The tests that are used to determine a diagnosis of mesothelioma include X-rays, CT (computerized tomography) scans, pleural or peritoneal aspiration and biopsy. A complete medical history, including any previous exposure to asbestos, will also be a valuable tool in determining a patient’s diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma and asbestosis, the scarring diseases caused from asbestos exposure, typically take years to fester within a body before symptoms become visible. Filling your lungs with smoke if you’ve been exposed to asbestos will hasten asbestos disease and expose you to additional medical testing to properly diagnose your disease. It will also take years off of your life.

Asbestos and smoke are a deadly combination that hastens the onset of painful and fatal lung cancers.

Lung diseases such as asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural disease, lung cancer and mesothelioma are caused by asbestos. The symptoms of these asbestos caused diseases are so similar to the lung diseases and cancers caused by smoking, that proper diagnosis is difficult. Treatment for mesothelioma or other asbestos caused diseases begin too late because of earlier misdiagnosis. With most cancers, and mesothelioma treatment in particular, early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to survival. A late diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma because an asbestos caused disease was mistaken for a smoking-related disease can take years off of your life, and lead to harsh and painful living during your last few years.

Medical research has also shown that smoking will hasten the attack of mesothelioma because of the internal damage caused by the toxic elements of cigarettes. Cigarette toxins eat away at your lungs. Asbestos fibers can then gain early entry into your vulnerable lungs and quickly take over or assist the cigarette toxins in creating your lung disease or cancer. Not smoking will not protect you from asbestos disease or mesothelioma, but it can reduce the severity and pain of mesothelioma and other asbestos caused diseases – and add years on to your life. If you don’t smoke and you have had exposure to asbestos, diagnosis will be swifter and you will be subject to less medical testing. Your chances of developing secondary lung diseases are substantially reduced.

Mesothelioma symptoms and lung disease symptoms from smoking typically both start with shortness of breath and trouble breathing. A productive cough typically follows, and the shortness of breath and the productive cough slowly worsen and persist. Because mesothelioma symptoms progress slowly, there is time to make a proper diagnosis if early treatment is sought. If the symptoms are ignored and are merely accepted as a side-effect of smoking, the disease has more time to become uncontrollable, and the asbestos disease will soon have control over you.

Mesothelioma affects the lining of internal organs, in a membrane called the mesothelium – hence the cancer name mesothelioma. This membrane does not affect just your lungs, it can affect most of your internal organs. Once mesothelioma symptoms of the lungs surface, such as breathing difficulties and productive coughs, the next step is typically an attack around the heart. Mesothelioma symptoms will then include chest pain, along with respiratory problems. This too can be misinterpreted as a sign of a smoking related disease, or a sign of old age or other heart and lung ailments. Mesothelioma is rare, and doctors will test according to the most likely disease to occur based on the symptoms. Because of that, it is very important to mention to your doctor your exposure to asbestos at your first visit.

Mesothelioma symptoms are slow to surface, and difficult to diagnose. Smoking while being exposed to asbestos will make proper diagnosis of mesothelioma difficult, and proper treatment may come too late to be of any benefit other than pain reduction and respiratory control. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by asbestos, not cigarettes – but cigarettes will make your mesothelioma worse. Don’t let the fibers of asbestos and the toxins of cigarettes team up on your lungs. Quit smoking and stay away from asbestos. If you must be exposed to asbestos, wear proper protection and don’t smoke. Don’t rush the disease, diagnose it. And you can’t diagnose the disease fast enough unless you quit smoking.

www.mesovideolibrary.com Mary Jane Williams was shocked when she learned she had peritoneal mesothelioma. In this video she explains how she immediately took action. For more information on Peritoneal Mesothelioma visit www.mesovideolibrary.com

Scientists in Australia speculate that the number of mesothelioma cases reported there will rise rapidly over the next 15 years, reaching a disturbing peak of 900 deaths from mesothelioma cancer a year.

The Australian workforce once relied heavily on jobs from asbestos-related processing and construction companies and now is finding that they are becoming victims of their one-time employment.

Mesothelioma Death Rates

A professor for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used World Health Organization (WHO) figures and found that the UK and Australia both currently lead in the number of mesothelioma-related deaths worldwide.

Professor Julian Peto, head of the Cancer Research UK Epidemiology and Genetics Group, speculated that the death rate from asbestos-related diseases will only increase, especially among men who are currently 40 years of age, and who will become nearly 100 times more likely to die by the time they reach 80 years of age.

Peto also speculated that since the 1980s, there have been approximately 10,000 cases of mesothelioma reported in Australia alone. He also concluded that within the next 40 years, more than 25,000 Australians could die from asbestosis.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Diagnosis

At its peak, in the 1970s, nearly 10,000 tonnes (equivalent to more than 22 million pounds) of brown asbestos was being imported into Australia for use in the construction industry, largely affecting construction workers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and shipyard workers.

According to Peto, who presented his findings at a public lecture at the University of Melbourne in April 2008, nearly 500 Australian men and 100 Australian women are diagnosed each year with asbestos-related conditions including mesothelioma cancer.

What is Asbestos and How Does it Cause Mesothelioma?

Vermiculite is a mineral for which asbestos comes from. There are several types of asbestos found throughout the world, and the use of asbestos was wide spread during the 20th century worldwide, as it was a heat-resistant product that was inexpensively produced, offering the construction industry a cheaply made and easily mass produced product.

Asbestos was mined and heavily imported in Australia. For years, individuals were exposed to asbestos in many different ways and often, many of them developed mesothelioma cancer.

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer caused usually by the inhalation of asbestos fibers and dust. It is often misdiagnosed and even when symptoms are present, it can be difficult to diagnose.

Often termed “a silent killer” because it remains dormant for years, showing no signs or symptoms in victims. Mesothelioma can be a dormant condition, not revealing symptoms for decades in an individual.

Types of Asbestos

There are six types of asbestos commonly found including, chrysotile (white), amosite (brown), crocidolite (blue), tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. Blue, brown and white were the most commonly used types of asbestos. Chrysotile is considered a more flexible form of asbestos and its use was implemented into a range of products including cement roofing sheets for buildings, brake linings, pipe insulation, floor tiles, and even for fire protection within fuses. In the United States, chrysotile is the most common type of asbestos found and a large contributor for mesothelioma there.

Both the brown and blue, amosite and crocidolite asbestos, had been banned in Australia in the 1980s. Crocidolite is also predominately found in Australia and Africa.

The health affects of white asbestos was discovered early on, but the use of both brown and blue asbestos continued, and mining of the product soared until its medical affects became clear and regulations began to be implemented after the 1980s.

Australian Mesothelioma Treatment Facilities Increase

Due to the high rate of asbestosis cases reported in Australia, with no relief in site, many medical facilities and mesothelioma research centers are setting up headquarters there.

For example, the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia and the Queensland Asbestos Related Disease Support Society are two groups working to offer mesothelioma victims support and information regarding their condition as well as funding for the research of mesothelioma treatments.

While mesothelioma treatment research continues there are no known cures for asbestos-related illnesses. Individuals are advised to speak with an experienced mesothelioma law firm to learn more about developing mesothelioma litigation.

Because of the preventable nature of mesothelioma and the high costs associated with managing the disease, developing a mesothelioma lawsuit may provide monetary compensation as a potential outcome for victims seeking relief.

www.mesovideolibrary.com – Diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, Mary Jane struggled for nearly a year before it was discovered. Watch more true stories about people affected by mesothelioma at www.mesovideolibrary.com