Sadly thousands of Virginia residents have lost their lives due to the effects of asbestos poisoning, including asbestosis and mesothelioma. According to official statistics, just under 1,400 Virginians died due to asbestos exposure between the years of 1980 and 2000. The majority of these deaths were attributable to asbestosis, a non-cancerous but serious disease in which asbestos causes scarring of the lungs. While this disease is not always fatal, the risk of mortality increases when asbestosis is not diagnosed until the later stages of the disease.
Asbestos Exposure Virginia Deaths
The other Virginia asbestos related deaths were primarily caused by mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive and fatal disease that targets the tissues lining the lungs, abdomen, and heart sac. Mesothelioma cancer can be difficult to diagnose for two reasons. One, it often takes many years to develop following asbestos exposure. Two, this disease produces symptoms that are similar to other non-cancerous conditions. Fortunately, Virginia’s mesothelioma treatment centers have the technology and resources possible to make the quickest diagnosis possible.
Mesothelioma Treatment in Virginia
Mesothelioma is also a tough cancer to treat. While surgery, chemotherapy and other drugs and treatments can help to improve quality of life, and often even prolong life, this cancer is often fatal. The average mesothelioma survival rate for a patient upon diagnosis is 18 months. The top health professionals at mesothelioma treatment centers are working hard to prolong and improve the lives of those diagnosed with this devastating disease. Many mesothelioma treatment centers also offer or participate in clinical trials designed to develop better and more effective treatments for mesothelioma cancer.
Virginia Mesothelioma Treatment Centers
If you or a loved one suspects you have been exposed to asbestos any time in the last 40 years, it is a good idea to seek medical attention to discuss your risks and the best way to protect your health. Asbestos has been used in many industries and other environments in Virginia, including shipyards, power plants, chemical facilities, oil refineries, construction sites, and older public buildings and homes. Virginia is also home to naturally occurring asbestos deposits, which can also pose a threat to locals in these areas.
To learn more about your asbestos risks and seek the best health care possible for asbestos diseases, please contact one of Virginia’s mesothelioma treatment centers. To learn more about how to protect your legal rights and seek repayment for your medical expenses and suffering, please contact qualified asbestos attorneys.
Virginia Oncology Associates Cancer Treatment Center
Lake Wright Cancer Care Center of Virginia
5900 Lake Wright Drive
Norfolk, Virginia 23502
VCU Massey Cancer Center features cancer specialists from many disciplines who work as one in the Richmond area’s largest multidisciplinary teams in cancer research. This is the leading cancer center in central Virginia. Here you will find complete teams of medical and radiation oncologists, pathologists, surgeons, genetic counselors, physical therapists and social workers who come together in one team to customize each cancer patient’s treatment plan.
This approach is done to treat more patients and more cancers in central VA than any other center.
We are recognized with the Complex & Rare Cancer Center designation from Blue Cross & Blue Shield, so VCU is outstanding at treating rare, complex cancers such as mesothelioma. This designation from Blue Cross & Blue Shield was acquired based upon the specialists’ high degree of training and the great number of leading researchers and doctors that carry out these complicated treatment plans.
For mesothelioma patients, you should know that the Chest Tumors Center team has some of the top leaders in chest tumor study in the world. They pool their chest tumor expertise and can give you the best treatment advice. Note that this is the only comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center in the Richmond area.
Virginia Commonwealth University
VCU Massey Cancer Center
401 College Street, P.O. Box 980037
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0037
The University of Virginia Cancer Center has been moving in recent years at a rapid pace to implement the newest and best cancer treatments that will successfully treat many rare cancers, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.
UVA Cancer Center is one of the biggest and most clinically active cancer centers for lung cancer in the Southeast US, and it offers some of the latest treatments, research and technology to treat many types of lung and thoracic cancers.
Managing lung cancer effectively is complex in most patients and requires the ideal mix of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy for best results. The multidisciplinary team of cancer experts at UVA all work as one to make sure that each patient gets the type of treatment plan that is best tailored to their condition and exact needs.
One of the new offerings at UVA Cancer Center is the low-dose CT screening program for lung cancer. This is very important because lung cancer is much more survivable when it is caught early. With low dose computer tomography scanners, doctors can view the inside of the lung and find lung cancer even when no symptoms are present.
UVA also offers video assisted surgery, high dose rate brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery and TomoTherapy.
All of the multidisciplinary team here that consists of surgical and radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, thoracic nurses and more will offer you only the best care and treatment that are not normally available in this area.
Researchers also work all the time at UVA to grasp the highly complex biology of lung cancer, and how it is able to spread and resist traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy. As the teams of experts here develop new clinical studies for advanced cancer treatments, they can quickly offer new treatments to many patients.
University of Virginia
UVa Health System
1215 Lee Street
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Legal Help Virginia
If you have suffered exposure or cancer due to asbestos in Virginia, contact for Virginia Asbestos lawsuit information to learn more about your legal rights.
