Although the incidents of mesothelioma are increasing worldwide, a new study from Australia shows that patients are living longer after diagnosis.
The research, which appears in the June issue of Journals of Thoracic Surgery and Cardiovascular Surgery, has shown that mesothelioma patients are living longer because of new treatments and more experienced doctors.
The Australian study analyzed 540 patients with malignant mesothelioma. They separated the patients into two groups; 270 received surgery before 1999 and the rest were treated after that date. Eighty four percent of the patients studied were men.
Men are more likely to contract mesothelioma because of their work in industries which use asbestos. Asbestos was commonly used in construction, shipbuilding, automotive industry and oil refinery. The men in these industries often had prolonged exposure to asbestos, which makes them eligible to seek compensation by retaining a mesothelioma attorney.
The research showed that patients treated before 1999 lived about 9 months after diagnosis while the patients treated after that date lived 13 months.
The factors that increased survival were cell subtype, type of surgery and post-operative radiation or chemotherapy. Patients treated by doctors who specialize in asbestos-related diseases had a longer survival rate. Doctors and mesothelioma lawyers would likely advise any one to seek treatment at a facility that specializes in treating patients exposed to asbestos.
Mesothelioma attorneys can seek the money needed for specialized treatment by filing a lawsuit against the companies that negligently used asbestos.
