The dangers of exposure to asbestos dust are well documented with tens of thousands of people stricken ill with Mesothelioma, Asbestosis and related diseases.  For many years, unsuspecting homeowners and workers worked with and lived around free, friable asbestos without with no knowledge of the dangerous and often deadly harm that breathing in even relatively small amounts of asbestos dust could do.  A frequently asked question then among many that believe that they had at least some exposure to asbestos dust is just how much asbestos exposure will cause you to get sick or even worse cause cancer?

The first thing to know about asbestos exposure is that ill effects from this exposure have a long latency period.  It is not unusual for someone exposed to asbestos to not develop mesothelioma for 25-40 years after exposure.  Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the Mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's protective organs.  Asbestos fibers that are breathed in become lodged in the linings of the lungs and eventually cause the cells to mutate and become cancerous.  About 70-80% of Mesothelioma cases are estimated to be caused by various degrees of asbestos exposure.

The amount of exposure that causes disease in people is up for debate.  While there are many cases of factory or other workers that have had heavy exposure to free, friable exposure for many years developing disease, there are also cases where exposure has been as short as several months or just a few weeks.  Intensity of exposure is most likely as relevant as length of time.  If you think you were exposed to asbestos dust it is a good idea to write down as much as can be remembered as to length of time, intensity, where and how you were exposed.  Frequently asbestos litigation can be pursued if you can prove you worked in an industry or work setting or lived in an environment where there was exposed friable asbestos that affected you.

One of the reasons it is so important to document as much as possible how much asbestos exposure you might have had is because the disease of Mesothelioma is notoriously hard to detect and quite often is mistaken for other cancers.  It is important to detect the initial signs of asbestos disease both to receive early treatment as well as to clearly identify the cause for possible litigation later. The two primary types of Mesothelioma are Pleural (chest) and Peritoneal (abdominal).  In Pleural a lung's membrane will thicken a fluid will collect.  Both of these cause difficulty in the contractions of the lungs and make breathing difficult.  In Peritoneal similar symptoms appear but around the abdominal region  leading to fluid accumulation and pain in the area.

It is unknown how many people have died from Mesothelioma that might have been mis-diagnosed with another type of cancer.  Therefore it is important to educate youself on the differences and causes of each. One place to get great information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure is www.AsbestosLA.com.  There you can read lots of articles and get great links for further information.

we have millions of people as of today are exposed with asbestos and going to die with metsophelioma and no one want to answer or talk about it. you have to be one foot on grave to be able to get some kind of help or hire a lawyer ,and our government is blaming the cigarettes for all the lung cancer in this country . they better start watching people that has been exposed in the 70's is just begin to show.how can we help???

What with the medical expenses, now lawyer expenses, is it worth the trouble?

For a project, I need accounts of what it's like to go through treatment for mesothelioma. If you have it, someone you know has it, a lawyer who has clients with this, or you are a medical professional 10 POINTS FOR THE BEST DETAILS!
I'm really sorry to hear that. If you mind me asking, what type do you have?

My father-in-law was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma. He is a disabled vet on a limited income. The life expectancy is only 4-18 months. He and my mother-in-law have filed a lawsuit against the asbestos manufacturer. The concern is that they have very little money and without compensation we are afraid that my mother-in-law will lose their house when he passes. Does anyone have experience with this?
Thanks for answering. The lawyer says that because he has the disease that we have a good case. Mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure.

We have filed the suit against the manufacturer because we believe that he was exposed while working in the boiler room while in the army and suing the army just isn't an option.

The lawyer we have retained has been involved with thousands of these cases. He has given us examples of awards won by his law firm, but I want to know what the chances are of not winning.