With a mesothelioma diagnosis received in the last 3 years, you have immediate eligibility, and our staff and attorneys will prioritize your cases for expedited processing. You will not be required to travel, and a family member will be able to handle the paperwork on your behalf.
10% of workers with a history of occupational asbestos exposure will develop pleural mesothelioma
Roughly 80% of cases of mesothelioma in America are pleural mesothelioma. Many experts pointed to asbestos exposure as the primary cause. When swallowed or inhaled, asbestos fibers can get stuck within tissues such as the mesothelium. This can result in chronic scarring and inflammation. Consequently, it results in the development of tumors of malignant and nonmalignant types.
There had been multiple studies establishing the connection between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. The following are some of the key findings of peer-reviewed articles that confirm this association:
- 1959: South African scientists, under the leadership of Dr. J. Christopher Wagner, wrote the first scientific literature linking mesothelioma and asbestos exposure.
- 1964: A landmark research was published by Dr. Irving Selikoff in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), that the deadly connection between exposure to asbestos and mesothelioma was established. Selikoff examined American industrial workers. His work also brought asbestos-related diseases to national attention.
- 1987: Citing sufficient scientific evidence, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has categorized all six types of asbestos—chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite—as known human carcinogens.
Mesothelioma: Often misdiagnosed
As many as 50% of patients with mesothelioma have been found to have been misdiagnosed. Some of the causes behind the high prevalence of misdiagnosis of mesothelioma include vague symptoms. In most instances, patients exhibit symptoms similar to other respiratory ailments like pneumonia or asthma. The lack of specialists who have experience diagnosing and treating mesothelioma has also been regarded as a contributing factor.