Types of Mesothelioma

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of this rare and aggressive kind of cancer. Overall, cancer survival rates have shot up since the 1990s. But mesothelioma’s five-year survival rate is under 10%. This disease’s long latency period, as well as the possibility of misdiagnosis, also contributes to the low survival rate. Many mesothelioma victims do not know they are sick for over fifty years. Furthermore, when doctors finally spot these tumors, they often misdiagnose mesothelioma as a much more common and much less aggressive form of cancer.

Because of the low survival rate, a mesothelioma diagnosis usually blindsides a victim late in life, and companies that used asbestos deliberately ignored the health risks, a nationwide mesothelioma lawyer can usually obtain substantial compensation in these cases. Furthermore, these victims usually have several legal options, such as a VA disability/workers’ compensation claim, a civil lawsuit, or a bankruptcy victim compensation fund claim.

Pleural mesothelioma is, by far, the most common kind of mesothelioma. A tumor forms in the pleural lining that surrounds the lung. These tumors are very difficult to treat, partially because of the aforementioned circumstances. Additionally, standard cancer treatments usually do not work on pleural mesothelioma tumors.

• Chemotherapy: These powerful drugs often kill fast-dividing cells, such as cancer cells. However, most mesothelioma patients cannot tolerate heavy chemotherapy doses. They are usually too physically frail since by the time cancer treatments begin, their diseases are already advanced. Instead, doctors must use lower chemotherapy doses, which usually are not effective in these cases.
• Radiation: These treatments are also much more powerful than they were before 1990. High-dose radiation usually causes too much collateral damage to the lungs and heart in these cases.
• Surgery: Since chemotherapy and radiation are ineffective, mesothelioma tumors are often too large for doctors to surgically remove. Additionally, as outlined above, many of these victims are so frail they cannot tolerate aggressive surgery. Moreover, since this cancer occurs so late in life, radical surgery doesn’t significantly prolong life or improve the quality of life.

Compensation in these cases usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. A nationwide mesothelioma lawyer can usually obtain additional punitive damages in these cases as well.

Pleural thickening is a related condition. Asbestos fibers cause inflammation in the pleural lining, making it very difficult to breathe.

Peritoneal mesothelioma tumors occur in the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen and abdominal organs).

Symptoms often do not appear until peritoneal mesothelioma tumors have spread to one or more organs inside the abdominal cavity. Large tumors are much more difficult to treat than small tumors.

Although standard treatments often are not effective, as outlined above, a combination of cytoreduction and Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy often significantly improves lifespan and the quality of life.

Cytoreduction surgery removes cancer cells in your abdomen. Your provider will remove all tumors, as well as infected parts of the peritoneum and abdominal organs where the cancer has spread.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a type of chemotherapy given after cytoreduction. The chemotherapy drugs are heated to a safe temperature and administered directly into the abdominal cavity. The heat causes the dose to be much stronger than standard chemotherapy. HIPEC kills any remaining cancer cells that may have been missed during surgery.

Pericardial mesothelioma is found in the pericardium or the lining of the heart. As with pleural mesothelioma, chemotherapy and radiation are often used in treating pericardial mesothelioma.

Another type of mesothelioma is testicular mesothelioma found in the testicles. Treatment for testicular mesothelioma is often surgery for the removal of the testicle. If needed, surgery is followed by chemotherapy for the treatment of the mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.