There is no known cure for mesothelioma and treatment options haven't advanced much in the past 25 years. Unfortunately, most people with mesothelioma die from the disease within four to 14 months after being diagnosed.

Most people who were exposed to asbestos many years ago don't think that they are still at risk for developing mesothelioma – especially since asbestos is not used in new applications. However, asbestos attorneys say that it's common for someone to hear about an old friend being diagnosed with mesothelioma after working with asbestos many years prior – and be confronted with the reality that they too may be at risk.

Mesothelioma is not dose related, which means that you don't have to have direct exposure to asbestos to develop the disease. In fact, the wives of many husbands who worked with asbestos many years ago are generally shocked when they find out that they have developed mesothelioma simply from laundering their husband's clothes.