Because mesothelioma is an especially dangerous cancer that has a very high mortality rate, researchers are constantly searching for novel approaches to treat it. There are ongoing clinical trials for techniques like gene therapy and immunotherapy all the time, and many patients in Louisiana may be eligible to participate in some or all of these trials. Eligibility requirements will vary widely, depending on the phase of the clinical trial (Phase I trials use a very small sample size, while Phase III trials can include hundreds or thousands of patients) and the specific effects being studied. Your mesothelioma specialist can help you understand the risks and potential benefits of the trials that are open right now, and connect you with a trial that may provide benefit to you. As with all experimental treatments, there are risks to be considered. Clinical trials are sometimes only open to those for whom traditional treatments…Read More
Mesothelioma, in Louisiana and elsewhere in America and around the globe, has just one cause: exposure to a naturally occurring mineral called asbestos, which until recent decades was used in a number of industrial and commercial applications. Asbestos is a pliable, fibrous mineral that can be fabricated into various shapes and forms, and it has insulation properties that are superior to other options on the market. Even today, when asbestos is highly regulated as a matter of public safety, some applications like brake pads for vehicles still rely on asbestos because of the quality of its fireproofing and heat control. There are a lot of myths about the causes of mesothelioma, including efforts by asbestos makers to promote the idea that smoking can cause mesothelioma. This is a way for them downplay the danger of their product, and to shift responsibility from their own worksites, where most asbestos exposure occurred and…Read More
While an exact number of Military Veterans in Louisiana, or veterans who worked in Louisiana during their careers, who have developed mesothelioma isn’t known. In the United States, about a third of reported cases of mesothelioma are among Veterans. Navy Veterans in particular have a high risk for developing mesothelioma, because asbestos was widely used as an insulator throughout Navy ships for decades until it began being phased out for safety reasons in the 1970s and 1980s. Because of the high number of Veterans who develop mesothelioma, the Veterans Administration has created a claims process to provide benefits to Veterans whose exposure happened in the course of their military service. Exposure wasn’t just among Navy personnel – members of the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard routinely dealt with asbestos-containing materials throughout their service prior to the 1970s and 1980s, with members of all branches potentially affected. Some occupations are considered…Read More
Whether an employer owes a duty to a worker’s household member who develops mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos fibers carried home on work clothes has been a highly contested issue. There have been several cases across the country in which compensation has been sought for family members who, for example, laundered work clothes contaminated with asbestos and later developed mesothelioma. Fortunately for New Orleans families, Louisiana courts have tended to extend the right to pursue damages to family members who contract this deadly disease. In Zimko v. Am. Cyanamid, So. 2d 465 (La. 4th Ct. App. 2005), the defendant was being sued on behalf of an employee’s household member who contracted mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos fibers carried home on the employee. The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the employer’s “duty is the general duty to act reasonably in view of the foreseeable risks…Read More
According to The American Lung Association, asbestos-related cancers like mesothelioma typically develop between 35 and 50 years after asbestos exposure, but because most asbestos exposure is work-related, and most cases of mesothelioma develop in populations who worked with asbestos for long periods of time, it is impossible to predict when, or whether, an individual may develop mesothelioma. While the majority of mesothelioma cases in Louisiana and around the country occur in people over the age of 50, there are numerous examples of younger people who’ve developed the disease as well. Children who had a parent working in asbestos-rich environments like shipbuilding or various manufacturing and construction jobs in and around Louisiana often got daily exposure when the parent returned from work in clothing saturated with asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma develops at different rates in different people, and the mechanism for this isn’t well understood. Genes likely play a role in determining who…Read More
Unfortunately, research suggests that people battling mesothelioma may experience additional serious health risks beyond the cancer itself. According to at least two studies of mesothelioma patients, the risk of developing blood clots is considerably higher for those with the disease than the general population. Blood clots can circulate in the body, lodging in smaller blood vessels and causing strokes, heart attacks, lung blockages, deep vein thrombosis, and even death. Researchers have not found a link between blood clots and the type of mesothelioma the patient is experiencing. Pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial mesothelioma all appear to present the same risk of blood clots for patients. Additionally, the stage of the disease doesn’t appear to matter either. Every patient battling mesothelioma faces additional health risks from blood clots. Fortunately, there are medications that can reduce the risk of blood clots. Mesothelioma patients in Louisiana must work closely with their doctors to identify…Read More
Helping Mesothelioma Victims and Their Families In Louisiana and Across The Country It’s not unusual at all for our clients to ask if their mesothelioma lawsuit will have to go to trial. And we understand this because many of you are worried about what your role would be in a lawsuit. Obviously, a mesothelioma victim must take care of their health needs first and we encourage them to do so as soon as possible. Next, we explain to our clients that we will prepare for their case as if we are going to trial. However, a large number of our mesothelioma lawsuits have been settled out-of-court before a trial. In case your lawsuit does go to trial, we make sure this process is as easy as possible for you and your family. For instance, we know that traveling to our offices can be difficult and unnecessary, so we’ll visit you…Read More
For more than a century, industries like construction, manufacturing, and transportation relied on asbestos to provide insulation and fireproofing products, despite awareness by doctors that workers who were exposed to asbestos were likely to face respiratory problems, and worse, as a result of their exposure. Because it was a durable, low-cost, and extremely flexible insulator, it fit the needs of American businesses from the industrial age forward. Only in the 1970s did the dangers it posed become recognized by the public, and new regulations over that decade and beyond have limited asbestos use and helped reduce the risk of exposure for millions of American workers. But there are some applications where asbestos continues to be the best available material, and regulations allow for low levels of asbestos in a number of common products. In the automotive industry, brake pads and clutches still rely on asbestos for safe, reliable operation of cars…Read More
Helping Mesothelioma Victims and Their Families In Louisiana and Across The Country This question is one of the first questions we get when meeting with an individual that has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma. And it’s a legitimate question because the medical costs will be significant and you certainly do not want to burden your family with these costs. The actual diagnosis and medical treatment for mesothelioma is just the start. If you add on support services and long term care, the costs are even greater. And if you’re not able to work because of the disease, or have already retired, your options to pay for all of this becomes even more limited. If you have no insurance, even obtaining medical treatment will be difficult. That’s why meeting with a mesothelioma attorney as soon you’re diagnosed is so important…. because they can help. Here’s a brief overview of what we discuss…Read More
While many researchers do believe that genes play some role in determining whether a person who is exposed to asbestos will develop mesothelioma, how quickly the disease may progress, and how it may respond to treatment, medicine’s understanding of these factors is in its early stages. In terms of heredity, mesothelioma is not a cancer that is shared between family members via genetic predisposition. Instead, family members may be exposed to asbestos through second-hand routes, such as fibers carried in on a loved one’s clothing or hair. This can result in multiple members of a family developing the disease. There is evidence that certain genes may contribute to familial susceptibility to mesothelioma. At this time, there is no test that can tell you whether you have a genetic predisposition to developing cancers if you are exposed to asbestos, or how your body will react to the disease and its treatments. Researchers…Read More
