Cancer Mesothelioma Resource

The Link Between Asbestos Exposure and Smoking

Cancer Writer — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:21:48 +0000

Robert Linebaugh asked:

It is common knowledge that smoking is hazardous to one’s health. Additionally, many people know that exposure to asbestos is very dangerous and can lead to the development of the disease mesothelioma. What many people do not know, however, is that when smoking and asbestos exposure are combined, both of the harmful elements work together to create a much higher risk for the development of mesothelioma, or other types of cancers.

Cigarettes have many harmful chemicals that break down the lungs and can be leading causes in cancer. Asbestos exposure also exposes the lung to harmful chemicals that weaken your body’s defenses against cancers and other lung problems. Studies have found that cigarette smokers have a four to eleven times greater chance of getting lung cancer than non-smokers. If a person is a heavy smoker, than the number goes up to twenty-seven times as likely. Adding a heavy smoker to asbestos exposure sends the probabilities for lung cancer skyrocketing. In fact, heavy smokers with a history of asbestos exposure have a 50 to 90 times greater chance of having lung cancer. Needless to say, heavy smoking and large amounts of asbestos exposure will almost certainly lead to lung cancer.

Smoking causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People who smoke and have been exposed to asbestos have higher occurrences of COPD than people who have not been exposed to asbestos. Some of the terrible effects of COPD are the inflammation and eventual destruction of small airways in the lung tissue. Once these tissues have been destroys, some people can be completely debilitated.

Studies have shown that people who quit smoking, but still had asbestos exposure are less likely to have lung cancer than those people who continue to smoke. Some say that COPD can be reversed the longer time is spent without smoking. Additionally, people who are able to quit smoking often feel healthier over time and significantly increase their life expectancy. Even though any amount of smoking or asbestos exposure can lead to lung cancer, the sooner one quits, the better off he or she will be.

Asbestos exposure is very harmful for anyone. However if you know that you have been exposed to asbestos, and continue to smoke, you are playing with fate. The sooner someone stops smoking, the sooner his or her lungs can begin to heal. Mesothelioma and other cancers are very serious diseases that often end in death. In order to stay alive for loved ones, smokers should quit immediately.

Asbestos Claims – Secondary Exposure to Asbestos

Cancer Writer — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:42:31 +0000

Jessica Parker asked:

We now know that asbestos is a killer, and those suffering from asbestos-related diseases have been entitled to compensation claims for their illnesses for a number of years. More recently, those who have been affected through secondary exposure to asbestos have discovered they may be able to claim for compensation, as well.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which is toxic to humans. Inhaling it can lead to a number of serious health problems, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Asbestos is soft, pliable and able to withstand heat, electricity and chemical damage, all properties which led to its widespread use in building and manufacturing from the late 19th century until the mid-1980s. It was at this time that it became widely acknowledged that asbestos was a dangerous substance, and many uses of asbestos have been banned ever since.

When is asbestos hazardous?

Although many buildings still have asbestos within them, simply being in close proximity to the substance is not dangerous. You can live in a house which contains asbestos without ever being affected by it, provided the asbestos dust and fibres are not released into the air and inhaled. However, anyone dismantling buildings which contain asbestos must take precautions so as not to inhale the fibres.

Asbestos exposure is most deadly when the fibres are inhaled regularly over a long period of time, for example, through working with asbestos or as a result of living in close proximity to an asbestos mine.

Asbestos compensation claims

Asbestos has been used habitually for many years, mostly by people unaware of its dangers. Because lots of these people were effectively put in danger at work by their employer, many affected by asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma (asbestos-related cancer) are now claiming for compensation, and have been doing so since 1972.

Because symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses may not appear until many years after the initial exposure, asbestos claims can be backdated by years or even decades.

Secondary exposure to asbestos

More recently, the medical profession has come to realise that it is not just those who have been exposed to asbestos at work that could become ill. Their friends and family may also be affected, if they regularly came into contact with them while they still had asbestos on their work clothes.

Often, the partners or relatives of those who have worked with asbestos on a daily basis have inhaled the substance each day while washing their work outfits or overalls. Many claims have been filed by women who were made sick in this way, and interviews with the victims showed that they would usually shake out the clothes before they washed them, thereby releasing more of the dust and fibres into the air they were breathing.

Can you claim compensation?

If you believe you could have been affected by secondary exposure to asbestos, look out for symptoms such as coughing, chest pains and shortness of breath, as these can all be linked to asbestos-related diseases. Anyone suffering from secondary asbestos exposure, where the exposure was not their fault, has the right to claim asbestosis compensation for their suffering and for any medical expenses incurred.

Mesothelioma Cancer Help

Cancer Writer — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:16:19 +0000

Bello kamorudeen asked:

There are several different types of mesothelioma cancer help you need when diagnosed with this aggressive disease. There are however three kinds of help that are very important and crucial for every victim of this terrible cancer: a] First and most important is information and medical support, b] legal help is also important because the cost of mesothelioma can become astronomical, c]Family support and help

-Medical support and Medical Information

For medical help, you should ask your doctor about any mesothelioma cancer information brochures that are available. Because this is a complex and debilitating disease, digesting all of the information a doctor gives you can be overwhelming. Brochures and pamphlets can be read at your leisure to give you plenty of time to digest the information and think of any questions you would like to ask on your next doctor’s visit. The Internet is also a good place to find help and order mesothelioma information brochures from various cancer treatment centers and research organizations. These will give you the most up-to-date information on mesothelioma treatment options.

Asbestosis mesothelioma research is always underway in many different locations in the United States and overseas. You should also seek help via the Internet and with your doctor to find out how to enroll in clinical trials and keep informed about research advances in mesothelioma cancer treatment.

-Legal Help

Legal mesothelioma cancer help is imperative when you are diagnosed with mesothelioma so that you can get the compensation and assistance you deserve. Because nearly all cases of mesothelioma cancer can be traced back to asbestos exposure, a mesothelioma lawyer who is familiar with asbestos cases can help you get financial compensation and relieve the burden of debt and worry.

Attorneys provide help with mesothelioma cancer in several ways:

? They can evaluate your situation and determine if there is good cause for filing a claim against a former employer or a product manufacturer.

? They can represent you not only in court, but help guide you in areas such as finding the best medical facilities for your particular type of mesothelioma cancer.

? They can identify the source or sources of original asbestos contamination and determine the extent of liability by these companies.

War veterans often find themselves in a bad situation because they are barred by law from suing the government or their branch of the service for asbestos damages. In many cases, the manufacturers of materials used by the military have long since ceased to exist, leaving very few avenues to pursue. Mesothelioma cancer help from an attorney experienced in cases such as those experienced in mesothelioma in naval and coast guard personnel can provide avenues to pursue beyond the traditional ones.

- Family Support

The most important cancer help you need, however, is the support of those around you. By talking to an attorney and getting solid medical information on mesothelioma to share with loved ones, you will alleviate many of the financial and medical fears of your family and friends. In turn, they will be confident enough to provide the most precious mesothelioma cancer help of all – love and support

Asbestos Health Risks And Litigation

Cancer Writer — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:17:13 +0000

Frank Vanderlugt asked:

Asbestos is a naturally-occuring fibrous mineral of metamorpic hydrous magnesium silicate. The term “metamorphic” is used to describe a process of extreme heat and pressure which creates specific secondary patterns of minerals with new chemical and/or physical properties. As the primary rock is heated and recooled, silicate crystals align in long rows of mineral fibers, which easily separate into tiny shards thinner than a human hair. Asbestos fibers are not a health risk as long as they are undisturbed. However, when asbestos is undergoes natural weathering, or is mined and processed, the microscopic particles waft into the air and cause disease if they are inhaled.

Asbestosis occurs when an inhaled asbestos particle irritates the body’s natural defence mechanisms, causing inflammation and scarring which eventually restricts lung function. Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor of the membranes surrounding the heart, lungs and abdominal cavity. Asbestos can also cause cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx, stomach, lung and lymphoid tissue.

Asbestos exposure can also cause non-fatal illnesses such as asbestos warts, caused when asbestos fibers are lodged in the skin, causing lumps of scar tissue to form around the irritant in the same manner as they do in the lungs to cause asbestosis; pleural plaques, discrete, sometimes calcified fibrous lesions which can be seen on X-rays but are too small to cause breathing impairment; and diffuse pleural thickening, which can cause breathing impairment if it is extensive.

Due to its fire resistant properties, asbestos has been used historically for household and industrial purposes. It has been found woven into burial cloths in ancient Egypt, and Charlemagne reportedly had a tablecloth made of asbestos which he would throw into a fire to clean.

In World War II asbestos was considered so important by the War Department that it was considered a strategic material, and many American workers were exposed in the World War II boom in shipbuilding. After the war, it was widely used in the construction industry.

In modern Western society, it was used for such diverse purposes as lamp wicks, brake shoes, oven insulation, electrical hotplate wiring and home insulation, roofing and flooring. For instance, some kinds of vermiculite used in home insulation into the 1970s contained asbestos. The EPA banned this product in 1977.

When a home owner discovers asbestos in an old home, it should not be a cause for immediate panic. If the asbestos looks intact and is not pulverized, it is best to leave it alone. However, because of legal liability, schools and businesses containing asbestos usually must undergo a costly removal process, hazardous in itself because disturbing the stable asbestos product causes fibers to fill the air. Special equipment must be used to insure that the removal process does not cause health problems where non existed before.

Most industrialized nations have reduced or banned the use of asbestos for at least 30 years and now use fiberglass or woven ceramic fiber as a substitute, but since asbestos-caused disease has a latency period of up to 50 years, patients are still presenting with these illness today. Every year in America, approximately 3000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed, and 550 deaths occurs due to asbestosis. According to the March 1991 Report of the Judicial Conference Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation, asbestos exposure has caused the deaths of approximately 200,000 to 265,000 Americans.

Asbestos use peaked in the United States in 1973, when 1 million tons of the material were used. The EPA attempted to institute a complete legal ban on the use of asbestos products in 1989; however, this ban was largely eviscerated by the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1991, and some restricted use of asbestos, albeit in fewer products than than before, resumed. Therefor, even today some workers are being exposed to this toxic material.

Asbestos is a serious continuing concern to the Environmental Protection Agency, and their website has detailed information on asbestos and its removal.

Concerns about the health risks of asbestos exposure date back to 1898, when the Chief Inspector of Factories of the United Kingdom reported to Parliament in his Annual Report about the “evil effects of asbestos dust”. He noted that the “sharp, glass like nature of the particles” when allowed to remain suspended in the air, “have been found to be injurious, as might have been expected”. In 1906 a British Parliamentary Commission confirmed the first cases of asbestos-related deaths in Bristish factories and called for improved ventilation and other safety measures. In 1918 an American insurance company produced a study showing premature deaths in the asbestos industry in the United States and in 1926 the Massachusetts Industrial Accidents Board processed the first successful compensation claim by a sick asbestos worker.

Today, lawsuits claiming compensation for asbestos-related illnesses are a growth industry in the legal profession. An internet search of “mesothelioma lawyer” yields 1,910,000 results. The original manufacturers of asbestos products have long since been driven into Chapter 11 bankruptcy; plaintiffs have now turned to suing corporations with peripheral connections to asbestos products. More than 70 American corporations have filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in due to asbestos liability claims.

Since the 1970’s, approximateley 6% of all lawsuits filed in American courts have been asbestos-related. The lawsuits now facing the courts have been described as “an elephantine mass” by the US Supreme Court, and are expected to cost between 200 to 275 billion dollars to settle. Asbestos liability is one of the largest issues facing the global insurance industry today.

Most epidemiological studies expected the number of lawsuits to peak in the 1990s, but this has not occurred, either because of the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases, or because legal action is becoming more popular among asbestos-exposed members of the public due to high-profile legal cases and widespread advertising by attorneys who specialize in such cases.

Many complaints have been made by representatives of industries facing lawsuits and the insurance companies who will be expected to pay them that the asbestos-lawsuit industry is rife with fraud, with less that half of all payouts reaching the plaintiffs. Aggressive, ambulance-chasing lawyers are said to exaggerate medical disability and coach clients on their testimony.

The group of plaintiffs includes not only ill people, but also those who have merely have a history of asbestos exposure and want compensation for potential future health risks. According to the American Academy of Acturaries Mass Tort Work Group, more than 100 million Americans have been exposed to asbestos in their workplace during the past century.

Causes of Mesothelioma

Cancer Writer — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:17:56 +0000

Patricia Woloch asked:

Between 70% to 80% of all cases of mesothelioma involve patients who have a history of exposure to asbestos at work. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by inhaling or ingesting asbestos particles, and usually presents as a pleural mesothelioma, or a mass located in the membranes that line the lungs. About 20% of mesothelioma patients have peritoneal mesothelioma, which is located in the lining of the abdomen that encases several abdominal organs.

The mesothelia are membranes that encase the lungs, the heart, or most organs in the abdomen. They consist of two layers, the parietal layer that lines the chest cavity, or the abdominal cavity, and the visceral layer that lines the individual organs. The mesothelia produce a serous fluid between their layers that provide a layer of lubrication on which they glide, allowing the organs within to move freely.

Mesothelioma is a tumor, or mass, that grows in response to many years of irritation and inflammation caused by asbestos fibers that lodge in a mesothilial layer of either the lung or peritoneum. It begins in just one layer of the mesothilia, and usually in the pleura, on one side of the chest. This slow-growing cancer can take up to 50 years to manifest as mesothelioma and produce enough symptoms that the affected person seeks medical help.

Smoking and Mesothelioma

While smoking does not appear to increase the risk of getting mesothelioma, nor does it cause mesothelioma, it significantly increases the risk of getting lung cancer. Lung cancer is a cancer located within the lung tissue, specifically in the lungs airways. Asbestos has not been shown to cause cancer within the lung tissue. Its sharp, rigid strands move through the soft lung tissue to the pleura, where they become trapped. Asbestos particles that lodge in the lung tissue can cause another serious disease, asbestosis. Asbestosis causes fibrotic changes to the lung that stiffens the lung tissue. The presence of fibrotic lung disease further restricts breathing capacity.

While smoking does not cause mesothelioma, when combined with asbestos exposure it significantly increases the risk of getting lung cancer. The increased risk is not just additive, but synergistic. These terms mean that the risk of getting lung cancer from this combination is more than the sum of the individual risks added together.

Evidence shows that if you have been exposed to asbestos, especially in the work place, you can significantly reduce your risk of getting lung cancer if you quit smoking.

Treatment of mesothelioma varies by stage ranging from surgery, radiation and clinical trial in Stage I, to draining the excess fluid from the chest or abdomen, palliative surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a clinical trial of a combination of these treatments.

Lung Cancer Caused By Asbestos

Cancer Writer — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:33:39 +0000

Derek Both asked:

Asbestos exposure can lead to a number of lung diseases including asbestosis, pleural fibrosis and lung cancer. Asbestosis results in widespread scarring of the lungs and can leave victims short of breath and more likely to develop lung cancer. Pleural fibrosis causes inflammation, hardening and thickening of the lining of the lung tissue but has a number of symptoms so can be fairly straightforward to diagnose.

The other type of lung disease that can develop after asbestos exposure is asbestos lung cancer. This can affect either the internal portions of the lungs or the outer lining. Although it is impossible to determine the exact figure for the number of people who develop the disease because of asbestos, it is thought that there are around as many asbestos lung cancer deaths in Great Britain annually as there are mesothelioma deaths.

The reason why it can’t be said how many lung cancer related deaths are down to this is because there are many other factors which can lead to the illness developing. Tobacco smoke is just one of these so it wouldn’t be possible to say whether a person got cancer because of asbestos exposure or because they smoked.

Asbestos lung cancer can be hard to detect because in the early stages there may be no symptoms at all. There are a few such as having a cough, chest pain and weight loss but this can also indicate other illnesses which is what makes it so hard to diagnose.

If it is thought that someone may be suffering from asbestos lung cancer then a number of steps will be taken in order to confirm this. A full physical examination will be conducted and more than likely a sample of phlegm (spit) will be tested for any cancer cells. If any cancerous cells are found then either a tissue sample will be taken or a biopsy will be performed to get an accurate result.

The people who are most likely to suffer from asbestos lung cancer are those who were exposed to it during their working life. The majority of patients who have been diagnosed with the disease once worked in mines, mills or factories. However, others who have suffered high levels of asbestos exposure include construction, boilermaking and automotive repair.

More and more people who are suffering from illnesses such as asbestos lung cancer are claiming compensation from companies who failed to implement safety precautions to prevent heavy exposure. If you are looking for an asbestos lawyer then there are companies out there who can help claim payments for various things such as the cost of care you have accrued.

What You Need to Know About Asbestos Floor Tiles

Cancer Writer — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:05:17 +0000

April Kerr asked:

If you have never had to deal with any sort of asbestos it can be a real worry. We hear all the time about how awful asbestos is and how it can give you asbestosis. Although it can be a very dangerous substance you don’t need to over worry about it too much if you find it in your home. The reason asbestos has been used in the manufacture of floor tiles is because it’s a very practical material in terms of being able to resist fire along with some other things.

With asbestos flooring you should know that there are basically two states it can be in. Either is can be non-friable which is where it is in a safe form and you don’t need to worry about it. Whereas if it’s friable it means that the spores of the asbestos can get into the air and therefore into your lungs.

Luckily if you do decide you want to get rid of your asbestos flooring tiles, it’s a pretty easy job that can be done by specialist contractors. You should never attempt the removal yourself because safety gear needs to be worn such as goggles and respirator. The tiles can then be taken away in large bits and you should never try to saw or drill it because the asbestos can then get into the air.

Some people might think that it’s too expensive to have the tiles removed professionally but this is not one expense you should try to cut out. In many places it’s against the law to attempt the removal yourself and also the asbestos needs to be disposed of correctly and cannot simply be placed into the garbage. Instead the asbestos is placed into a good air-tight container which is then clearly marked so that people know what is inside.

Although asbestos can be perfectly safe if allowed to sit where it is undisturbed, it can be very dangerous if you start to poke about with it. This is why if you want to do any sort of home remodelling you should either stay well away from any asbestos in your home or you should have it professionally removed by a contractor. Many people have contracted asbestosis because of exposure to asbestos and this is why so many lawyers specialise in asbestos cases. If you have found out that you are suffering from this condition it is well worth contacting a local lawyer that deals with such cases because there is a good chance you will be able to claim for compensation.

Textile workers Crysotile asbestos’ risk of cancer, mesothelioma

Cancer Writer — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:55:34 +0000

soft666 asked:

According to new research, the textile workers, chrysotile asbestos have an increased risk of lung cancer, cancer of the pleural asbestosis and mesothelioma, despite previous claims that the form of asbestos is safe because it is less likely to be fiber.

Unable to perform Translation:invalid textThe study, in the last issue of labor and the environment, the eyes of the textile workers of asbestos factories in four employees of North Carolina from 1950 to 1973. The plants are crysotile asbestos, asbestos most commonly used all over the world.

Unable to perform Translation:invalid textCrysotile asbestos is mined primarily in Canada, Russia and Italy, and these three countries have promoted as a form of security of asbestos, because it is less hectic than other types of asbestos and, in general, the articles as a form of resin or cement, so as not to be simpler and less siftings powder. Inhalation of asbestos fibers during the period in question is the primary cause of asbestos, the suffering, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Unable to perform Translation:invalid textCrysotile asbestos for the manufacture of materials such as fabric, the son, and the strengthening of some construction materials. There was also a little ‘asphalt roads Canadians, mostly lasting. It ‘also the jaw, disc, pads, plastics, caulking, pipe and shingles.

Unable to perform Translation:invalid textThe new study involved 5770 people, working on one of four North Carolina asbestos for at least a day and a 47% increase in mortality than the general population, an increase of 41% mortality in all types of cancer and a 95% of IgE increased mortality from lung cancer. The study also reveals an increase in tax rates of asbestos diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, cancer and found that the mortality rate for complaints are not quantifiable number, however, considered that the risk increases, the workers worked around asbestos.

Unable to perform Translation:invalid textExposure to asbestos is known that the main cause of mesothelioma and asbestosis, cancer and the conditions are not always discovered, for many years after exposure. Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung can be fatal. Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer, that the judgments of food in the chest and lungs, do not remain for decades. Both diseases are contracted by the inhalation of asbestos fibers.

Unable to perform Translation:invalid textIn general, workers in the fields of construction, mining, construction of ships for the destruction and disposal of asbestos were considered most vulnerable. The new study indicates that some asbestos textile products are also at risk.

Unable to perform Translation:invalid textRisks associated with asbestos in most of the 20th century led to more than 600,000 asbestos claims, on behalf of people living with the diagnosis of mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. Complaints were lodged against more than 6,000 different defendants manufactured, sold or toxic substance.

MRSA, C Diff and Swine Flu

Cancer Writer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:07:02 +0000

russell jones asked:

The words Swine Flu have become boring. Turn on the TV and it is there on all the news channels, open a newspaper and the column inches are thick. There can be no doubting the seriousness of the disease but would it be fair to assume we are in over kill mode?

The concern for the professionals is always the migration of virus from animal to man, understandably so.

The way bacteria mutate makes control difficult if not impossible, this though is always the case. The worry for you and I is that our scientists identify something that spreads like wild-fire and has no know cure, sounds like a scene from a Hollywood block buster, Outbreak anyone?

In reality the reverse is often true. A silent, almost under the radar killer that suffers very little media attention and as such goes about its work in a quiet but deadly fashion. Perhaps fashion is the operative word here.

The hyped up nature of the pandemic, from a pig or bird to to your next door neighbour in one swift swoop, or worse to you. This news is hot, it can’t fail to sell to the masses and the media are ready to deliver. You can visulise the editors looking for that many angles the very thought makes you dizzy, or is that a symptom, now I am starting to worry. The beads of sweat that I once blamed on looking for jobs in the classifieds have turned into the high temperature virus fight between my confused body and this retched Swine Flu.

Perhaps the cynic in me says this is just the good news day that the world has been waiting for a year for. Tired of the Middle East Syndrome, straining at the credit crunch and American Presidential matters, the one piece of fresh news that effects us all, so they say, is a damn good health scare.

So what of the origins of this Swine Flu? Mexico, but thousands of people suffer at the hands of flu anyway what makes this strain different than the rest? It would be glib to ignore the real issues here.

And these are that a Pandemic is always a possiblity, the killer disease, organism, virus, whaterver, transcending the barrier between animal and man and spreading at such a rate that within years, months weeks or days we have suffered such fatalities that selling newspapers would become pointless. Oh you cynic.

There are far more pressing issues facing us today and tomorrow. Global warming, tugs at the heart strings of those environmentalists amongst us but has failed to ignite the masses yet, more work needed Mr Media.

The financial meltdown world-wide has headlined for too long now, let’s hit the reality button and move on, for this would surely kick start the process.

War and peace may always be a the subject of media focus, unless our need for aggression is controlled, i feel another Hollywood film on the way.

Third world poverty although always there hits the headlines in cycles.

Front page news often decends to a second, third and forth page. When this is true it is often gone as soon as it came. The real threat however it the consistant menace from the page five snippet.

Oh and by the way C Diff has just claimed its 10th victim at the Maidstone Hospital or Asbestos has been found at my childs school.

Hospital acquired infections are a huge problem in the UK. Thousands have died in recent years. MRSA and C diff have and will continue to effect the lives of many.

Asbestos related diseases such as Mesothelioma and Asbestosis have and will continue to blight hundreds of thousands world wide, despite steps to irradecate the use of asbestos. The latent period of symptoms to develop from initial exposure can be upwards of 40 years.

The conspiracy theorists amongst will always have fuel for their opinions but in my humble opinion it is the issues that sit just below the headlines that are the real threat. Look at it another way, was it not HG Wells who created one of the first mass hysterias with the radio broadcast of ‘War of the Worlds’ and yet it was the humble cold that defeated the aggressors?

If you or a loved one have been or you think have been effected by the hospital acquired infections MRSA or C Diff. Or have concerns about Asbestos Exposure then see below.

For Further information about MRSA visit: www.mrsacompensation.co.uk

For Further information about C Diff visit: www.cdiff-compensation.co.uk

For Further information about Asbestosis visit: www.asbestosiscompensationclaims.co.uk

A Brief History of Asbestos

Cancer Writer — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:01:58 +0000

Christian Ward asked:

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fibrous mineral of metamorpic hydrous magnesium silicate. The term “metamorphic” is used to describe a process of extreme heat and pressure which creates specific secondary patterns of minerals with new chemical and/or physical properties.

As the primary rock is heated and recooled, silicate crystals align in long rows of mineral fibers, which easily separate into tiny shards thinner than a human hair. Asbestos fibers are not a health risk as long as they are undisturbed. However, when asbestos is undergoes natural weathering, or is mined and processed, the microscopic particles waft into the air and cause disease if they are inhaled.

Asbestosis occurs when an inhaled asbestos particle irritates the body’s natural defence mechanisms, causing inflammation and scarring which eventually restricts lung function. Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor of the membranes surrounding the heart, lungs and abdominal cavity. Asbestos can also cause cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx, stomach, lung and lymphoid tissue.

Asbestos exposure can also cause non-fatal illnesses such as asbestos warts, caused when asbestos fibers are lodged in the skin, causing lumps of scar tissue to form around the irritant in the same manner as they do in the lungs to cause asbestosis; pleural plaques, discrete, sometimes calcified fibrous lesions which can be seen on X-rays but are too small to cause breathing impairment; and diffuse pleural thickening, which can cause breathing impairment if it is extensive.

Due to its fire resistant properties, asbestos has been used historically for household and industrial purposes. It has been found woven into burial cloths in ancient Egypt, and Charlemagne reportedly had a tablecloth made of asbestos which he would throw into a fire to clean.

In World War II asbestos was considered so important by the War Department that it was considered a strategic material, and many American workers were exposed in the World War II boom in shipbuilding. After the war, it was widely used in the construction industry.

In modern Western society, it was used for such diverse purposes as lamp wicks, brake shoes, oven insulation, electrical hotplate wiring and home insulation, roofing and flooring. For instance, some kinds of vermiculite used in home insulation into the 1970s contained asbestos. The EPA banned this product in 1977.

When a home owner discovers asbestos in an old home, it should not be a cause for immediate panic. If the asbestos looks intact and is not pulverised, it is best to leave it alone. However, because of legal liability, schools and businesses containing asbestos usually must undergo a costly removal process, hazardous in itself because disturbing the stable asbestos product causes fibers to fill the air. Special equipment must be used to insure that the removal process does not cause health problems where non existed before.

Most industrialised nations have reduced or banned the use of asbestos for at least 30 years and now use fiberglass or woven ceramic fiber as a substitute, but since asbestos-caused disease has a latency period of up to 50 years, patients are still presenting with these illness today. Every year in America, approximately 3000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed, and 550 deaths occurs due to asbestosis. According to the March 1991 Report of the Judicial Conference Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation, asbestos exposure has caused the deaths of approximately 200,000 to 265,000 Americans.

Asbestos use peaked in the United States in 1973, when 1 million tons of the material were used. The EPA attempted to institute a complete legal ban on the use of asbestos products in 1989; however, this ban was largely eviscerated by the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1991, and some restricted use of asbestos, albeit in fewer products than before, resumed. Therefore, even today some workers are being exposed to this toxic material.

Asbestos is a serious continuing concern to the Environmental Protection Agency, and their website has detailed information on asbestos and its removal.

Concerns about the health risks of asbestos exposure date back to 1898, when the Chief Inspector of Factories of the United Kingdom reported to Parliament in his Annual Report about the “evil effects of asbestos dust”. He noted that the “sharp, glass like nature of the particles” when allowed to remain suspended in the air, “have been found to be injurious, as might have been expected”. In 1906 a British Parliamentary Commission confirmed the first cases of asbestos-related deaths in British factories and called for improved ventilation and other safety measures. In 1918 an American insurance company produced a study showing premature deaths in the asbestos industry in the United States and in 1926 the Massachusetts Industrial Accidents Board processed the first successful claim by a sick asbestos worker.

Today, lawsuits claiming compensation for asbestos-related illnesses are a growth industry in the legal profession. An internet search of “mesothelioma lawyer” yields 1,910,000 results. The original manufacturers of asbestos products have long since been driven into Chapter 11 bankruptcy; plaintiffs have now turned to suing corporations with peripheral connections to asbestos products. More than 70 American corporations have filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in due to asbestos liability claims.

Since the 1970’s, approximately 6% of all lawsuits filed in American courts have been asbestos-related. The lawsuits now facing the courts have been described as “an elephantine mass” by the US Supreme Court, and are expected to cost between 200 to 275 billion dollars to settle. Asbestos liability is one of the largest issues facing the global insurance industry today.

Most epidemiological studies expected the number of lawsuits to peak in the 1990s, but this has not occurred, either because of the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases, or because legal action is becoming more popular among asbestos-exposed members of the public due to high-profile legal cases and widespread advertising by attorneys who specialize in such cases.

Many complaints have been made by representatives of industries facing lawsuits and the insurance companies who will be expected to pay them that the asbestos-lawsuit industry is rife with fraud, with less that half of all payouts reaching the plaintiffs. Aggressive, ambulance-chasing lawyers are said to exaggerate medical disability and coach clients on their testimony.

The group of plaintiffs includes not only ill people, but also those who have merely have a history of asbestos exposure and want compensation for potential future health risks. According to the American Academy of Acturaries Mass Tort Work Group, more than 100 million Americans have been exposed to asbestos in their workplace during the past century.