Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma has killed thousands of Americans, and the number of individuals being diagnosed with the disease is only expected to grow in coming years. This fatal cancer has no cure, and once it is diagnosed in a patient, his or her life expectancy is alarmingly short - between 12 and 18 months.  The mesothelioma lawyers at Fitts Zehl LLP have witnessed the damage and pain that mesothelioma can cause and our devoted to helping victims and their loved ones obtain both the maximum recovery and best medical treatment possible.

Asbestos Exposure Causes Mesothelioma
The only confirmed cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, a group of minerals that was widely used in the U.S. from the 1930s through the 1970s. The list of products that contained (and still contain) asbestos in one form or another is extensive and includes:

• construction materials
• automotive parts
• ship components
• insulation products

Asbestos is composed of millions of microscopic fibers that become airborne when an asbestos product is mined, milled, processed, installed, removed or becomes old and deteriorated. The clouds of asbestos fibers are often not visible; they may even settle on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers, traveling home to provide toxic asbestos exposure to spouses and children.

Millions of other people are exposed to asbestos in the very buildings in which they’ve grown up - homes, schools, office buildings, libraries, playgrounds, theaters, and other public buildings. Decades spent in environments that contain asbestos can cause mesothelioma; in fact, schoolteachers have a higher-than-average rate of mesothelioma, which appears to be a result of years spent in classrooms with asbestos ceiling tiles.

Mesothelioma Symptoms
The latency for mesothelioma’s onset is very long - usually lasting between 30 to 40 years after exposure. Because mesothelioma is a subtle disease, it is usually extremely advanced by the time the symptoms appear and are correctly diagnosed (which is often not an easy matter). Individuals who have any of the following symptoms and any possible prior contact with high-level asbestos should seek medical attention:

• a mass in the abdomen
• abdominal pain and/or swelling
• anemia, fatigue
• chest wall pain, or pain under the rib cage
• pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lung)
• shortness of breath
• weight loss
• wheezing, cough, and/or hoarseness

While there is no cure for mesothelioma, surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are used to stop the progression of the disease, and there are palliative treatments available to help alleviate a patient’s suffering.

Diagnosed with Mesothelioma?
Contact the mesothelioma and asbestosis attorneys at Fitts Zehl to learn more about mesothelioma and the rights of those who have been diagnosed with this deadly disease. Our experienced personal injury attorneys are highly skilled, knowledgeable and aggressive litigators who can help you recover the maximum compensation in and out of courtrooms in Texas and across the country.

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