Early symptoms of mesothelioma are non-specific in nature. Years may pass with no symptoms at all. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to respiratory distress, a lasting cough, pneumonia, low energy levels and night-time sweating. The “generalness†of asbestos cancer symptoms may lead to a delay in diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma..
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after asbestos exposure - when least expected. Those affected often do not receive the proper mesothelioma diagnosis until the cancer is far advanced. Shortness of breath, pain in the chest, shoulder blades or lower back and weight loss, may also be indicative symptoms of mesothelioma. mesothelioma. Asbestos cancer symptoms may also appear in the form of a bowel obstruction, blood clotting, lung or bowel abnormalities, anemia, fever or trouble swallowing.
Some patients complain of pain in the shoulder blade or lower back. These symptoms most often occur 2-3 months prior to a confirmed diagnosis.
Pleural mesothelioma is normally indicated by shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent cough. As mesothelioma progresses, pleural effusion (fluid build up between the two pleural layers) occurs in 95% of patients.
Patients normally visit their GP to diagnose this symptom. The doctor will us a chest X-ray to confirm the effusion. A thickening of the pleura may also be noted at this time.
If the GP finds symptoms of mesothelioma and suspects cancer is a possibility, referral may be made to a hospital consultant who specializes in lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is normally indicated by a change in normal bowel movements such as frequent diarrhoea or constipation, abdominal pain and swelling, nausea or vomiting, bowel obstruction and weight loss.
Diagnostic tests will show abdominal swelling due to thickening of the lining membranes of the gut, and accumulation of large amounts of fluid in the abdomen and normally also lumps of tissue in the abdominal.
Self diagnosis of asbestos cancer is not advised, as specialist diagnostic tests are required for diagnosis malignant mesothelioma. The symptoms above are not unique to mesothelioma, and may be symptoms of other health dispositions. Evaluation by a qualified physician is always suggested.
Tests that may show mesothelioma include the following:
• Chest x-ray
• CT scan of the chest
• Open lung biopsy
Further complicating mesothelioma treatment is the malignant nature of the cancer, for at the stage when symptoms of mesothelioma appear, current therapeutic treatments are usually no longer effective.
Asbestos cancer mesothelioma post-diagnosis survival rates typically range from 6 months to 2 years. It is important to see a doctor about any of these dispositions that may be the symptoms of mesothelioma.
When your GP refer you to a specialist mesothelioma doctor or oncologist, he should provide you with the following information: • Date and time of your appointment.
• The name of the mesothelioma center or clinic.
• The Contact person or specialist’s name.
• The mesothelioma testing procedures that you can expect.
• Time frames e.g. test result waiting period, treatment periods.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has developed the following, effective June, 2005. The guidelines implemented by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in 2005 may not apply to every individual.
It is important that you discuss the details of your individual mesothelioma case with your close family, supporting friends and your personal health care team. You have to be at peace with the proactive role that you and your mesothelioma support group are going to play in your treatment and care.
The general referral guidelines for suspected cancer requires an assessment of urgency by your GP. His asbestos cancer assessment will be based on the following criteria:
• Immediate referral: The patient needs to be seen within a few hours.
• Urgent referral: The patient will be seen within two weeks.
• Non-urgent: All other referrals.
After completing your urgency assessment, your GP will send all relevant information about your mesothelioma case to your mesothelioma doctor or your specialist for evaluation.
The prognosis associated with the diagnosis malignant mesothelioma is very poor. Any individual who experience symptoms of mesothelioma, or suspect asbestos cancer (associated with asbestos exposure in previous jobs with asbestos risk) should urgently seek medical advice.
As in all cancers, when the first symptoms of mesothelioma appear, early diagnosis and treatment offer the best hope for a favorable outcome in a patient with malignant asbestos mesothelioma lung cancer.
However, taking advantage of your legal rights can create the necessary funds to finance aggressive treatment, pay off huge medical bills incurred during diagnosis, and provide financial security for your family for years to come.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Injury lawyer claims asbestos victory
A personal injury lawyer who has dedicated his life to campaigning for compensation for asbestos victims today claims that a new High Court Ruling indicates a landmark victory for asbestos victims.
Solicitor and personal injury expert Peter Hankins has given over 30 years of his life to the cause, fighting tooth and nail for the ex-employees of former Chalford-based asbestos firm Fibrecrete and their families.
Many became terminally ill after their jobs at the firm brought them into close contact with the dangerous substance. The families of workers at the factory were also put at personal risk through contact with contaminated workers, in addition to facing the pain of losing loved ones.
The case has been ongoing due to the slow appearance of the effects of working with asbestos, which can manifest themselves years later in the form of aggressive cancers.
The latest twist in the rollercoaster trail of legal successes and setbacks comes with this month's test case judgment defeating insurers, who were reluctant to validate ongoing payouts to ill workers. "It is a milestone. I feel enormous relief for the families involved," said Mr Hankins, consultant to Rowcroft solicitors AES Winterbothams.
"This is probably one of the most aggressively fought areas of injury and disease in my professional life," he said.
"This is also a very important case for Stroud as the lead defendant insurer was BAI and six test case victims defeated the insurers."
Mr Hankins maintains that the insurer, BAI, had gone along for years with the payouts to the ex employees of Fibrecrete, before arguing in 2007 that the payments should only begin once symptoms of the associated diseases began to manifest themselves.
For many victims, diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer which are caused by exposure to the dangerous asbestos particles do not develop until up to 30 years after the original contact, by which point the majority of insurance policies would have expired.
Luckily after 6 weeks of arguing, the High Court found in favour of Mr Hankins and the ex employees of Fibrecrete.
"If they'd won there would have been nothing more disappointing than finding that, after working through a case with either a very ill person or a widow, that there was no insurance policy to pay out their compensation," Mr Hankins said.
Solicitor and personal injury expert Peter Hankins has given over 30 years of his life to the cause, fighting tooth and nail for the ex-employees of former Chalford-based asbestos firm Fibrecrete and their families.
Many became terminally ill after their jobs at the firm brought them into close contact with the dangerous substance. The families of workers at the factory were also put at personal risk through contact with contaminated workers, in addition to facing the pain of losing loved ones.
The case has been ongoing due to the slow appearance of the effects of working with asbestos, which can manifest themselves years later in the form of aggressive cancers.
The latest twist in the rollercoaster trail of legal successes and setbacks comes with this month's test case judgment defeating insurers, who were reluctant to validate ongoing payouts to ill workers. "It is a milestone. I feel enormous relief for the families involved," said Mr Hankins, consultant to Rowcroft solicitors AES Winterbothams.
"This is probably one of the most aggressively fought areas of injury and disease in my professional life," he said.
"This is also a very important case for Stroud as the lead defendant insurer was BAI and six test case victims defeated the insurers."
Mr Hankins maintains that the insurer, BAI, had gone along for years with the payouts to the ex employees of Fibrecrete, before arguing in 2007 that the payments should only begin once symptoms of the associated diseases began to manifest themselves.
For many victims, diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer which are caused by exposure to the dangerous asbestos particles do not develop until up to 30 years after the original contact, by which point the majority of insurance policies would have expired.
Luckily after 6 weeks of arguing, the High Court found in favour of Mr Hankins and the ex employees of Fibrecrete.
"If they'd won there would have been nothing more disappointing than finding that, after working through a case with either a very ill person or a widow, that there was no insurance policy to pay out their compensation," Mr Hankins said.
Government fights miners compensation claims
It is estimated that the Government has spent over £5million in legal fees fighting the claims of sick miners whose illnesses and injuries were not included in a previous compensation scheme.
Miners suffering from knee injuries, osteoarthritis and chronic lung disease from inhaling dust on the pit surface as opposed to underground were excluded from the previous compensation scheme, which allowed for settlements for exposure to asbestos, vibration white finger and other related illnesses suffered by underground workers. About 1,000 miners with knee injuries caused by prolonged periods of kneeling and walking long distances over uneven ground and carrying heavy loads have had their cases heard by Leeds county court. They are currently awaiting these cases to be transferred to the High Court in London.
The Government is contesting the claims and the legal bills are mounting as the cases await trial. Estimates are that the £5million figure will double by the time the cases are settled. The delays by the Government to settle these cases quickly could also mean that any new compensation schemes are likely to be complex, costing even more in legal fees.
Representatives for the miners feel that the Government has handled the situation badly and rather than spending millions on legal fees, the money would be better spent on giving out smaller compensation amounts to cover costs for breathing equipment needed by those with chronic lung disease, for example. The previous scheme compensated miners for injuries and illnesses caused by underground work, but did not include any resulting from surface occupations. The new battle for those excluded from the previous scheme has brought complaints that the only winners in the current legal battle are the lawyers, rather than the miners. The original scheme set up by the Department of Trade and Industry after it lost a test case in 1988 and has to date paid out £6.9billion. More than half of that amount has gone in legal costs rather than on compensation payments.
The Industrial Injury Advisory Council has recommended that 'Miner's Knee' becomes a prescribed disease for miners working on the coalface and at the surface. Despite this recommendation and the mounting evidence for the long-term health effects of chronic lung disease as the result of exposure to dust, the battle for compensation continues.
Miners suffering from knee injuries, osteoarthritis and chronic lung disease from inhaling dust on the pit surface as opposed to underground were excluded from the previous compensation scheme, which allowed for settlements for exposure to asbestos, vibration white finger and other related illnesses suffered by underground workers. About 1,000 miners with knee injuries caused by prolonged periods of kneeling and walking long distances over uneven ground and carrying heavy loads have had their cases heard by Leeds county court. They are currently awaiting these cases to be transferred to the High Court in London.
The Government is contesting the claims and the legal bills are mounting as the cases await trial. Estimates are that the £5million figure will double by the time the cases are settled. The delays by the Government to settle these cases quickly could also mean that any new compensation schemes are likely to be complex, costing even more in legal fees.
Representatives for the miners feel that the Government has handled the situation badly and rather than spending millions on legal fees, the money would be better spent on giving out smaller compensation amounts to cover costs for breathing equipment needed by those with chronic lung disease, for example. The previous scheme compensated miners for injuries and illnesses caused by underground work, but did not include any resulting from surface occupations. The new battle for those excluded from the previous scheme has brought complaints that the only winners in the current legal battle are the lawyers, rather than the miners. The original scheme set up by the Department of Trade and Industry after it lost a test case in 1988 and has to date paid out £6.9billion. More than half of that amount has gone in legal costs rather than on compensation payments.
The Industrial Injury Advisory Council has recommended that 'Miner's Knee' becomes a prescribed disease for miners working on the coalface and at the surface. Despite this recommendation and the mounting evidence for the long-term health effects of chronic lung disease as the result of exposure to dust, the battle for compensation continues.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)