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Mesothelioma Mortality Risk

December 4, 2017

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The Canadian Respiratory Journal recently carried a research article titled, “Risk Factors of Mortality from All Asbestos-Related Diseases: A Competing Risk Analysis.” The authors of the study had found no prior research into mortality rates for asbestos-caused diseases. Assessing hundreds of patients from Barcelona, Spain over a four-decade period, the team completed the first-known mortality assessment for asbestos-caused diseases.

Asbestos-Related Diseases (ARDs)

The link between asbestos and mesothelioma is clear, as is the link between asbestos and several other cancerous and non-cancerous diseases. Asbestos exposure can result in serious ailments including:

• Lung Cancer: Although largely caused by cigarette smoking, many cases of lung cancer are traced to asbestos each year.
• Ovarian Cancer: In 2009 a connection was made between asbestos and ovarian cancer. Asbestos fibers may be small enough to enter the bloodstream via the lungs where they travel into the ovaries.
• Laryngeal and Other Cancers: Esophageal, bladder, kidney, throat, and other cancers have also been linked to asbestos exposure.
• Asbestosis: Asbestosis is a benign inflammation in the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. A tight chest and shortness of breath are daily symptoms for the afflicted person.
• Pleuritis: Like asbestosis, pleuritis is an inflammation of the lung, but in this case, it affects the pleura or lining of the lung. This causes worse symptoms than asbestosis and can cause daily pain. Ten percent of those who develop pleuritis will develop mesothelioma.
• Atelectasis: Asbestos can also cause a thickening of the pleura. When this happens, the lung will slowly fold in on itself.
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease): Indirectly related to asbestos-related diseases, COPD is easier to develop when asbestos-related diseases are present. Likewise, many who develop COPD are less capable of fighting off ARDs.

Asbestos Exposure and Mortality

Although asbestos is not the only cause of mesothelioma, it does account for the majority of cases. The researchers chose Barcelona as its location because of the known asbestos exposure within the community. They identified 167 deceased persons as suffering asbestos-related diseases.

Of the deceased, nearly sixty percent had mesothelioma. Another twenty percent had pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. Their research verifies what most researchers have found in the past – that asbestos is very likely to cause mesothelioma.

Philadelphia Mesothelioma Lawyers at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler Help Victims of Asbestos Exposure

If you or a loved one has mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease, contact a Philadelphia mesothelioma lawyer at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler. To schedule an initial consultation, contact us online or call 215-569-4000 or 800-369-0899. For more than three decades we have served the people of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as Delaware County, Chester County, and Philadelphia County.