Mesothelioma

About Mesothelioma

The tissue that lines your lungs, stomach, heart and other organs is called mesothelium. Mesothelioma is cancer of that tissue. It is a rare but serious type of cancer. Mesothelioma usually begins in the lungs, but can also start in the abdomen or other organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. Mesothelioma does not present itself until 30 to 50 years after asbestos exposure. Treatment includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or all three.

Throughout the 20th century industrial laborers were widely subjected to asbestos exposure on the job. Few of these workers knew they were being exposed to asbestos, despite the fact that many manufacturers were aware the material was hazardous. Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers that can be separated into thin, durable threads. These fibers are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity.

The shipbuilding industry has used asbestos to insulate boilers, steam pipes, and hot water pipes. The automotive industry uses asbestos in vehicle brake shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos has also been used in ceiling and floor tiles; paints, coatings, and adhesives; and plastics. In addition, asbestos has been found in vermiculite-containing garden products and some talc-containing crayons.

Conditions Caused By Mesothelioma

Side Effects & Symptoms

Warnings & Recalls

• In the late 1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces because the asbestos fibers in these products could be released into the environment during use.
• In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos; however, uses developed before 1989 are still allowed. 
• In August 2000, the EPA conducted a series of tests to evaluate the risk for consumers of adverse health effects associated with exposure to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. The EPA concluded that exposure to asbestos from some vermiculite products poses only a minimal health risk. The EPA recommended that consumers reduce the low risk associated with the occasional use of vermiculite during gardening activities by limiting the amount of dust produced during vermiculite use.  Vermiculite-containing garden products should be used outside and kept moist to limit the spread of dust.  
• The regulations described above and other actions, coupled with widespread public concern about the health hazards of asbestos, have resulted in a significant annual decline in the U.S. use of asbestos. Domestic consumption of asbestos amounted to about 803,000 metric tons in 1973, but it had dropped to about 2,400 metric tons by 2005.

Cases, Settlements, & Verdicts

• $868,000: A San Francisco Superior Court jury recently returned an asbestos related verdict of $868,000 for the family of a drywall taper that died as a result of his prolonged exposure to asbestos containing products and mixes. 
• $30.3 million: In an unpublished decision a NJ Court of Appeals upheld a $30.3 Million verdict in an asbestos case where the worker was exposed to asbestos fiber during summer employment during his youth. The court held that the standard of causation in a mesothelioma case permitted recovery where there was infrequent exposure to a small amount of fiber.

Helpful Information