Mesothelioma in Women

Women are often forgotten in the conversation about mesothelioma. There’s no doubt most mesothelioma sufferers are men. Mesothelioma comes from exposure to asbestos, hence why men working in industrial and military settings make up many mesothelioma cases.

Let’s look at how mesothelioma impacts women and how they may contract the disease.

How Women are Exposed to Asbestos

Asbestos is present in a range of settings, including homes. But what a lot of people don’t know is major, trusted brands have a history of using asbestos in their products.

For example, a special report revealed Johnson & Johnson knew for years they were using asbestos in baby powder. A variety of cosmetics firms have also been caught using it at certain points in their histories as well.

It’s also possible that women can be exposed simply through handling their spouse’s work clothes. It doesn’t take a large amount of exposure to eventually contract mesothelioma.

These are just some examples of how women may be exposed to asbestos.

What are the Different Types of Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma comes in a variety of forms. The most common types of mesothelioma are pleural and peritoneal. That’s cancer in the lungs and abdomen, respectively.

Approximately 50,000 Americans died from mesothelioma between 1999 and 2016, with 20% of deaths being women.

Nearly all these cases were attributed to those two types of mesothelioma. The difficulty for many of these women is proving liability.

Proving Liability is an Ongoing Issue for Women

The difficulty in proving liability is women often didn’t become exposed to asbestos in the workplace. For men, all they need to do is look at their work history and it’s simple to pinpoint when and where they were exposed.

Women find it nearly impossible to claim compensation to fund expensive medical treatments because they can’t prove liability.

Many corporations that were responsible have never admitted it, and legal cases can take decades to tie up. By then, it’s too late.

Is there Hope for Mesothelioma Sufferers?

There is hope for those diagnosed with mesothelioma. Paul Kraus is just one example of someone who has beaten the odds and has survived for more than 20 years with the disease.

As well as conventional treatments, he advocates lifestyle change. He researched different foods, the power of exercise, and the healing power of the mind. Examples like Paul are proof that mesothelioma doesn’t have to mean you only have a short time left.

Last Word – Women Respond Better to Mesothelioma Treatments

Finally, it should be said that studies show women do respond better to mesothelioma treatments than men. This means the life expectancies of women are slightly higher.

But survivors like Paul prove that being diagnosed with mesothelioma doesn’t just have to be about how much time you have left. It’s possible to live a healthy and long life even with the disease. All you must do is make changes to your life and dedicate yourself to healing.

Look up the inspiring stories of survivors like Paul and see what’s possible!