Diagnosis Criteria

Many treating doctors who are not specialists in silicosis often misdiagnose silicosis as another problem such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or COPD.  To properly diagnose silicosis caused by engineered stone, the doctor must consider the following:

  • Occupational exposure to engineered stone (quartz) (artificial) (manufactured) slabs or block for fabricating countertops, sometimes after as little as 2 years of exposure
  • Abnormal Chest X-Ray or CT Scan consistent with silicosis: bilateral, multiple rounded opacities in the upper lung zones that may conglomerate in advanced silicosis
  • Medical exam
  • PFT – Pulmonary Function Test showing restrictive lung disease
  • If medically indicated, a lung biopsy
  • If medically indicated, a lung tissue analysis for silica content

Specialist Treating Doctors

Check here for a regularly updated alphabetical list of the best doctors who specialize in treating engineered stone workers with silicosis:

Dr. Manijeh Berenji, M.D., MPH, FACOEM
University of California, Irvine (UCI) Public Health
1001 Health Sciences Road
Irvine CA 92697-3950
mberenji@uci.edu

Dr. Helene Calvet
Orange County Health Care Agency
405 W 5th St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 834-5518
HCalvet@ochca.com

Adithya Cattamanchi, MD
Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Disease
UCI Medical Center
101 The City Drive South, Building 30
Orange, CA 92868
714-456-7720c
adithya.cattamanchi@uci.edu

Tze-Ming “Benson” Chen, M.D., F.C.C.P.
Division Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Alameda Health System
1411 East 31st St
OA2 Wing, Room 4
Oakland, CA 94602
510-437-5011
tzchen@alamedahealthsystem.org

Jonathan Chung
Diagnostic Radiology
UCSD
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla CA 92093
619-543-3405
jherochung@ucsd.edu

Kristine J. Cummings, M.D., M.P.H.
Occupational Health Branch
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
850 Marina Bay Parkway, Bldg P-3
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 620-5731
kristin.cummings@cdph.ca.gov

Dr. Jane Fazio, MD
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health
757 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(505)417-2711
jfazio@mednet.ucla.edu

Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi, MD
UCSF Occupational Environmental Medicine Clinic
2330 Post St Suite 460
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415)885-7580
Sheiphali.gandhi@ucsf.edu

Dr. Robert Harrison, MD, MPH
University of San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine
2330 Post Street #460
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 885 – 7580
robert.harrison@ucsf.edu

Gina Solomon, M.D., M.P.H.
Chief, Division of Occupational, Environmental & Climate Medicine
Department of Medicine, UCSF
2540 23rd Street, Rm. 2901
San Francisco, CA 94143
415-747-7628
Gina.Solomon@ucsf.edu

The Western Occupational & Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) has established a roster of treating medical facilities offering screening exams for silicosis among engineered stone workers.  Click here to access the list: Silica Medical Exam Practitioner Roster

If you live in Los Angeles County, the Occupational Health Branch of the California Department of Public Health is offering a free health screening for engineered stone workers.  Learn more here.

Discuss Your Potential Case With a Law Firm – Free Analysis

Fabricators and other workers of engineered stone (Quartz) (artificial) (manufactured) countertops, if a doctor has diagnosed you with silicosis or lung cancer, or you believe that you might have silicosis,  contact us online or call us at (855) 335-8606 for a free analysis.  You may be entitled to financial and medical damages.  Justice is yours to seek.

For an overview of engineered stone, why it is dangerous, and how it causes silicosis and other diseases, click here

To learn about Safety and Medical resources, and how to reduce or eliminate exposure to silica, click here

To learn about what the manufacturers and distributors of engineered stone knew about the hazards of their products, click here

For an updated listing of current news, important regulatory hearings and medical presentations, and medical journal articles about the epidemic of engineered stone silicosis, click here

To learn about the types of monetary damages available to silicosis victims, statute of limitations (deadlines to file a lawsuit), or the major defendant manufacturers of engineered stone, click here