A Missouri Mesothelioma Lawyer Can Get Your Finances Solved...

If you have mesothelioma then a Missouri mesothelioma lawyer may be able to get you the financial help you need. There are more than 20 million people that have suffered from this terrible disease. If you ever worked in the construction, or shipping industry you may have been exposed to asbestos and these fibers are known to cause mesothelioma. A qualified Missouri mesothelioma lawyer can present your situation in a favorable light and get you the compensation you need.Many ex employees may not know what kind of compensation they may qualify for from a mesothelioma lawsuit. Several mesothelioma attorneys will get you the right kind of compensation to pay bills, or use for whatever your needs are.

You might ask, what is mesothelioma? Medical research has show that people that were severely exposed to asbestos nearly always develop this cancer. It is estimated that it affects almost 90% of people that had close exposure to this disease. If you are a mesothelioma victim get the financial compensation you deserve.

Get the financial security you and your family need through a mesothelioma lawsuit, and create awareness of asbestos and the dangers it causes, and help eliminate other mesothelioma victims. Let's not let our children have to ask, what is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is deadly, and when you inhale asbestos you will probably acquire the cancer. When the body breathes this dust into the lungs, it sticks to the lungs and cant be removed. The particles cause cancer cells to grow in the lung lining also known as mesothelia. That is why it is essential you get a good Missouri mesothelioma lawyer, one who knows what your life is worth.

Lots of mesothelioma attorneys can take on your mesothelioma lawsuit, but you need a qualified attorney because there are so many factors to deal with in this type of case. This type of case is not simple, and your attorney will need to present things favorably for you and prove that you are a mesothelioma victim, because many symptoms are similar to other diseases. Be sure you ask the Missouri mesothelioma lawyer you are thinking of choosing about his credentials and other cases he has had, and what awards he has been able to get for them.

If you or a family member has been affected by Mesothelioma or have been exposed to asbestos, you need to know your medical and legal options. Taking care of yourself is the #1 priority when you've been exposed to cancer causing materials. Finding a Missouri mesothelioma lawyer who can represent you and your family is an important choice.

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Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma And Its Treatment .....

Although chemotherapy and surgery are the most common forms of treatment, participating in clinical trials can provide you with alternative mesothelioma treatment options. Increased awareness of mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused diseases has led to an increase on medical research to cure and control asbestos-caused cancers and related asbestos heart and respiratory diseases. Mesothelioma treatment and treatment options for advanced malignant mesothelioma are not limited to surgery and chemotherapy.Advanced malignant mesothelioma clinical studies with Cisplatin, now often used with chemotherapy, proved Cisplatin to be effective. Drugs produce a medical benefit by themselves, and they can produce a different benefit when combined with other drugs – a chemical reaction that produces a third result. Mesothelioma clinical trials with Gemcitabine proved Gemcitabine to be ineffective. Perhaps the most common clinical trials and mesothelioma treatment options for advanced malignant mesothelioma involve chemotherapy and drug combinations. However, mesothelioma clinical trials using Cisplatin and Gemcitabine together are proving to be even more promising. Finding the right drug combinations to slow tumor growth and contribute to improved pain management is one of the fastest paths to wide-spread availability of new mesothelioma treatment options.

Anti-angiogenic therapies focus on natural body substances that affect the mesothelioma cancer’s growth, including the use of drugs made of these substances to inhibit cancer growth factors. Advanced malignant mesothelioma patients have a higher vascular endothelial growth factor than patients with other cancers.Anti-angiogenic therapy are a biological therapy based on interfering with the blood vessels that the cancer needs to survive.

Immunotherapy is also classified as a biological therapy. It concentrates on building immunity to the cancer cells. Immunotherapy can involve vaccines, and in cases of mesothelioma, these are likely to be injected in the pleural region. IL-2 is made naturally by the body, and clinical trials have demonstrated its success at treating mesotheliomas in the early stages, mesothelioma stages one and two, but not effective in treating advanced malignant mesothelioma.

Photodynamic therapy has gained increase attention in many medical fields for various treatment options, including mesothelioma treatment. Photodynamic therapy uses light and heat to kill cancer cells. It has been successful in treating other cancers.

Gene therapy is also a biological therapy and explores using the body’s natural substances to treat mesothelioma stages. The medical premise is to replace the genes in cancer cells with healthy genes. Oncogenes contribute to the fast spreading of the cancer cells and tumor suppressor genes stop cells from spreading.

Mesothelioma treatment for advanced malignant mesothelioma is slowly finding new mesothelioma treatment options. It takes years to evaluate the clinical significance of a clinical trial and medical research to prove that a mesothelioma treatment option is a promising and viable alternative. Thorough medical research on mesothelioma treatment contributes to safe medical treatment options being widely-available to the public. Mesothelioma in any of its stages is dangerous, but with researchers working together, mesothelioma treatment options will be safer and mesothelioma research will someday find a cure.

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Mesothelioma Symptoms and Tests for Mesothelioma.....

Mesothelioma symptoms are progressively slow and take years to surface. Early medical testing to confirm the etymology of mesothelioma symptoms can add years on to your life, and can even offer you salvation from a normally fatal disease. If you’ve been exposed to asbestos and are experiencing mesothelioma symptoms, notify your doctor of any asbestos exposure and monitor your symptoms from their onset. Even short term asbestos exposure can result in non-fatal pleural diseases. Keeping a journal of your mesothelioma symptoms can assist you and your physician in medical diagnosis, and it may contribute to an asbestos claim.The symptoms of mesothelioma will differ based on their origin. Pleural mesothelioma starts in the lung area, peritoneal mesothelioma starts in the abdomen area, and pericardial mesothelioma starts dangerously close to the heart. Benign and malignant mesothelioma have similar symptoms, and similar tests. Weight loss
is a well-documented symptom in the majority of mesothelioma cases. Abdominal pain is a primary symptom of peritoneal mesothelioma. Both pleural mesothelioma symptoms and peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath.

Pleural mesothelioma medical tests look at the pleural lining, lung fluid, inflammatory conditions, tissue, blood counts and cells to help determine what type of pleural activity is going on inside your lungs. The tests will help diagnose whether your mesothelioma symptoms might be due to pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, asbestosis or other asbestos caused diseases that aren’t necessarily as dangerous as pleural mesothelioma, but can be due to their respiratory nature.

A CT scan will identify pleural thickening better than a chest X-ray. MRI and PET scans can then determine whether the pleural disease is diffuse pleural thickening or if it is malignant pleural mesothelioma. Blood tests can also give an indication of the possibility of cancer. Once cancer is the suspected cause of your mesothelioma symptoms, a biopsy will take place. Thoracentesis removes pleural fluid for diagnosis. Thoracoscopy uses a “camera” (endoscope) inserted into the chest for diagnose and a sample of tissue is taken at that time. Pleural mesothelioma starts in the pleural region, but it will progress to attach other major body organs, such as the heart or abdominal area.

Abdominal pain and bowel restrictions are common peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms. If peritoneal mesothelioma is suspected after the traditional CT, MRI and PET scans, a peritoneoscopy or paracentesis is likely. Peritoneoscopy is done in the hospital with a camera-like instrument called a peritoneoscope. Peritoneal mesothelioma has also been incidentally discovered while performing similar procedures involving infertility examinations on women. A fluid sample is obtained in a process called paracentesis. This involves a needle going into your abdomen to get a sample of the fluid.

Pericardial mesothelioma symptoms always involve severe chest pain. This is a cancer invading the sac over the heart. The pericardial mesothelioma patient may even experience heart failure. Blood tests, CT scans, MRIs and PETs are just the beginning of pericardial mesothelioma medical tests. There will be pulmonary tests and potentially dangerous biopsies. Pericardial mesothelioma symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed. The cancer is very rare, and many well-known diseases display the same symptoms as pericardial mesothelioma. It is often during surgery that pericardial mesothelioma is discovered, and then it is usually too late.

Mesothelioma symptoms can be suggestive of many cancers or diseases. Medical testing for mesothelioma symptoms requires a long battery of tests to discover symptom origins. Medical tests for mesothelioma symptoms can expedite mesothelioma treatment. Symptoms take decades to surface. Start recording your mesothelioma symptoms and start your tests early. It’s better to test for mesothelioma symptoms early, before it’s too late.

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Mesothelioma Life Expectancy...

Mesothelioma life expectancy at the time of diagnosis will traditionally be announced at being somewhere between a few months to only a year or two. Statistically speaking, mesothelioma life expectancy is frighteningly short. However, the mesothelioma life expectancy rate is a mere average, mean or median of mesothelioma patients with wildly different independent variables. Many of these mesothelioma patients have lived years past their expected “date of death” estimate.Mesothelioma treatment and mesothelioma treatment options for these patients differed. Physicians for some patients may have been more experienced than physicians for the less fortunate. Not all patients follow through with chemotherapy or cancer treatment plans upon hearing the low mesothelioma life expectancy statistics, and many are not in shape to handle surgery. Others fight to live for just one more day.

Survival stories that can affect mesothelioma life expectancy rates range from the rarer cases of a young woman being “cured” – or having no remittance for decades, to the extremes on the other side, an 80+ year old gentleman with lifetime asbestos exposure, smoking heavily and suffering from numerous pre-existing diseases who dies a month after diagnosis. Others die during surgery. Most mesothelioma patient circumstances are somewhere in between. Many mesothelioma sufferers and their life expectancy statistics go unrecorded. Mesothelioma life expectancy will depend on your individual variables, your medical treatment, and your perseverance and outlook.

Mesothelioma life expectancy diagnosis will always depend on how early or late the disease was discovered. Because mesothelioma has been largely unrecognized in the past, the bulk of mesothelioma life expectancy statistics are mesothelioma patients who were diagnosed late in the disease. A greater awareness of the disease exists in the medical community, and although the majority of physicians do not have experience treating mesothelioma, most are aware of the potential presence of mesothelioma if a patient has been exposed to asbestos, and can refer a potential mesothelioma patient to a specialist.

Early detection and early treatment leads to longer life expectancy. Individuals who have been exposed to asbestos can be pro-active in diagnosing and treating mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused diseases. Patients can monitor their health and mesothelioma symptoms and begin early detection X-ray and CT scan tests. Mesothelioma patients can research mesothelioma treatment options available in clinical trials and discuss these with their physician. A physician can not be aware of every clinical trial that exists, and a mesothelioma patient’s own research could add years on to mesothelioma life expectancy.

Statistics for mesothelioma life expectancy will logically improve rather than become worse. Clinical trials on mesothelioma treatment options are increasing with an urgency to halt the disease. Many clinical trial participants live years past the initial diagnosis due to innovative mesothelioma treatment. Others may have participated in a mesothelioma clinical trial that was not as successful, but their participation has cleared the way to successful mesothelioma treatment for others. Chemotherapy and drug combinations have been proven to lengthen mesothelioma life expectancy. Imaging and radiation technology has made significant advances.

Mesothelioma life expectancy can pass the low mesothelioma life expectancy rates of the past. Nobody in the statistics of mesothelioma has the identical combination of the physical, emotional, and environmental variables that you do. Medicine advances, it does not go backwards. Mesothelioma treatment and mesothelioma treatment options for your early stage or advanced malignant stage mesothelioma will be up to you. There is a strong chance that you can defy mesothelioma life expectancy statistics. Research. Stay alert to new mesothelioma treatment options. And look at yourself, not statistics.

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Peritoneal Mesothelioma.....

There is a lot of depressing information on the internet about peritoneal mesothelioma and the survival associated with this cancer. Reading it you would think that no one has ever survived peritoneal mesothelioma beyond a year or so. This information is far from comprehensive. To help balance some of the negative information that is so prevalent on the Web, we present some case histories of long-term peritoneal mesothelioma survival as published in the peer reviewed medical literature. 9 Years +

In November 1979, a 73 year-old man had abdominal pain and distension and was found to have an abdominal mass. A laparotomy was performed that revealed peritoneal malignancy with ascites. A biopsy demonstrated that the tumor was malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. No special treatment was recommended other than draining of the ascites. In spite of the continuing ascites and the gradually-enlarging abdominal masses, the patient enjoys good health, and lives independently at home. How many more years (in excess of 9) this patient lived with peritoneal mesothelioma is not known.

See: Norman, P.E. and Whitaker, D., Nine-Year Survival in a Case of Untreated Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Med J Aust 1989; 150: 43-44.

15 Years +

A woman was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. She had surgery (“total excision”). Seven years later the peritoneal mesothelioma recurred and she had another surgery (“reexcision”). She remains well 15 years after the initial diagnosis. The patient did not receive chemotherapy.

See: Asensio, J.A., et al., Primary Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A Report of Seven Cases and a Review of the Literature, Arch Surg; Nov 1990, 125, 1477-1480.

17 + Years

In 1962, a 31 year-old woman had abdominal pain for several months and a mass was detected. She underwent exploratory laparotomy which found tumor nodules spread throughout her abdomen. The diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma was made. Complete surgical removal of the tumor was not possible. She was treated with radioactive phosphorus, radiation, and oral chemotherapy (cytoxan). She remained well for 17 years. In 1979 she had recurrent peritoneal mesothelioma. She was treated with cytoxan again and continued to live as of the writing of the published medical report.

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Pleural Mesothelioma.....

There is a lot of depressing information on the internet about pleural mesothelioma and the survival associated with this cancer. Reading it you would think that no one has ever survived pleural mesothelioma beyond a year or so. This information is far from comprehensive and can be misleading. To help balance the negative information that is so prevalent on the Web, we present some case histories of long-term pleural mesothelioma survival as published in the peer reviewed medical literature. These pleural mesothelioma case histories are instructional in two ways: 1) they remind us that, like Paul Kraus, there are long term survivors of this cancer; 2) they allude to the importance that the immune system may play in mesothelioma.12 Years +

In 1994, a 58 year old man complained of chest pain and shortness of breath. He had been exposed to asbestos previously through his work and was eventually diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The patient decided not to have any active treatment at that time and continued with his life. Five years later he had an enlarging painless mass on his chest wall. A needle biopsy confirmed it was malignant. The patient had a left thoracotomy, multiple pleural biopsies, and chest wall resection. Pathology reconfirmed that the mass was malignant pleural mesothelioma. Seven years after the chest wall resection and 12 years after the initial diagnosis, the patient has no symptoms and no evidence of recurrence. No chemotherapy or radiation had been given.

The doctors who wrote up this case history for publication noted that there was “moderate host inflammatory response” and that “spontaneous regression may be an immune-mediated phenomenon.” In other words, the doctors hypothesized that the patient’s own immune system may have played a factor in his survival.

See: Pilling, J.E., et al., Prolonged Survival Due to Spontaneous Regression and Surgical Excision of Malignant Mesothelioma, Ann Thorac Surg, 2007; 83: 314-5.

14 Years

In 1986, a 65 year-old women had pain in her left chest wall. A chest X-ray revealed a small pleural effusion on this side. The patient declined an open biopsy and no diagnosis could be reached. She was treated for tuberculosis because of the high rate of this disease in her area. Her symptoms partially improved. In 1988 she had increasing pain over her chest. A biopsy was performed and malignant infiltration of the pleura was confirmed. She turned down treatment. In 1998, 10 years after the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma she had an enlarging mass over her left chest wall. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma. She had a course of radiation and died in January 2000, 14 years after her initial symptoms.

The doctors who wrote this report counseled their colleagues that long-term survivors can occur with pleural mesothelioma and “one should not hold the belief that it is always the intervention that prolongs survival.” In other words, these doctors suggested that in some cases the intervention (i.e. chemo, radiation, surgery) may not be the factor that prolongs survival in pleural mesothelioma, but other factors may be at work.

See: Wong, C.F., et al., A Case of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma with Unexpectantly Long Survival without Active Treatment, Respiration March/April 2002; 69, 2: 166-168.

7 Years +

In 1970, a 53 year-old man had shortness of breath and a sharp pain on his right side. An X-ray revealed a right side pleural effusion. The patient had worked at a plant adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard from1955-1966 where asbestos had been used. In 1972 a thoracotomy was performed and a pleural biopsy was taken. The patient was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The patient never received any specific treatment for pleural mesothelioma. The report was written up in 1977 and apparently information about the continued life of this patient was not published after. We do not know how many more years or decades he lived.

The doctors noted in their discussion that, “This unusual course may be explained either by the presence of low-grade malignancy or by the unusual host resistance…Our findings are consistent with the concept that normal immunological function may effectively impede dissemination of the disease (malignant pleural mesothelioma).” In other words, these doctors are again alluding to how the immune system may play a role in managing pleural mesothelioma.

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Malignant Mesothelioma.....

Paul Kraus is not the only long-term survivor of malignant mesothelioma. There are others. We have heard about them and spoken to some over the years. What is fascinating is that many of these malignant mesothelioma survivors have something in common - they have all taken steps to improve or enhance their immune system. Some used alternative or complimentary therapies (with guidance from licensed clinicians) while others participated in clinical trials of immune therapy.This raises the question - does the immune system play a role in controlling malignant mesothelioma? Paul Kraus' experience and those of other long-term malignant mesothelioma survivors suggests that such a role may be possible. In other sections of this website we present case histories of malignant mesothelioma survivors who were diagnosed with either pleural mesothelioma or peritoneal mesothelioma. In some of the pleural mesothelioma case histories, doctors discuss the role that the patient's immune system may have played in their extremely long survival.

In 1986, an article appeared in a medical journal that discussed this very issue of malignant mesothelioma and immunity.(1) This research focused on the immune responses of 118 healthy people compared to 20 patients with malignant mesothelioma and 375 long-term asbestos workers who were cancer-free. The researchers wanted to know if there were any measurable differences in the immune responses of the mesothelioma patients. Their findings demonstrated a relationship between the immune system and malignant mesothelioma. For example:

· The number of total T (T11+) and T-helper (T4+) cells were normal in asbestos workers with cancer, but were significantly reduced in patients with mesothelioma. T cells orchestrate, regulate and coordinate the overall immune response.

· Most patients with mesothelioma had a profound deficiency in Natural Killer cell (NK) activity which is suggestive of the role the immune system plays in the control of malignant mesothelioma. NK cells are a type of lethal lymphocyte that target tumor cells and protect against a wide variety of infectious microbes.

In the discussion section of the report, the researchers stated:

“These findings led us to speculate that biological phenomena generally categorized as chronic immunosuppression associated with the presence of asbestos fibers in the exposed workers may have caused the eventual breakdown of the host’s surveillance system and the onset of neoplasm [malignant mesothelioma].”

In other words, the researchers are suggesting that malignant mesothelioma may result from immune suppression. If this is true it would provide the biological basis for the role that the immune system and immune boosting approaches may play in the management of malignant mesothelioma.

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Mesothelioma Basics.....

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. What's the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer suddenly surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart.

What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They could invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma initiate in the pleura or peritoneum.

How common is mesothelioma? Over 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States every year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. See statistics for more details.

What are the risk factors for mesothelioma? Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in the most of cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in a little of each people without any known exposure to asbestos. Click there to learn more about asbestos

Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma? Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. An increased risk of developing mesothelioma was originally found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other trades people. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.

There is evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk might be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought house on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers.

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma? Symptoms of mesothelioma might not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, hurt swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. Doctor looking at x-rays

How is mesothelioma diagnosed? Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, due to the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, such as any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung operate tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful.

A biopsy confirms a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. (See Pathology Diagnosis to learn why some patients request a second opinion.)

Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

What is the conventional approach to treating mesothelioma? Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined. Standard treatment for completely but localized mesothelioma is generally not curative. 1 (See survival rates for median survival rates with different treatments.)

Surgery - Extrapleural pneumonectomy in selected patients with early stage disease may improve recurrence-free survival, but its impact on overall survival is unknown. Pleurectomy and decortication can give palliative relief from symptomatic effusions, discomfort caused by tumor burden, and pain caused by invasive tumor. Operative mortality from pleurectomy/decortication is <2%, while mortality from extrapleural pneumonectomy has ranged from 6% to 30%. 2

Radiation/Chemotherapy - The use of radiation therapy in pleural mesothelioma has been shown to alleviate pain in the majority of patients treated; however, the duration of symptom control is short-lived. Single-agent and combination chemotherapy have been evaluated in single and combined modality studies. The most studied agent is doxorubicin, which has produced partial responses in approximately 15% to 20% of patients studied. Some combination chemotherapy regimens have been reported to have higher response rates in small phase II trials; however, the toxic effects reported are also higher, and there is no evidence that combination regimens result in longer survival or longer control of symptoms. 3

Alimta - The only FDA approved chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (in combination with cisplatin) is pemetrexed (Alimta). In the key clinical trial that led to its approval, Alimta was combined with another chemotherapy drug (cisplatin) and compared with cisplatin alone. The patients who received the two drugs (Alimta and cisplatin) had their cancers progress (grow/spread) in 5.7 months (median). The patients who only received cisplatin had their tumors progress in 3.9 months (median). The median survival for the patients who received both drugs was 12.1 months versus 9.3 months for cisplatin only. 4

For some physicians, these therapeutic gains are not impressive. For example, some have written, "For the treatment of mesothelioma, there is little evidence that current therapies (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) provide significant profit for survival or quality of life.[R]adical treatments, occupying the 3 months after diagnosis, can take up the best 3 months that the patient might have had.Malignant mesothelioma has largely defeated treatment..."5

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Mesothelioma Lawyers - Important Information for Patients...

By Michael Horwin, MA, JD*

Deciding to pursue legal recourse and selecting an attorney to represent you in a mesothelioma or asbestos lawsuit are important decisions that should be made carefully. I have seen some families receive $500,000 and others be awarded nearly $30 million. I have seen some lawyers reject a case only to have another firm accept it and make a big success of it. And I have seen some families wait nearly three years to receive their first check while others received large checks within three months of filing a claim. The main reasons for these differences are the facts of the patient's situation and the law firm chosen.The Facts of Your Situation

Some mesothelioma patients cognize they worked around asbestos, but many do not know how they were exposed or how often. In fact, many individuals are not sure if they were ever near this carcinogen. Unfortunately, there have been thousands of products that contained asbestos - cigarette filters, hair dryers, brakes, basement and roof materials, pipes, boilers, insulation, and many other products found throughout the house and at work. If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma it is more than likely that you were exposed to asbestos multiple times in your life and that this happened decades before your diagnosis.

In general, the value of your case depends on how many asbestos containing products you were exposed to, the number of identifiable defendants that still exist (many have declared bankruptcy), your age and earning capacity. And the speed of your case able to depend on a number of variables including the state where you worked and lived when you were exposed to asbestos.

The Law Firm You Choose

When you have been given the news about this terrible disease, you might not feel that you have the time to deal with the legal questions - Should I talk to a lawyer? Should I file a claim? However, you should not wait too long to learn about your legal rights for at least three reasons:

1. Statutes of Limitations - There are statute of limitations which means you exclusively have a limited time to file your case after diagnosis. The statute of limitations time period is set by individual states and varies. The clock usually starts ticking on the day of diagnosis.

2. Financial Pressure - A mesothelioma diagnosis can bring financial stress, less income, more expenses, and treatments that are not covered by insurance. Knowing that money may be on the way from filing a claim can bring financial relief.

3. Lawyers Can be Excellent Resources - The more experienced mesothelioma lawyers and law firms can often be excellent sources of information about various physicians and treatment options accessible for this disease.

But, picking a lawyer is severe business and you should not use TV ads as the reason to hire an attorney. Actual credentials are what counts. For example, what type of accomplishments has the law firm achieved? How committed are they to mesothelioma/asbestos cases? Are these cases a substantial part of their practice or just a small piece? How many other cases like yours have they handled?

Also, make sure you understand the fees being charges. Contingency is the term that means that the lawyer gets paid only after they collect money for you. The amount of the contingency fee that your lawyer can charge varies and is usually between 33% and 40%. It is essential to discuss fees openly, consult what services they cover, how they are calculated, and whether there'll be any extra charges.

Finally, for something as important as a mesothelioma lawsuit, your attorney should not only be experienced,

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Could Those Be Mesothelioma Symptoms?.....

Whether a health problem could be part of a cluster of mesothelioma symptoms largely depends on the problem, and a little of different factors as well. The individuals who have symptoms have generally been exposed to asbestos, as it is virtually the only known cause of the illness in human beings. Unfortunately, mesothelioma symptoms are similar to the symptoms, which are caused by other diseases and conditions.Because of that, the symptoms that are present in many people are actually not caused by mesothelioma. Since mesothelioma is a relatively rare disease, most physicians assume that a person presenting with symptoms actually has another medical problem. Many heart problems and other issues, with some psychological and emotional problems, have mesothelioma symptoms such as shortness of breath, excessive tiredness, and chest pain.

It is often only after numerous other conditions are ruled out that a doctor'll do tests for mesothelioma. However, if a person is experiencing symptoms and he or she has had past exposure to asbestos, that should be pointed out to the doctor, possibly causing faster testing for the disease and a better outcome for the patient.

For people with symptoms, a diagnosis is very important. It able to literally be the difference between life and death for people who have more advanced forms of the disease. For these individuals, prompt treatment is the key to saving them. For individuals who cannot be helped by modern medicine, the interest often turns to alleviating their mesothelioma symptoms. However, there are many options, which could be addressed first.

Usually, radiation or chemotherapy are the choices for people with mesothelioma symptoms. Sometimes, surgery is also one of the options for these people. It is generally left up to the doctor and the discussion with his or her patient as to whether the symptoms that a person has, and the progression of the disease could be halted or adjusted by one of these conventional options.

For individuals who are sick, the idea of being able to provide for their families is one that is usually very important to them. A mesothelioma lawyer taking a case is one of the ways that this can occur. Many individuals with mesothelioma symptoms survive for some time after their diagnosis. Unfortunately, not completely of them get this option. The money that they must have in order to pay their medical bills is needed, regardless of how long they live. Those who have mesothelioma are often very concerned about whether their family's needs will be met.

Some of their stress goes away when they are able to get enough of a financial settlement to know that money is no longer a worry. Being able to hire a great mesothelioma lawyer makes this possibility much greater. Of course, there is no way to make a guarantee. It is necessary to be aware, however, that a mesothelioma lawyer cannot always get a big financial settlement for everyone stricken with the disease.

Some people with mesothelioma symptoms also go to see out alternative healers in the hope that some of the less traditional types of medicine might help them improve. Whether this is a good choice for people is certainly debatable, and there are schools of thought on either end of the spectrum, including some people who feel that these non-traditional therapies mixed with modern medicine work the best for someone with mesothelioma symptoms.

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Mesothelioma symptom relief is the central focus of care for the mesothelioma patient deemed incurable.

Mesothelioma symptom relief is the central focus of care for the mesothelioma patient deemed incurable. Pain management will vary with every patient. The mesothelioma patient's pre-existing conditions as well as exacerbating conditions are factors in determining the best mesothelioma symptom relief and palliative care plan available. However, here are similarities in mesothelioma treatment and symptomatic relief for pleural mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma.Almost every cancer patient, mesothelioma cancer patients included, experiences hurt difficulty breathing during the last stages of cancer. Medical studies have indicated that as numerous as 70% of terminal cancer patients experience painful difficulty breathing. With diseases such as pleural mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma and lung cancer, painful breathing and shortness of breath occurs during all of the cancer stages, not just the terminal stages.

Difficulty breathing is frightening for the mesothelioma patient, the caregiver and family members. The fear of imminent death and helplessness suddenly becomes unexpectedly more real. Mesothelioma symptom relief for breathing difficulties should include emotional care as well as physical symptom relief. Relaxation techniques should be taught, and it should be stressed that there needs to be adaptations to daily activities to reduce breathing difficulty. Lifestyle changes will be in order to control mesothelioma breathing difficulties, and the most stubborn mesothelioma patients need to be convinced that this is the best mesothelioma treatment for them. Defining a early lifestyle as a "well deserved vacation" could help instigate a transition.

Mesothelioma symptom relief for physical pain from breathing difficulties can be provided by learning, advising and providing for the patient the best position of their body for proper air flow. A fresh stream of air from a window or a fan can provide mesothelioma symptom relief during breathing difficulty. Teaching the patient hyperventilation techniques can be useful for the patient's self-monitoring of their mesothelioma treatment. A mesothelioma patient with hurt breathing needs to learn how to purse their lips at the first sign of breathing trouble, stay calm, relax their shoulders, back, neck and arms, then "flop" themselves into relaxation. Until this technique is mastered, learning how to breathe out slowly is an essential step in breathing management.

Mesothelioma patients must realize that anxiety breeds anxiety. If a patient is afraid that they are going to die at the moment they are experiencing breathing difficulty, their body will respond by producing more anxiety, and more breathlessness. This is an emotional and physical response, not merely emotional.

Oxygen is sometimes prescribed for mesothelioma symptom relief; however physicians report that some patients become unnecessarily dependent on oxygen. For different patients, oxygen is their lifeline of mesothelioma treatment. Oxygen treatment also requires a review of whether intermittent or continuous therapy provides the best relief for their mesothelioma symptoms. Mesothelioma treatment with oxygen therapy will also consider whether to use oxygen tanks or an oxygen concentrator.

There are also medications for mesothelioma symptom relief of breathlessness. Anxiolytic drugs Lorazepam, Diazepam, Midazolam, and Methotrimeprazine can be prescribed for mesothelioma treatment of breathlessness. Benzodiazepines are anxiolytic drugs that have a sedative effect and use muscle relaxation as pain treatment of breathlessness.

Mesothelioma symptom relief for breathing requires educating the patient, the caregiver and the family in palliative care. Mesothelioma treatment for pain also requires monitoring and adapting mesothelioma pain treatment plans to meet the patient's medical needs, as well as their emotional needs. Listening to the patient's perception of pain is crucial to determining the appropriate pain management treatment for mesothelioma symptoms. The patient feels the pain. With mesothelioma symptom relief and palliative care from knowledgeable and loving caregivers, the patient can enjoy the last years of their life as pain free as medical science allows.

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Mesothelioma Mesomark Blood Test....

The Food as well as Drug Administration (FDA) approved the MESOMARK assay to help monitor response to treatment in malignant mesothelioma patients. The MESOMARK test signifies the beginning of a early era in monitoring mesothelioma malignancies," said Dr. W. Jeffrey Allard, vice president and chief scientific officer of Fujirebio Diagnostics. "As the first in-vitro test for patients with this aggressive disease, it'll enable doctors to more accurately recognise recurrence and monitor treatment of patients."The MESOMARK Assay test kit was developed to measure levels of a biomarker, mesothelin, in serum. Biomarkers are substances found in higher-than-normal concentrations in the blood, urine or body tissues of patients with definite types of cancers. The test might be used to monitor patients confirmed as having mesothelioma, for recurrence in patients following surgery, or for measuring response to therapies.
"Current diagnostic tests are less than ideal for quantification of modifies in tumor volume, which is key to managing the disease," continued Allard. "As the MESOMARK results correlate with tumor volume*, it give s a much needed tool for monitoring patient status. It is our plan to collect additional data in the future to back up the use of the test to detect mesothelioma."

MESOMARK test are now making it achievable - with a simple blood test -to monitor response to treatment and to detect recurrence following treatment. This provides an important head initiate to patients racing against this aggressive cancer. "The Meso Foundation is the national research funding, patient support and advocacy organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-threatening disease.
Those wishing to take part in MESOMARK testing will be asked to provide one or more samples of blood. The blood samples will then be sent to a national reference laboratory for testing. In conjunction with different clinical and laboratory data obtained by your doctor, decisions regarding your treatment and concern may be simplified. You may discontinue testing at any time.

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