Guide To Mesothelioma

Pleural effusions are a possible warning sign for mesothelioma and other diseases caused by asbestos exposure, according to a new article from the Law Firm of Lewis & Scholnick (mesothelioma litigation specialists).

Woodland Hills, CA (PRWEB) October 19, 2004 — The Law Firm of Lewis & Schonick has released a new report on pleural effusions, which are a possible warning sign of mesothelioma. The following article was written by Eric N. Scholnick, Attorney at Law and complements information already available at http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com/mesothelioma.html .

Pleural Effusions: A Possible Mesothelioma Warning Sign

Pleural effusion, which is an excess of fluid on the pleura, or lung lining, is not an uncommon medical finding, and is ordinarily not a cause for extreme concern. However, for persons with past exposure to asbestos, pleural effusions may be extremely significant, and should be treated with caution.

Pleural effusion is a common sign of malignancy, or cancer, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, a form of cancer for which the only known cause is asbestos exposure. Patients with past exposure to asbestos, who are diagnosed with pleural effusion, can have the fluid analyzed for cancer cells. Frequently, a diagnosis of cancer can be made just on the basis of analysis of pleural fluid.

Mesothelioma cancers can originate in the lung lining, or in the stomach, or peritoneum. A frequent symptom in both types of mesothelioma is rapid buildup of fluid. If you, a loved one, or a friend has a past history of asbestos exposure, such as from Navy or shipyard exposure, and is experiencing rapid fluid buildup in the chest or stomach, medical testing should be done immediately, to determine the presence or absence of cancer.

It is frequently the case that persons with fluid buildup in the chest or stomach choose not to seek medical evaluation. The attitude often seen is that people don’t want to know if they’re sick. This attitude is understandable, but erroneous. Prompt medical attention, and diagnosis, may be the difference between life and death.

Persons with past histories of asbestos exposure who are diagnosed with pleural effusion, or fluid buildup in the chest or stomach, can only benefit from prompt medical attention. Even with a past history of asbestos exposure, most pleural effusions are benign, or non-cancerous. A person with benign pleural effusion who goes in promptly for medical evaluation, and is told the effusion is non-cancerous, achieves a peace of mind unknown to the person who ignores the fluid buildup. If lung cancer is diagnosed following a pleural effusion, there is an increasingly high rate of successful treatment, if the lung cancer is diagnosed in its early stages. With respect to mesothelioma, early detection is absolutely essential to any chance of life-extending treatment.

The intent of this article is not to scare anyone; rather, the intent is to increase awareness of a potentially dangerous situation, and to help people overcome fear of medical treatment. If you have past asbestos exposure, and are experiencing a fluid buildup in your chest or stomach, please don’t wait for a life-threatening situation to develop. Overcome your fear and go see a doctor immediately. Chances are it’ll turn out to be nothing to worry about (which will be highly reassuring), but, in the event the pleural effusion is malignant, you will greatly increase the chances of successful treatment by having the condition diagnosed early. Either way, you win…and so does your family.

Persons with a past history of asbestos exposure, found to have asbestos-related lung disease, or cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, may be entitled to money damages.

More information can be found at the official Web Site of The Law Firm of Lewis & Scholnick ( http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com ) The Web site contains informative articles on topics such as mesothelioma treatments, symptoms, palliative care and more. For more information on mesothelioma treatments, please see http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com/medical-treatment.html , and for more information on L&S litigation results, please see http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com/results.html .

If you want to know how to beat cancer, you may need look no further than www.Cancer-Treatments.org, a new online resource with information on various types of cancer and treatment options, including both medical and holistic treatments.

(PRWEB) November 24, 2004 — Did you know there is a doctor in Mexico who has a 98% success rate with curing bone cancer? Did you know clinics exist that can offer a 90-100% success rate with curing 4 and 5 stage cancers? Did you know there is a new form of super supplement that helps people quietly cure themselves of cancer?

Unfortunately, most cancer patients don’t know about this treatment… and they continue to suffer through hours of debilitating chemotherapy. Cancer-Treatments.org hopes to change that.

If you want to know how to beat cancer, you may need look no further than www.Cancer-Treatments.org, a new online resource with information on various types of cancer and treatment options, including both medical and holistic treatments. Options for those with endometrial cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and skin cancer are all covered at Cancer-Treatments.org.

For decades, pharmaceutical companies have developed new drugs to help treat the symptoms of diseases such as cancer and AIDS. What about the cause? Cancer-Treatments.org explores both.

Cancer-Treatments.org is operated by a group of volunteers with various holistic and healing backgrounds including reiki, yoga, meditation, and massage.

For additional information contact: David Hooper at 615-460-9595

Earlier this year the US Senate considered a bill to set up a special fund to compensate the sufferers of illnesses resulting from exposure to asbestos. The proposed Senate bill may seem like a fair and efficient way to ensure victims receive the compensation they are entitled to, but opponents believe it is critically flawed. (See http://www.mesothelioma-online-info.com)

(PRWEB) November 28, 2004 — Materials containing asbestos were used extensively in building and construction from the beginning of the twentieth century until they were banned in the 1970’s. Inhaling tiny particles of asbestos is known to be the cause of a number of debilitating and often fatal illnesses, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer (See http://www.mesothelioma-online-info.com). Building materials manufacturers have been aware of the risks as far back as the 1920’s, but have been slow to take action to protect workers, preferring to put profit making interests ahead of health and safety.

A recent study of federal mortality records has revealed the alarming extent of the asbestos illness epidemic. Over 40,000 Americans have already died from the effects of asbestos exposure, and numbers are escalating.

The proposed Senate bill may seem like a fair and efficient way to ensure victims receive the compensation they are entitled to, but opponents believe it is critically flawed. While bans on the use of asbestos and protection measures for workers in asbestos contaminated building sites have been in force since the mid 1970’s, the full effect of the asbestos related disease epidemic will only be felt in the decades to come. Symptoms of mesothelioma and asbestosis only manifest themselves 30 to 50 years after exposure, or perhaps even longer. The proposed bill may be sufficient to compensate victims who have already been diagnosed with the disease, and families of victims who have already died, but gives no guarantee of support to the many thousands of sufferers who will show up in the years to come. Researchers believe asbestos related illness is a health crisis which is still far from reaching its peak.

If the bill is passed, manufacturers of asbestos products will effectively be shielded from further legal claims by victims and their families.

Because mesothelioma is a newly publicized disease, many doctors may have a hard time diagnosing and treating it. However, new research is consistently providing physicians with alternate forms of therapy, and there are many intense studies into control and cure of the disease, so those diagnosed with mesothelioma do have many options and a lot of hope.

(PRWEB) November 30, 2004 — If you want to know how to beat asbestos related cancer such as mesothelioma, you may need look no further than www.1-mesothelioma.org, a new online resource with information on various types of asbestos related cancer and treatment options, including both medical and holistic treatments.

Malignant Mesothelioma is an uncommon, but no longer rare, cancer that is difficult to diagnose and poorly responsive to therapy. Malignant Mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases.

Mesothelioma was recognized as a tumor of the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium in the late 1700’s. However it was not until much later, in 1960, that this particular type of tumor was described in more detail and even more importantly, its association with asbestos exposure was recognized.

Asbestos deaths in the United States have skyrocketed since the late 1960s and will probably keep on climbing through the next decade because of long-ago exposure to the material, once widely used for insulation and fireproofing, according to the CDC.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 1,493 people died from asbestos in 2000, compared with 77 in 1968.

Asbestos can take up to 40 years to kill. Asbestos use in buildings increased substantially after World War II and peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Because asbestos-related illnesses are slow in developing — it can take up to 40 years between the time someone is exposed to the material and dies from it — asbestos deaths will probably increase through the next decade, said Michael Attfield, a CDC epidemiologist.

For decades, pharmaceutical companies have developed new drugs to help treat the symptoms of diseases such as cancer and AIDS. What about the holistic and natural options? 1-mesothelioma.org explores both.

1-mesothelioma.org is operated by a group of volunteers with various holistic and healing backgrounds including reiki, yoga, meditation, and massage.

Mesothelioma-Treatment.net Offers Great Resources And Information For Those Researching Asbestos Cancers.

(PRWEB) December 1, 2004 — Mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor which involves the malignant cancerous cells of an organ, usually the lungs or abdominal organs.

The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. The pleura is a thin membrane found between the lungs and the chest cavity. It provides a lubricated surface so that the lungs do not chafe against the chest walls. Thus, a pleural mesothelioma is often referred to as a “lung” cancer. Mesothelioma is a very serious disease and patients and their families should have the support and resources they need to better deal with their diagnosis.

Traditional treatment includes surgery to remove the tumor or to alleviate pain. If the cancer is contained, then surgery can be used to remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen. Injuries attributed to asbestos may have an very long latency period between exposure to asbestos and the onset of the injury or disease. For mesotheliomas, the latency period is between 15 and 50 years, or more.

That means that a person could have been exposed to asbestos 50 years ago, and develop mesothelioma today. The average mesothelioma latency period is approximately 35 - 40 years. Occupational exposure to asbestos over the past fifty years in the United States is calculated to have occurred in approximately eight million people.

Mesothelioma-Treatment.net is a resource site with the sole purpose of placing as many mesothelioma-related resources on one site as possible for ease of access for those affected or researching this disease.

For more information please visit the web site at http://www.Mesothelioma-Treatment.net

Mesothelioma attorneys negotiate high settlement for 78 year-old man in multi-defendant lawsuit.

Austin, Texas (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) December 22, 2004 — HendlerLaw of Austin, TX and Bilbrey & Hylla of Edwardsville, IL, recently negotiated settlements for mesothelioma victim Luke Lindau, a 78-year old Arlington Heights, IL man, totaling nearly $4 million (03-L-1913, Circuit Court, Madison County, IL). Mesothelioma is the incurable, deadly and extremely painful cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The expected survival rate for people diagnosed with mesothelioma is normally eight to twelve months.

Mr. Lindau, who is married, was exposed to large amounts of asbestos while working as a union painter and doing home remodeling work. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in October 2002. His lawsuit, which was filed a year ago in Madison County Circuit Court, recently came close to going to trial. Although Lindau was looking forward to telling his story in court, he and his counsel agreed that the settlement was the best course of action. “We believed that the defendants’ outrageous efforts to delay this trial would only hurt Mr. Lindau,” said Mike Bilbrey of Bilbrey & Hylla. “Our client’s interests were paramount in our decision to settle.”

Approximately 10 defendants, including Georgia-Pacific and Bondex paid a total of $3.25 million with additional compensation expected to be recovered from defendants who are establishing trust funds to compensate asbestos victims.

Mr. Lindau has already exceeded the life expectancy for a person diagnosed with mesothelioma. Considering his age the settlement value is exceptional. “The overall recovery from all defendants, including individual trust funds established by defendants that sought bankruptcy protection but are still viable and profitable businesses, is a reflection of the merit with which the defendants viewed Mr. Lindau’s claims against them and the trial team that represented him,” explained Scott Hendler of HendlerLaw.

For more information about the Mesothelioma attorneys at HendlerLaw and Bilbrey & Hylla, please visit www.HendlerLaw.com and www.BilbreyHyllaLaw.com. For more information about mesothelioma, please visit www.mesotheliomaadvice.org.

For more information, contact:
Amy Krakow
212.699.9024

The Mesothelioma Network discusses mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment, clinical trials, and medical breakthroughs. It also includes a medical glossary, lists of support groups and medical centers, legal information, and the latest news about mesothelioma.

Novato, CA (PRWEB) March 12, 2005 — A leading litigator for asbestos victims, Brayton Purcell, recently created the Mesothelioma Network to provide mesothelioma patients and their families with the support, information, and understanding that they deserve. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. At this time, the disease cannot be cured, although some treatments may decrease pain, increase survival, or promote a better quality of life.

Located at http://www.mesotheliomasite.com , the Mesothelioma Network web site discusses mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment, clinical trials, and medical breakthroughs. It includes useful resources such as lists of physicians and medical centers that treat the disease. Because a diagnosis of mesothelioma can be so devastating, the site also contains a list of support groups for patients and their loved ones.

The Mesothelioma Network will be continually updated to provide the latest legal, legislative, and medical news concerning mesothelioma. It also includes a medical glossary and related web links for research purposes.

About Brayton Purcell
For over 20 years, Brayton Purcell has helped clients protect their legal rights in the face of devastating losses such as illness, injuries, and harm to family members. The law firm enjoys a national reputation for the high quality of its personal injury and product liability work, particularly in the area of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related cancers. For more information, call 415-898-1555 or visit our firm web site at http://www.braytonlaw.com. For details about asbestos exposure, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases, see our specialty web sites, Asbestos Network at http://www.asbestosnetwork.com, and Mesothelioma Network at http://www.mesotheliomasite.com

A Seattle jury delivered a $242,500 verdict in favor of Ernest Coulter, a 75–year old Port Hadlock paper mill worker with asbestosis, and his wife, LeRose.

King County, WA (PRWEB) April 8, 2005 — A Seattle jury delivered a $242,500 verdict in favor of Ernest Coulter, a 75–year old Port Hadlock paper mill worker with asbestosis, and his wife, LeRose (Ernest Coulter and Lerose Coulter v. ACandS, Inc. et al., 2005, Case No. 01–2–34675–0SEA, King County Superior Court, WA). Caused by exposure to asbestos, asbestosis is an illness that scars and damages the lungs. Mr. Coulter was diagnosed with the disease in June 2000.

Mr. Coulter worked at the paper mill of Crown Zellerbach, also known as Port Townsend Paper Co., in Port Townsend, WA from 1946 through 1992. During this time, he was exposed to various asbestos dryer felts. Among his many duties, Mr. Coulter assisted with the changing of dryer felts on paper machines.

Asten Johnson manufactured and distributed asbestos–containing dryer felts, which were used inside large paper machines during the paper–making process. The dryer felts were made from woven asbestos yarn. Today, dryer felts are made with new synthetic yarns and fabrics, rather than with asbestos yarn. Huge rolls of felts are run through paper machines daily.

Dryer felt machine records showed that Port Townsend Paper used Asten asbestos dryer felts during the years that Mr. Coulter worked there. Mr. Coulter’s counsel showed that the felts contained asbestos, and that Mr. Coulter’s work with the felts was a substantial factor in causing his asbestosis. The jury rejected the defendant’s claims that the felts did not release asbestos into the air, that they did not degrade, and that any released asbestos was washed away.

Mr. Coulter was represented by Gilbert L. Purcell of the Novato, California office of Brayton Purcell, and by Zachary Herschensohn of the law firm’s Portland, Oregon office.

About Brayton Purcell
For over 20 years, Brayton Purcell has helped clients protect their legal rights in the face of devastating losses such as illness, injuries, and harm to family members. The law firm enjoys a national reputation for the high quality of its personal injury and product liability work, particularly in the area of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases.

For more information, call 415-898-1555 or visit our firm web site at http://www.braytonlaw.com. For legal, legislative and medical news about asbestosis and mesothelioma, see our specialty web sites, Asbestos Network at http://www.asbestosnetwork.com and Mesothelioma Network at http://www.mesotheliomasite.com

A nutritional supplement is being tested in a clinical study as an adjuvant therapy to determine if it can enhance survival and quality of life in patients with advanced and metastatic cancers. Early results demonstrate that Lipoic Acid Palladium Complex (LAPd) does prolong cancer remissions.

(PRWEB) May 25, 2005 — A nutritional supplement reported to provide some cancer patients with better quality of life and, in some cases, prolonged remissions is undergoing its first clinical trial as an adjuvant therapy for cancer. This supplement, Lipoic Acid Palladium Complex (LAPd), was created by Dr. Merrill Garnett, a chemist who spent over 20 years in search of a non-toxic form of chemotherapy that could be used to support more orthodox treatments. His search led to the creation of a proprietary blend of lipoic acid, palladium, vitamins B1, B2 and B12, and specific trace minerals and amino acids. Over the last several years a growing number of cancer patients, many with advanced and metastatic disease have used it as a nutritional supplement. Many claim that they have derived a benefit. Today, LAPd, under the brand name Poly-MVA (stands for “Poly Minerals, Vitamins, and Amino Acids”), is undergoing evaluation as an adjuvant therapy for cancer in a clinical study by James W. Forsythe M.D., H.M.D. Early results suggest that, in combination with chemotherapy, it does provide patients with grade IV and metastatic cancers with a remission advantage.

Dr. Forsythe explained, “After nine months we had accrued 106 patients and the overall response rate was 77% which means that a little over three-quarters of the patients had either a complete response (all the cancer had disappeared) or a partial response (50% or more of the cancer had disappeared). My conclusion thus far is that Lipoic Acid Palladium Complex is a safe and efficacious adjuvant to either add to chemo or to administer to patients who do not want any further chemo or who have been through all the chemotherapy that is reasonably effective.”

Mark Olsztyn was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor called oligodendroglioma grade IV in March of 1997 when he was 32 years old. This type of tumor is invariably fatal. Mr. Olsztyn used orthodox treatments (surgery, radiation therapy, and some chemotherapy), but these treatments are generally palliative (focused on symptom management). To enhance his chances of survival, Mr. Olsztyn began taking Poly-MVA immediately after his surgery and has been taking it every day for the last eight years. During this time, he has not had the tumor recur. Mr. Olsztyn believes that LAPd has played a role in his exceptional remission. “Orthodox treatments alone with my type of cancer are scarcely ever successful and I was told if I stopped chemo that I would die. Well, I stopped chemo over seven years ago and I’m still here. Doctors now tell me to keep on doing whatever it is that I’m doing because it seems to be working,” Mr. Olsztyn explained.

Dr. Antonawich an Associate Professor of Neurology at State University of New York at Stony Brook and Chairperson and Associate Professor of Biology at Saint Josephs College, New York completed some of the first safety studies on LAPd and is now studying the biological mechanisms of what this molecule does to cancer cells. He believes that LAPd kills cancer cells and leaves healthy cells alone because it’s action depends on the oxygen consumption of the tissue and cancer cells have low oxygen. “When Lipoic Acid Palladium Complex is introduced into cells that do not have sufficient oxygen, electrons are being added but these electrons will get backed-up and generate free radicals. These free radicals will in turn initiate apoptosis. In healthy cells the electrons will be grabbed by oxygen creating water molecules so free radicals are not created,” Dr. Antonawich explained.

More information:
· To read the full story http://www.cancermonthly.com
· To subscribe to CancerWire http://www.cancermonthly.com/cancerwire.asp
· To enroll in Dr. Forsythe’s study, his clinic may be reached at 775-827-3533 or 775-827-0707.
· To Purchase Poly-MVA http://www.polymva.net/
· For more information about immune boosting products in cancer http://www.cancermonthly.com/immune.asp
· For more information about clinics that treat cancer http://www.cancermonthly.com/clinics.asp
· For more information about financial support for cancer patients http://www.cancermonthly.com/financial.asp
· For more information about important tests before you start chemotherapy http://www.cancermonthly.com/chemotherapy.asp
· For more information about legal options for mesothelioma patients http://www.gpwlaw.com/cm/

Of course, none of this information in CancerWire is a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment and you should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to an existing treatment. No information contained in Cancer Monthly or CancerWire including the information above, should be used to diagnose, treat cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor.

A court battle over silicosis shines a harsh light on mass medical screeners—the same people whose diagnoses have cost asbestos defendants billions.

Read More : Diagnosing for Dollars

Mesothelioma is a rare, but devastating cancer diagnosed in approximately 3,000 people each year in the U.S., mostly in men. Researchers now have encouraging news that a combination of surgery and radiation treatment is extending some patient’s lives.

Countless U.S. workers were exposed to asbestos before it was banned in the early 1980s. Two years ago, when his doctors suspected he developed Mesothelioma as a result of being exposed to asbestos, John Ross and his wife Dorothy weren’t given many treatment options.

Read More: Health Watch: Battling Mesothelioma

AUSTRALIAN researchers have developed a world-first blood test which could help in the early detection of mesothelioma, a deadly asbestos-related cancer of the lung lining.

About 700 people every year are diagnosed with the disease in Australia, which has the highest reported incidence in the world.

It can take up to 30 years for symptoms of the condition to develop so most sufferers are identified at an advanced stage and die within a year.

The non-invasive blood test developed by University of Western Australia Professor Bruce Robinson and a team of researchers is a breakthrough in the early detection of mesothelioma.

Under existing arrangements, diagnosis is a long process which includes blood tests, chest x-rays, CT scans, drainage and laboratory analysis of the pleural fluid to help differentiate mesothelioma from other similar conditions.

The new blood test, named MESOMARK, was originally developed for cervical cancer at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute in the US, but Professor Robinson has adapted it for testing mesothelioma.

Dr Nick Pavlakis, a leading mesothelioma researcher in Sydney, said the blood test would be a valuable diagnostic aid for doctors.

“The test is a breakthrough because it’s a simple blood test, it could therefore be applied to patients who are at risk, those who have a history of exposure or symptoms of the disease,” he said.

The blood test measures the amount of protein in the blood, and a patient who returned a low reading would register a negative result.

But if the patient returned a high reading they would be sent for a second test to confirm the result.

Read More: Mesothelioma test

A rare form of cancer that is mainly caused by asbestos exposure, mesothelioma affects the linings of the internal organs. It is a spread out and bulky type of cancer, which makes treatment difficult through traditional measures such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. To date, mesothelioma cancer has a 100% mortality rate, and researchers and physicians are striving to find new treatments to prolong and enhance the lives of those who are living with the disease.

Photodynamic therapy is a new approach to treating mesothelioma cancer and is based on using light to kill the cancer cells. In photodynamic therapy, a drug is first administered intravenously that targets and renders the cancerous cells more sensitive in a number of days. The drug is easily eliminated by normal cells, ensuring that they will not be harmed when light therapy is given. After the cells have been given the proper time of exposure to the drug, a special frequency of light laser beams are directed towards the mesothelioma cancer with the intent to eradicate it from the body without having to use more invasive methods. Although there are occasional cases of eye sensitivity and nausea and/or vomiting, the main side effect of photodynamic therapy is skin sensitivity after the procedure is completed.

Gene therapy is a highly scientific way that physicians are potentially able to rid the body of mesothelioma cancer. The basic premise of gene therapy is to add normal genes to the body, replace the existing abnormal genes, and to effectively turn the gene in the body that is causing the cancer on or off. This is possible through the use of a molecule called a ?vector,? which carries the desired genes to the affected area of the body. Gene therapy has the potential to render cancer ineffective, or to produce significant symptomatic relief. Gene therapy is still mostly in the research and trial phases, but is believed by many researchers to be a viable alternative in the battle against many different forms of cancer.

Immunotherapy is usually used in conjunction with other forms of traditional therapy, and uses the body?s own immune system to help fight off the mesothelioma cancer. It can either be achieved by stimulating and strengthening the existing immune response, or by delivering man-made immunity proteins into the body. Immunotherapy works by repairing, stimulating, or enhancing the inherent anti-cancer immunity response of the body, and can often result in more energy and less depressive symptoms.

Alternative treatments are usually still not accepted by traditional Western medicine, and may include modalities such as acupuncture, Eastern philosophical treatments, homeopathy, and other more ?natural? approaches. The benefit to adopting one or more of these practices is that very few of them cause any unwanted side effects. However, they are not medically accepted as treatment for mesothelioma cancer, but can be used in conjunction with protocols such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Most alternative, sometimes called complementary, therapies focus on treating the whole person and not just the disease, which means that a patient may ?feel? better using alternative treatments, while traditional medicine is helping to make their body more healthy. Alternative treatments should only be used with the input of a regular physician.

Source: http://www.mesohelp.net

Your way to helping create and fund a $30 million per year federal program that will save the lives of thousands of mesothelioma cancer victims and it won’t cost you a dime.

Learn how you can help save the lives of thousands of people across America and help find a cure for mesothelioma cancer once and for all. (PRWEB)

RAGLAND - From 1976 to 1982, Wade Riggs worked hunched over a lathe in a cloud of dust, milling the ends of cement asbestos pipe.

Almost three decades after he was first exposed to asbestos, Riggs has inoperable lung cancer and is unable to work. He coughs up blood and has little appetite; his right leg is numb.

Riggs, 53, blames his former employer, Cement Asbestos Pipe Co., which shut down in 1982. Riggs and other former Capco workers say they were never told their daily exposure to asbestos could scar the lungs, leading to debilitating breathing problems and dramatically increasing chances of contracting lung cancer or mesothelioma, a deadly cancer whose only known cause is asbestos exposure.

Read More: Many from closed Ragland factory got mesothelioma

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who were exposed to asbestos through a family member who worked with the material appear to run the risk of developing the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma many years later, a new study suggests.

The study, based on a survey of law firms involved in asbestos claims, found 32 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed since 1990 among family members of workers exposed to asbestos. Wives and daughters were most often affected, with the lag time between asbestos exposure and cancer development topping 40 years in most cases.

Read More: Cancer seen in family members of asbestos workers

Mirg.org - Mesothelioma Information and Resource Group on the
MIRG provides information on the symptoms and diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma treatments plus your legal rights.

MARF - Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, Inc.
MARF - Our Mission is to eradicate mesothelioma as a life-ending disease.

Mesothelioma Web - Resources for Mesothelioma Patients
Information about mesothelioma treatments, clinical trials, specialists, and asbestos disease, provided by a Houston, Texas law firm.