Mesothelioma Law Blog

People often link mesothelioma to asbestos exposure that occurred through work in the construction field or during military service. However, professionals and hobbyists in various other fields could also be at risk of developing this asbestos-related illness.

Manufacturers intentionally added asbestos to many products over the years, including many construction materials. However, companies also unintentionally incorporated asbestos in some products, such as clay and glazes.

At this point, there’s no reliable cure for mesothelioma, but researchers keep looking for new treatments. The trick is that there are so many variables among patients’ cases it’s often hard to know which treatments might work best.

That’s where the new artificial intelligence from Owkin may come into play. According to the findings it published in Nature Medicine, Owkin developed a deep-learning program it calls MesoNet. The program is designed to analyze biopsies and predict how the cancer may evolve. The program also found patterns tied to patient outcomes, which may help victims get better treatment.

If you have mesothelioma, are a survivor or are doing your best to support a loved one through their diagnosis and treatment, you understand many of the complexities surrounding the disease. The associated thoughts, fears and emotions can vary, and they are often challenging to process.

No matter where you are on your journey, you might benefit from participating in a support group. You may appreciate the opportunity to share space with others in a similar situation. Having the chance to talk openly about your disease may provide necessary encouragement – or at the least the sense that you are understood. 

For many years, manufacturers used asbestos in all kinds of building and construction materials. The material’s natural strength and heat resistance made it useful for insulation, floor tiles, ceiling tiles and other products. But scientists have since learned more about how dangerous the material is.

People exposed to asbestos can breathe the fibers into their lungs or absorb the fibers through their skin. Those fibers can then cause diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. As a result, homeowners and people who work in buildings laced with asbestos are right to be concerned when those buildings start to wear and fall apart. If building materials release asbestos into the air, they could put you, your family and your coworkers at risk.