Mesothelioma is an aggressive disease that steals years away from hardworking individuals and affects too many men and women who have worked in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. One of its causes is exposure to asbestos, and long-term exposures can result in the development and advancement of the disease in victims.
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer, and like other cancers it can be staged into different levels. This post will discuss those level generally, but readers should always speak with their medical care providers about their own conditions and medical diagnoses. Mesothelioma may serve as the basis of a lawsuit for an affected individual if their disease was caused by asbestos exposure.
Stages and I and II
Early-stage mesothelioma is sometimes not detected. That is because it has not had much, if any spread. Staging of mesothelioma like other cancers is based on the size of the initial tumor, whether it has spread to lymph nodes, and if it has spread to other distant tissues.
Stage I mesothelioma is represented by tumors that are contained in the chest wall or other specific locations. It does not include cancers that have spread. Stage II mesothelioma is represented by tumors that have spread to lymph nodes.
Stages III and IV
Tumors that are classified as stage III mesothelioma may or may not be fully removable through surgery. In stage III, the cancer has spread into the lymph nodes. When the disease advances to stage IV, the cancer has metastasized to distant parts of the body and has spread.
Mesothelioma is serious, painful, and often deadly. It deprives victims of fulfilled lives. Compensation may be available to men and women who acquired mesothelioma through asbestos exposure while performing their work duties.
