Mesothelioma Cancer and Law

By Luke Knepper

Mesothelioma Cancer? What?

Yep, that's right. That crazy garbled word you couldn't pronounce if you tried, mesothelioma, that's a type of cancer. What is it? You can get it from exposure to asbestos, which I will talk about later. Well basically harmful cancer cells grow in the mesothelium, which is the lining that covers pretty much all of your internal organs (the ones that are key to your survival, like your heart and lungs). So, in a way, it's like termites in a house, because they appear, grow, and ultimately destroy what protects what is most valuable to you. You could also think of it as the IRS with your money.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

This is a very nasty disease to have, and you probably wouldn't want it. The most common symptom is that you'll have trouble breathing, which is called shortness of breath, because the cancer usually hurts your lungs. It develops fluid between the lungs and the chest wall, which makes it hard on your lungs. You are also going to lose weight if you have the cancer. You might also have chest pain and other abdominal pain. Other symptoms include blood clots and other blood problems. To detect it, you're gonna need either a chest x-ray or a CT scan, both which you can get from a hospital or just your normal doctor. Early diagnosis is key because it's extremely difficult to treat. They try to use techniques like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and even surgery some times, but the prognosis (chances of healing) are really low.

Mesothelioma and the Law

Why should you care about Mesothelioma cancer? Well first of all, you want to know what to do if you get it. Secondly, there's quite a bit of money involved. You can get Mesothelioma cancer from exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a type of mineral or rock that has some pretty cool properties. It's super strong, resistant to heat, and an electricity insulator. It used to be used a lot in ovens and other stuff. Now they know you can get the cancer from simple exposure to asbestos, even on someone else's clothes. There's a whole international deal with liability because in each case they try to decide who's at fault for exposure to asbestos. There is a high demand for Mesothelioma lawyers from people who are looking for compensation for their cancer. There are many lawsuits and other litigation going on around the world today, so if you're a lawyer working with Mesothelioma cancer or asbestos, you're in luck.