University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham: Mesothelioma Treatment
Serving as the primary healthcare provider for state residents, the University of Alabama Health System consists of a number of health centers, hospitals and clinics throughout the state. Among the numerous medical programs offered through the UAB system, eight of them - including its comprehensive cancer program - were ranked in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report’s list of “America’s Best Hospitals.”
The UAB contains a nationally renowned Comprehensive Cancer Center that utilizes a faculty of more than 300 physicians and researchers who treat approximately 5,000 new cancer patients annually. Located in Birmingham, the center has achieved the status of a designated comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. It is the only cancer center to receive the NCI honor that is located in the six-state area of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Patients who are suffering from malignant mesothelioma, or any other form of
lung cancer, primarily receive treatment from UAB doctors at the Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Unit at the system’s Kirklin Clinic, a 430,000 square-foot building that covers a full city block and holds more than 30 clinical units of multidisciplinary medical teams.
In addition to providing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery as forms of treatment, UAB also invests much of its time in research so progress can be made in furthering new ways to combat malignant mesothelioma and other forms of cancer. In 2008, the center became the first U.S. medical center to offer a new technique for radiation therapy that allowed session for some patients to be decreased from 20 minutes to 90 seconds, lessening the chances of healthy human tissue being exposed to radiation without decreasing the overall aggressiveness of the session.
Because a majority of mesothelioma cancer diagnoses are caused because of prolonged inhalation to
asbestos fibers, patients and their families may wish to pursue a lawsuit against a company or former employer that knowingly led to the
asbestos exposure. In such cases, interested parties should seek out a
mesothelioma attorney in order to learn their rights and see if there is reason to pursue a
mesothelioma settlement.