Major Types of Mesothelioma Induced by Asbestos

The most serious damage caused by exposure to asbestos is the condition called mesothelioma. This condition is due to the growth of tumours of the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the membrane tissue that covers the outer surface of most internal organs. It produces a lubricating fluid enabling the organs to move around easily and smoothly.

Most tumours of the mesothelium are cancerous, but some are benign. In common usage, mesothelioma is used to refer to the malignant type of tumour.

Mesothelioma is the condition of abnormal growth of cells of the mesothelium. This can cause damage to tissues and organs near the localised site, but it can also spread to other parts of the body. The spreading is called metastasis.


Pleural and Peritoneal Mesothelioma
The two major types of mesothelioma are pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is that which spreads in the chest cavity and sometimes in the lungs, while periotneal refers to the abdomninal cavity.

Peritoneal mesothelioma can affect the liver, spleen or bowel and is more lethal, with a median survival rate of 10 months. The median survival rate of pleural mesotheliom is 17 months.

The survival rate is calculated from the time that symptoms are experienced. Symptoms may take years or even decades to show up. For this reason, asbestos is sometimes called "the hidden killer".


The Hidden Killer
In Britain 4000 people die of asbestos. The Health and Safety Executive has been running an asbestos awareness raising campaign. The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission has warned that it is an on-going problem, even though asbestos has been banned. Any building built or refurbished before 2000 could contain asbestos, she said. As part of the campaign the HSE has produced a video called Asbestos: The Hidden Killer.

John Ritter's Lawsuit - Doctors Cleared By Jury

The $67 million lawsuit brought by John Ritter's widow Amy Yasbeck against two doctors for the wrongful death of the actor has failed. The jury cleared the two doctors of negligence.

The suit was brought against the cardiologist who treated Ritter in the emergency room, and a radiologist who had examined him two years before his death.

The underlying argument was whether the cardiologist should have discovered the real cause of Ritter's sudden collapse which was due to an aortic dissection. He was instead treated for a heart attack.

The defendants' contention was that even had an x-ray shown up Ritter's condition, it was too late for anything else to have been done that could have saved his life.

The case against the radiologist was whether he had sufficiently warned Ritter of the potential danger of his condition. But the evidence was that Ritter had been warned but failed to take up follow-up treatment.

It seems this was never a strong case against these two doctors. Amy Yasbeck has already received over $14 million from other medical defendants.