Misdiagnosis Often Leads To Non Treatment Of Serious Diseases - Law

There is a rather unusual disease called mesothelioma which creeps up on the victim and does not manifest itself until it is much too late to do much about it. In fact, this is a disease caused by breathing in asbestos dust which used to be used in buildings and even schools. Anyone who is affected by this terrible disease can claim compensation, but to do this they must certainly contact a mesothelioma law firm which is well versed in fighting these cases.

As with a range of other diseases, the symptoms of this disease can manifest themselves in many different ways. This, of course, is what makes it so hard to spot. The disease only shows itself in people within the age range of twenty to fifty by which time it has taken hold of the body completely.

The disease can affect the sac surrounding the heart, the sac containing the lungs and the lining of the abdomen. It also presents a range of symptoms which mimics other illnesses which is why it is so difficult to diagnose. This could even be affected by the sex of the person affected as well as their age, their overall health and what symptoms they claim are the worst for them.

People who are suffering from flu like symptoms, pneumonia and heart problems may indeed have this disease but this is not always a definitive answer. To work out if the disease is this particular one, it will certainly need a qualified doctor who has much experience in this field to pinpoint if the patient has ever been exposed to asbestos or not. Some people may in fact have forgotten that they were exposed to this substance particularly if it occurred forty years ago. However, the doctor who has seen this disease before will certainly look for clues to guide him to the right diagnosis.

Although some patients may have to run the gamut of uncomfortable tests before the physicians actually come up with the right diagnosis. However, there are tests coming soon which will enable earlier treatment of the disease without the constant visitations to doctors who have no clue what is going on.

Symptoms to look out for are sometimes linked to other diseases too, but these can include shortness of breath, weight loss, fluid in the lungs, chest or abdomen, loss of appetite and difficulty swallowing amongst others. Of course, most people will go to the doctor if they have shortness of breath or start to cough a little too regularly, and this should be the first pointer to this disease. Tumors will grow in the lung region and around the heart and in the abdomen too with this disease and this is what allows fluid to gather in these areas.

The main point here is never to let doctors brush the patient off with half-hearted attempts at diagnosis. If the symptoms persist, keep going back, and change doctors if necessary, until the right diagnosis is made and treatment can begin.

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Mesothelioma Lawsuits: Types of Mesothelioma - Health

If you or a loved one has contracted mesothelioma you might find this information to be useful. Due to the nature of the delayed symptoms of mesothelioma the outbreak is currently on the rise. More and more people are being diagnosed with this terrible disease and relief is being sought all over the world. Thanks to mesothelioma professionals, such as doctors and lawyers (attorneys), people are obtaining all types of cures; physically and financially. The disease is contracted due to the influence of asbestos. Asbestos was very common in many different aspects of life during the last 100 years. Now more than ever the disease is being diagnosed and the average person just doesnt know enough about what theyre facing.

Mesothelioma specifically means a cancerous a tumor that surrounds the sacs of vital organs (oma being a medical term for cancer). There are a few different types of mesothelioma and they are named in respect to where the tumor originates. The three forms are pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial. Pleural, the most common of the three, is a case in which the malignant tumor originates around the lungs. People suffering from pleural mesothelioma explain feelings of difficulty breathing, chest pains, a shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, weight loss, and chronic cough. Although these are just a few of the common ones, there have been cases that involved all of these symptoms or none of these symptoms until a later stage in the disease.

The second type of mesothelioma, peritoneal, directly affects the stomach. Although its a more rare case, it isnt uncommon. A tumor in this case might even start in the abs. It can cause symptoms such as stomach pains, palpitations, again shortness of breath, and a constant cough. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the rarest of the three types. It affects the heart and because of that is the most dangerous. Although its in a different place, it involves the same symptoms as the other types. As always, the sooner diagnosis occurs the more effective the treatment will be.

Asbestos is a dangerous material that has affected and will continueto affect millions of people. Now more than ever people are beingdiagnosed. Its incredibly important to get the best lawyer and doctor

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Future of Mesothelioma - Health - Diseases and Conditions

Unfortunately, a diagnosis of mesothelioma has never carried much hope for the victim, mainly because the disease can lie dormant for 20 to 40 years, allowing it to progress to an advanced stage. The disease often shows no symptoms until it has progressed to a very dangerous stage. The dormancy of the disease also limits treatment options for sufferers. Nonetheless, because there's been a rise in the disease and more doctors and research scientists are taking notice of this dreadful illness, more research pioneers have jumped on the bandwagon in the search of better treatment and a cure for the disease.

As more and more money begins to be spent on this disease that affects people from all over the world, new treatments are emerging all the time. Research allows doctors and scientists to better understand the design of the disease, and researchers are eager to develop both new forms of common treatments as well as totally new treatment procedures. Good research and proper funding allows the opportunity to find both.

As these drugs or procedures are developed, they are tested in clinical trials by people who have already been diagnosed with the disease. The success or lack of success of the clinical trial will dictate whether or not the drug or procedure will be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once the FDA issues an approval, the new treatment or drug will be available to the general public, not just a selected group of trial patients.

Future of Mesothelioma Treatments

Chemotherapy has always been the treatment of choice for mesothelioma patients, usually as a palliative measure to relieve symptoms and make the patient more comfortable. Advances in chemotherapy are looking hopeful. The most notable new drug is Alimta, which, when combined with another long-used chemo drug called Cisplatin, is the only FDA-approved drug designated for specific use in fighting malignant pleural mesothelioma. Another drug currently on the FDA's fast track list and awaiting approval is Onconase, a drug that has been shown to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells.

Anti-angiogenesis drugs are designed to prevent angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the spreading of tumors, so researchers are searching for ways to halt the process in cancer patients. One anti-angiogenesis drug for mesothelioma treatment is currently being offered (Avastin), and it lowers the levels of a protein that prompts angiogenesis, therefore inhibiting cell growth.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may feel as though you have been issued a death sentence, but that is not the case. The future of mesothelioma treatments is promising.

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Learning About Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma - Health - Cancer

The prognosis in malignant Pleural Mesothelioma is tough to evaluate consistently as there is quite a bit of variation in the time before diagnosis and the rate of malignant Pleural Mesothelioma progression. A number of surgical routines may be implemented in selected patients, offering long-term survival without a cure. In most Pleural Mesothelioma patients, significant factors for prognosis are age, stage, histology and performance status.

For individuals treated with aggressive surgical routines, factors linked with improved long-term survival are negative surgical margins, negative lymph nodes and epithelial histology. A record of asbestos exposure is reported in about 75% of all Mesothelioma cases.

Cellular Classification

Histologically, Mesothelioma tumors are comprised of epithelial and fibrous elements. According to a recent study, the epithelial form causes plenty of confusion with metastatic carcinomas. A needle biopsy of the pleura is not going to be effective in diagnosis. It is tough distinguishing between Mesothelioma and carcinoma on small tissue specimens. However, a thoracoscopy can be quite useful in getting the correct tissue specimens for diagnostic purposes. Gross tumor examination at the time of surgery can also be useful and the use of electron microscopy is recommended.

Stage Information

Individuals with stage I of the disease have a much better prognosis in comparison to those with stages II or III. Because malignant Pleural Mesothelioma is quite rare, there is not much information available on survival. The staging system is set on the basis of thoracic surgery and the TNM staging system.

It is advisable that you go for a standard treatment rather than aggressive ones. There are a number of side effects associated with aggressive treatment routine. An extra-pleural pneumonectomy in some of the patients may prove effective in the long run. According to recent research, decortication and pleurectomy can give you relief from symptomatic effusions and pain occurring because of tumor burden. The use of radiation therapy and chemotherapy after surgery also gives temporary relief.

Recurrent malignant Mesothelioma treatment normally uses routines and agents that are not used initially. There is no standard treatment available at present that can control the symptoms of malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Pleural Mesothelioma - Health - Cancer

Pleural mesothelioma is a type of asbestosis that presents in the cells that makes up the lining of your lungs. This lining is called the pleura. In the United States this disease is caused only by exposure to asbestos. If you worked with asbestos, or asbestos products such as chysotile, crocidolit, or amosite you are at risk of developing pleural mesothelioma. If you now have been diagnosed with the disease, you were probably exposed to asbestos about twenty years prior to diagnosis.

Fortunately, some people are diagnosed early with pleural mesothelioma before having any symptoms because tumors were visible on a routine chest X-ray. There is a cancerous and a non-cancerous form of pleural mesothelioma. Of course, the best kind to have, if you have to have it is the non-cancerous kind. This is called benign mesothelioma and it is not usually life-threatening and is not usually caused by exposure to asbestos. This form of mesothelioma can be removed surgically. However, the cancerous kind is called malignant mesothelioma, which involves the entire pleural lining, and it is found in approximately 2.000 people in the United States each year.

The signs and symptoms of this disorder do not show up for years after exposure, but when they do, your symptoms might be complaints of lower back pain, shortness of breath, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, a persistent cough, chest pain, and difficulty in swallowing. You could have one, or any of these symptoms or even all of them.

If your doctor suspects mesothelioma he/she will set about to confirm the diagnosis. Chest X-rays may have already been done, so there may also be a CT scan done just to verify the X-ray. Then the doctor will do a brochoscopy, which is the insertion of a tube that is equipped with a camera and surgical equipment. The doctor can then visualize the tumors from the inside of the lungs and snip off pieces of the tumors and lesions so they may be studied by the pathologist.

If you have a history of working with asbestos and asbestos products and you come to your doctor with symptoms, your doctor can suspect you have mesothelioma during the routine examination-It is common to have pleural effusion, which is a build up of fluid within the lungs. The lungs become edematous (swell) and this movement of fluid can be heard by the doctor who is listening to you breathe under the stethoscope. Some patients can have such serious effusion that they can be heard without a stethoscope and they almost sound like they are bubbling on the inside-however a final diagnosis cannot be made until a biopsy is obtained. The pathologist has to prepare the samples with a special stain to be visualized under a microscope. The pathologist will be able to tell which kind of mesothelioma it is (cancerous or not) and he will be able to stage it if it is cancerous.

When symptoms develop much of the pleura may be involved with tumors. As the tumors grow they crowd against the lung tissue. The tumors cause thickening of the pleura so there is little elasticity in the pleural cavity. The lungs become pressured and they cannot expand. The person with this disease becomes very short of breath. The tumors can also grow outward and invade the chest wall and ribs. This is a very painful disease at this point. The patient's lung function drops drastically over time and the patient slowly suffocates.

Not much is known about how the asbestos changes the cells in the pleural cavity. It isn't known if just one fiber of asbestos causes a tumor or if long time exposure to asbestos causes the cells to change into tumors. There are now laws in place to protect people who have contact with asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral that is part of our environment. People who tear down old houses may come into contact with asbestos fibers because asbestos was once used in roofing and flooring materials. If you have a job that puts you in contact with asbestos it is imperative that you wear protective clothing and a mask.

Asbestos fibers are shaped similarly to a fish hook. The fibers are barbed and once the fibers pierce a part of your anatomy the fiber is there and will not come out. Mesothelioma can present in most any part of your body. Wherever asbestos causes irritation can be an area that the disease presents. If you swallow asbestos it can get into your stomach, you breathe it and it gets into your lungs. If you are not wearing protective clothing, asbestos can get into your skin folds. Males can get asbestos in their testicles. It is important to heed safety regulations when working with asbestos.

The non-malignant type of mesothelioma of the pleural tissue can be removed with surgery, but the malignant type may be treated with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. There is no cure for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Some people have a 5 or a 10 year survival rate, but sadly, some die after a few months of diagnosis. The average survival time for a person after diagnosis with no surgical intervention is one year. Some patients benefit from a surgical procedure called debulking, which is a removal much of the bulkiness of the tumors. This makes more room within the pleural cavity, which in turn gives the lungs more space, and it relieves a great deal of pain the patient may have been experiencing due to the pressure exerted onto the lungs and the rib cage.

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

Cause of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma - Health

Pleural Mesothelioma is rare. That is what the people in charge would have you think. If Pleural Mesothelioma is so rare, how do you think, more than 2000 to 3000 new patients are diagnosed every year?

The fact is Pleural Mesothelioma used to be a rare form of cancer which made a symptomatic appearance 30-50 years after exposure to Asbestos. You see the only way to contract Pleural Mesothelioma is by being exposed to Asbestos. Before 1980 there were no laws protecting the workers from Asbestos exposure in the workplace, however, once it was seen that people working in an environment of Asbestos exposure were being diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma 30-50 years after their exposure, laws began to change.

Just imagine you work for 30 years in an industry and when you near retirement age you or your loved one contracts Pleural Mesothelioma.

What is Pleural MesotheliomaPleural Mesothelioma cancer is a malignant form of cancer found in the sac lining of the abdominal cavity or around the lining of the heart. It's a fast and deadly cancer as once the symptoms develop it divides at a swift rate and complications are created within a year. The survival rate is nil and the life expectancy once the pleural Mesothelioma cancer develops is hardly two to three years, if you are lucky.

Asbestos Exposure and Pleural Mesothelioma80% of all Mesothelioma cases are for workers in the asbestos industry. The disease is more common in men between the ages 50 and 70 and is contracted through the occupational hazard.

Most laws emerged but as yet, fail to give complete protection to the workers in the Asbestos industry. People working in shipyards, mines, insulation factories etc are still as viable to get pleural Mesothelioma as they were decades ago. Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma causes death. The fault lies with your employer.

Mesothelioma Resource Online, presents information that will help you understand the disease; its causes, effects and how you can best cope with it. If you need further assistance or have some questions on what you have seen so far, please feel free to contact us for more information.

Action You May TakeMoney is not everything. But if you or your loved one have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma as a result of Asbestos exposure, consider legal action as you may be entitled to MONETARY COMPENSATION.

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

As pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma - Health - Cancer

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma and has been studied to a far greater degree than any of the other forms of the disease. However, it is difficult to diagnose pleural mesothelioma in its early stages because its symptoms often mimic the symptoms of other common illnesses, such as the flu, pneumonia or laryngitis. Benign pleural one is often checked at the age of 50-60 years old, Malignant mesothelioma usually occurs in the right chest. Malignant pleural mesothelioma(MPM), originated from pleural mesothelium cell, is an fatal tumor with natual history of only about several months, has showed an increased morbidity recently.Mesothelioma has three types, and these are pleural mesothelioma (affecting the linings of the lung), peritoneal mesothelioma (stomach or abdominal cavity) and pericardial mesothelioma (heart lining). Its most common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pains, massive and unexplained weight loss, a persistent cough and d ifficulty swallowing food.

Global figures of cancer patients are rising at an alarming rate and medical experts worldwide are now rushing to discover ways to treat the sickness. A study conducted in 2008 showed that there were approximately 174,300 mesothelioma cases from 56 countries that "use asbestos at substantial levels but report no cases of the disease." Among 33 countries surveyed that did not report any mesothelioma cases, the researchers estimated a total of 38,900 deaths.

As pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma, It is often considered or spoken of as a form of lung cancer, but this is incorrect. Most patients do not have obvious symptoms. It was found when taken X-ray examination. About 50% pleura changes the cancer patient having malignant chest water that the pleura thins out the most common symptom of skin tumour is to breathe hard. Cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, poor lung is an early symptom of pleural mesothelioma, 25% of clinical cases with fever, 25% of clinical cases with fever without infection to testify. Benign fibrous pleural mesothelioma is often accompanied by two new class of biological syndrome, Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy and hypoglycemia. 20% of patients may have hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy, digital clubbing, joint pain, stiffness and ankle edema. Most patients with hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy, The tumor diameter> 7cm. Syndrome have been alleviated a fter surgery. 4% of benign mesothelioma have low blood sugar syndrome. it may be caused by the reasons cancer deplete lucose. Less common symptoms are Hemoptysis, chills, night sweats and weight loss, a small number of patients have pleural effusion. Using image study CT inspection is difficult to confirm the Benign pleural mesothelioma.

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software