0 Controversial Asbestos Settlement Heads to Court

After more than a year of bitter legal jockeying, an attempt to begin breaking the nation's biggest courthouse logjam - lawsuits surrounding asbestos - faces a critical test on courtroom. The case is complicated by any standard: millions of potential plaintiffs, dozens of lawyers, 20 defendants and more than two decades of wrangling over damages for people suffering from asbestos exposure.

The proposal to pay an estimated 100,000 asbestos-related disease sufferers or their families about $ 1 billion over the next 10 years is even more complex with stiff opposition and allegations of misconduct.

Backers and detractors will state their positions in a fairness hearing here Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Lowell Reed.

Lawyers who negotiated the deal call it a model for a faster and better way to compensate asbestos disease victims whose needs have gone unmet in court. Opponents call it inadequate and the result of collusion between the Center for Claims Resolution, a group of 20 former asbestos makers, and two law firms: Greitzer & Locks of Philadelphia and Ness, Motley, Loadholt, Richardson & Poole of Charleston, S.C.

Under the deal, consideration for damages would be given to anyone who requests it, a vastly simpler arrangement than hiring an attorney and waiting years for a case to wind its way through the justice system, said John Aldock, a lawyer for the Center for Claims Resolution.

A nationwide asbestos resolution has proven elusive. More than 100,000 cases are lined up in state and federal courts. The litigation has cost U.S. companies an estimated $ 7 billion, some $ 4 billion of it going to lawyers.

Under the settlement, average payments range from $ 5,800 for non-malignant disorders, such as labored breathing, to $ 60,000 for mesothelioma, a terminal lung cancer. The amounts are based on historical averages, proponents said, with the neediest paid first.

Only those showing symptoms get money. Victims could request additional compensation if they develop more serious illnesses. The CCR doesn't include the biggest asbestos manufacturers, and settlement plaintiffs still could sue them.

Critics argue that in most cases plaintiffs will receive a fifth of what they could win in court. Because of docket gridlock, however, most states are hearing cases filed in the late 1980s. All federal lawsuits have been on hold since 1992.

Wages, the union leader, figures that 350,000 to 400,000 of his current and former union members were exposed to potentially deadly amounts of asbestos. Many, including himself, will not be covered by the settlement because they weren't exposed for long enough periods - at least 10 years for mesothelioma and 12 years for other ailments.

Overall, more than 27 million Americans are estimated to have job-related exposure to asbestos, a natural insulator used for decades in construction, and roughly 1 million targeted by cancer. Not all of those people were exposed to products made by the companies included in the CCR, however.

There also have been questions about whether people who don't want to join the settlement "class" were adequately informed. People who wanted to be excluded, remaining free to sue CCR companies, had to inform the court by Jan. 24.


Philadelphia lawyer Ben Shein said the law firms didn't do enough to determine whether defendants could afford to pay without a settlement. The National Asbestos Victims Legal Action Organizing Committee estimates the CCR members have $ 53.6 billion in assets.


But backers said draining company assets has driven 17 former asbestos manufacturers into bankruptcy. Locks said the settlement requires insurers to pay when necessary, helping guarantee defendants solvency as cases mount.

1 Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesotheliomas in the thorax arise from either the visceral or the parietal pleura. Although uncommon they have assumed great importance in the past few years because of their increased incidence among persons with heavy exposure to asbestos. In coastal areas with shipping industries in the UNITED States and Great Britain and in Canadian and South African mining areas, up to 90% of reported mesotheliomas are asbestos-related. There is a long period of 25 to 45 years for the development of asbestos related mesothelioma and there seems to be no increased risk of mesothelioma in asbestos workers who smoke. This is in contrast to the risk of asbestos related bronchogenic carcinoma already high and is markedly magnified by smoking. Thus for asbestos workers those who are also smokers), the risk of dying of lung carcinoma far exceeds that of developing mesothelioma.


Asbestos bodies are found in increased numbers in the lungs of patients with mesothelioma and mesotheliomas can be induced readily in experimental animals by intrapleural injections of asbestos.

Malignant mesothelioma is a diffuse lesion that spreads widely in the pleural space and is usually associated with extensive pleural effusion and direct invasion of thoracic structures. The affected lung is ensheathed by a thick layer of soft gelatinous, grayish pink tumor tissue.


Microscopically malignant mesotheliomas consists of a mixture of two types of cells either one of which might predominate in an individual case. Mesothelial cells have the potential to develop as either mesenchymal stromal cells or epithelium like lining cells. The latter is the usual form of the mesothelium, an epithelium that lines the serious cavities of the body. The mesenchymal types of mesothelioma appears as a spindle cell sarcoma resembling fibrosarcoma (sarcomatoid type), whereas the papillary type consists of cuboidal, columnar or flattened cells forming a tubular and papillary structure ( epithelial type) resembling adenocarcinoma. Epithelial mesothelioma may at times be difficult to differentiate grossly and histologically from pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Special features that favor mesothelioma include the following (1) positive staining for acid mucopolysaccharide, which is inhibited by previous digestion by hyaluronidase; (2) lack of staining for carcinoembryonic antigen (CFA) and othere epithelial glycoprotein antigens, markers generally expressed by adenocarcinoma (3) strong staining for keratin proteins with accentuation of perinuclear rather than peripheral staining (4) on electron microscopy the presence of long microvilli and abundant tonofilaments but absent microvillous rootlets and lamellar bodies. The mixed type of mesothelioma contains both epithelial and sarcomatoid patterns. Cytogenetic abnormalities occur in mesotheliomas but not reactive mesothelial proliferations a diagnostically useful feature.

Clinical course

The presenting complaints are chest pain, dyspnea and as noted recurrent pleural effusions. Concurrent pulmonary asbestosis (fibrosis) is present in only 20% of patients with pleural mesothelioma. Fifty percent of those with pleural disease die within 12 months of diagnosis and few survive longer than 2 years. Aggressive therapy (extrapleural pneumonectomy, chemotherapy , radiation therapy) appears to improve this poor prognosis in some patients. The lung is invaded directly, and there is often metastatic spread to the hilar lymph nodes and, eventually , to the liver and other distant organs.

Mesotheliomas also arise in the peritoneum, pericardium, tunica vaginalis, and genital tract. Peritoneal mesotheliomas are particularly related to heavy asbestos exposure, 50% of such patients also have pulmonary fibrosis. Although in about 50% of cases the disease remains confined to the abnorminal cavity, intestinal involvement frequently leads to death from intestinal obstruction or inanition.

0 Comprehending Cancer Biopsy Intimately - Treatment

The term biopsy can be defined as a view of life and can be defined as from the Greek "bio" meaning life, and "-psy" meaning vision. A biopsy is literally a look at living tissue, and is a test for cancer detection. Any tissue or organ in the body has the capacity to be biopsied, and there are all kinds of techniques used. Some of these entail surgery, whereas others will not even entail an anesthetic. In each method, a sample of tissue is taken out from the body and studied for cancer markers, cancer cells, or unusual cell division. Each cancer has its own techniques of diagnosis, but the different types of biopsies can be grouped. Naturally, you should go to a reputed medical clinic to get this done. You can look up an online health directory to find facts.

1) Excisional biopsy. This is a surgical removal of the potential tumor growth. In this case, either an organ or lump is excised, or cut out of the body. Excisional biopsies are used for a variety of cancer diagnoses and for different reasons in each. In osteosarcoma they are used because of the growth rate of potential tumors. Surgery will always be the first alternative of biopsy in bone cancers. In lymphoma, tumors can only be examined as whole pieces to get an accurate diagnosis. Breast cancer is another cancer where some surgeons prefer surgery. This will make certain any cancer diagnosis with the most accuracy.

2) Incisional Biopsy. Here only a section of the lump is removed through surgery. This type is ubiquitously used for soft tissue cancers.

3) Endoscopic Biopsy. This is the most popular form of biopsy and is performed through a fibreoptic endoscope that is entered into the organ of disruption. The doctor looking through the endoscope can view directly any abnormal sections and cut or pinch pieces of tissue with forceps. A thoroscopy for endoscopic biopsy under general anesthesia will be used for mesothelioma, a cancer of internal organ lining. The reason for this is there is simply no other techniques to obtain a tissue sample. Meshothelioma is also very difficult to detect through other means, and so excisional biopsy is the best course for an accurate diagnosis.

4) Fine needle aspiration is the most popular form of biopsy today. Here a needle will be entered into the lump and a large number of cell tissue will be drawn through a syringe. These cells will then be stained and studied by a pathologist. In this case, a diagnosis is reached almost immediately. This kind of biopsy can even be done on hard to get at organs such as the pancreas or lungs with ultrasound guided techniques. This is the preferred choice as avoiding surgery is almost always first on the wish list of the medical professional.

There are other forms of biopsies, but these categories are the most popular and cover most of the major cancerous diseases. If a cancer is potential, a patient may endure more than one of these tests through the course of their treatment, depending on how aggressive the medical professional feels it is.


Specialist medical clinics are fitted out best to deal with this. If you want to learn more, look up some online articles on the problem. These are found without difficulty in a health directory.

0 Simple information on the disease Mesothelioma ... !

Simple information on the disease Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma (or more precisely malignant mesothelioma) is a rare form of cancer that develops from stem cells transformed into misothiliom, the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. Is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.
The most common anatomical location for developing mesothelioma is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but can also arise in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), myopericarditis in (the SAC that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis (testicular SAC that surrounds).

She has worked most people who develop mesothelioma in asbestos inhalation, or where exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. It was also noted that washing clothes for family members who have worked with asbestos increases the risk of developing mesothelioma.
Unlike lung cancer, there appears to be no link between mesothelioma and tobacco smoking, but smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-induced cancer.
I have collected some people who were exposed to asbestos damages for asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma. Compensation via asbestos funds or class action lawsuits is an important issue in the practice of law on mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and constitutional signs such as unexplained weight loss. Diagnosis was suspected with chest x-ray and CT scan, but patients must be confirmed, either with effusion cytology chapel or with biopsy (removal of suspicious tissue sample) and microscopic examination.
You can use thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera on the chest) for biopsy material, allowing the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called adhesion side), and prevent further accumulation of fluid and pressure on the lung. Despite chemotherapy with radiation therapy, surgery or in some cases, the disease also serious complications. Search for examinations for the early detection of mesothelioma continues.




Thank you for reading and we hope that you will be always in good health...

0 Signs and symptoms

Symptoms or signs of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years (or more) after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space (pleural effusion) are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

• Chest wall pain
• Pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue or anemia
• Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)

In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain
• Ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
• A mass in the abdomen
• Problems with bowel function
• Weight loss

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

• Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
• Jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
• Low blood sugar level
• Pleural effusion
• Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
• Severe ascites

A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

0 Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma (or, more precisely, malignant mesothelioma) is a rare form of cancer that develops from transformed cells originating in the mesothelium, the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.^[1]
The most common anatomical site for the development of mesothelioma is the pleura (the outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it can also arise in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), and the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart),^[2] or the tunica vaginalis (a sac that surrounds the testis).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked in jobs where they inhaled asbestos, or were exposed to asbestos dust and fibers in other ways. It has also been suggested that washing clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos increases their risk for developing mesothelioma.^[3] Unlike lung cancer, there seems to be no association between mesothelioma and tobacco smoking, but smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-induced cancers.^[4] Some people who were exposed to asbestos have collected damages for asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma. Compensation via asbestos funds or class action lawsuits is an important issue in law practices regarding mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and constitutional signs such as unexplained weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, but must be confirmed pathologically, either with serous effusion cytology or with a biopsy (removing a sample of the suspicious tissue) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to acquire biopsy material, and allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (a procedure called pleurodesis), preventing more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

0 Types of Doctors

Types of Doctors

Types of Doctors

After you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, your world will seem as if it’s full of doctors.  You’ll have an appointment with one type of doctor on one day, perhaps another the next day, and maybe even another a few days later…all in the course of perhaps a week.

While all the doctors will undoubtedly have your best interests in mind, understanding exactly what each one does can be confusing to the new cancer patient.  Here’s a list of specialists you’ll probably encounter before and after your diagnosis.

General Practitioner

This is your everyday doctor…the one you see when you have a cold or flu or when you’ve sprained your ankle.  He or she will most likely be the first person you turn to for answers about any symptoms you might be experiencing.  Your general practitioner will ask questions about your medical history, gauge your workplace exposure to asbestos, examine your symptoms, and do an overall preliminary check-up.  If he/she suspects cancer, you will be referred to the next doctor.

Oncologist

An oncologist is a cancer specialist.  This doctor will go a few steps further to determine an accurate diagnosis.  He may suggest CT scans, MRIs, or conventional x-rays, will probably test pulmonary function, or may order a biopsy.  When tests are completed, if cancer is confirmed, it is the oncologist who will determine the next step.  If he believes the cancer is operable, you will be referred to a surgeon.  If not, the oncologist will suggest chemotherapy, radiation, or some alternative form of treatment.  The oncologist provides ongoing follow-up care throughout the treatment process, suggesting new courses of action when appropriate.

Radiologist

Radiologists are in charge of administering x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans.  If your oncologist prescribes radiation therapy as part of your course of treatment, a radiologist will administer this treatment as well.

Pulmonary Therapist

A pulmonary therapist is a lung specialist who monitors the effects of mesothelioma on the patient’s respiratory system.  Because breathing can become quite difficult as mesothelioma progresses, the pulmonary therapist will provide treatments and devices to ease your breathing and make you more comfortable.  You will probably see the pulmonary therapist quite often.

Psychologist

Dealing with mesothelioma is equally as taxing on your mental health as it is on your physical health.  Depression, anxiety, denial, guilt, and a host of other emotions will no doubt become a part of your daily routine.  A psychologist can help you sort out your feelings and cope with your diagnosis.  Many psychologists are specifically trained to work with cancer patients.