A person diagnosed with mesothelioma can survive this cancer if it is detected and treated in its early stages. Due to the long latency of the disease, mesothelioma may not even show symptoms until 10 to 20 years after the initial exposure to asbestos, according to the British Journal of Cancer. Asbestos is a carcinogen that accounts for the majority of mesothelioma cases, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma recently, there are legal options available to you to pinpoint a claim against those at fault for the asbestos exposure. Instead of asking if anyone survives mesothelioma, consider reviewing your employment history to question whether a job site exposed you to asbestos and whether you have any symptoms of mesothelioma. This way, you can seek a diagnosis earlier.
Understanding Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to fully comprehend. At its basic definition, it is a lung cancer that can seriously damage the thin tissue layer surrounding the internal organs of a person. Without early detection and treatment, mesothelioma can spread and impact the heart, the abdomen and even the groin and testicles, according to StatPearls.
How would someone know they have mesothelioma? That’s the difficult part. Symptoms are not immediately apparent, and a person may just shrug off any persistent cough or spitting up phlegm as a seasonal flu-type bug, not of something more serious like mesothelioma.
Getting Mesothelioma
How a person contracts the cancer of mesothelioma can be through one of many ways. Most evidence points to a person contracting the cancer through the inhalation of asbestos fibers into the airways and into a person’s lungs.
Asbestos fibers are tiny minerals found in the production of commercial goods. Products containing asbestos were used widely for years in insulation and roofing materials, and also in fire-retardant products, as asbestos works well to resist fire, heat, and chemicals.
Many workers in the factories that produced these products were exposed to asbestos over the years. That is why workers who were exposed to asbestos fibers in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s were getting symptoms in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
When asking whether anyone survives mesothelioma, the time of diagnosis is key. If mesothelioma is found at an early stage and is treated appropriately, the person can expect to live longer in a reasonably healthy fashion.
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Cancer Stages
Medical experts usually identify the stages of cancer growth to determine how fast a particular cancer might spread throughout a person’s body, according to the National Cancer Institute. If mesothelioma is caught in stage 1 or 2, then there are often more treatment options available to the patient. But if a cancer diagnosis comes in the latter stages 3 and 4, the chances for any adequate treatment start to diminish.
Unfortunately, the major symptoms of mesothelioma rarely start to appear in the early stages. Doctors may accidentally find out that a person has a cancer within by using a biopsy or an x-ray, but it is often found more commonly during stages 3 and 4.
During the 3rd stage, a person may start to feel more pressure in the chest and lungs, as the cancer spreads into the lungs. This is when serious outbreaks of coughing and difficulty breathing symptoms are seen more frequently.
The 4th and last cancer stage is often too late for any proper treatment to help a person recover from asbestos exposure. It’s too late at this point, as the cancer has spread throughout the person’s body. Palliative care is often the answer during this period of mesothelioma, with treatments aimed at minimizing the pain felt by the person throughout the ordeal.
Seeking a Financial Settlement for Mesothelioma
If you worked in a factory or building with asbestos in the walls or air, and you were exposed to asbestos, which later led to a diagnosis of mesothelioma, you may want to seek financial compensation against those at fault. This is your legal right to sue as an aggrieved citizen, who fully expected a safe workplace during your time there.
In a negligence case involving mesothelioma, a plaintiff may seek a claim against the company owners, the building owners, the company insurers, company management, and even the city and state in which the building was located. These are complex, time-consuming cases, and they can take valuable time out of the healing process.
If your loved one has suffered from mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos years ago, there is a chance for a financial settlement. If you wonder whether anyone survives mesothelioma, you may be coping with the cancer due to someone else’s negligence. We can help you seek financial compensation for your suffering. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to handle your case by dialing (800) 307-3113.
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