Can You File A Camp Lejeune Lawsuit For Soft Tissue Cancer?

Families harmed by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina have been in pursuit of justice for decades.  From the 1950s until the 1980s, chemicals used to clean uniforms and equipment used at the base infiltrated the wells that provided the drinking water for Camp Lejeune residents; the wells were only shut down in 1987, after testing showed dangerous levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the water supply.  Many former Camp Lejeune residents, including Marines and their families, later developed illnesses related to exposure to VOCs; these medical conditions include many types of cancer, neurological diseases, and infertility.  Recent legislation has made it easier for former Camp Lejeune residents harmed by VOCs in the water at the base to recover compensation.  A Columbia personal injury lawyer can evaluate your case and help you file the strongest possible claim.

What Is Soft Tissue Cancer?

The term soft tissue cancer is a general term for many different types of cancers that affect muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, the linings of joints, and adipose tissue (fat under the skin or surrounding internal organs).  At least 50 different types of soft tissue cancer have been described in the medical literature; some of the best known kinds are angiosarcoma, epithelioid sarcoma, and Kaposi’s sarcoma.  They are not among the most common cancers; all the kinds of soft tissue cancer combined account for less than one percent of all the cancer diagnoses in the United States.  Sometimes the first symptom of a soft tissue cancer is a palpable (noticeable to the touch) mass under the skin of the arm, leg, or abdomen.  In other cases, if the tumor might cause localized pain or swelling as the first symptom.  Since most soft tissue cancers can be detected before they spread, their survival rate is high; approximately two thirds of people diagnosed with soft tissue cancers survive at least five years beyond their initial diagnosis.

Soft Tissue Cancer and Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuits

Soft tissue cancers are considered Tier III diseases with regard to Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits.  This means that there is some evidence showing that they occur as a direct result of exposure to the contaminants found in the Camp Lejeune water, but the evidence is not as strong as that for other diseases, such as liver cancer or kidney cancer.  Exposure to contaminants is just one possible cause of soft tissue cancers; some types are linked to viral infections.  (A famous example is Kaposi’s sarcoma, which is much more common in HIV-positive people than in those with no history of HIV infection.)  Radiation exposure is another possible cause of soft tissue cancer.  Therefore, if you underwent radiation treatment for another water contamination-related cancer and subsequently developed a soft tissue tumor, the soft tissue tumor could also be included in your Camp Lejeune claim.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you seek compensation for your financial losses related to a diagnosis of soft tissue cancer subsequent to exposure to the water contamination at Camp Lejeune.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/soft-tissue-sarcoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20377725