Weitz & Luxenberg Provides Information on asbestos related lung nodules

What are lung nodules and can asbestos cause them?

Lung nodules are often associated with lung cancer, and one of the more serious causes of lung cancer is asbestos exposure. Weitz & Luxenberg has handled asbestos related litigation for over two decades and we have the legal clout necessary to get you the compensation you deserve. If you have any legal inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact our firm.

Lung nodules “are small masses of tissue in the lung.” (Mayo Clinic) In medical tests such as CT scans or X-Rays, “they appear as round, white shadows that are usually about 1/5 to 1 inch in size.” (Mayo Clinic) Most of the time, they are benign, but their size is a major factor in helping your doctor determine whether or not cancer is present in your body. A lung nodule that is “25 mm in size or larger” (Mayo Clinic) is “more likely to be cancerous than a smaller lung nodule.” (Mayo Clinic)

What is most disconcerting about lung nodules is that they can grow unhindered and unnoticed for an extensive period. By the time a CT scan or X ray can detect them, the nodules have already become malignant and are thus harder to treat. A lung nodule must be “at least 1 cm in diameter before it can be detected by a CT scan.” (Mayo Clinic)

Solitary Pulmonary Nodules, a special kind of lung nodule, “are the most common abnormalities seen on chest X-ray films.  Approximately 20% to 30% of all those with SPN’s develop lung cancer. One of the causes of lung cancer is asbestos exposure. To stay on the safe side, your medical professional will regard any lung nodule found in your body, whether large or small, a potential threaten “until proven otherwise.” (E Medicine Health)

What are the symptoms of lung nodules?

People with lung nodules “usually do not experience symptoms.” Often, the nodules “are noticed by chance on a chest X-ray film that has been taken for another reason.” (Mayo Clinic) In the United States, “approximately 150,000 cases are detected each year as incidental findings.” (Mayo Clinic)

In the absence of symptoms, your medical professional will take account the following features:

Your age: Unfortunately,“the risk of lung nodule malignancy increases with age” (E Medicine Health)

• 35-39 years: 3% risk of lung nodule malignancy
• 40-49 years: 15% risk of lung nodule malignancy
• 50-59 years: 43% risk of lung nodule malignancy
• 60+: 50% or higher risk of lung nodule malignancy

Cancer History: “People with a history of cancer in other areas of the body have a greater chance of lung nodule malignancy.” (E Medicine Health)

Your Occupation: Did you handle “asbestos, radon, nickel, chromium, vinyl chloride or polycyclic hydrocarbons” (E Medicine Health) at work? One of or any combination of these could lead to malignant lung nodules.

Smoking History: Did you ever smoke? Do you still smoke? “A history of smoking increases the chances of malignant lung nodules.” (E Medicine Health)

What legal options are available?

Weitz & Luxenberg understands the gravity of the asbestos problem and we want to be able to work with you to seek justice and secure the compensation you deserve. It is unfortunate that even though the dangers of asbestos have been known in the United States since at least the Industrial Revolution, it continued to be used in multiple industries. Such carelessness should not be ignored.

Our firm has a team of skilled attorneys with a wealth of knowledge concerning asbestos-related diseases and ailments such as pleural plaques. To get started, simply fill out the form on this page. A representative from our firm will review your case and get in touch with shortly you for your free legal consultation.

Acknowledgements:

E Medicine Health: www.emedicinehealth.com/solitary_pulmonary_nodule/page3_em.htm

Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-nodules/AN01082