re: Do that many people have mesothelioma?

The guy who played the principal in the Breakfast Club died of mesothelioma. Not kidding.

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Hope your dad wins his fight.

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Thanks

It's a tough battle and timing is almost everything. His was caught fairly early due to the location of the tumor blocking his breathing and also causing pneumonia.

Thanks

Mesothelioma takes years to manifest. If you were exposed in the 90s you may have pleural plaques. You can see pleural plaques on chest X-rays but they're not super easy to see.


Small town America has huge problems getting subspecialists. That said, I think most things can be adequately treated locally and Louisiana's residents tendency to run to MD Anderson is probably unnecessary. Best of luck to your dad. Read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.

Pssst

Same symptoms can come from fiberglass exposure too. Difference is that govt has not banned it.....yet

My uncle had Meso from renovating Howard Brothers stores in the 1960's. Back then asbestos was included in virtually all building materials from concrete, cinder blocks, sheetrock, roofing, etc. due to insulating and fire retarding propeties (insurance deduction then, opposite of now). He fought it all my childhood and beat it about 1980-ish. Left him weakened tremendously though. Early 1990's he and my aunt went to a card game at their neighbors on a Friday night, he died the next evening of pneumonia he caught that Friday night.

My guess for the mass of the commercials is the $18 Billion settlement fund sitting there earning interest. (I noticed just recently the fine print on the ad when I paused a show and came back, fund established and sitting there to be claimed). The commercials are probably spending the interest accruing annually to maintain the level of the fund. If so, some of you starving actors/producers/directors could get together for a career just doing meso ads. Steady income for life just no huge paydays nor awards nor fame.

Mesothelioma is still pretty rare. ~2500 cases per year in US. Latency period between asbestos exposure and developing could be 20-40 years so many will die of other things before it is noticed.

My Grandfather had it and got registered early on. Once you are diagnosed you are put into categories from asbestosis to full blown meso. Every time a suit is settled with a asbestos manufacture you receive a check based on your current category. My Grandfather was a roughneck and worked in a shipyard after getting back from WW2. He passed 2 years ago but not from meso. I had to fill out paperwork with the law firm handling his case proving I was one of his heirs.

Steve McQueen died of mesothelioma.

I used to do those cases. They are rare but used to be worth 2-5 million a peace. Most all of the guys U see advertising to handle the cases but are just brokers. They just but them in the asbestos trust bankruptcies now and get a few hundred grand for them as most all of the manufacturers are now in bankruptcy. Before you feel sorry for them they knew it was killing people and only used it because it was cheap as dirt to save a few nickels. The famous quote from asbestos CEO "the workers made a living from it might as well die from it too. "

20-30 year old latency period so with OSHA coming into play in 72-74 cases are maxing out last 10 years