Social Security Adds Pericardial Mesothelioma to Disabilities List

The U.S. Social Security Administration has added pericardial mesothelioma to its Compassionate Allowances list, accelerating the disabilities application process for this very rare cancer. Its decision was prompted by the work of Missy Miller, medical outreach director at The Mesothelioma Center. She made the request with the Social Security disability office almost a year ago on behalf of a patient. The Compassionate Allowances program is reserved for severe medical diseases and conditions that automatically meet Social Security standards for disability benefits. It cuts short the often drawn-out application process. Both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, more common forms of the cancer, have been part of the program for years, but pericardial mesothelioma was never included – until now. “This is huge, a really big deal for these patients,” Miller said. “I’m humbled, and very excited, by what we’ve done. I was assisting a single patient in this case, but we’ve now helped patients everywhere.” Highlighting Pericardial Mesothelioma Pericardial mesothelioma is a rare, asbestos-related cancer that originates in the pericardium, the protective membrane lining the heart. It accounts for just 1% of all mesothelioma cases in the U.S., which is estimated at 3,000 patients annually. Because clinical symptoms are usually nonspecific, the diagnosis often comes late in disease development when treatment is only palliative. The diagnosis sometimes...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news