When diagnosed with mesothelioma, the first step is often to find doctors who specialize in occupational diseases such as this. Standard treatment of mesothelioma often involves the use of more than one kind of specialist since it usually combines surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Also, since mesothelioma is incurable and treatments focus on symptom relief, other specialists involved may be palliative or hospice nurses.
Locating a surgeon, oncologist and radiologist to join your healthcare team can be overwhelming, especially after just being told you or your loved one has mesothelioma. Often your primary care physician or local hospital may have referrals, as well as cancer support groups in your area.
Along with medical specialists, it is advised to also seek legal counsel soon after being diagnosed. If you have mesothelioma, the primary cause is exposure to asbestos. Exposure usually occurred during course of employment when working around asbestos containing materials. The manufacturers, distributors and sellers of ACMs knew that asbestos was dangerous and yet for decades did not take any actions to warn, prevent or protect workers. Those parties have a legal obligation now to help pay for any damages, medical costs, and lost wages caused by your illness.
Often, the questions you ask a specialist will be similar to the ones you would ask an asbestos attorney. First you want to make sure they both specialize in mesothelioma, have been practicing in this field for many years, and have a track record of success. For the medical specialist, you will want to also know what types of treatment they recommend and if they participate in any clinical trials and mesothelioma research.
Clinical trials are conducted through the National Cancer Institute and are interventional studies that investigate new and alternative treatments to cancer. Clinical trial participation is recommended for many mesothelioma patients since conventional therapies have not been very effective at extending survival times or providing long term improved quality of life.
For both doctor and lawyer, you will want someone who you can trust, who is accessible, and who is an expert in the field. One important factor is to have a good relationship in which you feel you are listened to, responded to, and strongly advocated for your best well-being.
Doctors and mesothelioma attorneys who are recognized experts in their field will understand your needs and the critical timing of meeting them. They can offer very useful information to help you through every step of both the treatment and legal process. Many attorneys will be able to refer you to specialists in your area and offer other resources helpful immediately after diagnosis and during treatment. The best measuring stick for finding both the best doctors and best attorney is to find those that specialize in mesothelioma. It is a rare illness, and those that focus only on mesothelioma will have the most knowledge and expertise, able to meet your needs more quickly and successfully than others.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Mesothelioma, asbestos attorneys. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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