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WikiMesothelioma — Mesothelioma Knowledge Base
WikiMesothelioma is an independent educational knowledge base providing comprehensive information about mesothelioma, asbestos exposure documentation, medical treatment options, financial compensation pathways, and legal claim guidance.
This resource exists to help individuals and families navigate a mesothelioma diagnosis using clear, well-organized reference material developed specifically for asbestos exposure victims and their advocates.
Last reviewed: February 2026 Active asbestos trust funds: more than 60 Estimated compensation available: over thirty billion dollars Documented exposure sites: 20+ shipyards, 300+ occupations
Newly Diagnosed — Start Here
Essential guidance for individuals who have recently received a mesothelioma diagnosis and need immediate direction.
- Emergency Action Checklist — 30-day roadmap for critical first steps
- Understanding Your Diagnosis — Medical terminology and staging explained
- Immediate Financial Assistance — Emergency funds and expedited compensation options
Disease Overview
Comprehensive medical and scientific guides to mesothelioma types, symptoms, causes, and exposure pathways.
- Mesothelioma Symptoms — Early warning signs, diagnostic delays, biomarker advances, and symptom progression by stage
- Mesothelioma Causes & Risk Factors — Asbestos fiber potency data, latency periods, occupational risk, and non-asbestos causes
- Mesothelioma Types — Classification by location (pleural, peritoneal, pericardial, testicular) and cell type
- Pleural Mesothelioma — Treatment paradigm shift 2020-2026: CheckMate 743, pembrolizumab approval, MARS 2 trial, CAR-T therapy
- Peritoneal Mesothelioma — CRS/HIPEC outcomes (41-59% 5-year survival), PIPAC therapy, and emerging immunotherapy
- Secondary Asbestos Exposure — Take-home fiber data, epidemiological evidence, state-by-state legal landscape, and $43.7M landmark verdicts
Frequently Asked Questions
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Get answers to the most common questions about mesothelioma diagnosis, treatment, and legal rights. Our comprehensive FAQ guide answers 23 critical questions including:
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Financial Compensation
Educational material describing compensation pathways available to asbestos exposure victims.
- Asbestos Trust Funds — Overview of 60+ active trusts holding $30+ billion
- Settlement Values by State — Regional compensation analysis and verdict trends
- Trust Fund Filing Guidance — Step-by-step claims process and optimization strategies
- Insurance Coverage Overview — Health insurance navigation for mesothelioma care
Military and Veterans
Dedicated resources for service members exposed to asbestos during military service.
- Veterans Benefits — Complete guide to VA compensation programs
- Military Exposure Overview — Branch-specific exposure patterns
- Navy Ships Asbestos Database — Vessel-specific exposure documentation
- Navy Occupational Ratings — MOS/rating exposure analysis
Featured Asbestos Trust Funds
- Johns Manville Trust — Largest asbestos bankruptcy trust with $2.5+ billion in assets
- Owens Corning Trust — Major insulation manufacturer trust fund
- Pittsburgh Corning Trust — Industrial products and building materials claims
- WR Grace Trust — Zonolite insulation and Libby, Montana exposure claims with $3+ billion funding
Legal Process
Explanations of how mesothelioma claims work, including critical deadlines and documentation requirements.
- Statute of Limitations by State — Filing deadlines for all 50 states
- Mesothelioma Claim Process — Timeline from diagnosis to compensation
- Choosing a Mesothelioma Attorney — Evaluation criteria and questions to ask
- Evidence Preservation — Documenting decades-old asbestos exposure
Asbestos Regulations & Ban History
Complete documentation of the U.S. regulatory timeline — from industry suppression to the 2024 EPA ban — and how international bans expose manufacturer liability.
- US Asbestos Ban History and Regulations — Hub: full regulatory timeline from 1930s cover-ups to the 2024 chrysotile ban
- Early Asbestos Awareness and Industry Suppression — How medical science identified dangers (1900–1970) while industry suppressed the evidence
- OSHA Asbestos Standards History — PEL evolution: 12 f/cc (1971) → 0.1 f/cc (1994) and what each reduction meant for workers
- EPA Asbestos Ban 1989 Court Reversal — The ban that wasn't: how Corrosion Proof Fittings v. EPA left asbestos legal for 33 more years
- EPA Chrysotile Asbestos Ban 2024 — The Lautenberg Act framework, phase-out timelines, and ongoing Fifth Circuit challenge
- International Asbestos Bans — How 70+ countries acted before the U.S., and why that matters in litigation
- Asbestos Regulations Manufacturer Liability — How OSHA standards, internal documents, and international bans prove manufacturer knowledge
High-Risk Occupations
Comprehensive exposure documentation for workers in asbestos-affected industries.
→ Occupational Exposure Index — Complete database of 300+ documented high-risk occupations
Featured Occupation Profiles
| Occupation | Risk Level |
|---|---|
| Insulation Workers | Extreme (46x mortality) |
| Laggers | Extreme (SMR 575) |
| Asbestos Miners | Extreme (SMR 628) |
| Boilermakers | Extreme |
| Welders | Very High (SMR 716 shipyard) |
| Plumbers and Pipefitters | Very High |
| Marine Engineering Workers | Very High |
| Chemical Plant Workers | Very High |
| Power Plant Workers | Very High |
| Electricians | High (16x risk) |
| Ironworkers | High (PMR 356) |
| Carpenters | High (PMR 397) |
| Steel Mill Workers | High |
| Oil Refinery Workers | High |
| Construction Workers | High |
→ View all 27 occupation profiles →
Shipyard Exposure Database
Facility-specific asbestos documentation for U.S. naval and commercial shipyards.
→ Shipyard Exposure Index — Complete database of documented shipyard exposure sites
Naval Shipyards
| Shipyard | Location | Peak Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Navy Yard | Brooklyn, NY | 70,000 (WWII) |
| Boston Naval Shipyard | Boston, MA | 50,000 (WWII) |
| Mare Island Naval Shipyard | Vallejo, CA | 46,000 (WWII) |
| Norfolk Naval Shipyard | Portsmouth, VA | 43,000 (WWII) |
| Philadelphia Naval Shipyard | Philadelphia, PA | 40,000 (WWII) |
| Puget Sound Naval Shipyard | Bremerton, WA | 32,000 |
| Newport News Shipbuilding | Newport News, VA | 31,000 |
| Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard | Honolulu, HI | 24,000 |
Commercial Shipyards
| Shipyard | Location | Notable Production |
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Shipyards | Multiple West Coast | Liberty Ships (WWII) |
| Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company | Mobile, AL | 30,000 (WWII) |
| New York Shipbuilding | Camden, NJ | 30,000 (WWII) |
| Bethlehem Shipbuilding | Multiple Locations | Steel/Ships |
| Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, MS | Naval/Commercial |
| Electric Boat | Groton, CT | Submarines |
→ View all 24 shipyard profiles →
Medical Treatment
Reference information related to diagnosis, care options, and clinical research.
- Mesothelioma Treatment Centers — Specialized facilities nationwide
- Pleural Mesothelioma — Immunotherapy, MARS 2 trial, CAR-T cell therapy, and TTFields
- Peritoneal Mesothelioma — CRS/HIPEC standard of care, PIPAC, and emerging therapies
- Mesothelioma Symptoms — Warning signs, diagnostic delays, and biomarker advances
- Clinical Trials — Current research and enrollment opportunities
- Treatment Options — Surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and emerging therapies
- Survival Statistics — Prognosis factors and outcome data
Recognized Treatment Centers
- MD Anderson Cancer Center — Houston, TX
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — New York, NY
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, MA
- Mayo Clinic — Rochester, MN
- Moffitt Cancer Center — Tampa, FL
- UCLA Health — Los Angeles, CA
History of Mesothelioma Research
250 years of scientific progress — from first documented cases to the immunotherapy revolution.
→ Explore the Full Research History
The scientific understanding of mesothelioma spans from 1767 to today's cutting-edge immunotherapy and CAR-T trials. Key milestones include:
- 1960 — J. Christopher Wagner proves asbestos causes mesothelioma
- 1964 — Dr. Irving Selikoff establishes definitive American evidence
- 2004 — FDA approves pemetrexed, the first mesothelioma chemotherapy
- 2020 — CheckMate 743 trial establishes immunotherapy as new standard of care
Pioneer Researchers
| Researcher | Key Contribution |
|---|---|
| Dr. Paul Baas | Led CheckMate 743 immunotherapy trial |
| Dr. Irving Selikoff | Established asbestos-mesothelioma link in U.S. |
| Dr. David Sugarbaker | Pioneered surgical treatment approaches |
| Dr. Robert Cameron | Advanced lung-sparing surgery techniques |
| Dr. Raphael Bueno | Leading genomic and molecular research |
| J. Christopher Wagner | First proved asbestos causation (1960) |
Asbestos Products and Manufacturers
Documentation of asbestos-containing products and corporate defendants in litigation.
- Asbestos Manufacturers — Corporate history and litigation status
- Secondary Asbestos Exposure — Take-home fiber data, epidemiological evidence, and legal landscape
- Mesothelioma Causes & Risk Factors — Asbestos fiber types, potency hierarchy, and exposure science
Reference Resources
Supporting material for research, terminology, and common questions.
- Commonly Confused Terms — 52 term pairs clarified across medical, legal, treatment, compensation, and diagnosis categories
- Medical Terms Glossary — 63 diagnostic and treatment terms defined
- Legal Terms Glossary — 36 litigation and claims terms defined
- Technical and Regulatory Glossary — 52 occupational and regulatory terms defined
- Asbestos Podcast Transcripts — Episode transcripts from Asbestos: A Conspiracy 4,500 Years in the Making (52-episode documentary series)
About This Knowledge Base
WikiMesothelioma is maintained as an educational reference for asbestos exposure victims, their families, and advocates. Content is informational and not intended to replace professional medical or legal advice.
This knowledge base is developed in coordination with experienced mesothelioma attorneys and medical professionals to ensure accuracy and practical utility.
Recent Activity
- February 6, 2026 — 5 Major Medical Pages Published: Mesothelioma Symptoms, Mesothelioma Causes & Risk Factors, Secondary Asbestos Exposure, Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Pleural Mesothelioma — comprehensive evidence-based guides with current 2024-2026 clinical data
- February 3, 2026 — Major Article: Commonly Confused Terms — Comprehensive guide covering 52 term pairs across medical, legal, treatment, compensation, diagnosis, and exposure categories (1,400+ lines)
- February 3, 2026 — Content Merge: Trust Fund Filing Guidance expanded with portfolio strategy, geographic optimization, derivative claims, and fee structure sections; Trust Fund Claim Optimization redirected
- February 2026 — Main page cleaned up: trimmed tables, fixed broken links, removed duplicates, updated references
- January 28, 2026 — History of Mesothelioma Research hub page and Dr. Paul Baas researcher profile published
- January 27, 2026 — 16 comprehensive articles published covering 12 shipyards and 4 high-risk occupations
- January 2026 — 49 stub pages published (occupations, shipyards, glossaries, reference)
- January 2026 — Shipyard Exposure Database and High-Risk Occupations sections established
Legal Notice
This website provides general educational information only. The information presented does not constitute legal or medical advice. Consult qualified professionals for decisions regarding your specific situation.