About Mesothelioma
Though it is rare, mesothelioma is a serious, often fatal, cancer that occurs in people who have been exposed to asbestos. Some 2,500 to 4,000 Americans are diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma every year.
Unfortunately, New York is among the states with the highest numbers of deaths from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The Upstate – with manufacturing plants like Bristol-Meyers in East Syracuse, General Electric in Auburn, Eastman Kodak in Rochester, and Alcan and Lockheed Martin in Oswego – and the Southern Tier – where IBM, Lockheed Martin, Whirlpool and Valvoline operated plants near Binghamton – are two of the state’s industrial centers where contact with asbestos was a part of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers’ daily work throughout much of the 20th century.
Work in similar manufacturing plants, and similar exposure to asbestos, were the norm in New York’s Finger Lakes region and the North Country, and from Albany to Corning, Newburgh to Plattsburgh, and Utica to Watertown.
The health hazards of asbestos and asbestos-containing products were known as early as the 1920s. Still, scores of corporations, include companies throughout New York State, continued to manufacture and profit from the sale and use of asbestos-containing products despite available alternatives. Many firms chose to ignore the risks and repercussions associated with asbestos exposure, and to sell and recklessly use the hazardous substance through the 1980s. They didn’t take steps to advise workers of asbestos’ dangers and, as a result, many Americans have tragically, and unnecessarily, contracted mesothelioma.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, contact the New York mesothelioma lawyers of Belluck & Fox, LLP, today. Our NY asbestos injury attorneys have investigated mesothelioma cases in every county in the state and have assisted mesothelioma sufferers all across the State of New York. Belluck & Fox provides personalized and professional legal representation and can advise you of the legal options available for you and your family.
For more information, call Belluck & Fox, LLP’s New York mesothelioma lawyers toll-free at 1-877-NYLAW09 (695-2909), or use our online contact form. New York State communities we serve include Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Corning, Elmira, the Finger Lakes region, Jamestown, Long Island, Newburgh, New York, the North Country region, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, Utica, Watertown and Westchester County.
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a disease of the mesothelium, the membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. The mesothelium includes a layer surrounding the organ and another that forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a fluid between the two layers that enables moving organs, like the beating heart or breathing lungs, to move smoothly against adjacent structures of the body.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer in which malignant cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the linings of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) and the heart (the pericardium), or the lining around the testicles (tunica vaginalis), says the National Cancer Institute.
Pleural malignant mesothelioma affects the lungs and is the most common form of the deadly disease.
Mesothelioma’s cancerous cells can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs and may also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body.
What are Mesothelioma’s Symptoms?
Early symptoms of mesothelioma are generally non-specific, and some patients do not even experience early symptoms. Because of this, a mesothelioma diagnosis may be delayed.
Pleural mesothelioma’s early symptoms may include a persistent cough and chest pain, and may resemble viral pneumonia. As the disease progresses, the fluid accumulation in the chest cavity (pleural effusion) causes difficult breathing, shortness of breath, and/or pain.
Additional symptom of pleural mesothelioma include fever, abdominal pain and swelling, bowel obstruction, night sweats, weight loss, blood clotting problems and anemia. Pain, difficulty swallowing and swelling of the neck or face may be indications that the cancer has metastasized beyond the mesothelium.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma (manifestation of the disease in the abdomen), may include the above, as well as swelling or abdominal pain caused by built up fluid.
How is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?
Several diagnostic procedures allow doctors to determine whether a patient has mesothelioma. These include imaging tests, visualization tests, biopsies and tests of pulmonary function. Because mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose, doctors may perform other tests to confirm the presence of the disease.
If the pathologist confirms the presence of mesothelioma, the doctor may suggest a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan to evaluate the stage or extent of the disease as a means of determining the appropriate course of treatment.
How is Mesothelioma Treated?
There is no cure for mesothelioma at this point in time. As the disease progresses, cancer cells harden the area around the lungs and spread. Eventually, breathing, sleeping and eating become more difficult, and it becomes increasingly challenging for the patient to engage in normal life activities.
Three traditional forms of treatment are prescribed for mesothelioma patients: surgery to remove the cancer from the body, chemotherapy to destroy the cancer and radiation to kill the cancer cells. To maximize the likelihood of success, treatment often includes two or more of these therapies.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options in New York
New York offers excellent mesothelioma treatment options. The Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo is America’s first cancer center and the only upstate New York facility to hold the National Cancer Center designation of “comprehensive cancer center.”
Other options include the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, a division of the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester; St. Peter’s Cancer Care Center in Albany, which is among the first hospitals in the nation designated a “Blue Distinction Center for the Treatment of Complex and Rare Cancers;” and Lourdes Regional Cancer Center in Binghamton, a premier source of outstanding cancer care for more than 50 years.
New York’s medical colleges allow collaboration between doctors and medical scientists, which brings treatments from the lab to the hospital in record time. New York mesothelioma patients also have access to numerous ongoing clinical trials that test new cancer drugs and therapies.
Contact Our New York Mesothelioma Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one in New York has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, contact the mesothelioma lawyers of Belluck & Fox, LLP, today. Our NY asbestos injury attorneys have investigated mesothelioma cases in every county in the state and have assisted mesothelioma sufferers all across the State of New York. Belluck & Fox provides personalized and professional legal representation and can advise you of the legal options available for you and your family.
For more information, call Belluck & Fox, LLP’s New York mesothelioma lawyers toll-free at 1-877-NYLAW09 (695-2909), or use our online contact form.
