Pericardial Mesothelioma - Understanding This Rare Cancer

Pericardial Mesothelioma, also known as mesothelioma of the pericardium is a disease that affects the lining of the heart. This is found in less than 10 percent of the patients who have mesothelioma.

The following information about pericardial mesothelioma will help you understand the condition:

* A conclusive symptom of periodical mesothelioma is the rapid growth of the cancerous tumors that cause expansion of the tissue and accumulation of fluid. Fluids then obstruct the function of the heart causing chest pain and irregular heartbeat. Mostly, complaints of chest pain and other heart related symptoms are conclusive of the condition. Other symptoms for pericardial mesothelioma includes murmurs, cough, difficulty in breathing even when at rest, difficulty in breathing while lying down, fatigue and fever or night sweats.

* Because of the non-specificity of the symptoms, it is difficult to diagnose this type of cancer. But initially, it is through physical examination that can largely point out the condition.

* Diagnosis can be totally confirmed when doctors conduct variety of imaging tests to be able to determine the exact location of the cancer and Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI is found to be the most effective instrument on evaluating the disease and in finding out the extent of its development.

* The final stage in diagnosing pericardial mesothelioma is through biopsy where the point of origin of the cancer is verified. The test involves the removal of tissue or fluid from the pericardium for testing and analysis to confirm the presence of mesothelioma.

* The possible treatment for this type of mesothelioma includes palliative treatment which is often the only option when pericardial mesothelioma gets worse. Palliative treatments aim to improve the patient's quality of life by reducing the severity of symptoms caused by the accumulation of the fluid in the pericardium.

* A palliative treatment using fine needle aspiration technique maybe done to drain accumulated fluid surrounding the heart.

* Radiotherapy can also be used to shrink the tumor and alleviate the symptoms due to the compression of the heart by the accumulating fluid. Although this procedure is very risky because of the proximity of the heart and lungs.

Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for about half of all pericardial tumors and is extremely rare but then again, prevention or early detection is essential in order to succeed.

The least common and most rare of all asbestos related cancers, pericardial mesothelioma makes up less than 10% of all the asbestos-related cancers. These serious cancers are most often deadly. Go to a-mesothelioma-guide.com to learn more about this health condition.

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What is a Mesothelioma Class Action Lawsuit?

Before understanding Class Action, let's have a brief look over Mesothelioma. It is a lethal form of cancer caused due to inhalation of a mineral called asbestos. It usually infects lungs, and sometimes heart as well as abdomen. This is not only incurable disease; rather it left the person with maximum 5 years of life after diagnosis. People usually get this cancer at their work place while working with asbestos.

Asbestos is used in many types of construction materials including roofing, insulation, and pipe fittings. It has great insulating properties for both temperature and sound, it is resistant to electricity and water as well as it also acts as a flame retardant.

People, who diagnose their disease as Mesothelioma, claim for compensation money since their employer was responsible for their illness. This is the moral duty of employer to inform people about hazardous effects of asbestos and to equip them with protective measures. To claim for compensation money is the legal procedure and it requires a lawyer to file your case. You can easily find some specialized mesothelioma lawyers because of the rising graph of patients. With the help of the lawyer, patients file a lawsuit against their former employer for compensation money in lieu of suffering from disease physically, as well as financially.

Some people step forward to find some other people who may be diagnosed with mesothelioma that may be their co-workers or family members and this leads to filing a Class Action Lawsuit. Sometimes family members also come in the contact with asbestos because of coming in contact with contaminated clothes of the workers. People, who are already informed of hazardous effects of this disease, take care by changing clothes before going home to keep their family members safe. Filing a Mesothelioma Class Action Lawsuit may or may not provide you with desired results but this case can only be determined on a case by case basis.

Christen Scott is passionate about writing and love to write over different topics. These days she is writing about Mesothelioma.

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Why Military Veterans Are at Risk For Mesothelioma and Asbestosis

Most workers have heard of the complications that arise from exposure to asbestos. The fibrous compound was used in a myriad of applications up until the 1980s, and few companies warned employees about the dangers of exposure. But as is now widely known, exposure to asbestos can lead to malignant mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer.

Anyone who worked in construction, maintenance, or custodial fields when asbestos was in use could have been exposed. But new research has shown that military veterans are at a particularly high risk for malignant mesothelioma, particularly Navy seamen and technicians who worked with asbestos parts on ships. This article will examine that risk, the possible results, and how an experienced mesothelioma attorney can help with recovery of damages.

Exposure To Asbestos

Asbestos was originally used because it helped add strength to compounds. It was commonly found in a variety of construction supplies, including drywall, plaster, caulking and putty, joint compounds, insulation, and fireproofing materials. Whenever any of these construction materials were installed, handled, sanded, or removed, the asbestos fibers were knocked out into the air. The fine asbestos dust was easy to inhale, and often ended up remaining in the air even after the actual work had been performed. This allowed it to be inhaled by others who may not have been immediately involved with the project that kicked up the dust initially. Cleanup crews, inspection crews and others often inhaled the fibers accidentally without ever knowing that they were in danger.

On a ship, the danger of exposure to asbestos was even greater. The enclosed spaces made it more likely that fibers would be inhaled. In the open air, asbestos eventually dissipates even though it tends to remain airborne for quite some time. On a boat, there is limited ability for the fibers to blow away naturally. Instead, they circulate and expose more people to the harmful effects of the dust, greatly increasing the risk of asbestos cancer.

Extended Risk From Indirect Exposure

If you were in a situation where you may have worked with asbestos yourself, you should certainly get screened for asbestos cancer. But you may be at risk for malignant mesothelioma if you were in the vicinity of asbestos fibers and inhaled them unintentionally. You may even have the disease if a family member worked with asbestos; the fibers tend to cling to clothing, creating the possibility that they would dislodge at home, after the workday was over and outside the environment that caused the original contamination.

Exposure Leads To Malignant Mesothelioma

When workers inhaled the fibers, they rarely knew that the fibers could cause potentially deadly health hazards like malignant mesothelioma. However, most companies that manufactured construction products containing asbestos were aware of the fact that when it was inhaled, it could eventually lead to deadly asbestos cancer. The asbestos fibers agitate the mesothelium, which are mucus membranes that line almost every organ in the human body. Malignant mesothelioma is usually found in the mesothelium around the lungs, but it can also be found around the heart and even surrounding the stomach.

What makes asbestos cancer so dangerous is how easily it can spread throughout the body. It begins as small tumors within the mesothelium, but tends to quickly metastasize into other nearby tissues. Because most malignant mesothelioma is found around the lungs, the cancer tends to become lung cancer. Although the two are linked, asbestos cancer is not the same as lung cancer: malignant mesothelioma may spread and become lung cancer, but it always begins in the mesothelium and it is always caused by asbestos exposure.

Do You Need A Mesothelioma Attorney?

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, you should strongly consider hiring an experienced mesothelioma attorney. Although the use of asbestos was banned decades ago, asbestos cancer can take many years to manifest. In fact, many cases are going to court just recently. This rise in cases has led to specialized mesothelioma attorneys, who are familiar with the law and the science behind asbestos cancer.

No matter how advanced your disease, a mesothelioma attorney can be a very beneficial partner throughout the process. He or she will be able to guide you through the complex legal issues of proving fault, and he or she will be able to assist your family during the late stages of the disease. You need a mesothelioma attorney you can trust, but once you find the right one, you'll be able to rest assured that your rights are being defended as well as possible.

Joe Belluck is a founder of Belluck & Fox, LLP, a leading mesothelioma law firm. He has worked on hundreds of asbestos cancer lawsuits, and lectures about malignant mesothelioma.

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Mesothelioma Symptoms

Since mesothelioma is such a rare form of cancer, many people who develop mesothelioma symptoms have never even heard of this disease and are unaware of its symptoms.

Most of the body's internal organs are covered with a protective sac called the mesothelium. Mesothelioma cancer occurs when malignant or cancerous cells appear in the mesothelium. The lungs, heart, and abdominal organs are the most commonly affected organs. Of these, the lung lining (plueral mesothelioma) is most typically infected.

Exposure to asbestos is almost always the cause of mesothelioma. Prior to 1975, asbestos was one of the materials commonly used in the manufacture of building materials. In most cases, symptoms of mesothelioma do not appear for 20 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, malignant mesothelioma caused 2,704 deaths during 2005. So, even though asbestos has been used sparsely since 1975, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that deaths caused by mesothelioma will peak during 2010.

Until it reaches advanced stages, this form of cancer provides very few obvious symptoms. It remains dormant for years; however, when it becomes active it quickly attacks the mesothelium and becomes almost impossible to treat successfully. The CDC estimates that 75% of the people who discover symptoms will die within one year of being diagnosed with this cancer. The remainder will die 6 months to several years later.

Plueral mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining) represents approximately 3 out of 4 of the cases diagnosed. Typical symptoms of this type of mesothelioma include shortness of breath and or/chronic coughing. Of course, since these symptoms are similar to those of allergies or the common cold, it does not occur to most people that they are infected with this type of cancer.

Peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the stomach and intestines) also exhibits symptoms that are not obviously recognizable as cancer, such as anemia and fever.

It is important to understand that mesothelioma generally takes decades to develop, but once mesothelioma symptoms are discovered (properly diagnosed) it quickly becomes aggressive. The best course of action is to become aware of the symptoms and to immediately seek diagnosis and treatment.

The first (and most important) step toward diagnosis and treatment is recognizing the symptoms of mesothelioma. For a more detailed look at mesothelioma symptoms, visit http://www.symptoms-of-mesothelioma.com.

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