Regular readers of our blog may already know the basic facts regarding mesothelioma. One of the most important facts to keep in mind is that the disease has an unusually long latency period. This phrase is simply medical terminology for describing the time that passes from being exposed to something capable of causing disease (such as asbestos) and actually showing symptoms of the disease.
For mesothelioma, this latency period can take as long as 50 years. More typically, the latency period ranges somewhere from 30 to 45 years. Still, this means that the overwhelming majority of mesothelioma patients will be diagnosed fairly late in life. Once the latency period completes, however, the disease moves quickly and aggressively.
In short, this is a difficult diagnosis for anyone to receive, but it is especially heartbreaking to consider a minor who is diagnosed with the disease. All the same, a 14-year-old girl has now become one of the youngest to be diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.
Macie Greening became one of just nine children in the United Kingdom to be diagnosed with the rare form of cancer that is peritoneal mesothelioma. The primary known cause of mesothelioma is inhalation or ingestion of asbestos fibers, but as of yet, there are no clear indications how Macie’s cancer was caused.
The child’s parents are unaware of any exposure to asbestos that may have occurred, but, of course, given that far too many schools in America and abroad continue to contain asbestos, an exposure is certainly possible. More confusing, then, is how an illness that usually takes decades to develop showed up in a fourteen-year-old child. Physicians are, for the moment, left to ponder this question without clear answers.
What is clear, however, is that physicians hope to get better answers by analyzing Macie’s tumor samples because of the anomaly her diagnosis presents. Hopefully, the tragic news of a child being diagnosed with this deadly disease can lead to answers that will help the treatment of future mesothelioma patients.
For now, Macie has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy as she hopes to gain acceptance into a clinical trial. Macie’s difficult season is one no minor child or anyone else should have to suffer from, yet thousands are diagnosed with various types of mesothelioma every year.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you owe it to yourself to discuss your diagnosis and potential legal claim with a mesothelioma lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm. Our law firm has helped mesothelioma victims conduct a full investigation that determines when a wrongful exposure to asbestos occurred and who is responsible. We have helped clients recover millions in compensation, so act now to protect your legal claim and pursue the compensation you need and deserve.
Contact us online today for a free case evaluation with a Ledger Law mesothelioma attorney.
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