Do You Have An Asbestos Claim?

For many, the legal system can seem both intimidating and overwhelming. These feelings are only magnified when you or a loved one are struggling with an asbestos-related disease, or mourning the loss of a loved one from an asbestos–related disease. These asbestos-related diseases often strike long after the exposure occurred and the evidence has gone… Continue reading

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For many, the legal system can seem both intimidating and overwhelming. These feelings are only magnified when you or a loved one are struggling with an asbestos-related disease, or mourning the loss of a loved one from an asbestos–related disease. These asbestos-related diseases often strike long after the exposure occurred and the evidence has gone cold, and the victims of these diseases often get them through no fault of their own, sometimes without knowing they were ever exposed. That is why it is so important to work with an experienced, compassionate law firm like Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C. that not only understands what you are going through and will support you throughout the process, but can also help you achieve the best possible result as proven by our over 30 years in this field.

However, before you can begin to find that compassionate, experienced law firm, you first have to know if you or your loved one might have a legal claim. You have probably seen some of the commercials on T.V. about mesothelioma, a cancer linked to asbestos exposure, but you may not know that there are a number of other cancers and respiratory diseases that have also been linked to asbestos exposure. These diseases include, but are not limited to, lung cancer, colon cancer, and asbestosis. I will discuss these diseases in greater detail in later blog posts, but for now it is important to understand that mesothelioma is not the only asbestos-related disease for which you may be able to file a claim. I will also discuss how you or a loved one might have been exposed to asbestos, and whether things like having a history of smoking affects your case.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us here at Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C. if you do have any questions. We are a firm that prides ourselves not only on the results we achieve for our clients, but also the care and compassion we have for those suffering from these terrible diseases. We have been doing this now for over 30 years, and we are only a phone call away for a free consultation.

What types of clients has Goldenberg Heller represented?

Video: Elizabeth V. Heller describes what types of clients the attorneys at Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C. have represented. Continue reading

It’s not only workers who suffer from asbestos exposure. We’ve represented nurses, teachers, a nuclear engineer. We most recently represented a high ranking naval officer and were able to recover a substantial amount of money for his family.

What types of injuries are caused by asbestos exposure?

Video: Elizabeth V. Heller of Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C. explains the injuries that can be caused by asbestos exposure, including mesothelioma. Continue reading


The most common disease is mesothelioma, but some people don’t realize that both lung cancer and colon cancer can be related to exposure to asbestos, and we’ve represented a number people who suffer from these diseases as well.

Does everybody exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma?

Video: Peter D. D’Angelo, Esq. of Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C., answers the question, “does everybody exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma?” Continue reading

Not everyone exposed to asbestos develops mesothelioma, though the more frequently you are exposed to it, the greater your risk. Some of our most common clients include millwrights, insulators, pipefitters, and boilermakers – people who typically work with asbestos on the job.

Biofeedback May Improve Quality of Life for Cancer Patients

One of the most worrisome aspects of undergoing cancer treatment is the impending threat of diminished quality of life. Fortunately, many patients can improve their quality of life by engaging in a number of relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are often used to help ease treatment side effects, pain, and the emotional issues that come with living with cancer. One relaxation method called Biofeedback has been studied since the 1970s, but it did not reach the mainstream until recently. However, researchers say it is still underutilized.

Biofeedback belongs to a collection of behavioral, psychological, social, and spiritual techniques that are used to preserve health and prevent or cure disease. Called “Mind-Body Medicine,” the collection includes techniques such as Acupuncture, Guided Imagery, Hypnotherapy, Meditation, Bodywork, Massage, Breathwork and more. Also referred to as “Alternative” or “Complementary,” mind-body medicine such as biofeedback is now supported by a significant amount of scientific evidence that says there are numerous benefits to incorporating it into a cancer patient’s treatment plan. Continue reading

One of the most worrisome aspects of undergoing cancer treatment is the impending threat of diminished quality of life. Fortunately, many patients can improve their quality of life by engaging in a number of relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are often used to help ease treatment side effects, pain, and the emotional issues that come with living with cancer. One relaxation method called Biofeedback has been studied since the 1970s, but it did not reach the mainstream until recently. However, researchers say it is still underutilized.

Biofeedback belongs to a collection of behavioral, psychological, social, and spiritual techniques that are used to preserve health and prevent or cure disease. Called “Mind-Body Medicine,” the collection includes techniques such as Acupuncture, Guided Imagery, Hypnotherapy, Meditation, Bodywork, Massage, Breathwork and more. Also referred to as “Alternative” or “Complementary,” mind-body medicine such as biofeedback is now supported by a significant amount of scientific evidence that says there are numerous benefits to incorporating it into a cancer patient’s treatment plan.

According to Dr. Roger S. Cicala, Medical Director of The Methodist Comprehensive Cancer Institute and author of The Cancer Pain Sourcebook, biofeedback can teach a person how to control many of the involuntary functions of the body. Using this technique, patients can learn how to control blood pressure, muscle tension, heart rate, temperature, perspiration and even emotions.

Approved by an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a complementary therapy for treating chronic pain, biofeedback uses monitoring devices to provide biofeedback information so that the person can adjust his or her thinking and other mental processes in order to control bodily functions, says the American Cancer Society (ACS). A biofeedback therapist guides the patient as he concentrates on changing a specific physiological process ranging from brain activity to heart rate to muscle tension. According to ACS:

A monitor hooked via electrodes to the patient’s skin measures changes in whichever function is to be altered. Tones or images produced by the monitor inform the patient when he or she achieves the desired results. The process is repeated as often as necessary until the patient can reliably use conscious thought to change physical functions.

Body functions for biofeedback purposes are measured in at least five different ways:

  • Breathing Rate: promotes relaxation
  • Electrodermal Activity (EDM): shows changes in perspiration rates, used for treating anxiety
  • Electromyogram (EMG): measures muscle tension, also helps heal muscle injuries, relieve chronic pain, and some types of incontinence
  • Finger Pulse Measurements: used to reflect high blood pressure, heart beat irregularities, and anxiety
  • Thermal Biofeedback: provides information about skin temperature, good indicator of blood flow, which helps treat headaches, anxiety, and high blood pressure

While biofeedback does not affect the development or progression of cancer, as stated, research shows that it can improve the quality of life for some people with cancer. This is a safe, inexpensive, and noninvasive technique that requires little effort. It typically takes five to fifteen sessions before a patient achieves effective control.

To learn a more about biofeedback or to find a certified biofeedback practitioner, visit the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) here.

Sources

Is mesothelioma the same thing as lung cancer?

Video: Peter D. D’Angelo, Esq. of Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C. answers the question, “is mesothelioma the same thing as lung cancer?” Continue reading

Though lung cancer and mesothelioma are typically confused, they are actually two distinct and different types of cancer. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of your organs, either your heart, abdomen or lungs. Lung cancer, as the name implies, is a cancer of the tissue of your lungs.

Alcoholism Drug Could Help Combat Mesothelioma

Researchers may have discovered a dual use for an old drug. Sold under the name “Antabuse,” Disulfiram (dye sul’ fi ram) has been used to treat chronic alcoholism since the 1949, but it was not approved by the FDA until 1951. However, this unique medicine was the very first drug approved by the FDA to treat alcoholism.

Disulfiram works by producing extremely unpleasant side effects when the patient consumes alcohol. These effects include anxiety, blurred vision, chest pain, choking, difficulty breathing, flushing of the face, headache, mental confusion, nausea, sweating, vomiting, and weakness. A patient on Disulfiram will experience these effects within 10 minutes of consuming alcohol and they typically last for an hour or more. Continue reading

Researchers may have discovered a dual use for an old drug. Sold under the name Antabuse, Disulfiram (dye sul’ fi ram) has been used to treat chronic alcoholism since 1949, but it was not approved by the FDA until 1951. However, this unique medicine was the very first drug approved by the FDA to treat alcoholism.

Disulfiram works by producing extremely unpleasant side effects when the patient consumes alcohol. These effects include anxiety, blurred vision, chest pain, choking, difficulty breathing, flushing of the face, headache, mental confusion, nausea, sweating, vomiting, and weakness. A patient on Disulfiram will experience these effects within 10 minutes of consuming alcohol and they typically last for an hour or more.

While the drug is not a cure for alcoholism, the “psychological threat” of the side effects associated with it has discouraged thousands of former alcoholics from drinking. Currently, more than 200,000 patients take Antabuse for the treatment of chronic alcoholism, up from 50 patients in 1949. Now, researchers hope to have the same success with treating patients afflicted with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

A recent study, conducted by the doctors of Wayne State School of Medicine-Department of Oncology, Harbin Institute of Technology (Harbin, China), New York University Cancer Center, and Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, reported that Dithiocarbamate compound Disulfiram (DSF) that binds with copper (DSF-Cu) possesses anti-tumor chemosensitizing properties. In the study researchers investigated malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) suppressive effects of DSF-Cu and the molecular mechanisms involved. So far, the team has concluded that:

Intra-peritoneal administration of DSF-Cu suppressed growth of murine mesothelioma allografts in part by enhancing apoptosis. Our proof-of-concept studies reveal, for the first time, MPM inhibitory properties of DSF-Cu and are expected to facilitate utilization of this agent or its potent derivatives as potential adjuvant for treatment and perhaps chemoprevention of MPM.

Other studies have shown that Antabuse is also effective against colon, breast, and lung cancer cells.

Although further research is needed, the latest findings offer promise in the area of advancing mesothelioma treatment. To review the entire study, please visit PLOS One here.

What Causes Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma?

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure occurs when someone encounters asbestos fibers in the workplace, at home, and in the environment. When inhaled, asbestos fibers can travel all the way to the pleura, the lining of the lung and chest wall, where, according to 100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma, the fibers may irritate and injure the cells.

This can lead to the development of calcium containing plate-like structures on the pleural lining (pleural plaques), fibrosis (scar tissue formation), or mesothelioma. These same fibers can also damage cells in the lung itself, which can lead to asbestosis (scar tissue in the lung).

Around 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Although cases in the U.S. have decreased slightly since the 1990s, the rate of mesothelioma is on the rise in many other countries where the mineral is still mined, processed, imported, exported, and used in manufacturing products. In the U.S., the EPA has placed firm restrictions on asbestos, but it is still not banned.

Sources

100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma, Second Edition
Harvey I. Pass, MD, NYU School of Medicine and Clinical Cancer Center
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR)
American Cancer Society
Encyclopedia.com, Medical Discoveries
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) U.S. Federal Bans on Asbestos
MedlinePlus, Disulfiram
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM)
PLOS One, Open Access Journal

Journal Reference

Cheriyan VT, Wang Y, Muthu M, Jamal S, Chen D, et al. (2014) Disulfiram Suppresses Growth of the Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Cells in Part by Inducing Apoptosis. PLoS ONE 9(4): e93711. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093711.

What is Mesothelioma?

Video: Peter D. D’Angelo, Esq. of Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C. explains what mesothelioma is. Continue reading

Mesothelioma is a very rare type of cancer that forms typically on the lining of either your lungs, your heart, or your stomach. Mesothelioma is caused primarily by exposure to asbestos, typically in the workplace. There is a latency period from the date of exposure to when you actually develop the disease that makes diagnosis and sometimes identifying the source of exposure very difficult.