Mesothelioma victims can experience a substantial amount of pain. However, there are medications that can make them more comfortable.
Experiencing a physical pain in one's chest or abdomen may be the first sign of mesothelioma. And, if the disease has spread, people may also feel pain in other parts of their body. As the disease spreads and the mesothelioma tumor grows other symptoms may appear.
What is the Cause of Mesothelioma Pain?
One of the most common symptoms of mesothelioma is a buildup of fluids. As a mesothelioma tumor gets larger it produces a fluid in the patient's abdomen or chest. If the fluid is in a person's chest it will compress the lung and can cause severe pain.
As the fluid increases it will slowly crush vital organs. When that happens a person usually loses his appetite and often finds it very difficult to sleep.
It can be challenging to completely eliminate the pain but there are a number of proven ways to reduce any discomfort. This should not be shied away from because the sooner pain treatment is initiated the more effective it will be. And when a patient physically feels better their quality of their life will improve.
A number of medications have been prescribed that will help mesothelioma patients deal with their pain. Often the type of drug that is recommended will depend on the severity of the pain.
For Mild to Moderate Mesothelioma Pain
If a mesothelioma patient is experiencing relatively mild to moderate pain then non-opoid drugs are often prescribed to relieve that pain. These include anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen as well as acetaminophen.
Non-opoids may be administered orally, subcutaneously (through injection), intravenously, or rectally. Other therapies may be prescribed along with the non-opoids to help alleviate the pain.
For Moderate to Severe Mesothelioma Pain
Opoids, which are narcotic pain relievers, may be prescribed to reduce moderate to severe pain. This class of drug includes codeine, oxycodone, fenatnyl, and morphine.
These drugs, which could be prescribed at any stage of treatment for the disease, can be combined with other therapies or other drugs if the pain is severe. Mesothelioma patients rarely face the danger of becoming addicted to opoids.
Additional Medications
Depending on what is trying to be accomplished, other drugs may be prescribed. For example, there are a number of medications such as anticonvulsants that can alleviate the tingling and burning pain that mesothelioma patients experience. These pains are a result of nerve damage.
And sometimes, even if a patient isn't depressed, a doctor will prescribe an antidepressant.
Some drugs can reduce swelling while others can be injected to block a nerve. This will reduce severe pain for several hours. These drugs are used primarily if a patient is experiencing chronic or acute pain.
More radical treatments are also available.
http://www.asbestos.net
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
What Are Some of the Symptoms and Causes of Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare malignancy that is usually comes about as the result of a person's being exposed to asbestos. This form of cancer arises most frequently in the pleura - the cells that line the chest - or in the peritoneum - the cells that line the abdomen.
The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma and its symptoms often present themselves in the chest area.
What are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?
Peritoneal mesothelioma is considerably rarer than pleural mesothelioma. If a person has peritoneal mesothelioma the organs in the abdomen are affected and the symptoms may include abdominal swelling, vomiting, nausea, and bowel obstruction.
The rarest type of this disease, pericardial mesothelioma, involves the sac that surrounds the heart.
Most of the people who have mesothelioma complain of a shortness of breath. Their difficulty breathing is sometimes accompanied by chest pains.
What may come as a surprise is that the chest pain is not often pleuritic. This means that the pain doesn't worsen when a person takes deep breaths.
It's surprising because the lung's outer surface - the pleura - is so often a part of the diseased area of the body. Virtually every other disease that involves the pleura is associated with pain that gets worse as people breathe deeply.
As mesothelioma progresses, the victims breath gets increasingly shorter. It's not unusual for appetites to decrease and for the patient to begin to lose weight.
At times night sweats can also develop. Night sweats means that a patient experiences excessive sweating during the night.
As the tumor invades different areas of the body the patient may experience a change in their voice and their diaphragm may cease to function. However, whatever additional symptoms a patient may experience would be specific to the area of their body that's being invaded and the organs that are in the adjacent structures of the victim's body.
What Causes Mesothelioma?
Most of the people who have malignant mesothelioma have been employed by companies that required them to be in areas where they could inhale asbestos particles and fibers. The majority of the victims are males over forty years of age.
Sometimes the family of an employee who has worked for a company that mined, manufactured, or produced products that contained asbestos has also acquired the disease. This often happened because asbestos fibers were transported on the clothing that people brought home with them from their workplace.
Instances of the children of asbestos workers who sat on their parents' laps getting the disease have recently been increasing. And a number of the spouses who did the laundry of an asbestos worker have also contracted the disease through second hand exposure to asbestos.
http://www.sokolovelaw.com
The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma and its symptoms often present themselves in the chest area.
What are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?
Peritoneal mesothelioma is considerably rarer than pleural mesothelioma. If a person has peritoneal mesothelioma the organs in the abdomen are affected and the symptoms may include abdominal swelling, vomiting, nausea, and bowel obstruction.
The rarest type of this disease, pericardial mesothelioma, involves the sac that surrounds the heart.
Most of the people who have mesothelioma complain of a shortness of breath. Their difficulty breathing is sometimes accompanied by chest pains.
What may come as a surprise is that the chest pain is not often pleuritic. This means that the pain doesn't worsen when a person takes deep breaths.
It's surprising because the lung's outer surface - the pleura - is so often a part of the diseased area of the body. Virtually every other disease that involves the pleura is associated with pain that gets worse as people breathe deeply.
As mesothelioma progresses, the victims breath gets increasingly shorter. It's not unusual for appetites to decrease and for the patient to begin to lose weight.
At times night sweats can also develop. Night sweats means that a patient experiences excessive sweating during the night.
As the tumor invades different areas of the body the patient may experience a change in their voice and their diaphragm may cease to function. However, whatever additional symptoms a patient may experience would be specific to the area of their body that's being invaded and the organs that are in the adjacent structures of the victim's body.
What Causes Mesothelioma?
Most of the people who have malignant mesothelioma have been employed by companies that required them to be in areas where they could inhale asbestos particles and fibers. The majority of the victims are males over forty years of age.
Sometimes the family of an employee who has worked for a company that mined, manufactured, or produced products that contained asbestos has also acquired the disease. This often happened because asbestos fibers were transported on the clothing that people brought home with them from their workplace.
Instances of the children of asbestos workers who sat on their parents' laps getting the disease have recently been increasing. And a number of the spouses who did the laundry of an asbestos worker have also contracted the disease through second hand exposure to asbestos.
http://www.sokolovelaw.com
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
What Causes Mesothelioma?
What Are Some of the Symptoms and Causes of Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare malignancy that is usually comes about as the result of a person's being exposed to asbestos. This form of cancer arises most frequently in the pleura - the cells that line the chest - or in the peritoneum - the cells that line the abdomen.
The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma and its symptoms often present themselves in the chest area.
What are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?
Peritoneal mesothelioma is considerably rarer than pleural mesothelioma. If a person has peritoneal mesothelioma the organs in the abdomen are affected and the symptoms may include abdominal swelling, vomiting, nausea, and bowel obstruction.
The rarest type of this disease, pericardial mesothelioma, involves the sac that surrounds the heart.
Most of the people who have mesothelioma complain of a shortness of breath. Their difficulty breathing is sometimes accompanied by chest pains.
What may come as a surprise is that the chest pain is not often pleuritic. This means that the pain doesn't worsen when a person takes deep breaths.
It's surprising because the lung's outer surface - the pleura - is so often a part of the diseased area of the body. Virtually every other disease that involves the pleura is associated with pain that gets worse as people breathe deeply.
As mesothelioma progresses, the victims breath gets increasingly shorter. It's not unusual for appetites to decrease and for the patient to begin to lose weight.
At times night sweats can also develop. Night sweats means that a patient experiences excessive sweating during the night.
As the tumor invades different areas of the body the patient may experience a change in their voice and their diaphragm may cease to function. However, whatever additional symptoms a patient may experience would be specific to the area of their body that's being invaded and the organs that are in the adjacent structures of the victim's body.
Most of the people who have malignant mesothelioma have been employed by companies that required them to be in areas where they could inhale asbestos particles and fibers. The majority of the victims are males over forty years of age.
Sometimes the family of an employee who has worked for a company that mined, manufactured, or produced products that contained asbestos has also acquired the disease. This often happened because asbestos fibers were transported on the clothing that people brought home with them from their workplace.
Instances of the children of asbestos workers who sat on their parents' laps getting the disease have recently been increasing. And a number of the spouses who did the laundry of an asbestos worker have also contracted the disease through second hand exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare malignancy that is usually comes about as the result of a person's being exposed to asbestos. This form of cancer arises most frequently in the pleura - the cells that line the chest - or in the peritoneum - the cells that line the abdomen.
The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma and its symptoms often present themselves in the chest area.
What are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?
Peritoneal mesothelioma is considerably rarer than pleural mesothelioma. If a person has peritoneal mesothelioma the organs in the abdomen are affected and the symptoms may include abdominal swelling, vomiting, nausea, and bowel obstruction.
The rarest type of this disease, pericardial mesothelioma, involves the sac that surrounds the heart.
Most of the people who have mesothelioma complain of a shortness of breath. Their difficulty breathing is sometimes accompanied by chest pains.
What may come as a surprise is that the chest pain is not often pleuritic. This means that the pain doesn't worsen when a person takes deep breaths.
It's surprising because the lung's outer surface - the pleura - is so often a part of the diseased area of the body. Virtually every other disease that involves the pleura is associated with pain that gets worse as people breathe deeply.
As mesothelioma progresses, the victims breath gets increasingly shorter. It's not unusual for appetites to decrease and for the patient to begin to lose weight.
At times night sweats can also develop. Night sweats means that a patient experiences excessive sweating during the night.
As the tumor invades different areas of the body the patient may experience a change in their voice and their diaphragm may cease to function. However, whatever additional symptoms a patient may experience would be specific to the area of their body that's being invaded and the organs that are in the adjacent structures of the victim's body.
Most of the people who have malignant mesothelioma have been employed by companies that required them to be in areas where they could inhale asbestos particles and fibers. The majority of the victims are males over forty years of age.
Sometimes the family of an employee who has worked for a company that mined, manufactured, or produced products that contained asbestos has also acquired the disease. This often happened because asbestos fibers were transported on the clothing that people brought home with them from their workplace.
Instances of the children of asbestos workers who sat on their parents' laps getting the disease have recently been increasing. And a number of the spouses who did the laundry of an asbestos worker have also contracted the disease through second hand exposure to asbestos.
Monday, December 13, 2010
How to Find the Best Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or someone you love has been struck down by mesothelioma then you may have already decided that you should engage a mesothelioma lawyer. After all, shouldn't the expensive medical treatments as well as the eventual loss of income be paid for by the company responsible for causing the disease in the first place?
With everything that has been going on since the diagnosis you may be very tempted to just type in "mesothelioma lawyer" into a search engine on the Internet and choose one of the names that pop up.
Deciding which is the right firm to choose can be rather challenging because you will find that there are many firms to choose from.
So you may decide to just go with the first name on the list - a lot of people do just that.
However, with all that is at stake do you really want to put your fate in the hands of someone you chose by making a rather arbitrary decision?
If you feel that more research is warranted then you may want to consider asking the following questions.
Ask any potential mesothelioma attorney that you are considering hiring how many mesothelioma cases they have actually handled. Asbestos cases in general are just too broad a category. You want to know the specific number of mesothelioma cases the attorney has represented. Obviously, the more experience they have the better off you are.
Next, find out the results of these cases. Were there out of court settlements? If the cases went to trial did they win them or lose them? Are there any on appeal? Get the exact numbers.
Unbeknownst to outsiders, many attorneys that you interview may refer your case to another firm that may have more experience with your particular situation.
This could be a good thing for you because you will then have the services of two firms without accruing any additional costs. So make sure to ask if the attorney whom you are interviewing will personally represent your case.
You will also probably want to be assured that your attorney will be available to you when you need to speak to him or her. And, if they are not free when you call find out how long they will take to return your calls. During the interview process decide whether or not you fully understand and are satisfied with their answers. If you are having a problem now it will probably get worse if you choose to hire them.
These cases are very expensive to investigate and conduct. Therefore you will definitely want to know if your case will be accepted on a contingency basis. If they agree then your attorney will only get his or her expenses and fees if they win the case for you.
Find out how strong the attorney's network is. If your attorney knows others across the country that will share expertise and research then it is more likely that a solid case can be built for you.
http://www.asbestos.net
With everything that has been going on since the diagnosis you may be very tempted to just type in "mesothelioma lawyer" into a search engine on the Internet and choose one of the names that pop up.
Deciding which is the right firm to choose can be rather challenging because you will find that there are many firms to choose from.
So you may decide to just go with the first name on the list - a lot of people do just that.
However, with all that is at stake do you really want to put your fate in the hands of someone you chose by making a rather arbitrary decision?
If you feel that more research is warranted then you may want to consider asking the following questions.
Ask any potential mesothelioma attorney that you are considering hiring how many mesothelioma cases they have actually handled. Asbestos cases in general are just too broad a category. You want to know the specific number of mesothelioma cases the attorney has represented. Obviously, the more experience they have the better off you are.
Next, find out the results of these cases. Were there out of court settlements? If the cases went to trial did they win them or lose them? Are there any on appeal? Get the exact numbers.
Unbeknownst to outsiders, many attorneys that you interview may refer your case to another firm that may have more experience with your particular situation.
This could be a good thing for you because you will then have the services of two firms without accruing any additional costs. So make sure to ask if the attorney whom you are interviewing will personally represent your case.
You will also probably want to be assured that your attorney will be available to you when you need to speak to him or her. And, if they are not free when you call find out how long they will take to return your calls. During the interview process decide whether or not you fully understand and are satisfied with their answers. If you are having a problem now it will probably get worse if you choose to hire them.
These cases are very expensive to investigate and conduct. Therefore you will definitely want to know if your case will be accepted on a contingency basis. If they agree then your attorney will only get his or her expenses and fees if they win the case for you.
Find out how strong the attorney's network is. If your attorney knows others across the country that will share expertise and research then it is more likely that a solid case can be built for you.
http://www.asbestos.net
Sunday, December 12, 2010
What Is a National Mesothelioma Law Firm?
If you or someone you love has an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma and you want to hold the company that was responsible for causing the disease accountable for their actions then you should consider hiring a national mesothelioma law firm to represent you.
The job of any mesothelioma attorney essentially is to ensure that you and the ones you love get the best available legal help with the least intrusion in your day-to-day life. A national mesothelioma law firm may be better at making that happen.
Once someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma their lifestyle is inevitably altered. The patient, unfortunately, often becomes increasingly more ill as the amount of pain and discomfort they experience simultaneously increases.
Because of this many mesothelioma patients find it difficult, if not impossible, to work.
As a result, medical bills often start to pile up as the mesothelioma victim's income decreases. When a mesothelioma law firm is hired to pursue litigation the firm often seeks a financial award from the court that will take care of medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and more.
Most law firms that represent the victims of mesothelioma work on a contingency basis. This means that their clients do not bear the brunt of any out of pocket expenses associated with their case. The law firm will only get paid if there is a successful resolution of the case - either by an out of court settlement or a courtroom ruling in their favor.
Only after money is awarded will the mesothelioma law firm receive their fee. Then they will get a predetermined percentage of the money.
As the plaintiff, you or your loved one will have to decide which firm should represent you. You could choose either a local firm or a national mesothelioma law firm.
Although there are a lot of advantages to choosing a national firm, it all boils down to being able to who can get you the maximum amount of money that you are entitled to?
A national firm has actual offices in most of the states and also has relationships with other law firms in many of these states. These offices and relationships can help them to better represent their clients.
Don't be fooled by advertising. It is quite easy for a law firm to put a commercial on television that claims it is a national mesothelioma law firm - whether it has offices throughout the United States or not. Therefore it is very important that you make sure that the firm you hire has an office near you, as well as in other key states.
Because Delaware is the corporate home of many asbestos companies you want to make sure that your law firm handles cases in Delaware. Also, since California and Illinois are key states that highly value the plaintiffs' interests in asbestos related injuries, your law firm should be able to handle cases there as well.
The job of any mesothelioma attorney essentially is to ensure that you and the ones you love get the best available legal help with the least intrusion in your day-to-day life. A national mesothelioma law firm may be better at making that happen.
Once someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma their lifestyle is inevitably altered. The patient, unfortunately, often becomes increasingly more ill as the amount of pain and discomfort they experience simultaneously increases.
Because of this many mesothelioma patients find it difficult, if not impossible, to work.
As a result, medical bills often start to pile up as the mesothelioma victim's income decreases. When a mesothelioma law firm is hired to pursue litigation the firm often seeks a financial award from the court that will take care of medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and more.
Most law firms that represent the victims of mesothelioma work on a contingency basis. This means that their clients do not bear the brunt of any out of pocket expenses associated with their case. The law firm will only get paid if there is a successful resolution of the case - either by an out of court settlement or a courtroom ruling in their favor.
Only after money is awarded will the mesothelioma law firm receive their fee. Then they will get a predetermined percentage of the money.
As the plaintiff, you or your loved one will have to decide which firm should represent you. You could choose either a local firm or a national mesothelioma law firm.
Although there are a lot of advantages to choosing a national firm, it all boils down to being able to who can get you the maximum amount of money that you are entitled to?
A national firm has actual offices in most of the states and also has relationships with other law firms in many of these states. These offices and relationships can help them to better represent their clients.
Don't be fooled by advertising. It is quite easy for a law firm to put a commercial on television that claims it is a national mesothelioma law firm - whether it has offices throughout the United States or not. Therefore it is very important that you make sure that the firm you hire has an office near you, as well as in other key states.
Because Delaware is the corporate home of many asbestos companies you want to make sure that your law firm handles cases in Delaware. Also, since California and Illinois are key states that highly value the plaintiffs' interests in asbestos related injuries, your law firm should be able to handle cases there as well.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is usually caused by the inhalation or swallowing of asbestos fibers.
If it affects the chest the physician might look inside the chest cavity with an instrument called a thoracoscope. If it affects the abdomen the physician might look inside the abdomen with an instrument called a peritoneoscope. If mesothelioma is suspected a sample is taken that is then diagnosed by a biopsy.
Like with most other types of cancer, the outlook for mesothelioma patients will depend upon how early it is detected and how aggressively it is treated.
One of the big challenges is that it usually takes anywhere from twenty to fifty or more years after asbestos exposure for the symptoms of the disease to become apparent. And by that time it is often in an advanced stage.
Therefore, mesothelioma victims will often succumb to the disease within one to two years after it has been diagnosed.
However, there is some hope for the victims of this life-threatening disease in that new approaches to treating malignant mesothelioma are now being tested. These treatments are often a combination of traditional treatments. Or they can include something that is entirely new.
Drug Therapy
There are a number of drugs that are now being studied that offer some promise in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.
- L-NDDP (Platar®) - this is a platinum product that is administered intrapleuraly. It is designed to overcome the drug resistance and toxicity that has limited the usefulness of other platinum drugs such as Cisplatin®. Two patients were in remission in a recent trial of this drug.
- Endostatin - this is a promising drug in that it has worked with angiostatin to destroy the ability of a tumor to grow blood vessels and not harm normal cells.
- A cholesterol drug called Lovastatin® has recently been show that it has the potential to inhibit the cell growth of mesothelioma cancer.
- The direct administration of intrapleural interferon gamma has also shown promise.
Photochemotherapy
In addition photodynamic therapy, sometimes called photochemotherapy, uses an intravenously administered photosensitizing agent that selectively concentrates in tumor cells. When the tumor tissue is then exposed to a special red laser light a lot of the tumor can be destroyed.
Immunotherapy
Another recent approach to treating mesothelioma is immunotherapy. This tactic helps the immune system fight mesothelioma.
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy shows promise as well. A study done in September 1999 found that the growth of mesothelioma cells in mice was prevented with interferon interleukin.
http://www.sokolovelaw.com
If it affects the chest the physician might look inside the chest cavity with an instrument called a thoracoscope. If it affects the abdomen the physician might look inside the abdomen with an instrument called a peritoneoscope. If mesothelioma is suspected a sample is taken that is then diagnosed by a biopsy.
Like with most other types of cancer, the outlook for mesothelioma patients will depend upon how early it is detected and how aggressively it is treated.
One of the big challenges is that it usually takes anywhere from twenty to fifty or more years after asbestos exposure for the symptoms of the disease to become apparent. And by that time it is often in an advanced stage.
Therefore, mesothelioma victims will often succumb to the disease within one to two years after it has been diagnosed.
However, there is some hope for the victims of this life-threatening disease in that new approaches to treating malignant mesothelioma are now being tested. These treatments are often a combination of traditional treatments. Or they can include something that is entirely new.
Drug Therapy
There are a number of drugs that are now being studied that offer some promise in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.
- L-NDDP (Platar®) - this is a platinum product that is administered intrapleuraly. It is designed to overcome the drug resistance and toxicity that has limited the usefulness of other platinum drugs such as Cisplatin®. Two patients were in remission in a recent trial of this drug.
- Endostatin - this is a promising drug in that it has worked with angiostatin to destroy the ability of a tumor to grow blood vessels and not harm normal cells.
- A cholesterol drug called Lovastatin® has recently been show that it has the potential to inhibit the cell growth of mesothelioma cancer.
- The direct administration of intrapleural interferon gamma has also shown promise.
Photochemotherapy
In addition photodynamic therapy, sometimes called photochemotherapy, uses an intravenously administered photosensitizing agent that selectively concentrates in tumor cells. When the tumor tissue is then exposed to a special red laser light a lot of the tumor can be destroyed.
Immunotherapy
Another recent approach to treating mesothelioma is immunotherapy. This tactic helps the immune system fight mesothelioma.
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy shows promise as well. A study done in September 1999 found that the growth of mesothelioma cells in mice was prevented with interferon interleukin.
http://www.sokolovelaw.com
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