Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer. There are millions of people being victimized by this cancer due to exposure to asbestos and the worst part of the whole scenario is that these innocent workers that are exposed to asbestos are not even aware of the perilous fibers they are inhaling.

The most common way through which people have been exposed to hazardous levels of asbestos dust is occupational exposure.

Prior to regulation that was enacted in the early 1970s, asbestos and asbestos-laden materials were routinely used throughout a variety of industries for a number of industrial and commercial purposes. As such, a great many workers found themselves faced with routine asbestos exposure that has come back to haunt them decades later. Occupational exposure to asbestos is a tragic commonality; para-occupational exposure to asbestos, as one woman’s story relates, is simply devastating.

The story of a mother:The woman from this patient story was a typical 56-year old woman; the mother of a beautiful daughter who is the mother of three beautiful children. This grandmother lived a healthy lifestyle and had never encountered any serious health problems, so it was more than a little shocking when she was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in May of 2004.The woman’s symptoms presented in the form of a reoccurring cough that had been pestering her for several months. The ongoing problem led her to schedule another visit with her doctor. Previous checkups had been unable to determine the cause of the chronic coughing; however, on this day, diagnostic tests revealed that mesothelioma was the cause of her symptoms. Upon hearing the mesothelioma diagnosis, the woman immediately fell into a state of shock, unable to comprehend how she could possibly have developed the fatally incurable cancer. Her shock soon gave way to anger, which in turn gave way to a deep depression.Malignant mesothelioma is a rare type of incurable cancer that has been linked exclusively with asbestos exposure. The woman believed that she had never been exposed to asbestos in her life and was utterly confounded as to how she may have developed the asbestos disease. It was later revealed that her husband, who had died four years earlier from lung cancer, had routinely been exposed to asbestos through his work as a carpenter. The woman recalled her husband coming home from work riddled with what she assumed was drywall dust. In fact, the powdery substance was non-other than asbestos dust. It was therefore determined that the woman had become exposed to excessive levels of asbestos during her regular washing of her husbands work clothes. This type of secondary asbestos exposure is commonly referred to as para-occupational asbestos exposure.

At age 58, the woman has already outlived the average post diagnostic mesothelioma survival time of one to two years. She has come to terms with her incurable disease through the assistance of mesothelioma support groups where she has been able to share her fears with other terminal patients. While she believes that the support group has helped her come to terms with the eventuality of her death from mesothelioma, she has yet to come to terms with losing her family. The thought of not being able to spend future holidays with her loved ones while watching her grandchildren grow is truly the worst part of her disease. As it is, she is determined to live each of her remaining days to the fullest.

A Worker:One man was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in April of 2004 at the age of 64. He spent many years of his professional life working in the manufacturing plant of a large automobile company. Asbestos was commonly used at the facility for a variety of industrial purposes. Asbestos friction materials were a component in brake pads, putting automobile manufacturing employees at risk of coming into routine contact with the hazardous carcinogen.The man’s mesothelioma diagnosis resulted, as most do, from the development of a number of chronic mesothelioma symptoms. Ongoing breathing difficulties (dyspnea) and minor chest pain led him to schedule an appointment with his doctor. Aside from their chronic nature, the man’s symptoms were not severe or debilitating. He was therefore surprised to learn of the serious nature of his condition. It was determined that his symptoms were caused by the development of mesothelioma tumors in the serous membrane lining the lung cavity (mesothelioma of the pleura).After learning that the development of the disease was caused as a result of his workplace exposure to asbestos, the man said he felt angered and betrayed by the negligent behavior of his employers. He worked hard spending as many as 10- to 12-hours each day overseeing work on the factory floor. His work ethic was such that he eventually held the position of Automotive Plant Manager, devoting 50 (+) hours each week towards ensuring the quality of his employers’ product. Little did he know that he was exposing himself to enough asbestos dust to ensure the eventual development of a serious asbestos disease.  

Asbestos use has been strictly regulated because of a great many instances of occupational exposure that have resulted in the development of an asbestos disease. Although asbestos regulation was enacted in the early 1970s, mesothelioma is a latent disease that can take anywhere from 20- to 50-years to fully develop and become symptomatic. Once diagnosed, the disease has typically reached an incurable stage during which treatment can do little save offering a brief extension of life.With the support of his family, the man of this patient story managed to move beyond his initial feelings of anger, betrayal and eventual depression. He has since turned his energy towards his mesothelioma treatments. Taking an aggressive approach, he underwent a highly invasive surgical procedure called a pneumonectomy, through which the lung most impacted by the mesothelioma cancer is removed. Pneumonectomies have proven capable of significantly increasing mesothelioma patient survival time. Additionally, the man has undergone several radiation / chemotherapy treatments designed to slow the spread of his mesothelioma cancer.More than two years after having been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the man continues his fight against the deadly asbestos disease. Although he is realistic about the end result of his mesothelioma diagnosis, the man remains optimistic that his mesothelioma treatments can continue to prolong his life and allow him to make the most of each and every one of his remaining days.The patients suffering from mesothelioma have similar stories to tell. There are thousands of people who die of this disease without ever getting to acknowledge the source of their suffering. Some have been diagnosed incorrectly which happens mostly in the third world countries. Then there are people who even commit suicide due to the fact that they cannot cope up with their insufferable life. These stories are mentioned on the will of the patients themselves who want to share their experiences with the world.