There have been 126 deaths in Texas attributed to mesothelioma according to a study completed in 1999 by The National Center for Health Statistics. This ranks Texas 7th in the country for mesothelioma cases. Texas has a crude mortality rank of 42 but, although this is not statistically high, if you are the widow/widower or children of one of the deceased, the rank is absolutely too high.



It has been known for years that asbestos is harmful to humans and mesothelioma is preventable. Despite this knowledge, thousands of Americans have suffered from the damaging effects of asbestos exposure. Before getting into the details of mesothelioma, it is critical for you to know that if you or someone you love has mesothelioma or has died from it, a mesothelioma attorney should be contacted immediately.

There is a good chance that a mesothelioma lawyer will be able to help you determine whether the death or illness meets the stipulations to be filed as a mesothelioma lawsuit and whether you may be entitled to a mesothelioma settlement. This settlement can go a long ways in helping a family pay for treatments for the disease as well as funeral costs, in the event of death.

A mesothelioma diagnosis is made when a cancerous tumor has invaded the mosothelial cells of an organ. This type of tumor is most commonly found in lungs, heart and/or abdominal cells and is caused by direct exposure to asbestos and asbestos related products. The most predominant form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma which is an extraordinarily rare, vicious kind of lung cancer. There are two classes of pleural mesothelioma - diffuse and malignant (cancerous) and benign (not cancerous).

Statistics indicate that malignant mesothelioma is a serious form of the disease and accounts for about 75% of all instances of mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is so aggressive it requires uncompromising treatment not only because of the type of cancer it is but, a forceful response to treatment is required because, by the time this form of mesothelioma is diagnosed, the disease has progressed into an advanced form of cancer. Mesothelioma diagnosis is made through biopsy and a pathological study.

As the tumor spreads over the pleura of the lung, it causes the lung's outer lining to thicken and loose elasticity. The growth of the tumor creates a progressively restraining type of rubber band around the lung and as the lung becomes more constricted, it begins to become smaller resulting in an inability to perform its functions.

A common initial indicator or sign that someone has mesothelioma is when they exhibit shortness of breathe following being involved in exercise such as doing yard work, walking, lifting etc. As mesothelioma advances, with the lung(s) becoming less effective due to the tumors, the patient will begin to evidence shortness of breathe during activities requiring little exertion. In time, the shortness of breathe will occur during periods of lying down, sitting and resting.

As the growth of the tumor starts to move inward, the lung becomes even more constricted. As the growth begins to move to nearby tissue such as in the chest cavity and around the ribs, the level of pain a patient experiences can be excruciating.

There is not good news about malignant mesothelioma because, at this point in time, there is not a cure. The prognosis is directly related to: the size of the tumor, the stage of growth, the specific form of cell the tumor is comprised of and the tumor's response to interventions and treatments.

Another form of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma which attacks the peritoneum membrane of several abdominal organs. Peritoneum mesothelioma is charged with being accountable for almost 20% of the cases of mesothelioma/year. Although peritoneal mesothelioma is not as rare as pleural mesothelioma, it presents more aggressively and results in a shortened life expectancy. Peritoneal mesothelioma can be benign or malignant. Because this type of cancer takes years to develop, it very often is found by sheer chance and prior to symptoms beginning to be apparent.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include: abdominal pain, generalized weakness, loss of appetite and subsequent loss of weight, nausea, and swelling of the abdomen. The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma generally progress slowly and as time passes become more severe. Like pleural mesothelioma, there is no cure and the prognosis is affected by such things as: the tumor size and stage of development, the cell type of the tumor, and the tumor's response to treatment.