What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a horrific disease where a particular type of cell (the mesothelium) divides without control. This division of cells can lead to mesothelioma. If the cells continue to divide and multiply, they may begin to spread to other nearby parts of the body. If it turns malignant, it will spread, uncontrolled, all over the body. Fortunately, as with other types of cancer, mesothelioma can be benign (non cancerous).
Most occurrences of mesothelioma are caused by an exposure to asbestos. It does not take much exposure to cause mesothelioma. However, the cancer can take years to occur, which makes diagnosis of the cancer difficult. Although there is no link between smoking and the onset of mesothelioma, the time frame that it takes to develop mesothelioma has been proven to be reduced by victims with a history of smoking.
The symptoms of mesothelioma can be any or all of the following:
Pain in the chest cavity
Difficulty in breathing
Fatigue
Strong cough or wheezing
Blood being presented during coughing
Anemia
Unfortunately, all normal treatment options used for other types of aggressive cancers have proven to be unsuccessful. Mesothelioma is an aggressive disease which, while taking years to show its presence in the body, will cause the victim to be consumed within a year of being diagnosed.
Because the disease is extremely deadly and would have been easy to prevent if a number of companies had not been negligent, many lawsuits have been submitted regarding the mesothelioma disease. It is known that the first lawsuit was brought around 1929, and since that time, at least 600,000 suits have followed. The US government, from time to time, will try to enact a law to help victims of the disease, none have passed so far.