Mesothelioma, a serious and rare form of lung cancer, is diagnosed in the United States between 2000 and 3000 times each year.  Most frequently seen in men between ages 50 and 70, the number of people diagnosed has increased significantly in the past 30 years.  Most people diagnosed with mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos, primarily in the workplace. 

West Virginia’s workers are among those suffering from this aggressive form of cancer.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 1999, the Mountain State suffered 29 mesothelioma related deaths. The state ranks 26 in the nation for mesothelioma cases.  West Virginia was tied for the state with the highest asbestosis mortality rates during 1990–1999, the last full decade of CDC study. 

Symptoms

With symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, trouble sleeping, unexplained weight loss, chest and abdomen pain and fluid in the chest, mesothelioma can greatly affect quality of life and lead to death.  Doctor evaluations are usually prompted by the inflicted complaining of difficulty in breathing and a lingering cough.  These symptoms occur because tumors of the mesothelium, the two-layered protective membrane that covers many internal organs, make expansion of the lungs difficult. 

Cells produce fluid between these layers, allowing easy movement of the heart, covered by the layer called pericardium, and lungs, covered by the layer called pleura, in the chest cavity.  The abdominal cavity is lined by the peritoneum.  The mesothelium also lines the male and female reproductive organs.   Mesothelioma can affect any of these cells, but is usually seen in the pleural or peritoneal mesothelium. The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural.

Tumors can grow to the chest, causing chest pain, and fluid build up in the pleura can make breathing hard while lying down, making it difficult to sleep.  The cancerous cells can spread throughout the body to the abdomen can cause weight loss, pain, trouble swallowing and swelling.  Symptoms can take 20 years to develop, but may take as long as 50 years.  There have been advances in treatment for mesothelioma, but there is no cure for this type of cancer.  However, the life expectancy after being diagnosed is less than a year.

What West Virginia Workers Can Do

You can bring a legal claim against the manufacturers, sellers, installers and others who have exposed you to asbestos and resulting in mesothelioma.  Medical and financial problems related to asbestos related illnesses like mesothelioma which affect your family can be addressed by filing a legal claim.  

You wouldn’t be alone in your pursuit of justice and compensation.  In West Virginia more than 22,000 asbestos cases have been filed and eventually resolved.  In fact, there are at least 200 companies in the state that are being sued for asbestos-related illness and more than 1,200 cases are currently pending.

A mesothelioma lawyer can help with medical bills resulting from treatment for the illness and compensate you for pain and suffering by forcing those responsible to reimburse you and your family.  Although statistics can be discouraging, there is always hope for those undergoing mesothelioma treatment.  If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or an asbestos-related illness, you have a limited time to file a claim and should contact a qualified attorney about your case.