Saturday, August 8, 2009
Mesothelioma Survivors Chronicle
Poor Outlook & Prognosis for Mesothelioma
In order to figure why most mesothelioma patients only survive for a short time, it is necessary to realize the nature of the disease. In most representatives, mesothelioma is not detected until it has reached its later stages. This is because symptoms can take as long as 50 years to appear once a person has been discovered to asbestos. Without the presence of symptoms, those with mesothelioma normally do not even realize they have developed the disease.
However, with the growth of new tests that aid in early diagnosis, such as the Mesomark blood test, doctors and scientists expect more mesothelioma patients to live longer, better lives. An early diagnosis can frequently open the door to more treatment options and a high success rate in shrinking or removing tumors.
Patients and their loved ones may enjoy reading Lean on Me Cancer through a Carers Eyes, a touching story by Lorraine Kember about her husbands fight with mesothelioma. Reading about the emotions the Kember family experienced may provide insight into the road ahead for those recently diagnosed.
Why Do Several Mesothelioma Patients Live Longer?
There have been a figure of patients that have survived far beyond the regular one year survival period and a handful that have even been cured, with no trace of the aggressive cancer some years after treatment (though recurrence is always possible). This has stomped many medical pros as they experience difficultness in excusing why some mesothelioma patients survive and others do not.
Research seems to show one common thread the immune system. Studies of those who have either survived or been recovered of the disease expose that most of these patients participated in some sort of therapy that enhanced their immune system. Some treatments included clinical trials in immunology while others required indirect therapies dealing with the resistant system.
A report released more than 20 years ago theorized that "the presence of asbestos fibers in revealed workers may have caused the eventual breakdown of the host's surveillance system and the onset of neoplasm [malignant mesothelioma]."
With this philosophy in mind, some researchers believe treatments that improve the immune system can stabilise and even cure the disease. Currently, this is the most prevalent theory in explaining why some patients continue to live a healthy life while mesothelioma is in remission and why others have apparently defeated the disease.
About Mesothelioma Subsister
A number of mesothelioma Survivors have posted their stories on the Internet and have spoken to patients and their families with the hope of providing a happier outlook for their future. These same Subsister have also presented their cases to doctors and researchers.
The most outspoken of these individuals is Paul Kraus, an Australian mesothelioma survivor. Kraus was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 1997, a form of the disease that is harder to treat than the more general pleural variety. Kraus worked in a factory 35 years earlier where he was brought out him to blue (crocidolite) asbestos.
Upon his diagnosis, Kraus made up one's mind he would do everything possible to fight the cancer. He changed his diet (he's now a vegetarian), added many vitamins and supplements to his daily routine, began "juicing," and tried on a treatment known as ozone therapy. Kraus explains, "They took blood out of a vein, applied an ozone machine to add ozone (a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms) to the blood and re-introduce it into my body through a drip. The rationale for that was that cancer does not same an oxygenated environment."
The research in putting the protocol together aimed a lot of time, but in the long-run, Kraus believes the combining of all these treatments stabilized his mesothelioma. Today, examinations show he still has the disease and his body is a bit weaker than it was, but he has no pain and his doctors tell him he could stay living for many more years.
Kraus stresses the fact that he is not the only mesothelioma survivor. He has named the case of a man diagnosed 14 years ago at age 58 (no name given) who had a chest wall resection after diagnosis and has had no symptoms or recurrence since. His doctors believe there was "moderate host inflammatory response" and that spontaneous regression may be an immune-mediated phenomenon" - in other words, his immune system played a role in his survival. (Pilling, J.E., et al., Prolonged Survival Due to Spontaneous Regression and Surgical Excision of Malignant Mesothelioma, Ann Thorac Surg, 2007; 83: 314-5.)
Another survivor, Rhio O'Connor - who recently published a book about his fight with mesothelioma - has lived with the disease for seven years. He opted against surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Instead, with the help of some medical physicians, he developed a regimen that included 100 supplements per day, changed his diet drastically, and now practices what he calls "mind-body medicine" (such as non-stress techniques like meditation). In his book, he urges a variety of alternatives to traditional medicines and treatments. Thanks for visiting Mesothelioma Attorneys Central. Place where you can get a lot of information about Mesothelioma Attorneys and Mesothelioma other info.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Mesothelioma Attorneys in California
Mesothelioma Attorneys - important Information for Patients
Determining to pursue legal recourse and choosing an attorney to represent you in a mesothelioma or asbestos lawsuit are important decisions that should be made cautiously. I have seen some families receive $500,000 and others be awarded nearly $30 million. I have seen several lawyers reject a case only to have another firm receive it and make a big success of it. And I have seen some families wait nearly three years to receive their first check while others received big checks within three months of lodging a claim. The important reasons for these differences are the facts of the patient's situation and the law firm chosen.
The Facts of Your Situation
Some mesothelioma patients experience they did work around asbestos, but some do not experience how they were exposed or how frequently. In fact, many people are not even if they were ever near this carcinogen. Unfortunately, there have been thousands of products that contained asbestos - cigarette filters, hair dryers, brakes, basement and roof materials, pipes, boilers, insulation, and many other products found throughout the home and at work. If you were named with mesothelioma it is more than prospective that you were exposed to asbestos multiple times in your life and that this found decades before your diagnosis.
In common, the value of your case counts on how many asbestos containing products you were exposed to, the number of recognizable defendants that still exist (many have declared bankruptcy), your age and gaining capacity. And the race of your case can depend on a number of variables including the state where you did work and lived when you were endangered to asbestos.
The Mesothelioma Attorneys You Choose
When you have been given the news about this terrible disease, you may not find that you get the time to handle with the legal questions - Should I talk to a lawyer? Should I file a claim? However, you should not wait too long to find about your legal rights for at least three reasons:
1. Statutes of Restrictions - There are statute of limitations which means you only have a limited time to file your case after diagnosis. The statute of limitations time period is set by individual states and varies. The clock usually starts ticking on the day of diagnosis.
2. Financial Pressure - A mesothelioma diagnosis can bring financial tension, less income, more expenses, and treatments that are not covered by insurance. Recognizing that money may be on the direction from filing a claim can bring financial relief.
3. Mesothelioma Attorneys Can be Brilliant Resources - The more experienced Mesothelioma Attorneys and law firms can often be excellent sources of information about various doctors and treatment options ready for this disease.
But, picking a Mesothelioma Attorneys is serious business and you should not use TV ads as the reason to hire an attorney. Actual credentials are what counts. For example, what type of accomplishments has the law firm achieved? How committed are they to mesothelioma/asbestos cases? Are these cases a substantial part of their practice or just a little piece? How many other cases like yours have they handled?
Also, get sure you understand the fees being charges. Contingency is the term that means that the lawyer gets paid only after they collect money for you. The amount of the contingency fee that your lawyer can charge varies and is usually between 33% and 40%. It is important to talk about fees openly, ask what services they cover, how they are calculated, and whether there will be any extra charges.
Finally, for something as important as a Mesothelioma Attorneys , your attorney should not only be experienced, skilled, and committed, but also a trusted partner who figures that your health needs constantly take precedence. The best lawyers are those that are not just expert at what they do, but are also caring, supportive, thoughtful and compassionate.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Mesothelioma in the United States & Australia
Mesothelioma is less common in African Americans than in white Americans. The incidence of Mesothelioma increases with age. Most patients are male and over the age of 65. The disease is is 5 times more common in men than in women. Mesothelioma is rare in people under the age of 55.
Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world. This is due to the high rate of asbestos use and mining in Australia over some years. Up to 600 mesothelioma cases are named each year in Australia. The high incidence of the disease is not expected to decline in the short term.
Asbestos fibre production began in the 1880's and Asbestos was extensively mined in Western Australia (Wittenoom 1938-1966) and New South Wales (Baryulgil 1940-1979). Asbestos fibre was also imported from South Africa and North America.
It is calculated that One in three homes built in Australia between 1840 to 1987 takes some form of asbestos and nearly all public buildings such as hospitals and schools. Over 3,500 products containing asbestos were readily available in Australia. While Asbestos production and use has largely ceased, asbestos can still be found in the following:
* Building stuffs such as asbestos-cement sheeting (fibro) and paints
* Motor vehicle parts such as break linings and gaskets
* Electrical products such as hair dryers and air conditioners.
* Some textiles such as felts
According to professor Henderson of Flinders University, the number of people diagnosed with asbestos linked up diseases will not peak until 2020 by then there will be 13,000 cases of mesothelioma and up to 40,000 cases of asbestos-related lung cancer, amounting to 53,000 cases of incurable cancer caused by asbestos over the next 20 years.
Medical research may offer some hope for sufferers of this incurable disease. Australia is one of the most active countries in mesothelioma research. Several research programs are currently being conducted nationwide. Recently, Australian research workers developed a new screening operation which could help people worldwide in the early detection of mesothelioma. Several Australian organisations which offer information and support for victims and their families of mesothelioma and asbestos linked up diseases. Source Mesothelioma Attorney
Selecting a Mesothelioma Attorney Tips
Selecting a Mesothelioma Attorney Tips
These pages provide consumer tips for how to deal with the financial aspects of selecting a mesothelioma attorney. They do not provide any information regarding the medical aspects of this serious disease.
Since so much is at stake, selecting the right mesothelioma lawyer is very important. According the Wall Street Journal, lawyers say a typical mesothelioma award in a mesothelioma settlement is $1 million, and attorneys get 40% of this amount. If the case actually goes to trial, the average award was $6 million in 2001, which was triple the amount awarded just two years earlier.
So, mesothelioma attorneys are very eager to find mesothelioma patients. And it's vital that patients select the mesothelioma attorneys that are best for them.
A Brief Background on Your Legal Rights Regarding Mesothelioma
Companies that manufacture products that contain asbestos have known for over 60 years that asbestos can cause serious diseases.
Unfortunately, because many of these companies wanted to increase their profits, they kept this information quiet, thereby seriously endangering their workers.
There are now laws that help protect the workers who have been harmed by their exposure to these asbestos-related products.
However, since representing mesothelioma can be so profitable to attorneys, it is important that people who have mesothelioma be especially careful selecting attorneys who are really qualified to represent them. Therefore, we have created a list of...
Important Questions to Ask When Selecting a Mesothelioma Attorney
Question #1 to Ask When Selecting a Mesothelioma Attorney:
What is your personal experience in representing mesothelioma patients? Your goal is to find out how many cases the attorney has actually handled.
You also want to know: how many of these were settled, and how many of these went to trial? What were the results of each case?
You should ask the same questions about his or her law firm. You're goal is to find out about the firm -- is this an area the firm specializes in?
Next, you want to ask if the lawyer intends to actually handle your case him or herself. Many attorneys simply refer these cases to another law firm and receive part of the fee in exchange. This may not be in your best interest.
Question #3 to Ask When Selecting a Mesothelioma Lawyer:
A very important question to ask is how expenses and attorney fees will be handled for the case. The process is not fast -- preparation for the trial and then the trial itself -- will take many months (or even years).
During this time, there will be thousands of dollars of initial costs associated with preparing for the trial, such as travel, hiring expert witnesses, depositions, etc. Ordinarily, the attorney who represents you advances these initial costs that are associated with the preparation and trial.
Most attorney fees in these cases are based on contingency fee contracts. This means that the lawyers receive a percentage of the amount the victim recovers if the suit is successful. If the suit is not successful, then the attorneys earn no fee.
Question #4 to Ask When Selecting a Mesothelioma Lawyer:
The next thing to ask is what is involved in this kind of lawsuit. You want to get an overview of the process, and what your role will be in it. You also want to get a sense of how good a communicator the attorney is.
Finally, a lot is at stake financially in these lawsuits. Therefore, it is ordinarily a good idea to interview a number of attorneys before you make a final decision about who will represent you. Consider trying to get at least two or three recommendations so you can make the best decision for you..
Hope the tips gives will help you to get the best Mesothelioma Attorney in town.