Monday, March 24, 2008

Asbestos Attorneys

Several ailments are caused when a person inhales asbestos or comes in contact with it. Asbestos lawyers are attorneys who help individuals get compensation for damages suffered because of asbestos exposure.

In the US, asbestos attorneys have represented hundreds of people incapacitated by asbestos. These asbestos attorneys have been active in attaining extraordinary verdicts and payments on behalf of asbestos sufferers in many regions of the US.

The chief hazard from asbestos is from breathing asbestos fibers into the lungs. Asbestos dust is easily breathed into the lungs, since asbestos fibers are minute and smooth. Once inhaled, some asbestos fibers will stay in the body perpetually. Over extended periods of time, these fibers can give rise to lethal ailments like mesothelioma, other asbestos cancers and asbestosis.

Researchers have not settled on a safe level of contact with asbestos. Nevertheless, scientists and doctors have concluded that the larger and longer the contact with asbestos, the greater the chance of experiencing asbestos-connected ailments.

Asbestos attorneys understand that every case of asbestos exposure is different, and warrants personal notice. They follow every case with their enormous familiarity and experience of the asbestos industry. The attorneys also recognize that money will by no means sufficiently compensate a victim of asbestos exposure, but consider it important to bring these cases to court in order to have judgments passed against the companies which brought about damage to thousands of American workers and their families.

When choosing an asbestos lawyer, one should seek a law firm that specializes in asbestos cases and is dedicated to serving its clients. The attorney should perform as the advocate, taking charge of the case in an understanding, caring, specialized manner.

Asbestos Attorneys provides detailed information on Asbestos Attorneys, Asbestos Cancer Attorneys, Asbestos Litigation Attourneys, Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys and more. Asbestos Attorneys is affiliated with Asbestos Trial Lawyers

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Sunday, March 23, 2008

Asbestos Cancer Attorneys

Prolonged exposure to asbestos can give rise to lung cancer. Asbestos cancer attorneys are lawyers who represent victims who have contracted this dreadful disease through prolonged contact with asbestos. Their aim is to obtain compensation for their clients from those responsible for causing the damage.

The asbestos cancer lawyers have forcefully and fruitfully fought for asbestos workers and their families. There are a large number of cancer attorney firms in the US, with a sizeable number of asbestos claimants, and they have won substantial compensation for their affected clients. Asbestos cancer attorneys usually employ top medical professionals and scientists to assist them in developing a case.

These attorneys are devoted to making sure that each of their clients obtains the consideration his or her case is worthy of. If one is suffering from cancer due to extensive exposure to asbestos, the straightforward reality is that the more clients the attorneys stand for, the better the chance of negotiating with the companies that caused the dreaded disease.

According to the National Cancer Institute, around 3,000 cases of malignant cancer from asbestos exposure are being reported in the United States each year, and the occurrence seems to be rising. The syndrome is three times more widespread in men than in women. In men, the incidence of asbestos related cancer is ten times higher in men between the ages of 60 and 70 than in men between the ages of 30 and 40. Work-related exposure to asbestos over the past fifty years in the United States is estimated to have happened to roughly eight million people, and up to 300,000 new cases are anticipated to take place by the year 2030.

An exceptional characteristic of asbestos-connected cancer is the long latency phase between exposure to asbestos and the beginning of the disease.

Asbestos Attorneys provides detailed information on Asbestos Attorneys, Asbestos Cancer Attorneys, Asbestos Litigation Attourneys, Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys and more. Asbestos Attorneys is affiliated with Asbestos Trial Lawyers

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Friday, March 14, 2008

Mesothelioma. How do doctors diagnose Asbestos Cancer? Part 2

Continued from part 1.

If the effusion is suspicious for some infection or cancer, sample of the fluid may give the clue whether the cause is benign or malignant. However, four out of five tests may miss the cancer. Eventually, the biopsy of the pleura by a needle or by a surgical procedure confirms the diagnosis of the mesothelioma.

For abdominal mesothelioma, an abdominal x-ray checks the fluid in your belly.

Sometime an x-ray may show not only effusions, but also mass, or signs of asbestos accumulation, pleural plaques and calcifications or scarring due to asbestosis and chronic inflammation.

Drain of the fluid is done by needle in the chest or abdominal cavity. The name is thoracocentesis or pleural aspiration from chest, and abdoparacentesis or peritoneal aspiration in tummy.

At modern days the CT (computerized tomography) scan is used more often. CT is a special x-ray machine that shows sliced images of your body. CT scan of chest or abdomen shows the swellings in organs, cavities, and lymph nodes. A contrast dye may help to the scan. CT scans show pleural effusion, pleural thickening, pleural calcification, spreading of tumor into chest wall. However, CT do not really distinguish benign asbestos disease, lung cancer or mesothelioma. Doctors also use CT scans for guiding needle aspiration of suspicious pleural masses.

Thoracoscopy is the procedure when a surgeon makes small cut in your chest wall between two ribs and looks through a thoracoscope (a tool with a video camera). The biopsy (tissue sample) goes to a lab to check for cancer cells.

Bronchoscopy allows doctors to look inside the airways. A thin flexible tube (bronchoscope) helps to get samples of tissue and send them sent to a lab for testing for cancer cells.

Mediastinoscopy checks mediastinum (the area in chest containing heart, great blood vessels, lymph nodes, esophagus, nerves and so on). Mediastinoscopy allows sampling lymph nodes in your body to look for metastases.

Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure when doctors look inside of your belly with a small camera-fitted tube. The surgeons will biopsy suspicious areas. The bioptate (the tissue sample) goes to the laboratory. A pathologist checks it under a microscope. Laparoscopy leaves a small cut on the skin of your belly. Another name of the same procedure is peritoneoscopy. The tool is named peritoneoscope.

Putting a needle into your abdomen and removing the fluid inside is named paracentesis Putting a needle into your chest and draining the fluid is named thoracentesis.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan gives a sliced picture of the inside of your body. It is better than X-ray or CT scan because there is no radiation of your body. However it requires significant time. Sometimes it takes up to 20 minutes. And some people afraid to stay in the machine for half an hour required for the test. Besides MRI has a limitation. The test requires avoiding metals in your bodies (like metal joints and other metal implants). MRI is not a routine test, so sometime it is not ordered. Magnetic Resonance Imaging is most commonly ordered to determine the extent of tumor to plan the surgery. MRI also easier than CT scans shows enlarged lymph nodes and surface of diaphragm and this is important for surgical planning.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) came recently for diagnosing different type of cancers and mesothelioma as well. PET uses special radioactive substances that emit positrons. Localized mesothelioma is confined to the pleura. Advanced mesothelioma spreads to the lungs, chest wall, abdomen and lymph nodes.

Pathological examination checks biopsy samples under the microscope It is difficulty to diagnose mesothelioma sometime. The cells of the tumor may be of many different types. These cells may look similar to other cancers. Peritoneal cells may look similar to pleural mesothelioma or other types of lung cancer and even ovarian cancer. Epithelioid type of mesothelioma is more common and considered better for treatment more than aggressive sarcomatous type. Biphasic mesothelioma is the mixture of both.

Doctors and scientists also proposed some immunological makers to find mesothelioma, however majority of the markers are not very specific. Just to mention: Epithelial membrane antigen, CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen √ very unspecific, may happen in many different cancers), Calretinin, Mesothelin, Cytokeratin, osteopontin and some others.

Look also: http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact, http://www.nlm.nih.gov, http://www.rdoctor.com

So, to recap, the tests used by doctors:

*X-rays

*CT scan

*Thoracocentesis

*Paracentesis

*Thoracoscopy

*Bronchoscopy

*MRI scan

*Mediastinoscopy

*Laparoscopy

*All kinds of biopsy

The diagnosis is done after careful evaluation of complaints, physical exam and imaging in addition to the biopsy.

Keywords: Diagnosis, asbestos cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, mesothelioma symptoms, peritoneal mesothelioma, lung cancer

Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD. Medical Articles http://www.kavokin.com, Free On-line diagnostics at http://www.symptomat.com, http://www.rdoctor.com

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Asbestos Litigation

The Asbestos inhalation-induced toxicity to workers and their relatives has been the cause of serious health ailments, including the malignant mesothelioma. Asbestos Litigation is a multi-billion dollar industry of lawyers and law firms that specialize in the provision of compensation to people suffering from mesothelioma and/or other serious Asbestos-related health ailments.

The law aims to provide ?all? that is lost, but fails. The law works to provide compensation for the consequences produced by the carcinogenic Asbestos, and includes the cost of medical care, rehabilitation, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and the affected life enjoyment resulting in emotional distress, pain and suffering. Punitive damages that result in the punishment of the defendants for their unlawful and unethical conduct are rare, and are based on the defendant?s wealth size and misdeed extent.

The ugly side of Asbestos Litigation is its misuse for monetary gain. This fraudulent way of gaining riches has taken its shelter in Asbestos Litigation. People who aim for money have been increasingly involved in filing false cases of Asbestos-induced health ailments. This results in the weakening of the cases of those who deserve compensation for real ailments, and brings many questions to mind. It therefore becomes essential to distinguish real sufferers from the expert pretenders in the market of advertised law and lawyers.

It is often difficult to determine whether someone has been exposed to asbestos, aside from their own personal testimony. Medical research on asbestos in humans is rare or non-existent, since the substance is deadly. The fiber is currently being phased out from all public use.

Asbestos provides detailed information on asbestos, asbestos and mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, asbestos exposure and more. Asbestos is affliated with Lung Cancer Stages

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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Removing Asbestos From Your Home

During the 1930's asbestos was discovered to be a great material to be used in building homes, it's fire resistant as well as sturdy and strong. It was used on shingles extensively up until the 1970's when it was proven to cause many diseases.

If your home was built during this time, there is a chance that asbestos may have been used, but just because asbestos exists in your home that does not mean that there is risk of developing any of the diseases related to it. It's when the asbestos becomes damaged and the fibers are released into the air that there is a health risk.

Of course, most people who suspect they have asbestos in their home probably want it removed right away, but now matter how much you want to get rid of it, this is a job best left to professionals as the very act of removing it can cause the fibers to become air born and put you and your family at risk. Today, there are many laws and regulations controlling the removal and disposal of asbestos.

First, a professional should inspect your shingles - if they are still in good condition the best course may be to just leave them as the fibers will not be released and therefore, are not a health risk. However, if you do have asbestos shingles and do decide to leave them it is very important that you do not drill or cut into them in any way as doing so can loosen the fibers.

If the shingles are in bad condition, you have two options - either remove them or repair them. In order to repair them, they must be professionally enclosed so that they are no longer a danger. Removal also requires a professional and disposal can be tricky as some places do not allow disposal of asbestos waste.

As you might imagine, disposing of asbestos can be quite expensive. First of all there are many government regulations to be met. Then there is the safety of those that are removing, gathering and transporting the asbestos. To prevent inhalation of the fibers there must be protective equipment as well as clothing. Care must be taken that no asbestos fibers get into the environment while the removal is taking place. It is a serious and costly undertaking.

These days, most of the homes that used asbestos shingles have either been resided or are gone forever so thankfully few people will have to deal with this issue. If your home has asbestos shingles, your best bet is to consult a professional. Look in the yellow pages for asbestos or hazardous waste removal. It can be an expensive undertaking but well worth your piece of mind.

Lee Dobbins writes for Home DIY 101 where you can learn more about home repair and home related issues.

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Sunday, February 3, 2008

The MACK Group, LLC Completes the Asbestos Abatement of the Former Steel Craft Factory Located in Newark, New Jersey

April 2006 - The MACK Group, LLC (website http://www.mackgrp.com) completed the asbestos abatement of the former Steel Craft factory located in Newark, New Jersey. The project consisted primarily of the asbestos abatement of 100,000 sf of asbestos roofing and flashing. Asbestos materials were removed from the structures prior to the demolition of the former factory. Although the factory was abandoned, an active community surrounded the site. The Mack group, LLC took special care to have fencing installed and utilize cones and barricades for public safety purposes. The developer eventually plans to redevelop the property for future housing.

The MACK Group, LLC accomplished this asbestos project on schedule and without injury.

About The Mack Group, LLC

The MACK Group, LLC is an asbestos abatement and demolition contractor that operates on a nationwide basis. Services include asbestos abatement, asbestos siding removal, asbestos floor tile removal, transite removal, asbestos abatement consulting, demolition, Terminator flooring removals, Shot Blast/Blastrac services and fluorescent bulb and ballast recycling services.

Contact Information

The MACK Group, LLC 1500 Kings Hwy. N., Ste 209 Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Tel: 973-759-5000 Fax: 973-759-5554 Web: www.MACKgrp.com For more information contact:

Stephen King (973) 759-5000 ext. 302 SKing@mackgrp.com

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

400,000 New Yorkers Inhale one of the most Lethal Pollutants -Asbestos.

What they did not tell you about 9/11!

A Latest study by the U.S. government provides the recent evidence of a systematic cover-up of the health toll from pollution following the 9/11 catastrophe, which doctors dread will cause more deaths than the attacks themselves.

Belfast Telegraph says, The Bush administration witheld evidence of increasing danger and officially announced that the air surrounding the felled buildings was "safe to breathe".

But results of the government study, conducted by a consortium of researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Columbia University, New York University, Johns Hopkins University, The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, show exposure-related increases in new-onset cough, wheeze, shortness of breath, and bronchial hyperreactivity more than two years after the disaster.

Ambient air samples showed that asbestos levels in the WTC area were significantly elevated consequent to the September 11 attacks, but fell to within federal standards after the first few days.

"More research is required to decide whether long-term exposure to asbestos fibers may lead to an increased risk of lung mesothelioma, a rare cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure," said Landrigan. "Previous studies have shown the tiny chrysotile fibers found in the WTC dust to be the predominant fiber in lung mesothelioma tissue." It is vital to note that symptoms of mesothelioma may not surface until 30-50 years after exposure to asbestos.

Commonly symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are: shortness of breath, pain in the chest

Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms include:

weight loss, abdominal pain, swelling, bowel obstruction, blood clotting, anemia, 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.

It is extremely important to see a doctor concerning any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.

Educate yourself on mesothelioma, asbestos and class action lawsuits. Check out latest breaking news on mesothelioma at http://www.mesolink.org

Other Articles by J Farrington http://www.whatyouneedtoknowpage.com

J Farrington, has been writing articles for a number of clients for years. If you would like more information on his work please visit HERE FOR MORE ARTICLES

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Monday, January 28, 2008

BLAME IT ON THE ASBESTOS

This disease is not that uncommon anymore.? Yet Mesothelioma is still considered by the medical community to be relatively rare. As a terminal disease it is incredibly hard to diagnose accurately, early and treat it effectively. It is progressive and a killer! Asbestos is seen as the major cause for the disease. Even it we do not quite know how, why it develops spreads exactly and how best to treat or cure it. There is no cure.
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There are other related diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural disease that can also occur. Malignant cancers develop in the lung itself, moving inward and spreading outward, at the same time. It affects all respiratory functioning and breathing becomes problematic. Some are of the opinion that it is the most common asbestos-related cancer found in present or ex-smokers,? who do have a history of some, daily, occasional or prolonged asbestos exposure.
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Asbestosis on the other hand is definitely attributable to asbestos fibers or dust particles that have been inhaled or ingested somehow. The airborne foreign bodies gets lodged in the inner lung, even alveoli and starts taking its toll slowly but surely. Lung , lining and tissue scarring and damage is inevitable and deadly with this progressive yet stealth-like disease.
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Pleural disease is any scarring of the protective layer or lining of the lung. A patient with this diagnosis will have a significantly higher risk of developing full-blown Mesothelioma or related lung diseases attributable to asbestos.
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The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) recently announced a new developmental stage description and classification system for Mesothelioma. They refer to it as the 'TNM system'. It is more in line and somewhat similar to staging systems used for most other cancers diagnostics.
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The letter T indicates tumor (its size and how far it has spread to nearby organs)
N stands for spread to lymph nodes and M is for metastasis (spread to distant organs).
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In TNM staging, information about the "tumor', lymph nodes, and metastasis is combined in a process called stage grouping. This is then assigned to? a certain stage of development or progression that is described by Roman numerals from I to IV.
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View more articles from http://www.mesotheliomamedical.com/mesothelioma.htm
?Nichole Fowler, the webmaster of http://www.mesotheliomamedical.com/mesothelioma.htm is a part of the Sharing Information Group that provides useful information to the public through the syndication of free articles.

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Thursday, January 17, 2008

The History and Link between Asbestos and Mesothelioma

If you have Mesothelioma, you are invariably a victim of asbestos, a material whose danger was known as early as the 1930s. The incidence of mesothelioma showed up even in those who had no occupational exposure, but lived close to a facility, which processes asbestos. This reports soon followed many reports of mesothelioma associated with asbestos exposure from various parts of the world. A few of these patients who developed mesothelioma had occupational exposure to asbestos, at pattern had developed.

It is also to be noted that less than 10% of people who had exposure to asbestos develop mesothelioma. In his report, Dr. Baris had identified 185 cases of erionite/zeolite-related mesothelioma in two areas of Turkey with no local asbestos deposits or industry. Recent reports suggest that a history of asbestos exposure can be obtained only in about 80% cases of mesothelioma. It is clear from these observations and studies that malignant mesothelioma is not uniquely related to asbestos exposure.

Other reports followed linking asbestos to malignant mesothelioma amongst pipe fitters in the USA; other reports followed from around the world. The history of asbestos exposure can be the cause of mesothelioma or asbestosis development. And it was not until 1960 that a link between asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma was documented. Once the asbestos fibers are inhaled, they may cause significant health problems including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Most people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos (fibers). Since then, the relationship between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure has been confirmed in studies around the world. This site only provides information about mesothelioma and asbestos, it is not meant to be taken as legal advice.

GET LEGAL HELP REGARDING Asbestos Mesothelioma

Rich C. Perlman For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.legal-help-advice.com

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Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Asbestos in Schools

Are you looking for some inside information on asbestos? Here's an up-to-date report from asbestos experts who should know.

The asbestos has arrived to schools. The ex students-athletes, coachers and outdoor maintenance workers of the Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, are being recommended to be checked for early signs of asbestos-related diseases.

This health check was suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for those who used or worked on the athletic fields, running track, dirt paths and baseball diamonds of that school, before 2004 -2005 school year.

On 2005, the school grounds were cemented and landscaped. In addition, the asbestos-laden soil was replaced from baseball diamonds. The federal Environmental Protection Agency completed this asbestos-containment work on the campus.

Most of this information comes straight from the asbestos pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.

The school, which has about 1.800 students, was opened in 1984. Since that year on, all those who may have had some moderately long-standing contact with amphibole asbestos fibers before the improvement, are recommended to have that medical screening. The tremolite dust is the kind of asbestos widespread in El Dorado Hills and contains amphibole asbestos fibers. These fibers can cover the lungs, raising the danger of pleura disease and mesothelioma cancer.

Asbestos-related diseases typically do not turn out to be manifest until at least ten years or more after contact. Some of the symptoms can be coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain and doctors must pay attention to this if they are persistent.

After all the lessening efforts that have been put in the school, the district believes there is much less asbestos-exposure threat now on the foothills site.

When word gets around about your command of asbestos facts, others who need to know about asbestos will start to actively seek you out.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos
Articles for Website Content

James Mahony is the founder of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Information, A site dedicated to mesothelioma and asbestos information

Mesothelioma and Asbestos
Articles for Website Content
 

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Friday, November 30, 2007

Asbestos FAQ Guide

 If you or a member of your family has been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, you will want to contact an attorney for legal advice. The following asbestos legal FAQ can help answer some of your questions related to asbestos lawsuits.

1. If I am exposed to asbestos should I contact an attorney to file a lawsuit? No, not everyone who is exposed to asbestos will develop an asbestos related disease. If you know or think you have been exposed to asbestos you should notify your physician, who will closely monitor your health. It is not advisable to file a lawsuit until you have actually been diagnosed with a disease or have symptoms related to asbestos exposure.
2. I have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. How soon should I contact an attorney? Once you have been diagnosed with any asbestos related disease, you should contact an attorney immediately. Most states have a statute of limitations that restricts the time frame you have to file a lawsuit. The statute of limitations begins once you become ill or are diagnosed with a disease. Diseases caused by asbestos have a long latency period that is not considered when calculating the statute of limitations.
3. If I am ill and unable to work, how much in attorney fees will I be expected to pay? Almost all lawyers who accept these type of cases work on a contingency fee. Their pay is an agreed upon percentage of the amount you receive. If you do not receive any type of compensation, you will not be required to pay a fee to your attorney.
4. My husband/wife died from mesothelioma. Am I entitled to some type of settlement? If a close family member has died from mesothelioma, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. You may be eligible to file a wrongful death suit but only if you are within the time limits that apply to your state. There are also laws regarding who can file on behalf of a family member.
5. I was exposed to asbestos over 25 years ago. The manufacturer has since filed for bankruptcy and is no longer in business. Can I still file a lawsuit? You cannot file a lawsuit directly against the company. However, you may be able to receive compensation from an asbestos bankruptcy trust. Asbestos bankruptcy trusts were organized to pay claims for companies that have since gone bankrupt.

For additional asbestos legal FAQ, contact a qualified attorney to assist you.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Asbestos Resources a website providing information on asbestos

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