Mesothelioma: Asbestos Related Cancer

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos. After seeing ads on TV asking for anyone suffering from this disease to contact them, I became concerned enough to do some research on mesothelioma. My husband had died from a rare form of lung cancer in late 2006, and had long term exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos was used extensively in building products because it was so durable and strong. It was widely used in flooring, roofing and cement products until 1989 when asbestos was banned. The
EPA site has some very very good information on asbestos and how it can be detected and removed.

Mesothelioma can take up to 50 years to begin showing symptoms, which can include:

• Difficulty in swallowing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Weight loss
• Abdominal pain

Nearly 70 %-80% of all patients who have mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos. While this is still considered a rare form of cancer, it is statistically significant because many baby boomers are just now beginning to show clinical signs of having this disease. In the last 20 years, new cases have increased to around 2,000 per year.

The treatments for mesotheliomic cancers consists of radiation, either external or internal, chemotherapy and clinical trials. These clinical trials indicate just how serious this form of cancer is. Millions are being devoted to treating mesothelioma because it does not respond well to standardized treatments.

One other area of concern is second hand exposure. And this is where the ads concerning litigation come into play. Many family members come down with cancer, and research indicates the strong possibility of secondary exposure to asbestos. When a worker would come home, often their clothing, skin and hair would contain asbestos fibers, which could then transfer onto others. This means many familial cancers might be in fact, second hand asbestos exposure cases.

If you know someone who might be suffering from mesothelioma or has been diagnosed, be sure to give them this link to
NCI spage on clinical ongoing trials.