Pleural Effusions: Mesothelioma Warning Sign

Woodland Hills, CA—The Law Firm of Lewis & Schonick has released a new report on pleural effusions, which are a possible warning sign of mesothelioma. The following article was written by Eric N. Scholnick, Attorney at Law and complements information already available at http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com/mesothelioma.html.


Pleural Effusions: A Possible Mesothelioma Warning Sign

Pleural effusion, which is an excess of fluid on the pleura, or lung lining, is not an uncommon medical finding, and is ordinarily not a cause for extreme concern. However, for persons with past exposure to asbestos, pleural effusions may be extremely significant, and should be treated with caution.

Pleural effusion is a common sign of malignancy, or cancer, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, a form of cancer for which the only known cause is asbestos exposure. Patients with past exposure to asbestos, who are diagnosed with pleural effusion, can have the fluid analyzed for cancer cells. Frequently, a diagnosis of cancer can be made just on the basis of analysis of pleural fluid.

Mesothelioma cancers can originate in the lung lining, or in the stomach, or peritoneum. A frequent symptom in both types of mesothelioma is rapid buildup of fluid. If you, a loved one, or a friend has a past history of asbestos exposure, such as from Navy or shipyard exposure, and is experiencing rapid fluid buildup in the chest or stomach, medical testing should be done immediately, to determine the presence or absence of cancer.

It is frequently the case that persons with fluid buildup in the chest or stomach choose not to seek medical evaluation. The attitude often seen is that people don't want to know if they're sick. This attitude is understandable, but erroneous. Prompt medical attention, and diagnosis, may be the difference between life and death.

Persons with past histories of asbestos exposure who are diagnosed with pleural effusion, or fluid buildup in the chest or stomach, can only benefit from prompt medical attention. Even with a past history of asbestos exposure, most pleural effusions are benign, or non-cancerous. A person with benign pleural effusion who goes in promptly for medical evaluation, and is told the effusion is non-cancerous, achieves a peace of mind unknown to the person who ignores the fluid buildup. If lung cancer is diagnosed following a pleural effusion, there is an increasingly high rate of successful treatment, if the lung cancer is diagnosed in its early stages. With respect to mesothelioma, early detection is absolutely essential to any chance of life-extending treatment.

The intent of this article is not to scare anyone; rather, the intent is to increase awareness of a potentially dangerous situation, and to help people overcome fear of medical treatment. If you have past asbestos exposure, and are experiencing a fluid buildup in your chest or stomach, please don't wait for a life-threatening situation to develop. Overcome your fear and go see a doctor immediately. Chances are it'll turn out to be nothing to worry about (which will be highly reassuring), but, in the event the pleural effusion is malignant, you will greatly increase the chances of successful treatment by having the condition diagnosed early. Either way, you win…and so does your family.

Persons with a past history of asbestos exposure, found to have asbestos-related lung disease, or cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, may be entitled to money damages.

More information can be found at the official Web site of The Law Firm of Lewis & Scholnick ( http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com ) The Web site contains informative articles on topics such as mesothelioma treatments, symptoms, palliative care and more. For more information on mesothelioma treatments, please see http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com/medical-treatment.html , and for more information on L&S litigation results, please see http://www.lsasbestoslaw.com/results.html.

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