Houston Mesothelioma Lawyers

If you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lost a loved one to this rare asbestos cancer, consult an experienced Houston mesothelioma lawyer. You may be entitled to compensation.

A national asbestos law firm can help you get the compensation you're entitled to. They also know the state laws and regulations.

Diagnosing Mesothelioma

In the majority of cases, a mesothelioma doctor will require a series of tests to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. The most important test is a biopsy, in which doctors remove a small sample of the affected area for testing. Doctors can also conduct an MRI or CT scan to see how the cancer has spread throughout the body and for other information that might be helpful to the treatment process.

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose because it may resemble symptoms of other illnesses, such as lung cancer or inflammatory intestinal disease. This makes it easy for victims to get mistakenly diagnosed. In some instances, a patient can wait for a long time before being diagnosed with mesothelioma because the disease has a long period of latency.

Once a doctor suspects mesothelioma, they will conduct physical examination and take blood samples to determine the levels of certain proteins that can indicate cancer in the body. They will also test their breathing and heart rate. The most frequent areas for mesothelioma to affect are the lungs and abdomen. Doctors therefore will perform chest x-rays in order to determine if there is fluid in the lungs and abdominal lining. They can also request an positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test to get additional information regarding the tumor or its site of origin.

A mesothelioma specialist may conduct a biopsy using a fine needle to collect a small amount of cellular material for testing. This is a procedure that is done under local anesthesia. In some instances doctors may have to operate on a patient order to reach the tumor and collect an even larger amount of tissue for testing. The procedure is the most reliable way to detect mesothelioma.

A mesothelioma lawyer is able to help victims understand their legal options. They can look over the medical records of a patient and determine what compensation they might be entitled to. Compensation can help cover expenses related to travel, caregiver costs funeral costs, loss of income. Mesothelioma lawyers can help victims and their families bring mesothelioma lawsuits to courts to receive fair compensation for damages.

The symptoms of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma (me-zoe-thee-lee-O-muh) is a cancer that happens in the thin layer of tissue that covers and protects most of your internal organs. This tissue is composed of two layers that have some fluid between them to allow organs to move around freely. The mesothelioma malignancy is located in the cells of mesothelium. It may spread to other organs and cause pain.

There are many types of mesothelioma depending on the area of the mesothelium that the cancer is situated. The most prevalent type affects the tissue that surrounds your lung. It is referred to as pleural msothelioma. Other, more rare types of mesothelioma can occur in the tissue surrounding your heart (pericardial mesothelioma peritoneal), or in the lining surrounding the testicles. The symptoms vary based on where the mesothelioma is situated. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath coughing or chest pain and weight loss, fever and fatigue.

Your doctor can diagnose mesothelioma by physical examination as well as by taking your medical history. They may also recommend an imaging test, such as an CT scan or X-ray. Imaging tests are used to check for lumps and abnormalities in the lungs or other parts of your body. They will also check for a buildup of fluid between the lung and chest wall, called Pleural effusion. This is the most frequent sign of mesothelioma pleural.

A biopsy is usually needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. It involves removing a small portion of tissue from the affected area and examining it under a microscope to determine whether it is cancerous. Your doctor may perform a biopsy by inserting an instrument into the tumor, or by cutting a surgical hole in the skin.

Your doctor will talk with you about your treatment options once you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma. There are three kinds of standard mesothelioma treatments: surgery, chemo and radiation. Each treatment has its own risk and benefits. In addition to these treatments, a few patients have had success using immunotherapy, which makes use of your body's own immune system to fight the cancer.

Diagnosis of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is cancer that develops in the mesothelium an underlying layer of tissue that line certain cavities of the body, like the chest or abdomen. Three out of four cases of mesothelioma are located in the pleura, which is the tissue that lines the space surrounding your lungs. Other types of mesothelioma can form in the stomach lining or around the heart.

Doctors use a combination of tests to identify mesothelioma. The first step is an examination of your body and ask about your symptoms. They will also rule out other diseases which could be causing the symptoms. They may order imaging scans such as a CT or MRI. These scans may reveal abnormalities such as a tumour or mesothelium that has thickened.

Blood tests can help diagnose mesothelioma. These can check how your blood cells, liver and kidneys are functioning. They also check for signs of texas mesothelioma lawyer that are distinct from other cancer types. However this test isn't always perfect and does not always detect mesothelioma.

If your doctor discovers that there is fluid in your lungs, they'll need to perform an examination to diagnose mesothelioma. This involves taking a small sample of tissue and transferring it to a lab for testing. If they can't perform the procedure, they will need to look for other evidence of mesothelioma such as an asbestos-related history or other health issues that are related to mesothelioma.

The results of a biopsy can help doctors decide the best treatment. They will also determine the stage of your mesothelioma, or how far it has spread from its original site. The process of staging depends on where in your body the mesothelioma is and how much is found in lymph nodes and other areas of the body.

If pleural mesothelioma is diagnosed doctors often perform a procedure called pleurodesis. This involves the use of drugs or chemicals to cause the lining of the lungs to be damaged and adhere to the lung. This decreases the accumulation of fluid and improves breathing. You can flush the fluid at home with the help of a catheter.

Treatment of Mesothelioma

The treatment of mesothelioma is dependent on the stage and the location of the cancer. Doctors may choose to treat mesothelioma through surgery, chemo and radiation therapy. Doctors may also combine these treatments.

It is a challenge to recognize mesothelioma since the symptoms are usually similar to those of other diseases. Tests can help doctors confirm the diagnosis, including a chest x-ray and CT scan. Doctors can request an analysis of blood to look for elevated levels of asbestos exposure. These include fibulin-3, mesothelin-soluble peptides and fibulin-3. They can also perform the thoracentesis procedure in order to eliminate the lungs of fluid. This allows the doctor to determine if mesothelioma may be the reason for the buildup of fluid in the chest.

Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. It can be used to ease symptoms or decrease the size of tumors. In pleural mesothelioma, doctors may remove fluid from the chest (pleurodesis) or remove the tissue that lines the lung wall and chest (pleurectomy). This procedure won't eliminate the cancer, but it may decrease symptoms and increase your quality of life.

Chemotherapy employs chemicals to kill cancer cells. It can be used to make surgery easier or to reduce the chance of recurrence from cancer after surgery (adjuvant therapy). In patients with peritoneal msothelioma, doctors can also inject chemotherapy drugs that are heated directly in the abdomen.

Radiation therapy is a procedure which uses a device which emits radiation beams into the affected region. This treatment can shrink mesothelioma tumours or kill them. It can be used together with surgery and chemo. Side effects of radiation therapy include skin issues, fatigue hair loss, mouth sores and vomiting.

Contact a Houston Mesothelioma Attorney as soon as you can if you or someone close to your heart has been diagnosed with the disease. A knowledgeable lawyer can help you to file a lawsuit against the company responsible for the exposure you have to asbestos. Compensation for medical bills as well as lost wages and other losses can be recouped.

Sutliff & Stout, Houston's lawyers, are committed to fighting for justice on the interests of families and victims. Contact us today to schedule a no-cost consultation.