New York Asbestos, Mesothelioma Help, Mesothelioma Lawyers, New York Asbestos Law Firm

Mesothelioma is a tragic cancer suffered by individuals exposed to asbestos. Because mesothelioma symptoms, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, swelling and/or coughing up fluid, are associated with many other illnesses, a mesothelioma diagnosis may be delayed, threatening a mesothelioma victim’s quality of life. The incidence of mesothelioma is increasing, despite the fact that asbestos is prohibited in most uses today, because of the long period between asbestos exposure and the onset of mesothelioma symptoms.

Mesothelioma help is available to victims of mesothelioma and their families. The New York asbestos lawyers of Belluck & Fox, LLP represent the injured in their fight for justice, so they can concentrate on their quality of life. Contact the Belluck & Fox, LLP law offices in New York City and throughout the state, including Buffalo, Catskill, Syracuse, Massena and Finger Lakes, by calling (877) NYLAW09 (695-2909), or by filling out our online contact form.

There are three kinds of treatment for patients with malignant mesothelioma: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The information about mesothelioma treatments provided here should not take the place of a full medical diagnosis.

Mesothelioma Surgery

Mesothelioma surgery is usually combined with other asbestos-related cancer treatments to ensure the best patient care. There are palliative procedures that treat mesothelioma symptoms to provide relief; potentially curative procedures seek to remove all gross disease in an attempt to cure.

A Pleurectomy/Decortication is a surgical procedure in which the pleura, a membrane lining the lungs and chest cavity, are removed without removing the entire lung. This mesothelioma treatment is usually performed on patients in early stages of the disease.
Chest Tube Drainage and Pleurodesis are palliative procedures that relieve pain and inflammation. Chemical pleurodesis causes an irritation between the two pleura layers covering the lung. This irritation obliterates the space between the layers where fluid has accumulated and prevents further fluid from accumulating. As the pleural space is closed, fluid drains out of the chest cavity through a chest tube.
Pleuroperitoneal Shunt may be used in patients who have failed chemical pleurodesis or other therapies. Pleuroperitoneal shunting provides a catheter for drainage of fluid.
Extra-Pleural Pneumonectomy (EPP) is the removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and the whole lung involved with a malignant tumor or tumors. EPP is considered a radical therapy.

Other Treatments

Chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma focuses on shrinking existing tumors, controlling the spread of cancerous cells, and removing residual cancer cells following surgery.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to destroy cancerous mesothelial cells and shrink asbestos-related tumors. Radiation therapy can be very effective in relieving pain for certain mesothelioma victims.
Photodynamic therapy, an experimental mesothelioma treatment, destroys cancer cells by using energy from light and may be effective when combined with surgery. A mesothelioma patient receives a photo-sensitizer drug that targets cancerous cells by making them sensitive to light. Light is then focused on asbestos-related tumors. The photo-sensitizer drug produces toxic oxygen molecules, which kill the cancer cells.
Gene therapy may treat cancers by altering genetic defects that allow a tumor to develop. A “suicide gene” is inserted directly into the tumors, making the cells sensitive to a normally ineffectual drug. The drug is then administered to the newly sensitive cancer cells, destroying those cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Gene therapy is still in clinical trials and is not available yet.
Immunotherapy, or biological therapy, treats cancer by using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells. Though immunotherapy is not yet available, promising clinical studies are under way for immunotherapy.

Mesothelioma treatments are expensive procedures that can exhaust the financial resources of any victim of mesothelioma and their family. It can be crucial to seek mesothelioma legal help to protect your rights.

The New York asbestos attorneys at Belluck & Fox, LLP recently won a $12 million mesothelioma settlement for a client and have successfully concluded a number of personal injury cases involving defective medical products, recalled drugs, tobacco and lead paint, among others. To contact the mesothelioma law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP call (877) NYLAW09 (695-2909) toll-free or use our convenient online contact form.

For more information, contact Belluck & Fox, LLP.