Mesothelioma and lung cancer share similar signs, symptoms, and treatments, but are otherwise very different illnesses. The key differences lie in the incidence rate of the diseases, where they manifest in the body, and how they relate to cigarette smoking.
PREVALENCE OF MESOTHELIOMA AND LUNG CANCER
Lung cancer is the second leading form of cancer in the United States. Mesothelioma, on the other hand, is a much rarer disease.
WHERE THE DISEASES ORIGINATE
Lung cancer and mesothelioma are both lung-based diseases (although mesothelioma can also occur in the external lining of the stomach). However, the tumors for each condition manifest in different parts of the lung.
Lung cancer results from an uncontrolled development and expansion of malignant cells in the tissues within the lung. Mesothelioma develops in the protective outer linings of organs. In the case of pleural mesothelioma, the tumors appear in the outer linings of the lung, called the pleura.
THE CIGARETTE SMOKING CONNECTION—OR LACK THEREOF
Although both mesothelioma and lung cancer have their causal ties to asbestos, they differ in their interplay with cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking bears no influence on a person’s development of mesothelioma. On the other hand, a person exposed to asbestos has a greater chance of developing lung cancer if they smoke tobacco.
Although the American Cancer Society recommends that nobody smoke, the organization strongly underscores that asbestos workers quit smoking to reduce their chances of developing lung cancer. The group further urges asbestos-exposed workers, particularly smokers, to receive regular check-ups for indications of mesothelioma and lung cancer.
BOTH ARE PRODUCTS OF THE ASBESTOS INDUSTRY
Mesothelioma and lung cancer both connect to asbestos exposure. Once known as the “miracle mineral” for its heat and chemical resistance, as well as its durability, the substance has been used in products since the mid-1800s. Countless American workers were and are at risk for mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer as they are the ones who milled the natural-occurring asbestos for use in industrial applications, worked with the substance in the production of tools and machines, and installed the mineral in homes via insulation, and floor and ceiling tiles.
BOTH WERE IGNORED BY INDUSTRY
When workers began to fall ill with increasing cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer, the asbestos industry looked the other way, continuing to expose the masses to its effects, even after research proved the substance to be a carcinogen.
DAMAGES FOR BOTH ARE RECOVERABLE IN COURT
In 1971, the first successful lawsuit was filed for failure to warn about the dangers of handling asbestos (Borel v. Fibreboard Paper Prod. Corp., 493 F.2d 1076).
For the decades that have followed, victims of asbestos exposure who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer have been demanding and receiving compensation for the high price they paid in the name of corporate greed.
CALL A MESOTHELIOMA AND ASBESTOS LUNG CANCER LAWYER TODAY
If you or a loved one endured asbestos exposure and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, you may be able to recover damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Lost benefits
- Prescription medicines
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
If your loved one passed away as the result of asbestos-related lung illness, you have the right to pursue a wrongful death action. Our mesothelioma and asbestos lawsuit lawyers can guide you through this process.
Zanes Law will do everything from A to Z to right the wrongs done to you by an industry or company that placed profits before your health and well-being. We will work tirelessly to see that you receive the compensation you deserve for your mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer diagnosis. Call us today for a free case review and consultation at (833) 214-0917.