Mesothelioma And Me

Benefits of seeking legal advice – Dr Riyaz Shah 

Whenever Dr Riyaz Shah meets a patient with a mesothelioma diagnosis, he always encourages them to seek legal advice, even if they don’t think they have been exposed to asbestos. He discusses how important compensation is for opening avenues to treatments which they might not otherwise have access to, as well as the difference it can make to their families. 

Benefits of seeking legal advice – Professor Peter Szlosarek

Professor Peter Szlosarek explains how mesothelioma is almost always an occupational disease and sufferers are usually exposed to asbestos through no fault of their own. He believes that a legal claim can help sufferers live better as compensation will grant them access to treatments which are not available through the NHS.

What is mesothelioma? Film length: 1:57

In this short film, Dr Riyaz Shah explains what mesothelioma is and describes which areas of the body are affected. 

What is immunotherapy? Film length: 2:49 

Dr Riyaz Shah explains how immunotherapy stimulates the sufferer's immune system and contrasts it with traditional chemotherapy.  Chemotherapy acts as a poison, directly targeting cancer cells, whereas immunotherapy empowers your immune system to attack and kill the cancer cells. 

What is radiotherapy? Film length: 1:59

You will now hear from Dr Riyaz Shah about radiotherapy. Unlike treatments that directly attack cancer cells, radiation therapy is dedicated to alleviating the sufferer's discomfort. Dr Shah illustrates its application: when a tumour's growth causes pain by pressing into the ribs, radiation targets that area, delivering long-lasting relief and restoring comfort. 

Treatment options - Film length: 2:34 

Professor Peter Szlosarek highlights the advances and developments made in treating mesothelioma. He describes the strategies that are applied to potential treatments. He also discusses the positive use of complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, reflexology and acupuncture alongside cancer treatments.  

Why is there fluid in my lungs? Film length: 2:14 

Professor Peter Szlosarek explains the cause of fluid build-up in the lungs of mesothelioma patients. The irritation from this cancer prompts the pleura cells to generate excessive fluid, sometimes amounting to litres, leading to breathlessness. He also explores the different methods available to doctors for relieving the sufferer's discomfort. 

What can I take for my pain? Film length: 4:03 

Professor Peter Szlosarek is talking about pain and the different experiences mesothelioma sufferers can have regarding pain. Even though it is a complex issue, he assures us that many options are available, such as radiotherapy, opiates or alternative therapies among others, and sufferers should feel empowered to ask their doctors for referral to pain specialists. 

What causes fatigue? Film length: 2:15

Dr Riyaz Shah discusses tiredness as a common symptom of mesothelioma patients. He explains that fatigue could be associated with the treatment the patient is receiving or caused by the disease itself. In either case, he encourages sufferers to explore this with their doctor as sometimes tiredness can be alleviated. 

Life expectancy – Film length: 2:37 

A common question Professor Peter Szlosarek is asked after a mesothelioma diagnosis concerns life expectancy. He explains that providing an accurate timeline is challenging with the diagnosis alone, as it often depends on the patient's response to treatment. He refers to the “Rule of Thirds” to explain life expectancy to mesothelioma patients. He highlights the significant scientific advances which have been made and how they have increased the life expectancy of mesothelioma sufferers. 

Travelling on aeroplanes – Film length: 1:53

Mesothelioma sufferers often wonder whether they can still go on holiday and fly on an aeroplane. Dr Riyaz Shah explains how the different atmospheric pressure affects the lungs. Although for some patients it may be safe to fly, he urges all patients to seek medical advice from their doctors before taking to the air. 

Can I exercise? Film length: 1:41

Mesothelioma sufferers often experience breathlessness, and as a result, they question whether it is advisable to continue to exercise. Dr Riyaz Shah explains why exercise is important and while patients might not be able to exercise as much as before the disease, they should not be discouraged.  

Should I start a special diet? Film length: 1:26

Dr Riyaz Shah explains there is no special diet and recommends that mesothelioma sufferers continue to have a normal, balanced, diet. Weight loss can occur as a result of both the disease and the treatments, so it is important to consume enough calories to maintain a healthy body weight. 

History of asbestos – from “Magic Mineral” to “Killer Dust”

Asbestos is a mineral mined in many countries around the world including Canada, Australia, South Africa and Russia. 

The UK imported asbestos from the late 1800s as it was heat resistant and hailed as a “magic mineral”.  

In the early 1900s, the dangers of asbestos started to become known and on 14th March 1924, Nellie Kershaw aged 33, died from asbestos exposure. This was the first case to be recorded as a death due to asbestos exposure. 

However, asbestos continued to be used in manufacturing for several decades. Many products were made from asbestos, such as asbestos cement, asbestos lagging, asbestos tiles, asbestos pipes, asbestos doors and asbestos insulation board. These products were used in the construction of power plants, ships, factories, schools, hospitals, offices, banks, television and music studios. It may be surprising to hear that asbestos was even used as snow in the film “The Wizard of Oz”. 

Wizard of Oz

Due to a significant increase in deaths due to asbestos exposure from the 1960s to the 1990s, asbestos became known as the “Killer Dust”.  

However, it was not banned in the UK until 1999. Despite the ban, asbestos is still present in many buildings. Consequently, people are still being exposed to asbestos today and dying from mesothelioma.  

There are several types of asbestos including chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown or grey asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos). All types of asbestos are deadly. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, even exposure to a small amount of asbestos fibre can cause mesothelioma. 

Asbestos remains the greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Over 5,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases. Compare this figure to the average number of road traffic accident deaths, which is just over 1,500 every year.  

It is imperative to act now to make people aware of the dangers of asbestos and to prevent exposure to this deadly substance. People still need to be protected and asbestos needs to be safely removed from all public buildings including schools and hospitals.

We are supporters of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum’s Cape Must Pay campaign. Cape was one of the largest manufacturers of asbestos products in the UK and these products continue to expose people to asbestos to this day. The Cape Must Pay campaign demands that Cape pays £10 million towards medical research to find a cure for mesothelioma, to end the suffering inflicted on people through no fault of their own.  

Nellie Kershaw

Identify how you have been exposed

Typically, mesothelioma symptoms can take 10 to 40 years to appear following exposure to asbestos. Therefore, many sufferers don’t experience any symptoms until after this latency period and may initially find it difficult to recall where they were exposed.

We have experience representing many sufferers who have worked directly with asbestos in the following jobs: