After being diagnosed with a disease such as mesothelioma, it can be difficult to know where to turn for advice.
While your doctor will, of course, recommend the best course of action, patients understandably want to gather as much information as possible to help them figure out their next steps.
Thankfully, there are a couple of places you can head to help you or your loved one make some more informed decisions.
Seek a second opinion
Doctors and scientists still have a lot to learn about mesothelioma and it can be very difficult to accurately diagnose and differentiate from other asbestos and lung-related diseases.
For this reason, it’s important that you seek a second opinion from a specialist. This could not only help determine the right treatment method for you, but it could even reveal that the disease is something else entirely.
It’s also a must that you have a tissue biopsy carried out as this is the best way to definitively determine mesothelioma, so if you haven’t had one, request one.
Because there aren’t that many mesothelioma specialists, this might mean travelling a little bit to get a definitive and thorough diagnosis, but it’ll benefit you in the long run.
Cancer Charities
It’s important that you learn as much as possible about your condition so that you can best evaluate your options regarding treatment.
Thankfully there are numerous charities available which have been set up specifically to help people diagnosed with the disease to do just that.
For example, Mesothelioma UK provides free information and support as well as raising money to help fight the disease.
There are also charities which treat all forms of cancer such as Cancer Research UK and Macmillan who are also happy to help provide you with any information which you might require.
Much of this information is readily available online and it’s wise to keep yourself abreast of all the latest treatment options being trialled and tested as they may be able to be used to help your case in the future.
Also, keep an eye out for clinical trials as these are a potential way to secure access to treatments which otherwise might take years to be approved.
Compensation
It’s important to know that if you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, then you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
In 2014, the Government announced that mesothelioma patients could be granted payments of up £123,000, so it’s definitely worth sounding out some advice.
Of course, focusing on your treatment and comfort is the most important thing, so you don’t want to be burdened with a long legal battle.
For this reason, it’s important to seek out a professional legal opinion to make the process of getting the compensation you deserve run as smoothly as possible.
Firms such as the Asbestos Advice Helpline are available, which will help talk you through all of your legal options and provide you with specialist advice and support throughout the entire process.
It’s important to remember that you can claim if you were exposed to asbestos in your workplace even if it was many years ago, as the symptoms can take as long as 40 years to show, so don’t hesitate to explore your options.