For people with mesothelioma, online resources mean information without travel

When you are feeling the physical drain of mesothelioma, online resources are an excellent way to get information and support without having to leave your home. Whether you are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, or have not yet begun any treatments, battling mesothelioma leaves you with little energy. Weitz & Luxenberg hopes these online resources can help you when you are not well enough to travel, and when you want information quickly.

Mesothelioma online resources from the Department of Veteran Affairs

Because many mesothelioma patients were exposed to asbestos during their military service, there are resources specifically for veterans on the United States Department of Veteran Affairs website.

The VA Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards provides

• an overview page
• http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/
• occupational_environmental/asbestos.asp;
• a Disability Compensation Benefits page (not specifically about mesothelioma, but mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure during military service would fall under this category) http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/compensation.asp;
• and “a directory of VA Environmental Health Clinicians and Environmental Health Coordinators by state as well as War-Related Illness and Injury Study Centers (WRIISC) staff”: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp.

Note: if you do not want any of your information to go to the VA, you can ask questions through IRIS, the VA's inquiry routing and information system: https://iris.custhelp.com/.

Mesothelioma online resources from the U.S. Government (non-VA)

The U.S. Government has many websites with information about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. We have selected the sites that focus on mesothelioma in its medical and legal aspects, but there is plenty of information from the Government on asbestos exposure at the websites of

• the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/
• the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html
• the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/asbestos/index.html.

For mesothelioma online resources from the Government, go to these sites for:

• A list of clinical trials for mesothelioma patients, and their current status from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH): http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=%22malignant+mesothelioma%22&pg=2
• The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, provides a detailed mesothelioma Q&A page: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma
• MedlinePlus, a service from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, offers an easier-to-read (bigger font, fewer medical terms) information similar to the National Cancer Institute's: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mesothelioma.html

Mesothelioma online resources from nonprofits: support groups

Nonprofits are a good resource for trustworthy mesothelioma information and support groups. Since the government sites listed above are heavy on medical information, we'd like to focus on the support groups that these nonprofits offer. Some sites we recommend are:

• A list of telephone support groups from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF):
• The Meso Community Forum, on online discussion board also provided by MARF: http://communities.kintera.org/discussions/

Mesothelioma online legal resources from Weitz & Luxenberg

If you are looking for online information about your legal options concerning your recent mesothelioma diagnosis, or your spouse or parent or grandparent's diagnosis, fill out a form today for a free legal consultation from Weitz & Luxenberg.

With over twenty years of experience helping clients seek compensation to cover the costs of their mesothelioma treatments, and the costs of other asbestos-related diseases, Weitz & Luxenberg can answer all your legal inquiries.