At Wylder Corwin Kelly LLP in Illinois, our attorneys have a deep understanding of the causes and effects of asbestos-related diseases. You may immediately recognize the word asbestos and identify it as a carcinogen. Mesothelioma is the type of cancer that asbestos exposure causes.
WebMD explains that mesothelioma may affect four different parts of the body, and the location of the cancer determines its type.
- Pleural mesothelioma
Approximately 75% of those who develop mesothelioma have this type, which affects the lungs. Inhaled asbestos fibers become lodged in the lungs. Over time this causes inflammation and scar tissue build-up that leads to cancer. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, lumps under the skin and painful cough.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma
Mesothelioma in the abdominal cavity is much less common. Between 15% and 20% of mesothelioma cases affect the abdomen. It develops as a result of swallowed asbestos fibers, and causes stomach pain, swelling, unexplained weight loss and lumps.
- Pericardial mesothelioma
Only about 1% of those who develop mesothelioma will have it in the pericardium, which is the sac of tissue surrounding your heart. Doctors are not sure whether asbestos exposure is actually the culprit that causes pericardial mesothelioma, as there is no clear link between the two. Symptoms include chest pain, heart palpitations, cough and shortness of breath.
- Testicular mesothelioma
Only a few hundred people have been diagnosed with this type, and while doctors believe there may be a link to asbestos exposure, they have not pinpointed what it is. The most common symptom is a mass on the scrotum that is not painful.
For more information about mesothelioma, please visit our webpage.
