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The First Symptoms of Mesothelioma Dealing with a cancer of any type is a difficult process, regardless of when or how it is contracted. Mesothelioma is no different. The beginnings of this cancer usually manifest in the chest, with shortness of breath or pain in the area. If the cancer happens to form in the stomach, with is rare, then you’d start to feel the pain there. To confirm that the symptoms are in fact due to mesothelioma, the doctors begin to look at x-rays and CAT scans and, generally speaking, a biopsy of the lining of the lung is necessary to make a definitive diagnosis.   I Haven’t Been Around Asbestos For Years; Why Am I Diagnosed Now? One of the most difficult parts of this disease is that it seems to creep up on you. It’s usually an absolute shock to the families when a diagnosis is made. Mesothelioma is actually a very rare cancer but, unfortunately, it’s not so rare for those that have worked in industrial facilities. Most people who develop the disease haven’t been around asbestos for twenty, thirty or even forty years. It has what is called a long latency period. When you are […]

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