New suspicions are arising about the number of mesothelioma victims that go undiagnosed every year – primarily due to the average age at which the disease is diagnosed. The National Institute of Health sponsored a study that found that as many as one in four cases of mesothelioma worldwide go undiagnosed. As of 2010, that accounted for almost 40,000 people who are suspected to have died from mesothelioma, but were never diagnosed or treated for the disease. What’s more is that the majority of those cases were in developed countries, such as the United States.

Unlike other diseases, mesothelioma cannot happen to just anyone. In order to develop the cancer, patients must first have been previously exposed to asbestos, which was either inhaled or ingested at the time of exposure. However, most individuals who have been exposed to asbestos were unaware of the dangers of the exposure, or that they were being exposed at all, as asbestos was a primary component in manufacturing and construction between the 1920s and the early 1980s.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that develops as much as 50 years following exposure to asbestos. Although asbestos exposure can occur at any age, it was previously most common during the working years, when employers subjected employees to the mineral as a part of their jobs. That means that a person who is initially exposed to asbestos at age 30 may not develop mesothelioma until age 80 – a time when health is expected to begin deteriorating.

The symptoms of mesothelioma are minute at first and usually undetected in the early stages. As the cancer progresses, tumors and fluid can build in the mesothelium lining of the chest, lungs or abdomen. However, symptoms at this stage may mimic those of other diseases common to elderly individuals, causing difficulty breathing and excessive respiratory problems. Because the disease is somewhat rare, affecting only a few thousand people each year, doctors may mistake the cancer for another disease or another type of cancer.

Failing to properly diagnose mesothelioma early or mistaking it for another disease can significantly lower a victim’s life expectancy. Doctors have found that mesothelioma cancer cells do not respond to traditional cancer treatments in the same way that other cancer cells do, meaning that doctors should use only certain treatments to help slow down the cancer’s progression and spread within the body.

Asbestos Accountability

Failing to accurately diagnose mesothelioma doesn’t just affect a person’s health prognosis, but it also prevents accountability from being held against the ones responsible for causing the disease. Individuals who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma are often able to track the original source of asbestos exposure with the help of an experienced mesothelioma attorney.

By filing suit against the employers or manufacturers responsible, victims are often awarded judgments or settlements worth millions of dollars. Although the money cannot undo the damage that is already done, it can help pay for medical bills, treatments, lost wages and the general wellbeing of the victim and his or her family for years to come.

California holds some of the largest US deposits of asbestos, a naturally occurring substance found in rock formations and used heavily around the world in manufacturing, industry and construction. Praised through most of the last century as the “backbone of American industry,” asbestos quickly lost its positive reputation as associated health hazards began to be noted and studied.

Although fire resistant and durable, making it a sought after building material, asbestos causes several severe respiratory illnesses, including rare and fatal cancer, mesothelioma. The more was learned about the dangers of asbestos, the less it was used in US, UK, Australia and other countries. However, for many populations much damage had already been done. Thousand of people exposed to asbestos in the nineteen hundreds are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period, making it difficult to diagnose and almost impossible to detect early. While asbestos was being used for much of the industries worldwide, its health effects went unnoticed for decades. Now, mesothelioma cases continue to show up as many as fifty years after asbestos exposure.

California asbestos deposits have raised concerns for many. San Benito and Fresno counties share an area popular for off-roading and other outdoor activities. This Clear Creek Management Area holds many rock formations containing asbestos. Dust and dirt kicked up and circulated by motorcycles, all-terrain-vehicles, and other vehicles could cause a toxic level of airborne asbestos fibers.

Once asbestos fibers are inhaled they can become lodged in lung lining tissue and begin the cancerous process of mesothelioma development. Malignant mesothelioma spreads through affected areas in an irregular web like fashion.

Mesothelioma treatments include surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy; most often administered in combination as palliative care. There is no cure for mesothelioma. Treatments typically focus on extending patient life expectancy and raising quality of life.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, Environmental Protection Agency considers the level of asbestos in the dust of Clear Creek Management Area unsafe for all visitors. The location sees over thirty thousand visitors a year, making the threat a large one when considering the possible number of people who could be exposed. The area has been closed for several years.

As part of a federal response to this situation, US Geological Survey has just released a map including all known asbestos deposits in this area and throughout California. Authorities and area administrators continue to consider how best to handle the potential danger.

Ronald Dummitt of Grayson, Kentucky has just been awarded thirty-two million dollars by a jury following an eight-week court case between Dummitt and the companies charged with responsibility for his asbestos exposure. Dummitt has received sixteen million for past pain and suffering and another sixteen million for future pain and suffering. This case began after Dummitt was diagnosed with fatal cancer mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance found in rock formations. Before its dangerous properties were known, asbestos was known for its fire resistance and durability. Through the last century it was so heavily used in industry, manufacturing and construction, it gained the nickname “backbone of American industry.”

Asbestos may have been most heavily relied upon in military munitions manufacturing and shipbuilding. This allowed for thousand of service men and women to come in contact with the toxic material. Today, veterans continue to be diagnosed with mesothelioma.

According to a WSAZ new report, Dummitt believes he was exposed to asbestos while working in the US Navy as a boiler tender. For eighteen years he worked in boiler rooms, fire rooms, and in other ship associated capacities, where asbestos materials were used regularly for repairs and maintenance operations. Now, decades later, he is suffering with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period, typically between twenty and fifty years. During this time, no external symptoms noticeable. However, during the final stages of mesothelioma development, signs and symptoms do begin to show. These mimic those of bronchitis and pneumonia, making mesothelioma difficult to properly diagnose, and postponing treatments even longer.

Mesothelioma treatments include surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These are most often administered in combination in an effort to extend patient life expectancy and raise quality of life. Following diagnosis, mesothelioma patient life expectancy ranges from just six months to two years. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.

There are two types of mesothelioma, both caused by asbestos fibers after they are inhaled into the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma, the most common type and the type Dummitt was diagnosed with, is specific to protective lung lining. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects other abdominal cavity linings and is less common. Both types of mesothelioma develop as malignant tumors spread through affected areas in an irregular web like fashion.

To date there have been over six hundred thousand court cases associated with asbestos and related diseases. Most of these are individuals charging their former employers with negligence or harmful intent in regards to asbestos exposure in the workplace.