Mesothelioma Can Strike Younger Patients Without Known Risks

Mesothelioma is a cancer that typically affects middle-aged or older men who were exposed to asbestos on the job. But even younger patients with no known history of asbestos exposure may develop mesothelioma, and should be evaluated if they have signs of the disease, according to a recent review in the West Virginia Medical Journal. Even when mesothelioma is properly diagnosed, treatment options remain limited and the prognosis is usually grim, the authors say.

The review presented the case of a 38-year-old, otherwise healthy woman who developed shortness of breath and chest pain, which worsened over time. Pathology tests revealed cancerous cells that are typical of mesothelioma, even though the woman had no apparent risks for the disease. “The family denied any known history of asbestos exposure, either in her or other family members,” says lead study author Carol Montjoy, MD, Fellow in the West Virginia University Section of Pulmonary/CCM.

Dr. Montjoy and her colleagues say this case illustrates the need to consider a diagnosis of mesothelioma in patients who have a growth in the pleura (the lining of the chest and lungs), even if they don’t fit the typical profile of a mesothelioma patient.

Even with the best techniques available today, mesothelioma remains an elusive cancer—difficult to detect, and challenging to treat. X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans can identify growths in the pleura, but when tissue samples are examined, mesothelioma is difficult to distinguish from adenocarcinoma (a type of cancer that begins in glandular tissue). The use of immunohistochemical stains—a technique that stains cancer cells to identify biological markers for cancer—has helped doctors more accurately diagnose mesothelioma, but once this cancer has been identified, there is often little doctors can do to attack it.

“Mesothelioma, unfortunately, is an aggressive tumor with a poor response to multiple common modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment,” Dr. Montjoy says. These treatments can only improve survival time by a few months (an untreated mesothelioma patient may live 4-13 months, while a treated patient lives 6-18 months).

Researchers are currently investigating new treatment strategies, which they hope will improve the prognosis for mesothelioma patients. One relatively new treatment option attempts to improve survival by combining therapies. Patients first have radical surgery called extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), which removes part of the lung, its lining, the lining of the heart, and the diaphragm. Surgery is followed by a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.

Yet even this aggressive approach does not appear to offer patients much of a benefit. Although one study reported that patients who had this therapy survived an average of 23 months, other research has not produced the same results. “Currently, data is still being collected to determine if outcomes with this approach are any better; so far, most studies indicate that this approach does not offer any substantial benefit,” Dr. Montjoy says. For now, mesothelioma “remains an aggressive tumor with a dismal prognosis,” the authors conclude.

Mesothelioma Lawyers - Important Information for Patients

Mesothelioma Lawyers - Important Information for Patients

By Michael Horwin, MA, JD*

Deciding to pursue legal recourse and selecting an attorney to represent you in a mesothelioma or asbestos lawsuit are important decisions that should be made carefully. I have seen some families receive $500,000 and others be awarded nearly $30 million. I have seen some lawyers reject a case only to have another firm accept 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 large checks within three months of filing a claim. The main 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 know they worked around asbestos, but many do not know how they were exposed or how often. In fact, many people are not sure 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 diagnosed with mesothelioma it is more than likely that you were exposed to asbestos multiple times in your life and that this happened decades before your diagnosis.

In general, the value of your case depends on how many asbestos containing products you were exposed to, the number of identifiable defendants that still exist (many have declared bankruptcy), your age and earning capacity. And the speed of your case can depend on a number of variables including the state where you worked and lived when you were exposed to asbestos.

The Law Firm You Choose

When you have been given the news about this terrible disease, you may not feel that you have the time to deal with the legal questions - Should I talk to a lawyer? Should I file a claim? However, you should not wait too long to learn about your legal rights for at least three reasons:

1. Statutes of Limitations - 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 stress, less income, more expenses, and treatments that are not covered by insurance. Knowing that money may be on the way from filing a claim can bring financial relief.

3. Lawyers Can be Excellent Resources - The more experienced mesothelioma lawyers and law firms can often be excellent sources of information about various doctors and treatment options available for this disease.

But, picking a lawyer 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 small piece? How many other cases like yours have they handled?

Also, make 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 discuss 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 lawsuit, your attorney should not only be experienced, skilled, and dedicated, but also a trusted partner who understands that your health needs always take precedence. The best lawyers are those that are not only expert at what they do, but are also caring, supportive, thoughtful and compassionate.