Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-Related Illnesses

Asbestos is a mineral fiber naturally occurring in rock and soil. Because of its strength and its heat resistance, manufacturers use it in many construction materials. Companies also use it in many household products. But asbestos can cause serious illness if you inhale or somehow ingest its dust and fibers.

For years, it was customary for contractors to use asbestos-containing products such as roofing shingles and cement. However, in 1978, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the use of asbestos in public structures. Unfortunately, the government didn’t restrict the use of asbestos in consumer goods.

Asbestos exposure causes severe illnesses, such as cancer. Experts have linked a particular type of cancer called mesothelioma to asbestos as well. In this section, you’ll learn why asbestos exposure is harmful and the types of illnesses it can cause.

This section also explains what to do if you come into contact with asbestos and the symptoms and treatment for asbestos-related illnesses.

If you believe that asbestos fibers or dust caused your asbestos-related injuries, contact a personal injury lawyer immediately. Your attorney can help prove that asbestos is the cause of mesothelioma or other disease you are living with. You are also at risk of mesothelioma if someone in your household has been exposed to asbestos.

What Products Contain Asbestos?

You likely won’t encounter asbestos in nature since companies must mine it before use. It is one of those carcinogenic elements that is hard to detect.

While manufacturers and builders primarily use asbestos as insulation and fire retardant in buildings and homes, it’s also in many consumer and household goods.

Since manufacturers typically fuse asbestos into finished products, you may not recognize asbestos when you encounter it. The CDC and other agencies have confirmed that asbestos may be lurking in many products, including:

• Vinyl floor and ceiling tiles
• Gaskets
• Disk brake pads and other car parts
• Transmission parts
• Steel coatings
• Steam and hot water pipes
• Paint and spackling compounds
• Paper products
• Talc products
• Pipeline wrapping
• Roofing felt and roof coatings
• Cement shingles and other cement products
• Fireproofing products

This list isn’t exhaustive. Numerous products and materials are no longer allowed to contain asbestos. You can find a detailed list of these products on the EPA’s Federal Bans on Asbestos page.

One of the best ways to avoid lung disease and other illnesses caused by asbestos is to avoid asbestos-containing products.

Different Types of Asbestos

Investigating contents is one way to determine if a product contains asbestos. There are several types of asbestos. The EPA, Department of Health, National Cancer Institute, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and other agencies have determined that almost all types of asbestos can be harmful.

Common types of asbestos include:

• Crocidolite
• Anthophyllite
• Vermiculite
• Actinolite
• Tremolite
• Chrysotile asbestos
• Amosite

Even if a product contains low levels of asbestos, it can pose a risk of exposure. You must avoid any products or buildings that still have asbestos in them. This includes everything from roof shingles and asbestos cement to asbestos insulation.

If you aren’t sure what to do, contact a company that specializes in the removal of asbestos. There are dozens of asbestos abatement companies near you that can come out and test your property.

Why Is Asbestos Dangerous?

Because of its fibrous nature, asbestos produces dust that, when inhaled, becomes deposited in the lungs. This can cause or contribute to developing severe, life-threatening illnesses. These include asbestosis, a fibrous scarring of the lungs, and mesothelioma, a malignant form of cancer in the lining of the lungs (pleura), chest lining, or abdominal cavities.

These illnesses generally result from repeated and long-term exposure. Typically, a one-time exposure is seldom a concern. People can come into contact with asbestos in different ways. For example, you may have harmful products in your home that contain asbestos. Or, you may live in an older home with building materials containing asbestos.

One of the reasons asbestos exposure is so dangerous is that you don’t know when it’s happening. You can’t see asbestos. It doesn’t have a familiar smell. By the time you realize you’re sick, you may already have a terminal illness.

What Does Asbestos Do to the Human Body?

Asbestos causes significant health problems when people inhale airborne fibers. These fibers can settle in the lungs and neighboring tissue before spreading to other parts of the body. Over time, these fibers can scar lung tissue and cause cells in the lungs and surrounding areas to become cancerous.

Patients may first begin to notice a problem 20 to 50 years after being exposed to asbestos, leaving them unaware of their condition until symptoms become noticeable. Because of this time-lapse issue, many states allow people to file lawsuits within a specific time after discovering their injury.

Asbestos exposure and cancer risk can happen over a long period. By the time your healthcare provider runs the necessary tests to check for asbestos-related illnesses, it may be too late to make a full recovery.

Some of the tests your doctors will conduct include:

• Chest x-ray
• CT scan
• Lung function tests

Depending on the results of these tests, you may need to initiate treatment immediately.

Many Workers Are at Risk of Asbestos Exposure

Many workers face health hazards from asbestos dust. This dust gets into the workers’ lung tissue and can cause many health issues. Even today, many employees become sick with either malignant mesothelioma or other lung diseases.

Some of the occupations that have a higher risk of asbestos exposure include:

• Shipyard and shipbuilding workers
• Asbestos mining and milling
• Manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products
• Insulation work in the construction and building trades
• Brake repair workers
• Demolition workers
• Drywall removers
• Firefighters

People whose work involves contact with asbestos — workers who renovate buildings with asbestos in them, for example — may inhale fibers in the air. OSHA deems this occupational exposure and has implemented many rules and regulations to address this issue. Sadly, thousands of people still get sick every year.

Other Groups With a Heightened Risk of Exposure

It isn’t only the people who work around asbestos who are at risk. The EPA has confirmed that workers’ family members may inhale asbestos fibers released by clothes that came in contact with asbestos-containing materials. They may suffer from secondhand exposure. This is called para-occupational exposure.

People who live or work near asbestos-related operations might inhale asbestos fibers released into the air by such processes. This is called neighborhood exposure.

The amount of asbestos to which someone is exposed will vary, according to:

• The concentration of fibers in the air
• The duration of exposure
• The person’s breathing rate (workers doing manual labor breathe faster)
• Weather conditions
• Any protective devices the person might be wearing

The risk to workers increases with heavier exposure and longer exposure time. However, investigators have found that asbestos-related diseases in individuals with only brief exposures also rise over time.

Lung Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Lung cancer is the most common asbestos-related illness. More patients develop lung cancer than any other asbestos-related illness. Lung cancer is also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Common asbestos exposure symptoms that may indicate lung cancer include the following:

• Coughing
• Chronic cough (also called “smoker’s cough”)
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Unexplained weight loss
• Bone pain
• Headache

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer

There are many risk factors for lung cancer. Chief among these is smoking, the leading cause of lung cancer. Patients who work or live near asbestos and smoke are far more likely to develop lung cancer than patients who don’t smoke.

Other lung cancer risk factors include the following:

• Second-hand smoke
• Exposure to certain gases and chemicals
• Family history of lung cancer
• Working with carcinogens

If you already have an increased risk of lung cancer, you need to be vigilant about seeing your doctor. Have the necessary tests run every two or three years to ensure you aren’t sick. As illnesses like lung cancer progresses, it becomes harder to treat.

Lung Cancer Treatment Options

Patients diagnosed with lung cancer have limited treatment options. Surgery can remove cancerous tissue, while chemotherapy and radiation treatment can kill cancer cells. There are also several drugs available that can prevent the growth or spread of cancer.

Even with treatment, however, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 23%. Studies show that the death rate for lung cancer has decreased by 5% each year between 2014 and 2020. The hope is that this number will continue to go down.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the thin layer of tissue surrounding the internal organs. It is an aggressive cancer and highly lethal. Only around 10% of mesothelioma patients survive for more than five years after being diagnosed. The average survival time following diagnosis is one year.

However, since symptoms typically don’t show up for a long time after exposure to asbestos, illnesses such as mesothelioma are rarely detected early.

Patients can develop one of four types of mesothelioma:

• Pleural Mesothelioma (Lungs)
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma (Abdomen)
• Pericardial Mesothelioma (Heart)
• Mesothelioma of the Tunic Vaginalis (Testicular)

Mesothelioma Symptoms

If you’ve been exposed to asbestos, it’s essential to recognize the symptoms of mesothelioma. The best hope for effectively treating this aggressive disease is to get a mesothelioma diagnosis early. Even then, a cure isn’t possible for most people.

Some of the warning signs that you may have mesothelioma include the following symptoms, which are similar to those of other pulmonary illnesses:

• Persistent cough
• Dry cough
• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing and shortness of breath
• Abdominal pain
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Abdominal bloating and lumps
• Lumps in other affected areas
• Swelling
• Loss of appetite

Because these symptoms are similar to the flu, many people don’t go to the doctor. But each day can make a difference in your treatment plan. If you notice any of these symptoms and know that you have come into contact with asbestos, see a healthcare provider immediately.

Mesothelioma Treatment

Unfortunately, most oncologists don’t diagnose their mesothelioma patients until their illness has advanced. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period.

Most doctors recommend palliative care, which can help relieve the patient’s pain and improve quality of life. Palliative care may also consist of:

• Immunotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Surgery

There is no cure for mesothelioma. Doctors can only help with pain management and try to extend patients’ lives as long as possible.

The last thing you’ll want to spend your time doing is fighting with an insurance company or dealing with a lawsuit. This is why it may be a good idea to hire a mesothelioma lawyer to handle the legal side of things. This leaves more time and energy for you to focus on your treatment.

Other Forms of Cancer

Asbestos exposure causes other types of cancer, in addition to lung cancer and mesothelioma. However, these types of cancer are much less common. For example, some patients develop ovarian or laryngeal cancer.

Asbestosis

When most people learn that someone they love is sick from asbestos exposure, they automatically assume they have asbestosis. Asbestosis is a form of pneumoconiosis. It involves the scarring of lung tissue, often causing shortness of breath and other lung-related problems.

Patients with asbestosis may also experience the following:

• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Weight loss

They may also experience the symptoms described above for lung cancer and mesothelioma.

How Do I Know Asbestos Caused My Illness?

It can be challenging to prove that asbestos caused your illness. Since it can take so long to develop asbestos-related diseases, it is nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact cause. That is why you should visit a specialist.

Doctors specializing in these diseases know what blood tests and imaging tests to run to diagnose your illness. They are also familiar with the latest treatment options and can also help your personal injury lawyer prove that asbestos exposure caused your disease.

If you became sick after working with or living near asbestos, contact an attorney immediately.

Compensation for an Asbestos-Related Illness

Damages in mesothelioma cases are typically pretty high. Many of these cases turn into wrongful death lawsuits. If your loved one or family member passes away from their illness before you file your claim, this will be your only option. Depending on the circumstances, there have been trust funds set up to help cover damages in mesothelioma claims.

In many types of mesothelioma lawsuits, the plaintiff’s injuries entitle them to collect the following damages:

• Medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Lost future income
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Burial and funeral expenses
• Punitive damages

Keep in mind, it’s rare for a judge to award punitive damages in a mesothelioma lawsuit. Your attorney would have to prove that the defendant acted intentionally or recklessly. That is difficult to do when dealing with a product liability case. Your lawyer will have difficulty proving that the judge should punish the product manufacturer for their behavior in most asbestos claims.

Many effects of toxic asbestos exposure are permanent and irreversible. Although the law seeks to place an injured person in the position they were in before an injury, this is usually not possible with asbestos-related injuries. Instead, plaintiffs can seek economic compensation.

Protect Your Rights: Contact an Asbestos Attorney Today

Lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestos are complex diseases to treat. Patients are usually diagnosed in the later stages of their condition and start treatment in the late stages of the disease. Unfortunately, you don’t have a lot of time to pursue your claim.

If you were exposed to asbestos or have reason to believe you may be at risk, it’s wise to explore your legal options. Contact an attorney with experience working on asbestosis and mesothelioma cases to learn how to protect your legal rights.

An attorney can review your case and recommend next steps. They can handle the legal side while you focus on getting the necessary treatment. Make sure you speak with an attorney before the statute of limitations period expires. If you miss this filing deadline, you’ll likely lose the opportunity to recover damages.

FindLaw’s directory of personal injury attorneys can connect you with qualified legal advisors in your area. Select your state or city to review contact and ratings information for local experts. Your search results will also link you to additional details about the attorneys’ experience with asbestos litigation.