Editing Understanding Your Diagnosis (section)

== Key Facts Box: Essential Diagnosis Information ==

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! style="background:#1a5276; color:white; padding:12px; text-align:left;" | Category
! style="background:#1a5276; color:white; padding:12px; text-align:left;" | Key Information
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold; background:#e8f4f8;" | Annual Diagnoses
| style="padding:12px; background:#e8f4f8;" | Approximately 3,000 new mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States each year
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold;" | Most Common Type
| style="padding:12px;" | Pleural mesothelioma (lung lining) represents 75-80% of all cases ([https://mesothelioma.net/pleural-mesothelioma/ Pleural Mesothelioma Overview])
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold; background:#e8f4f8;" | Latency Period
| style="padding:12px; background:#e8f4f8;" | Typically 20-50 years between asbestos exposure and diagnosis
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold;" | Average Diagnosis Age
| style="padding:12px;" | 72 years old, reflecting decades between exposure and disease development
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold; background:#e8f4f8;" | Cell Type Impact
| style="padding:12px; background:#e8f4f8;" | Epithelioid cell type offers best prognosis with median survival of 18-24 months ([https://mesotheliomaattorney.com/mesothelioma/types/epithelioid/ Epithelial Mesothelioma Guide])
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold;" | Staging Significance
| style="padding:12px;" | Stage 1-2 diagnosis eligible for potentially curative surgery; Stage 3-4 focus on extending life and comfort
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold; background:#e8f4f8;" | Trust Fund Compensation
| style="padding:12px; background:#e8f4f8;" | Level 8 disease classification qualifies for maximum compensation averaging $300,000-$400,000 per eligible claim ([https://dandell.com/mesothelioma/mesothelioma-asbestos-trust-fund-payouts/ Trust Fund Payouts Guide])
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold;" | Documentation Importance
| style="padding:12px;" | Complete pathology reports essential for both treatment planning and legal claim success
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| style="padding:12px; font-weight:bold; background:#e8f4f8;" | Survival Improvements
| style="padding:12px; background:#e8f4f8;" | Modern multimodal treatment approaches have doubled survival rates compared to historical averages
|}