturers of asbestos containing products

Conditions Causing Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma

The first condition that causes both Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma is called Asbestosis or Pulmonary Fibrosis also known as Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonitis. It is a non-cancerous condition where a person is exposed to higher than safe levels of asbestos. The disease develops when microscopic asbestos become lodged in the lung causing severe irritation, inflammation and the development of scar tissue in the lung. The scarring affect of the asbestos stiffens the lungs and as a result will inhibit airflow, cause shortness of breath and also is normally associated with a serious cough.

The problem with any asbestos based condition is that it takes an extremely long for the condition to manifest. Often 20-30 years go buy after the initial exposure before the Mesothelioma or Lung cancer presents. If you have been diagnosed with asbestosis, you may be at increased risk for other respiratory problems and are advised to avoid further asbestos exposure and to stop smoking.

Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer

There is a large difference between the development of Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer. Many people assume that asbestos relates to the development of both cancers however it is not true. It has been scientifically proven that asbestos exposure does not directly lead to the development of lung cancer. However, smoking and asbestos exposure together will greatly increase the likelihood of developing fatal Mesothelioma. This is because the lungs have already been damaged by the smoking and thus are much more susceptible to the asbestos damage.

Many manufacturers and construction people knew of the dangers of asbestos early on but despite the warnings many companies downplayed the risks of asbestos exposure. This in part was because asbestos was very effective as a heat retarding substance and is cheap to manufacture. They continued using and manufacturing asbestos products failing to provide necessary protection.

When the 1970s came, many OSHA laws came into place that regulated the exposure level of asbestos to workers. It also limited the use of these products in civilian homes and other public areas however the law came late. Much of the damage had already been done to those that were exposed to the deadly asbestos. Thousands of former workers have since developed serious, life-threatening asbestos exposure-related diseases, including asbestosis, pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and lung cancer

Mesothelioma Research

Most research regarding Mesothelioma is at present targeting the early detection of Mesothelioma. The problem with Mesothelioma along with most other asbestos related diseases is the long time that it takes for the disease to be diagnosed. It is this long period before diagnosis that makes Mesothelioma particularly deadly.

Recent developments in the field of Mesothelioma Research have found a way to detect the presence of Mesothelioma using a simple blood test. The Pacific Northwest Research Institute announced in 2003 that a new method that comprises of a few simple tests was successful in diagnosing and monitoring Mesothelioma in the early stages. Their research indicated that Mesothelioma cells released distinctive molecular markers or signatures into the blood stream which can be identified by some easy test on the blood of the patient.

Recent research has also pointed out that it isn’t only the people who have been directly exposed to asbestos that may suffer from Mesothelioma. Other people who even have secondary exposure (such as a wife cleaning the clothes of a husband) may have just a slightly lower chance of developing Mesothelioma.

Also recently, on 11th February 2007, research was finally concluded for the combined cancer drug pemetrexed and cisplatin for the treatment of Mesothelioma. The research indicated that patients with fatal Mesothelioma that were given a combination of these drugs along with Vitamin B12 survived nearly 3 months longer than those patients which did not have the drug. The combination of the drugs resulted in patients reporting an improvement in their general physical circumstance. The patients reported that they suffered less fatique, more appetite, less pain and less coughing as a result of the combined drugs.

Recent research conducted on older buildings have also shown startling results. As the buildings ages the building material which contain asbestos slowly decay exposing the deadly microscopic fibers to the inhabitants of the building. Of particular risk is when gentrification or renovation work is carried out with the occupants still in the building. The renovation works will disturb the asbestos insulation, pipes and other material thus kicking up the asbestos fibers

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial Mesothelioma affected the tissue and cavoty surrounding the hearts (pericardium).

Sign and symptom
The rarest form of this disease is pericardial mesothelioma, which starts in the cavity surrounding the heart. With pericardial mesothelioma, the tumors grow in the tissues that surround the heart and can spread from there. Pericardial mesothelioma sufferers may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent coughing and palpitations

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal Mesothelioma affected the peritoneum membrane of the abdomen. This tumors/cancers can also be found in the stomach and abdominal organs

Sign and symptom
The symptoms for patients who suffer from peritoneal mesothelioma are slightly different. This type of the disease starts in the abdomen and can spread form there. Patients of peritoneal mesothelioma can display abdominal pain and swelling, nausea, loss of appetite and vomiting. They can also suffer breathing problems, and chest pain in addition to these symptoms. These symptoms result from tumors that lean against the abdominal wall. Bowel obstruction, anemia, fever and problems with blood clotting may also affect peritoneal mesothelioma patients

Pleural Mesothelioma
Also known as Malignant pleural mesothelioma. There are two types of Pleural Mesothelioma: Cancerous and non-cancerous. It affect the pleura, the thin membrane between the lung and the chest cavity.

Sign and symptom
Some of the most common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are shortness of breath and chest pains. This may be accompanied by a persistent cough, and all of these symptoms stem from the build up of fluid between the lining of the lung and the chest cavity. This is known as pleural effusion. This type of the disease starts in the chest cavity and can then spread to other parts of the body. Pleural mesothelioma sufferers may also begin to display severe breathing difficulty, weight loss and fever as well as trouble swallowing and even swelling of the face and neck. Some patients may also develop a rasping voice and start coughing up blood. However, there are other patients that may not show any significant symptoms at all

Mesothelioma cancer is a very rare and dangerous type of diseases that could attack the human bodies in some regions such as pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. The pleura are the lining of lungs, the peritoneum is the lining of internal organs in the abdomen and the pericardium is the sac that contains the heart and the great vessels.

The diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer is very difficult because the presence of two reasons, the first reason is that the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma cancer take a very long time to be observed, it may take at least 35 years to appear.

The second reason is the fact of being the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma is very similar to other common types of diseases that not dangerous at all. In some cases, the patient shows no any symptoms which make it very difficult to discover mesothelioma in the right time. The early discovering of malignant mesothelioma cancer may help in the treatment process.

The options of mesothelioma diagnosis can be by using radiations such as x-rays, the using of CT scans, the using of Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI, and other methods that could be useful in the treatment process.

To know what the most effective method to get your mesothelioma case diagnosed, you must consult your doctor. As I mentioned above, the early discovering of mesothelioma cancer would be very helpful to get mesothelioma treated. So, let your doctor to test the tissue that surrounds the lungs to decide what the best strategy for treatment is