About Mesothelioma
New York Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare but serious cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. When they are inhaled, asbestos fibers can produce tumors in the mesothelium, the thin membrane lining the chest and abdomen and surrounding the vital organs. As many as 2,500 to 4,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases in our country every year. Often, mesothelioma victims’ exposure to asbestos occurred decades prior to their diagnosis.
The State of New York is third in the United States (after California and Florida) for the most fatal cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. These disease’s victims most often come from areas that have historically had a large manufacturing economy, like Syracuse.
If you or a loved one from the Syracuse area has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the New York asbestos lawsuit lawyers of Belluck & Fox, LLP, can help. The firm’s team of attorneys, concentrating on mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases, has handled cases in every county in New York State, including Onondaga County. Belluck & Fox’s NY personal injury attorneys provide professional, personalized advocacy for their clients and can help you determine the legal options appropriate for you and your family.
For more information, use our online contact form or call Belluck & Fox, LLP’s mesothelioma lawyers from anywhere in New York toll-free at 877-MESOTHELIOMA (637-6843).
Asbestos in the Syracuse, NY Workplace
The health hazards of asbestos were documented and known as early as the 1920s. Yet many manufacturers continued to use it in a variety of products, and industrial plants like those in upstate New York’s iron and steel industries continued to allow workers to be exposed to this carcinogen until the late 1980s.
In addition to several iron and steel foundries, the Syracuse area was home to scores of other plants, like Bristol-Meyers in East Syracuse, General Electric in Auburn, Alcan in Oswego, Lockheed Martin in Owego and Revere Cooper in Rome
Thousands of workers in Syracuse and across New York were exposed to asbestos because of this negligence and, many years later, unnecessarily contracted mesothelioma and died younger than they should have.
Mesothelioma – Cancer of the Mesothelium
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the protective membrane surrounding vital organs in the chest and abdomen. When asbestos breaks down into tiny fibers and dust and is inhaled, it sometimes propagates tumors in the mesothelium. This is known as “malignant mesothelioma” or, simply, “mesothelioma.” Mesothelioma’s cancer cells can invade and damage tissues and organs in the chest initially; they may also metastasize (spread) to the abdomen and other parts of the body.
Pleural malignant mesothelioma, the most common form of the disease, is a cancer of the lungs. Mesothelioma can also affect the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity; the pericardium, tissue around the heart; or the tunica vaginalis, the tissue surrounding the testicles.
Mesothelioma’s Symptoms
Mesothelioma’s earliest symptoms usually do not appear for decades after exposure to asbestos, which results in a late diagnosis of the disease. In addition, the most common early symptoms of the disease are a cough and pain in the chest, which are easily ignored by sufferers and are known to doctors as signs of several maladies. This, too, often delays a speedy and accurate diagnosis in many cases.
The earliest manifestation of mesothelioma is a buildup of fluid in the chest, which presents itself as a heaviness or pain in the chest and trouble breathing. This is caused by damage to the pleura (the lining of the chest). Fluid can also build up in the peritoneum (the abdominal lining), sufferers may experience abdominal pain and swelling and bowel obstruction. Difficulty swallowing and a swelling of the neck or face, accompanied by additional pain, indicate the disease has spread above the chest.
Mesothelioma victims may also suffer fever, night sweats, weight loss, blood clotting problems and anemia as the disease advances.
As the cancer cells cause the lungs and surrounding area to harden, and the cells spread, it becomes more difficult to breathe, sleep and eat. Soon, other normal life activities become more difficult.
Diagnosing Mesothelioma
There are a variety of tests to help identify and confirm the existence of mesothelioma, including, but not limited to, imaging tests, visualization tests, biopsies and pulmonary function tests. A PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography) can evaluate the extent of the disease once it is diagnosed and help doctor and patient determine the proper course of treatment.
Treating Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma cannot be cured, but there are therapies that make the patient’s life better.
Surgery is one option for removing the cancerous masses. Chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy may be used to kill the cancer cells. Doctors usually use two or more of these therapies for the maximum effect.
Pemetrexed, which is sold as Alimta, is a prescription drug used in combination with traditional chemotherapy to reduce tumors, prolong survival and reduce pain.
Syracuse Options for Mesothelioma Treatment
Syracuse is convenient to the Upstate Medical Center, one of the country’s leading multidisciplinary cancer care centers and a division of the State University of New York (SUNY). The Upstate Medical Center is one of the only centers in upstate New York that uses a team approach to care that enables members of subspecialty teams, oncology physicians and staff from every cancer and diagnostic specialty to collaborate in multidisciplinary disease site conferences. Because it is part of a research university, it offers patients the opportunity to participate in numerous clinical trials of new cancer drugs and therapies.
Just a bit farther west, another top mesothelioma treatment center, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, is in Buffalo. Roswell Park is the country’s first cancer center and the only upstate New York facility to be designated a “comprehensive cancer center” by the National Cancer Center. Many people in Syracuse also visit hospitals in Rochester, New York City, and Boston.
Contact Our Syracuse, NY Mesothelioma Attorneys Today
If you or a family member from the Syracuse area has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the New York asbestos lawsuit lawyers of Belluck & Fox, LLP, can help. The firm’s team of attorneys concentrating on mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases has successfully handled cases in Syracuse and every county in New York State, including Onondaga County. Use our online contact form or call Belluck & Fox, LLP’s mesothelioma lawyers from Syracuse toll-free at 877-MESOTHELIOMA (637-6843).
