Mesothelioma is a tumor that forms in the lining of your lungs, heart, stomach and other organs. Exposure to asbestos causes malignant mesothelioma (cancer). Malignant mesothelioma can go undetected for years making it harder to treat in advanced stages.
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that most often occurs in the thin membrane lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen, and (rarely) heart. Virtually all cases of mesothelioma are linked with asbestos exposure. Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma in humans. Smoking does not cause mesothelioma.
An almost always fatal cancer, most mesothelioma victims diagnosed with the disease are given eight to twelve months to live. Even with early detection and the best treatment, the average five-year survival rate is only about 20 percent.
People who have worked with or around asbestos and asbestos-containing products, have an increased risk of mesothelioma. Even people who live with asbestos workers, near asbestos mining areas, near asbestos product factories or near shipyards where use of asbestos has produced large quantities of airborne asbestos fibers are susceptible to contracting the disease. Although mesothelioma is more common in men, increasing with age, it can appear in both men and women at any age.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma. There are, however, a variety of experimental treatment options with new clinical trials being introduced on a regular basis by doctors and researchers trying to find a cure for mesothelioma. The treatment used is dependant upon a variety of factors, including the extent of the disease, the age and medical history of the patient, and the location and type of the mesothelioma, but some common treatments include:
- Surgery: where the tissue in the affected area is cut out. This may involve removing part of the organ depending on the size of the affected area;
- Radiation treatment: involving the use of radiation treatment to kill off the cancerous cells in the affected area; and
- Chemotherapy: using potent drugs in the body to kill off the cancerous cells.
Click on the below link to find out more about malignant mesothelioma:
If you have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos, contact Chicago Mesothelioma Lawyer Phil Berenz at https://www.counseloroffices.net/contact-us/ OR call 312-375-6524.
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Berenz Law Network
Chicago injury attorney Phil Berenz has secured substantial settlements and verdicts for clients in personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. He has also successfully defended businesses and individuals against lawsuits, winning judgments that far exceeded the amounts plaintiffs originally sought.
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