Mesothelioma-Attorneys, Lawyers, Law Firms

A Mesothelioma Attorney and Lawyer Directory

Find Mesothelioma Attorneys, Lawyers, and Law Firms. Mesothelioma  is a rare and often rapidly fatal disease with median survival of 5 to 12 months for untreated cases and 16 months reported after multimodality treatment. Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a type of cancer is found in the abdomen in a thin membrane called the peritoneum. Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma include abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, and weakness. The only known cause to this disease is exposure to asbestos. Due to the latency effect of this cancer, this exposure is likely to have taken place 20 or more years ago.

To diagnose Peritoneal Mesothelioma a doctor may look inside the abdomen with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. The peritoneoscope is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is usually done in the hospital under a local anesthetic. If fluid has collected in your abdomen, your doctor may drain the fluid out of your body by putting a needle into your abdomen and using gentle suction to remove the fluid.

This process is called paracentesis. If abnormal tissue is found, the doctor will need to cut out a small piece and have it looked at under a microscope. This is usually done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy, but can be done during surgery. If peritoneal mesothelioma is diagnosed there are three main treatments for peritoneal mesothelioma:

Three types of mesothelioma treatment are:

Surgery (taking out the cancer)
Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)
Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)
Surgery is a common treatment of malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).


Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be put directly into the chest (intrapleural chemotherapy).
 

         Mesothelioma Information

Asbestos exposure also is the cause of asbestosis, a chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage.

Attorney Listings

Law Offices of Evans Prieston  New York, NY (212) 599-2800
Law Offices of JOHN MITCHELL New York, NY (212) 696-9500
Law Offices of Joel Defabio   Coral Gables, Fl.  Tel. (305) 448-7200
Law Offices of Reemberto Diaz Miami, Fl.  (305) 446-0001

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