Mia
Mesothelioma is aggressive cancer that needs your immediate attention upon discovery. It develops through various stages very quickly, and patients often have a life expectancy of 12 months. Mesothelioma happens due to a patient’s exposure to asbestos, a deadly mineral used in insulation material and other construction products.
The use of mesothelioma was widespread in the past, and companies continued to manufacture it even after knowing its health hazards. As a result, many people got exposed to it due to both occupational exposure and secondary exposure. Occupational exposure is when asbestos exposure occurs on the worksite where either you manufacture asbestos-containing products or use them, such as on a construction site.
Asbestos not only causes mesothelioma in workers, but it is also a potential threat to their loved ones as well. The most challenging aspect of a mesothelioma diagnosis is its long latency period which prevents it from getting diagnosed in its early stages. It means that the tumor does not show itself even a decade after a person’s exposure to mesothelioma. In a few instances, when diagnosed in its early stages, it can exceptionally improve the chances of cure and survival. For anyone working on construction sites and industries using asbestos-containing products, it is essential to learn more about this disease as soon as possible to protect themselves and their loved ones against this life-threatening tumor. Here are other reasons why learning more about mesothelioma is important.
- Know The Type And Location Of Mesothelioma
Learning more about mesothelioma means knowing various and locations of occurrence in your body. Mesothelioma has been divided into four types according to the location of its origin. The most prevalent type is pleural mesothelioma which occurs on the outer lining of the pleura (lungs). It accounts for more than 70% of the mesothelioma diagnosis among all the diagnoses.
The second type is peritoneal mesothelioma. Peritoneal has to do with parietal peritoneum, tissues that cover the abdominal wall and pelvic cavity. Thus, the location of this type of mesothelioma is the abdomen and its various organs. The third type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma, which is the tumor of the heart sac; this is one of the two rarest types of mesothelioma. The least occurring form of mesothelioma is the testicular mesothelioma which appears on the linings of the testis.
- Know Your Prognosis
Some people feel more in control of their situation if they know everything about it; the same goes for a difficult diagnosis such as mesothelioma. After having ample knowledge about it, you can comfortably talk to your doctors, understand the medications and preventive measures. You can also discuss your prognosis. A prognosis is an estimation of the development stages of the tumor and how long you have to live after the diagnosis. An informed person also follows their treatment plan much better than someone not knowing about it; hence, it improves patient outcomes.
- Know The Treatments Available To You
The type of mesothelioma developing inside your body decides the treatment plan for you. Not all patients are eligible for the same treatment plans. Therefore, doctors analyze the type and metastasis of mesothelioma to decide your treatment. Other factors that can impact your treatment plans include your physical health, personal preferences, and cancer stage. A person knowing the prognosis and efficacy of a treatment for their health and life expectancy may be more open to taking controlled risks by opting for emerging treatments and clinical trials. Moreover, by having all the updates on mesothelioma, you might also ask your doctors about non-traditional treatment plans.
- Know The Stage Of Your Tumor
Your knowledge about mesothelioma will help you understand the stage of your tumor. Generally, mesothelioma is divided into four stages. These stages represent how far cancer might have spread in your body. In the first stage, cancer does not spread beyond its initial point of origin. The treatments can be very effective in this stage, helping to extend the life expectancy of patients from months to years. In the second stage of mesothelioma, the tumor may have spread to the nearby lymph nodes, but often not much. At this stage, patients are still eligible to accept many treatment options to extend their life expectancy.
The third stage is more severe than the previous stages; cancer might have spread to the nearby organs, tissues, or lymph nodes. In the third stage, the average life expectancy comes down to 16 months from 21 months in the first stage.
The fourth and last stage is the most serious of all, where cancer has taken refuge in other distant areas of the body. The patient’s life expectancy decreases to 12 months, and treatments are only administered as palliative treatments that improve the symptoms and the life quality of the patient.
- Know Your Eligibility For A Legal Claim
By knowing more about mesothelioma, you may finally come across information about legal action against the wrong-doers. Since mesothelioma is caused by conscious or unconscious neglect of manufacturers, suppliers, or users of mesothelioma products, it makes the victim and their family eligible for a mesothelioma claim. A mesothelioma claim is a legal action taken to receive compensation from the perpetrators. The money received through compensation is used to pay for the medical expenditures of the tumor treatment. Other aspects factored in when calculating the mesothelioma claim include travel expense, loss of work, grief and stress for the loss of health, and a chance to live a happy and healthy life.
Mesothelioma is a deadly industrial cancer that often takes the patient’s life. It is important to know more about mesothelioma to be more in charge of your ailment. You can also talk about your situation with your oncologist in the most informed manner. You will understand the medical terms, the language of the medical professionals working with you, traditional and non-traditional treatments available to you, and the pace of your cancer spread. The medical professional may help you understand the need for a mesothelioma claim and contact the right attorneys for pursuing one.
