Mesothelioma is a particularly nasty form of lung cancer, and mesothelioma litigation is increasingly being used as a means of getting cash for asbestos lung cancer palliative care. Without it, many families would not be able to afford professional care for their loved ones, and would have to tend for them themselves at the worst possible time for them and for the patient.Incidences of mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer are steadily increasing, which indicates just how insidious this disease is. Caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers, the symptoms can take upwards of 40 years after exposure to appear, and may people who suffer do not even remember being exposed to the substance. It does not take much exposure, and many cannot understand the diagnosis when it is available because they cannot remember ever being exposed to asbestos.

There are no known 100% effective conventional medical treatments for mesothelioma, and the prognosis is generally bad. However, there are several things that can be done to alleviate pain and make the patient’s life more comfortable. While drugs can help, hospice care is an option that takes pressure of the family and provides a comfortable environment for the patient. However, these alternatives can be expensive and if responsibility can be placed on an employer for the exposure that ultimately led to the disease, then compensation can pay for the palliative care.

This is not seeking charity, but rather making those responsible pay for the treatment. A high level of compensation will be needed to pay for the treatment and care needed, and in order to achieve this result you will require the services of a good mesothelioma attorney. Any lawyer will not do due to the specialized knowledge needed to persuade judges and juries that there very few causes of asbestos lung cancer other than exposure to the fibrous silicates that make up asbestos.

The compensation awarded can be very large, although smokers will receive less since their habit can be construed as contributing to the disease. Mesothelioma is not just another word for asbestos cancer, but is in fact a cancer of the mesothelium, a membrane that lines many body cavities, including the thoracic, or chest cavity. The lining of the lungs is called the pleura, so mesothelioma refers to any form of lung cancer involving that membrane. In fact 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by smoking.

It is therefore very difficult for smokers to blame asbestos exposure for mesothelioma unless they have been working with asbestos. However, a good asbestos attorney should be able to secure a reasonable level of compensation, even for a smoker. It will be a fight though, since the asbestos companies and employers that required employees to work with the substance are aware of the high levels of compensation being awarded, and now actively fight such cases.

When you consult a law firm with a view to instructing them to fight your mesothelioma case, you should insist on talking with the attorney that will be handling your case. You can then discuss your strategy, and you can make sure that your attorney has had previous success with such cases. You don’t want to retain a loser!

Ask questions, and determine the success rate of your prospective attorney in such cases. He or she must also appreciate your condition and understand how you feel, so that they can fight your case properly. Nothing can beat experience in a mesothelioma asbestos cancer lawsuit, so make sure that you get the best you can afford. Better still: tell them their fee depends upon them winning!

The link between asbestos and lung cancer is well established today. However, this was not always the case. For many decades, asbestos was considered to be a miracle mineral. It is an excellent insulator and this was one of its primary uses. Asbestos was also incorporated into a wide range of products manufactured.Suspicions that asbestos exposure could cause serious health problems existed as far back as the last decade of the nineteenth century. It is thought that those interested in promoting asbestos consumption acted to discredit such reports.

By 1931, the British government had concluded that asbestos was possibly harmful to the body and took steps to ensure safety of those handling asbestos. The US government undertook similar actions during the 1970s.

Unfortunately, by that time, many thousands of people had their lives seriously affected by asbestos related lung cancer and other health problems. Asbestos was widely used in factories, homes and elsewhere.

Asbestos causes problems like scarring in the lungs, lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural plaques. It also causes a deadly, aggressive type of cancer called mesothelioma.

Unlike normal lung cancer which affects the tissues of the lung itself, mesothelioma affects the lining around the lungs called the pleura. This type of cancer arises almost only due to asbestos exposure.

Even a short exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma. Further, the cancer can show up several decades after the asbestos exposure.

As with most lung-related cancers, smoking increases the odds of contracting mesothelioma significantly. Some studies indicate that a smoker who has been exposed to asbestos has 50 to 90 times the chances of developing mesothelioma and other cancers of the lung, when compared to a non-smoker with similar asbestos exposure. A non-smoker who has been exposed to asbestos has about 5 times higher chance of developing mesothelioma compared to people who were never exposed to asbestos.

If you have had any exposure to asbestos either in the workplace or elsewhere, you should have regular screenings to detect any abnormalities in the lung. And this should be continued because lung cancer can show up as late as 50 years after the asbestos exposure. Early diagnosis of lung cancer offers the best hope for survival.

Diagnostic methods for detecting asbestos related lung cancers include going through a patient’s medical history as well as performing chest x-rays, MRI scans, CAT scans, tissue sampling and biopsy.

The outlook for those diagnosed with mesothelioma (and other types of lung cancers) is generally not encouraging. In some cases, the life expectancy for someone diagnosed with mesothelioma may be as little as 2-3 months. Multi-treatment methods used in some clinical trials have managed to significantly enhance life expectancy — one such trial achieved a 40% survival rate at five years.

Treatment for mesothelioma often combines chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. In many cases though, surgery may be ruled out because the cancer is diagnosed at a late stage. There are new chemotherapy treatments available that seem promising.

The first drug developed specifically to treat mesothelioma was Alimta, which was approved by the Food and Drugs Administration in 2004. When Alimta is used in combination with Cisplatin, which is also a drug used to treat cancers, it was found to increase patients’ life expectancy. There is intensive research going on to produce a cure for these aggressive asbestos related cancers and these efforts may eventually produce a reliable cure.

When someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they may find that they need an attorney to help them with their case. This is a disease that is rare, and there is little to be said about the condition. The rate of this disease is on the increase and there are new mesothelioma attorneys that are trying to settle many cases for different people. They have stepped in for the rights of the people to help them with their case.These lung cancer patients deserve to have the respect and the care that they deserve for all their duties while in the work force. It is important that these patients and their families have the necessary information that they deserve to be well informed about the entire process. Malignant mesothelima is a rare form of lung cancer that is brought on by asbestos.

Handling asbestos causes mesothelioma. This comes from working in an environment that is affected by this deadly material or by someone that is contracted to remove it. Most of the time, the workers are made clear of the dangers that can be caused by working with this type of material. However, some employers will allow little or no protection from the material when the employees are handling it. These workers are entitled to compensation for their work.

For most people, they will not get any better and will have to live with this type of problem for the rest of their life. When someone has to go through that much pain and suffering in their life because their company did not tell them that they were in danger, they will deserve a settlement for their time and their pain. Mesothelioma attorneys will fight for their patients to have all of their medical bills paid and to have a little extra money to help them with the rest of their life. This is an important procedure that will determine how well you settle out.

You need to be confident in your attorney so that the facts can be presented and the client will have a fair and good case. In some cases the patients will die before the case is settled. In these cases, the families of them will be entitled to the remaining settlement. They will have to live without their family member for the rest of their life due to this terrible form of cancer and they will deserve to be compensated well for that reason. Mesothelioma attorneys will help them fight for what their loved one wanted so much. In the end, the money and the settlement cannot make what is wrong turn right. It is not going to bring back the loved one. However, it will be telling these companies that they did something wrong and that they did not get away with it. You will be fighting for rights of the workers and the responsibilities of the employers.

http://mesothelioma-cancer-articles.blogspot.comMesothelioma in itself is one of the deadliest diseases ever to have been discovered by mankind. Medically, Mesothelioma as a word itself means a tumor that is more likely to transform in a fast proliferating cancer which affects the mesothelial cells of an organ, which form the protective thin covering over the organs like heart, lungs and abdomen.

Whatever is the verbal definition given out to this deadly disease, but those can never for sure weigh the deadliness of this fatal disease. It is an absolutely fatal disease which has taken many a people into its deadly grip. The maximum period of survival after the disease has been diagnosed, has come to the most of a year or two. It is worse form of cancer which is not curable. However, recent studies have suggested that if the disease can be diagnosed at a very early stage then the life of the individual who gets affected by this deadly disease, can be stretched till at the most of 5 years.

The treatment of this disease is very expensive but the treatment doesn’t assure life but a few more days, to procure the huge lump-sum required for the treatment, people also file lawsuits to cover the huge incurring expenses for the treatment.

The main cause of mesothelioma has been detected as to the prolonged exposure to asbestos. Most of the patients that have been diagnosed with the disease, had acquired the disease cause of prolonged exposure to asbestos. The statistics of the mesothelioma patients has revealed the connection between the asbestos and the dangerous cancer syndrome.

And usually this disease is found to affect people and workers who work in industries. Usually, industries use asbestos as an imperative input for carrying on different processes; it is being used in factories, automobile, shipyard and construction. Direct exposure to loose asbestos fibers can develop the symptoms of mesothelioma, but the infected cells can remain dormant in the body for a long period of about 15-20 years.

But the worst par of the disease is the fact that this disease generally gets detected in older days i.e. at the age of 50-60 years and also mostly in the last stage. Thereby, reducing the chances of the individual’s recovery. So this is very necessary that people who are likely to take in much asbestos particles should be scanned regularly for any symptoms of mesothelioma.

Government policies have empowered the mesothelioma patients to claim for compensation. They can file lawsuits with the help of their attorneys for claiming such compensation. The mesothelioma victims can sue the company in which he had been employed into, for not being socially rational, but being more inclined towards the flowing profits, and not undertaking any steps to slacken the use of asbestos or using in a more protective way which has resulted in endangering the lives of the employees.

A campaigning lawyer has stated that a new High Court ruling is a landmark victory for dozens of asbestos victims in the Stroud Valleys.Lawyer, Peter Hankins has looked at industrial injuries compensation for more than 30 years for ex-employees of former Chalford-bases asbestos firm Fibrecrete and their families, who were commonly made terminally ill having worked for the company.

Hankins said that the court ruling for insurance companies to pay out compensation for when a worker was exposed to asbestos and not when the symptoms appeared was a great improvement.

Hankins stated: “It is a milestone. I feel enormous relief for the families involved. This is probably one of the most aggressively fought areas of injury and disease in my professional life.”

Fibrecrete closed in 1971 but asbestos and similar illnesses have an incredibly long tail, or lead in time.

Mr Hankins commented: “If they’d won there would have been nothing more disappointing than finding that, after working through a case with either a very ill person or a widow, that there was no insurance policy to pay out their compensation.”

He furthered: “These men are totally innocent but die dreadful deaths with these illnesses. There are also the wives and daughters who washed their clothes for them and inhaled the asbestos particles. These women had not done anything wrong and yet they too are deprived of their health.”

Currently, it is thought that there are around 1,500 mesothelioma deaths a year in the UK, four or five of which are in Stroud.

Hankins said that he came into the lawyer profession on an ideal to “right all the wrongs” and he expects asbestos claims to increase in 1015.

Due to the BAI rejecting compensation claims many workers have suffered this work disease without court sympathy but BAI admitted that the rejection of hundreds of cases will lead to huge settlements.

Mr Hankins stated: “During the test case litigation BAI admitted that over the last two years they had rejected 284 fatal mesothelioma claims, whose families are consequently still awaiting compensation averaging £125,000 each, which is a total of a staggering £35.5 million.”

Asbestos cases can be difficult Many injury lawyers have found asbestos cases difficult, and until now, these cases were difficult to prove. Adrian Budgen, head of industrial disease litigation commented on his findings and on the new court ruling.

Budgen said that the number of work disease victims were huge: “It was hugely challenging because of the sheer scale of the litigation and the number of parties involved.”

Adrian then commented on the new ruling: “Mr Justice Burton found that the four insurers (BAI, Excess, Independent and MMI) were liable to provide an indemnity in respect of negligent exposure to asbestos during their policy periods.”

The new court ruling will hopefully give a new lease of life to the families who have lost loved ones to the disease.

Maureen Edwards who lost her father was happy with the decision: “My dad would have been proud that we have finally achieved justice for him, but he would have been disgusted by the lengths the insurers went to get out of paying.”

General-secretary of Unite, Derek Simpson stated it was a “hugely important victory for the victims of the deadly dust and for their families”.

Paul Mancuso, 45, his father Lester, 70, and his brother Steven, 37, all of Utica, New York, were indicted Oct. 16 on several federal charges after illegal dumping asbestos. The charges include:

• Violating the Clean Air Act
• Violating the Superfund Act
• Conspiracy to defraud the U.S.
• Conspiracy to commit mail fraud

Illegal Asbestos Removal and DumpingThe Mancusos are alleged to have performed illegal asbestos removal operations and to have dumped asbestos-containing materials on the sides of roads and other non-permissable locations in upstate New York. Another member of the family, Paul’s brother Ronald Mancuso, pleaded guilty to illegally dumping asbestos and to conspiracy to violate the Superfund Act.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral found floating in the natural environment. It is composed of multiple durable fibers that are resistant to heat and friction. When the mineral is broken, the strands of fibers separate, creating a thin, microscopic dust. Once in its broken state, asbestos becomes extremely toxic as it can be swallowed easily. Because of its durability and strength, it does not break down once ingested, but instead accumulates in the lining of the lungs, the stomach or the heart and after time can lead to development of fatal diseases.

Second Set of Criminal Charges for Paul MancusoThis is not the first involvement with illegal asbestos handling for Paul Mancuso; he was convicted of asbestos removal and disposal crimes in 2003, and of insurance fraud concerning his asbestos business in 2004. As part of his sentence for those crimes, Paul was prohibited from engaging in any asbestos abatement work, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Baxter.

Fraudulent Companies, DocumentationThe recent indictment alleges that Paul later set up illegal companies in the names of his relatives and associates to engage in asbestos projects that contaminated private residences and businesses and dumped the removed asbestos at non-permitted sites such as roadsides.

Brother, Steven Mancuso, an attorney, is charged with preparing fraudulent documentation to give the appearance of legally conducted asbestos abatement by the companies. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Years in Prison, Millions in Fines

Paul Mancuso, if convicted, could be sentenced to 55 years in prison and a fine up to $2.75 million. Lester Mancuso’s maximum possible sentence is 23 years in jail and a fine up to $1.25 million.

(Source: www.mesotheliomatreatmentcenters.org)

Getting Legal HelpIf you’re concerned about asbestos removal or dumping, contact mesothelioma centers to schedule a private, no-cost consultation with an experienced asbestos attorney today. Our attorneys understand the laws governing wrongful asbestos exposure and will fight to ensure your legal rights are protected.

Mesothelioma is cancer that affects the mesothelium which is the lining or membrane that protects and covers most of the internal organs in the body cavity. The first layer encircles the organ and the second layer forms a sac for protection. There is a lubricating fluid present between the layers to facilitate movement. The mesothelium is called pericardium when it covers the heart, pleura when covering the lungs and peritoneum when covering the abdominal organs.In mesothelioma there is uncontrolled cell division which leads to the extra cell masses invading the nearby tissues and organs and causing damage. Mostly it is observed that mesothelioma begins in the pleura or the peritoneum. The cancer then metastasizes to other parts of the body.

Mesothelioma occurs mostly due to exposure to asbestos. This is considered to be the major risk factor. 70% to 80% of sufferers have a history of exposure to asbestos. There are exceptions to this and cases have been reported where asbestos exposure was found not to exist. The condition is more common in men as compared to women. It has also been found that risk increases with age.

Mesothelioma is a very rare. Mostly said to be associated with workplace exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a collection of minerals that can be made to exist as strong masses of sheets or flexible fibers. It is widely used in industrial products like cement, roofs, flooring products, textiles, brake linings and insulation. Tiny particles of asbestos float in the air and can be inhaled or swallowed by the people exposed to it like the workers in manufacturing companies etc.

Continuous exposure over a period can lead to asbestosis. Exposure to asbestosis increases the risk of developing mesothelioma and other types of cancer like that of kidney and larynx. There are acceptable levels of asbestos exposure that have been brought into effect in workplaces using the mineral. Another very interesting aspect of mesothelioma is that family members of people exposed asbestos in their work place show an increased incidence of this cancer as compared to others. This has been attributed to the fact that the remnants of asbestos particles adhering to the clothes, hair etc when brought home can expose the family members to it.

The cancer takes around thirty to forty years to surface. The initial symptoms include shortness of breath, and pain in the chest if it is the pleura that are affected. If the cancer is in the peritoneum then there is weight loss, abdominal swelling and pain, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, bowel obstruction. Fever, anemia and blood clotting irregularities have also been observed. In severe cases there is swelling of the neck and face, trouble swallowing and severe pain.

Diagnosis of mesothelioma is very difficult since there are no specific symptoms. A medical history review would be very valuable since asbestos exposure needs to be determined. X rays of chest, abdomen, lung function tests, scans, MRI are the usual tools that help in confirming the diagnosis. Biopsy is done for the final confirmation and treatment includes chemotherapy and radiations.

To Your Health!

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium or the sac like protective covering of internal organs. The main cause is exposure to asbestos. Therefore the best possible prevention is to avoid exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma takes about thirty to fifty years for making itself prominent. People above the age of sixty five have shown an increased tendency to develop asbestos cancer. The mesothelioma is more common in men than women.Asbestos is a mineral that is very commonly used. Due to increased health risks the use of asbestos has been reduced according to government regulations. In spite of all the regulations asbestos is being used in many manufacturing industries where it is mandatory for production. The most effective prevention method is to limit the exposure.

Working in a company which uses asbestos is not safe. Looking for alternate employment would be the safest option. The companies have asbestos related safety precautions and one can ensure they are being followed. The commonly seen jobs that pose the highest risk of mesothelioma are:

1-Insulation manufacturing and installations.

2-Mining

3-Railroad workers

4-Workers in the factories

5-Asbestos manufacturing companies

6-Ship yard workers

7-Automotive repairs

8-Manufacturers of gas masks

Many old homes contain traces of asbestos. If you suspect your home to contain materials made of asbestos they can be tested in the laboratory. There are agencies dealing with asbestos removal and they can be contacted for removing asbestos from your home. Though it can be done by yourself it is safer to let an asbestos abatement or removal contractor perform the procedure.

Asbestos that is not disturbed is not considered a health hazard. But if there is flaking, friable ceilings and plumbing and if the building is built before the 1980s then there are chances that they contain asbestos and have to be removed safely. Public buildings like schools, office buildings, libraries, theatres etc are all prone to this hazard. The problem should be brought to the city authorities’ notice. Living near someone who works near asbestos also exposes you to the mineral.

Asbestos can be transported through clothing, skin and hair. Even a few strands of asbestos can sometimes lead to mesothelioma.

Once you have been exposed to asbestos and have not yet been diagnosed with the fatal condition, there is still hope for you. If care is taken you might not even develop it. Blood tests can be done annually to confirm that you are well. There are other diagnostic tools that can be performed annually on asbestos exposed individuals to reconfirm their health status. These tests also aid in early detection when the condition is curable and can be controlled.

Smoking should be stopped since smokers are more susceptible to the onset of the condition if they have asbestos exposure history. Prevention is the best way out in mesothelioma since it is fatal if not diagnosed early.

To Your Health!

There was a time when using asbestos as a way of insulating homes, public buildings and even clothing was considered to be an outstanding form of insulation. It was only after a significant period of time that we became aware of the tremendous health problems that asbestos can cause on the health of just about anyone even remotely exposed to the substance. Certainly if we had known that exposure to asbestos would result in a virtual plague of illnesses, it would not have been used with such freedom as it was for so long. Only now are we starting to understand the various ways that exposure to asbestos can damage the lungs and the lethal diseases that will result.

Possibly the most common illness that results from asbestos exposure is a cancer called Mesothelioma. Because asbestos is made up of thousands or tiny fibers, people who work with the substance installing insulation or other building related jobs easily inhale these tiny fibers into their lungs and bloodstream often without even knowing it. Over a lengthy period of time, these tiny strands of asbestos become integrated into the walls of the lungs leading to cancer.

The frightening thing about Mesothelioma and many of the other asbestos related ailments is that in most cases they will occur as long as 20-30 years after the asbestos exposure. In addition, it isn’t just workers who are directly exposed to asbestos who are at risk. Because asbestos clings to the clothing and then gets free in the air to be breathed in by anyone nearby, innocent children and spouses of workers who bring home asbestos dust or debris are also at risk of these lung diseases many years after the exposure occurred and many times when they never knew they had been exposed to asbestos in the first place.

Another ailment directly related to asbestos exposure is appropriately named Asbestosis. The symptoms and ways this affliction causes suffering in the patient is similar to the threats that pneumonia causes. The parts of the lungs that draw the necessary oxygen from the air to keep us alive and passes it into the blood stream are called alveoli. When asbestos dust gets into the alveoli, that process is interrupted or even stopped causing shortness of breath that in severe cases can be life threatening.

The membranes around the lungs are another source of potential damage from asbestos exposure. When the dust and residue of asbestos gets into these membranes, this can lead to pleural plaques, which is a scarring of these important working parts of your lungs. Pleural thickening is also a potential problem when the lung membranes that must be flexible and moist to operate begin to harden and become think making them less able to do their jobs. The result is significant to severe discomfort to the sufferer, which can lead to more life threatening lung problems down the road.

If there is any reason to believe that you or someone in your family has been exposed to asbestos over the years, seek medical attention quickly. Remember that the exposure could have been decades ago and these various lung diseases can come up suddenly with tragic results. Early detection gives doctors what they need to take action before the problems become too severe. Along with top-notch medical care, you may need to enlist legal assistance as well to solicit financial help from the institution who was responsible when you encountered the asbestos exposure. That legal assistance can do a lot to help you pay for expensive medical care that you will need to deal with the damage the asbestos has done to your health.

Contact Information: The Finer Times P.O BOX 1058 Parramatta CBD NSW Website: http://www.TheFinerTimes.com

DefinitionThe most thorough definition of mesothelioma describes it as a rare cancer caused by asbestos fibers that have been lodged in the mesothelium for many years. The mesothelium is the membrane that encases organs such as the lung, the heart and those of the abdomen. Although it takes many years, these fibers can cause cancer cells to grow in the membrane tissue surrounding the fibers.

Mesothelioma most often develops in the membrane surrounding the lung, and results from inhaled asbestos fibers. This mesothelial membrane is called the pleura. Because lung tissue is so soft and porous, the motion of breathing massages the fibers through the lung tissue to the membrane. The consistency of the membrane is such that the fibers penetrate the pleura and remain trapped there.

Occasionally, fibers that are swallowed follow a similar path through the stomach wall where they become lodged in the lining around the stomach, called the peritoneum. With less frequency, fibers can pass through to the lining around the heart, called the pericardium. Mesothelioma can grow in any of these membranes.

Symptoms

Pleural mesothelioma symptoms can include thickening of the pleura, pleural effusion (fluid collecting in the pleural space), which in turn compresses the lung in that area reducing the amount of oxygen that can get into the blood. This causes shortness of breath along with some pain due to inflammation and, sometimes, infection. Persistent cough is common.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma might include stomach pain or swelling, bowel obstruction, foot swelling, nausea, weight loss, and pain.

Fever, night sweats, or anemia might also be symptoms of either form of mesothelioma. Diagnosis involves specific testing to differentiate it from other diseases, many of which have similar symptoms.

Diagnosis

There are a number of diagnostic tests that are used together with the results of a physical exam to make a diagnosis of mesothelioma. These tests differentiate between diseases and allow the doctor to rule out other diseases and cancers, identifying mesothelioma as the one that matches all of the diagnostic criteria. These include:

• X-rays - X-rays can reveal pleural effusion, pleural calcification, and scarring
• CT or CAT Scan (Computed Axial Tomography) - CT Scans identify tissue density and can identify pleural effusion, pleural thickening and calcification, but it can’t differentiate between mesothelioma and other disease.
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) - An MRI is more sensitive than CT or X-ray, and is useful for more accurate identification of tissue changes during the course of treatment, and evaluating for surgery.
• PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography) - PET Scans measure cellular activity. Cancer cells are more active than healthy cells, and this activity shows up in PET Scans.
• Biopsy - A biopsy involves taking a sample of the suspect tissue, either with a needle or through a small incision, and sent to the lab for analysis.
• PFT (Pulmonary Function Testing) - PFT involves a set of breathing tests to measure your lung volume, elasticity, airflow, and gas exchange into your bloodstream. These measurements reveal whether areas of your lung have a reduced volume or are not exchanging gas (i.e., from pleural effusion and resulting atelectasis, aka collapsed lung,) restrictive lung disease, or reduced airflow from obstructive lung disease.
• CBC (Complete Blood Count) - CBC shows the number of red and white blood cells and platelets, the amount of hemoglobin, and the percent of blood that is red blood cells. It also tests other common blood factors that indicate health and illness.
• Bronchoscopy - A bronchoscope is inserted into the patient’s lungs through the throat that allows the doctor to view the trachea and upper airways. The scope has the ability to take a tissue sample that can be examined under a microscope, in the same was as tissue collected from a biopsy.
• Cytology - A pathologist microscopically examines cells drawn from fluid near the site of the suspected disease.

The U.S. Department of Labor gives links to OSHA’s standards and guidelines for evaluating exposure to asbestos. These links include medical questionnaires, X-ray interpretation standards, medical surveillance for asbestos and more.