Archive for February 28, 2012

Why We Need To Raise Mesothelioma Awareness

We live in a time where cancer is very prevalent, even with advances in medical technology, millions die from some form of cancer each year. Many forms of cancer can be nearly unavoidable due to genetics; however there are some forms of cancer that are caused by our day by day activities and can be avoided. Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma are both really good examples of the latter; smoking has been linked to being one of the major causes to lung cancer, where Mesothelioma is caused solely due to exposure to Mesothelioma.

Generally when we look to spread Cancer Awareness, we spread awareness about Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, and just the general umbrella of cancer. While over 200,000 cases of lung cancer and over 175,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year, about only 3,000 cases of Mesothelioma are diagnosed each year. Though Mesothelioma may not have the mainstream media eyes or the number of victims that Breast Cancer and Lung Cancer claims, it is still important that we spread awareness of Mesothelioma and the dangerous fibers that cause it: Asbestos.

Much like smoking, the use of asbestos in products and construction wasn’t thought to have deadly side effects, however also like smoking time has shown that there is a deadly side effect of asbestos. Asbestos has been the sole link to the incurable Mesothelioma cancer that generally claims the lives of elder males. There are many issues that make Mesothelioma such a deadly cancer, notably the latency period that occurs between the time the victim was exposed to asbestos and when they see symptoms of Mesothelioma. Typically the Mesothelioma latency period is between 30-40 years, but can also be between 10 and 60 years after the victim was exposed to Mesothelioma. The latency period typically causes symptoms of Mesothelioma to not appear until the late stages of the cancer, making the cancer untreatable, and limiting the lifespan of its victims to an average of 4-18 months after diagnoses.

It’s important that we raise awareness for this cancer as Asbestos is still in use today in the United States. Every day countless people work products that can have asbestos making up as much as 70% of the product, while the government and court system know the dangers Asbestos has. Though an ideal replacement has not been found for Asbestos, there are many suitable substitutes that can be used and save thousands of lives. The public needs to raise up against Mesothelioma and get Asbestos banned in the country for good.

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Mesothelioma Cancer Is An Extremely Rare and Fatal Form Of This Horrifying Disease

Today, there are many well known types of cancer, such as breast, lung, throat and a few others. There is another form of this deadly disease that not too many people know about, which is called Mesothelioma Cancer. It is just as deadly if not more so, than the most recognized types of this health condition.

Mesothelioma Cancer attacks the protective lining that covers many of our body’s organs. Most of the time the people that come down with it came in contact with a substance called asbestos. It was widely used many decades ago in numerous kinds of products, and one of the main ones was in the construction industry, as an insulator and fire inhibitor.

This form of cancer often attacks the internal chest wall or the outer lining of the lungs. As terrible as this sounds, most people that come down with this disease did not need to, if they were better informed and educated on how harmful it actually is. You can catch Mesothelioma Cancer simply by breathing in dust or particles that contain asbestos.

It is very prevalent in old buildings, even to this day. If anybody that you know who either lives in your same building, or works where you do, happens to contact Mesothelioma Cancer, you need to be extra “special” careful, and take immediate action to safeguard yourself and your family.

This is a tell tale warning sign that they have come in contact with this deadly material. It is advised that you instantaneously have both your work and home thoroughly examined for this matter. If the people that you work for do not feel it is necessary to have their premises inspected, you can contact the local building inspector or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) yourself. They will keep your name confidential, so you do not need to be worried about your job.

In addition, you need to try and figure out if there were any other places that your acquaintance frequented, that you also go to a great deal, and try to determine if that was the source of the problem. In the vast majority of the cases, a person does not get Mesothelioma Cancer without coming in contact with asbestos.

This is why, if you are close to the person, work with them, or live in the same building or area as they do, you need to take every preventative measure possible to protect yourself and your loved ones. Simply breathing in this substance a single time is enough to start a chain reaction, which could eventually lead to death.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Cancer are certainly something to be feared and highly respected. Today, there are many construction companies working around the clock trying to remove it from as many structures as possible, as quickly as possible. But, even with all of the time and effort being spent on this critical project, people are still dying at alarming rates because of this once thought to be extremely safe and one of a kind manmade material.

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Asbestos & Mesothelioma Statistics

Asbestos is a term used to classify a group of mineral fibers that share properties of thermal and chemical resistance, flexibility, and hight tensile strength. The term “asbestos” comes from the Greek word for inextinguishable and was termed the “magic mineral” because of its’ extraordinary ability to withstand heat. There are six minerals defined as asbestos including: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite.

The history of this remarkable, but hazardous material dates back to at least 2500 B.C., when it was used as an ingredient in pottery making. Since then, asbestos has been used in a wide-range of products such as automotive brake pads and clutches, cement, ceiling and floor tiles, boilers, electrical wire insulation, gaskets, joint compound and adhesives, just to name a few.

Mesothelioma is type of lung cancer that is aggressive in nature and almost, always results from exposure to asbestos. At present there is no known cure for Mesothelioma and life expectancy is between 4 to 24 month from the initial onset of symptoms. Currently there is an ongoing epidemic of this disease in the US and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. The primary cause of the Mesothelioma problem is negligence on the part of asbestos manufactures since the1970′s whom did not protect their employees from the dangers of asbestos. Due to this fact and because the latency period for Mesothelioma is between 20 to 40 years, the court system has being inundated with pending asbestos cases ever since. It is estimated that asbestos cases will not peak for another 20 years.

Below are some statistical facts about asbestos and mesothelioma lung cancer:

  • Asbestos is considered a carcinogen, which means that it can cause cancer.
  • Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that occurs naturally in the environment.
  • About 70% to 80% of all reported cases of asbestos exposure occur in the work place.
  • Over the past 50 years, occupational exposure to asbestos in the United States is estimated to have occurred in approximately 8 million people.
  • Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of lung cancer that results from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.
  • There are two types of Mesothelioma, pleural and peritoneal.
  • Initial symptoms of Mesothelioma do not appear until 30 to 40 years after first exposure to asbestos.
  • Symptoms of Mesothelioma usually arise 2 to 3 months before the cancer is found and can resemble shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, persistent cough, pneumonia, chest and abdominal pain.
  • Mesothelioma is a terminal disease with no known cure and victims die within 18 months of diagnosis due to the cancer being too advanced by the time it is detected.
  • Treatments for Mesothelioma include surgery to remove the tumors, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of all three.
  • Management of mesothelioma depends largely on the the staging of the tumor as well as the age and physical condition of the patient. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention may lengthen life expectancy.
  • According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 3,000 new cases per year of malignant mesothelioma are being reported in the United States, and the incidence appears to be increasing.
  • Asbestos cases will continue to increase and it is estimated to peak around the year 2025, according to experts.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations to phase out the use of almost all asbestos products in 1989, and these rules were overturned in a court challenge in 1991.
  • Asbestos is still not banned in the US and there are about 5,000 products that contain asbestos circulating in the US.
  • Most asbestos products are used as an ingredient in the making of a final product, such as vinyl-asbestos flooring and friction products, which are purchased mostly by the construction and automobile industries.
  • EPA has not banned any substance for any use since 1991 under the provision of the law used for the asbestos ban.
  • It is estimated that about 8 million people in the U.S. have been exposed to asbestos in the work place, and, or their home.
  • The Congressional Budget Office claims that there are 322,00 pending claims.
  • Fair compensation for mesothelioma frequently means a settlement of over $1,000,000.
  • About 2,500 victims of Mesothelioma die each year.
  • The disease is three times more common in men than in women. In men, the occurrence of mesothelioma is ten times higher in men between the ages of 60-70 as compared to men between the ages of 30-40.
  • Due to the monetary value of Mesothelioma as a keyword search term on the Internet, there are bids on Overture or Google Ad Words of over $160 per click, which primarily involved law firms.
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