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Mesothelioma And Its Latency Period Mesothelioma is a rare, but extremely aggressive cancer, mainly caused by the use of asbestos products in industrial facilities. The process one goes through after being diagnosed with the disease is brutal for the whole family. It’s an often shocking diagnosis because usually the patient hasn’t been around said asbestos for several decades. The disease has a long latency period, meaning exposure may not manifest as cancer for thirty plus years. This helps explain why cases are still showing up, even after OSHA, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, regulated the asbestos industry in the early 1970’s. Here we are, decades and decades after, and we’re still seeing cases of mesothelioma due to its latency. To make things clearer, think about sunburn; you go out into the sun, stay there too long and you burn immediately. A sunburn is not a latent disease. However, if you smoke cigarettes, even if you quit, you may still develop a cancer years later. Asbestos and mesothelioma are like that. It’s not unusual for folks to be diagnosed twenty, thirty or forty years after they’ve left their jobs at the chemical plants, power houses, and industrial facilities. How Much […]

What is Mesothelioma? Over the years, I have dealt with literally hundreds of people who have had the disease mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer in the lining of the lungs and, less frequently, the lining of your stomach. When it becomes cancerous, it is extremely aggressive and debilitating.   What Should I Do If I’ve Been Diagnosed? It is important for people suffering from mesothelioma to have a close relationship with their primary care physician and hospice because they are going to need a very intense, very carefully thought out pain management plan. Unfortunately, it is invariably a fatal cancer. A pain management plan and a good rapport with the hospice nurses and your primary care physician are critically important steps to take once you’ve been diagnosed.   What Should I Expect? Mesothelioma has side effects that can be extremely painful for both the person that contracts the disease and his/her family. One of those side effects is a great loss in appetite. As a result, we see our clients suffering severe weight loss and are almost emaciated by the time the cancer has run its course. Because the disease takes such a toll on the body, you must be