A number of mesothelioma victims need to accept the heart wrenching realism that there is only a little possibility to cure this deadly asbestos cancer. A patient's history of asbestos exposure can vary from short-term to long-term prior to the development of mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a highly-aggressive cancer that can quickly spread into patient’s body, limiting post-diagnosis survival instance.

Cases of mesothelioma victims

Steve McQueen: Hollywood Legend diagnosed with Mesothelioma

McQueen had been exposed to asbestos all of his life. He was employed in the construction industry, where asbestos was frequently there at job sites. As a marine, worked at shipyards in which he was in charge for stripping asbestos off the pipes used in naval ships. It was also revealed that McQueen, as avid car racer, may have been exposed to asbestos when repairing the brake linings of race cars and wearing the protecting helmets and driving suits related with the sport. Later in 1979, doctors diagnosed him with mesothelioma, an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs related to asbestos exposure. In November of 1980, doctors operated to remove cancerous masses from McQueen's abdomen and neck. McQueen's recovery was short-lived because he died the next day after the surgery.

Judge William Forbes

William Forbes was from Norfolk, Virginia. All through his college years in studying law, he used up two summer breaks working as a trainee in the nearby shipyards. Evidently, these ships were lined with substantial amounts of insulation made of asbestos. His exposure to asbestos afterward leads to malignant mesothelioma. In 1980, he became a judge in the Circuit Court. After more than 20 years becoming a judge, in 1997, he suffered a pain in his left shoulder that was suspected to be just arthritis. He underwent treatment, but the ache still occurs. In 1998, a thoracic surgeon noted Judge William Forbes a large lung tumor on an x-ray and was given the diagnosis of mesothelioma. The judge learned that mesothelioma was a deadly disease that was related to asbestos exposure happened almost 50 years ago when he had worked in the shipyards. Late in late 1998, Judge Forbes died of mesothelioma.

Husband & Wife

This patient story speaks about a sailor who was exposed to asbestos during his long voyages on a battleship during the Korean conflict and during his many years of working in the shipyards in Norfolk, Virginia.  After retiring from the Navy, he worked as an air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic at the shipyard. He also became the superintendent of shipbuilding. Without noticing it, the asbestos dusts also mount up in his clothing. Every night when he went back home from working in the asbestos filled environment, the dust on his clothing was also expose his wife and children. In 1985, over 30 years after his first exposure to asbestos, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. His mesothelioma tumor had been removed and was able to survive. Fifteen years later, his wife was diagnosed with this deadly cancer. Her asbestos exposure apparently occurred due to the dust in his husband’s clothing several years passed. Unfortunately, unlike his husband after a month of diagnosis, she died of mesothelioma.