A cancer diagnosis can be devastating to you and your family. This time can be especially difficult when a toxic substance like asbestos causes your illness. If you work or have worked in an industry where you are commonly exposed to asbestos and later developed mesothelioma or another cancer, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses.
Mesothelioma is one of the common consequences of asbestos exposure, but it is not the only cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Our dedicated team can help you understand your options if you or a loved one were employed in construction, manufacturing, as a tradesperson, or many other trades, or served in the military and were exposed to asbestos. People who handle the clothing of someone working with asbestos are also at risk, such as spouses who wash laundry.
Asbestos is a rock-like mineral comprised of tiny aerodynamic fibers that are easily inhaled any time asbestos is disturbed.
Asbestos fibers lodge into body tissues. Over time, the body reacts to the foreign substance, causing breathing problems such as asbestosis or pleural plaques, and several types of cancer. A skilled attorney can guide a person exposed to asbestos through the legal process of seeking compensation for injuries.
In addition to mesothelioma, asbestos causes lung cancer, and other cancers such as colon cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, bladder cancer, B-cell lymphomas such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma and multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Laryngeal cancer affects the throat, the tube used for swallowing, or the voice box. Men face a five times higher risk of being diagnosed with throat cancer than women.
Ssmokers exposed to asbestos have a far greater risk of contracting lung cancer than those who smoke but were not exposed to asbestos. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) lists lung cancer as one of the deadliest asbestos-related diseases.
Malignant mesothelioma attacks the lining surrounding the internal organs, most often the lungs or chest wall, and also the heart, stomach, and testis. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma, which is typically diagnosed between 20 and 40 years after exposure.
Ovarian cancer was definitively linked to asbestos exposure in 2009 when researchers repeatedly found asbestos in the ovaries of women exposed to the fibers. Researchers believe the fibers travel through the genitals, lymph or blood system or reproductive tract to reach the ovaries.
Malignant mesothelioma is not the only cancer associated with asbestos exposure. If you worked in an industry where you were exposed to the harmful fibers, you could be at risk for many other cancers.
Your symptoms and diagnosis may be recent, although your exposure was long ago. We are here to help. If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma or other types of asbestos-related cancers, call us right away. We can help you understand the medical and legal options that are available to you.
