Mesothelioma Cancer

One rare form of cancer is called Mesothelioma, a malignant tumor in the mesothelial tissues of the lungs and the abdomen, arising from the inhalation of asbestos. Its rarity is one of the reasons why a lot of people are not aware of this kind of fatal disease. In fact, many people die of Mesothelioma undiagnosed. Although there is now a growing awareness of the hazards of asbestos to health, still many have not heard of Mesothelioma and thus, have not understood its nature, cause, signs and treatment. Even some physicians find it hard to detect Mesothelioma because its symptoms are akin to other diseases like lung cancer and pneumonia. Furthermore, it takes decades for a patient who was exposed to asbestos to develop Mesothelioma — fifty years, at most.

Being unaware of Mesothelioma poses higher risks since it deters diagnosis and treatment. A person undergoing treatment must know the different stages of the cancer or the extent of the disease. Chances of recovering from Mesothelioma and the kind of treatment depend on the stage of the illness. There are basically two staging systems used for Pleural Mesothelioma (lungs): TNM system and Brighan system. These staging systems are also used in other kinds of cancers; however, the first is commonly used. There is no established method in determining the stage of the Peritoneal Mesothelioma cancer (abdominal) so the TNM system is used.

There are three variables in the TNM system: tumor, lymph nodes and metastasis. In the earliest stage of Mesothelioma, stage I, the malignant Mesothelioma cells start to grow and multiply only one layer of the pleura. The pleura is the membrane that encloses the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. However, there are some instances wherein the pericardium (membrane that covers the heart) and diaphragm cover are already affected. In this case, the cancer patient is still in stage I Mesothelioma.

In the second stage, the two layers of the pleura are already affected by Mesothelioma. Take note, however, that in this stage, only one side of the body is affected. Normally, the pleura produces only small amount of lubricating fluid that allows easy expanding and contracting of the lungs. The excess fluid is absorbed by the blood and the lymph vessels so there’s a balance between the amount of fluid produced and removed. During the second stage Mesothelioma, fluid starts to build up between the membrane of the lungs and the membrane of the chest wall, resulting to pleural effusion. The increase in the volume of fluid produced causes shortness of breath and chest pain. Other Mesothelioma cancer patients experience dry and persistent cough. Diagnosis of the pleural effusion is achieved through a chest x-ray.

Stage III Mesothelioma means that the malignant cells have already spread to the chest wall, esophagus and the lymph nodes on one part of the chest. The patient may suffer severe pain near the parts affected. When not treated immediately or when the Mesothelioma patient doesn’t respond well to medication, the cancer may advance to the fourth stage. The fourth stage Mesothelioma is formidable since at this stage the Mesothelioma cells have penetrated into the bloodstream and other organs in the body like the liver, the bones and the brain. The lymph nodes on the other side of the chest may also be affected by Mesothelioma in stage IV.

Brighan staging system, on the other hand, determines whether the Mesothelioma can be surgically removed or not and whether the lymph nodes are affected or not. In stage I Mesothelioma, the lymph nodes are not yet affected and the patient can still recover through surgery. In stage II, surgery can still be executed but some lymph nodes have already been infiltrated by the cancer cells. In stage III, the heart and chest wall are already affected; thus, surgery is no longer advisable. The lymph nodes in this stage, however, may or may not be affected. In the final stage, stage IV Mesothelioma, cancer cells have already gone to the bloodstream and other parts of the body like the heart, brain, bone and liver. In most cases, a patient who has reached stage IV Mesothelioma only has four to twenty-four months to live.

—
Smith Chen is an author and internet marketing consultant.
Find more about discover and review page society

Tags: abdomen, abdominal, Art, articl, Asbestos, Awareness, blood, bloodstream, cancer, cancer cells, cancer patient, cancer patients, cancers, case, cavity, cells, chest, chest cavity, chest pain, chest wall, cough, decades, diagnosis, diaphragm, dis, disease, diseases, ears, experience, extent, fact, fifty years, form, google, hand, Health, inhalation, instances, lot, Lung, Lung Cancer, lungs, lymph nodes, malignant cells, Malignant Mesothelioma, malignant tumor, man, Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Cancer, organs, organs in the body, part, patient, People, pericardium, peritoneal mesothelioma, persistent cough, pleura, pleural, pleural effusion, Pleural Mesothelioma, pneumonia, rate, result, risk, shortness of breath, signs, stage, Surgery, tissues, tnm system, Treatment, tumor, US, year

The history of mesothelioma started in the early 1900s. Mesothelioma history, just as in the discoveries of other major diseases, has a combination of science, politics, medical research and courage. Mesothelioma is a deadly disease that affects the lining of several organs in the body, most commonly the lungs. It is now known that asbestos exposure is the primary cause for this disease; however, for more than 100 years of asbestos mining and production, the link between asbestos and mesothelioma remained obscured.

Lung Disease and Asbestos
In the early 1900s workers at asbestos factories in Britain were experiencing an alarmingly high incidence rate of lung disease. The first reported case of asbestosis in a British asbestos worker occurred in 1906. By the late 1920s, the lung disease problems associated with asbestos mining and production were becoming well known, so much so that the British government commissioned a study in 1930. The study results showed that asbestosis was an occupational disease and was associated with asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos
The link between lung cancer and asbestos was slower to emerge. While many asbestos workers were dying of lung cancer in the 1930s and 1940s, there was also high growth rate of tobacco use and a high incidence of tuberculosis. Unless an autopsy was performed, it was difficult to determine the exact type of lung cancer that caused death. During this time period, it appears that the asbestos industry officials made little effort to establish the link between asbestos and mesothelioma, even though considerable evidence suggested this link.

The South African Asbestos Mines
After World War II, asbestos mining in South Africa was growing rapidly. South Africa had plenty of cheap labor, and new technology was making asbestos mining much more efficient. Although a well known South African medical researcher noted in 1928 that asbestos exposure could cause danger, he attributed the dangers to asbestos processing, not mining. (South Africa did little processing of asbestos at that time.)
In 1948, South Africa commissioned the first chest and infectious disease hospital in the area of the asbestos mines. The hospital’s first medical superintendent, Chris Sleggs, was the first physician anywhere in the world to see a significant number of malignant mesothelioma cases. He noted the presence of atypical cases of lung disease in the wards. Most cases of tuberculosis recovered with treatment, but a few of the cases appeared to be resistant to the drugs. He began to investigate.
Chris Wagner, a medical researcher, became aware of the atypical lung disease in the mid 1950s. He started a research project to better understand the occupational hazards associated with the asbestos mining. Due to the efforts of Drs. Sleggs and Wagner, along with a third researcher, Ian Webster, by the late 1950s, the connection between mesothelioma and asbestos was well documented.
In 1959, these three researchers attended an international conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. They presented papers, based on their research, showing the connection between mesothelioma and asbestos. After the conference, they combined their data and submitted it to a prestigious British medical journal. Their data showed that of the 33 cases of pleural mesothelioma investigated by them, 32 had proven exposure to asbestos mining.

Tags: 1940, anger, area, Art, Asbestos, asbestos and mesothelioma, asbestos exposure, asbestos industry, asbestos worker, asbestos workers, asbestosis, autopsy, cancer, case, chest, courage, deadly disease, dis, disease, diseases, Drug, ears, fact, factor, factories, form, growth, Lung, Lung Cancer, lung disease, lungs, Malignant Mesothelioma, man, Mesothelioma, mesothelioma cases, nci, organs, organs in the body, pleura, pleural, Pleural Mesothelioma, presence, rate, Research, result, time, Treatment, tuberculosis, type, type of lung cancer, US, web, world war ii, year

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells of the serous membranes in the body. The most common form of mesothelioma, affecting the lining of the lung, is pleural mesothelioma. Two to three thousand new cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed each year.

The mission of All About Malignant Mesothelioma is to provide a one-stop resource for comprehensive, up-to-date mesothelioma information. We cover the full scope of malignant mesothelioma issues including background, history, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Please recommend the site to someone who may benefit from mesothelioma information.
Introduction to Malignant Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma affects the lining or membranes of certain large cavities in the body. These cavities, called the serous cavities, house certain major organs in the body including the heart, lungs, abdomen and others. The membranes that surround these cavities are called the serous membranes. They serve to protect these major organs from the friction and abrasion that occur as the organs move against each other during typical daily functioning, such as breathing and heart beating. The serous membranes derive from specialized cells called mesothelial cells. These cells form to create the mesothelium, which is the major tissue layer of the serous membranes. Cancer that occurs in the mesothelium tissue is called mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma takes on three forms:
Peritoneal mesothelioma, in the peritoneum or membrane surrounding the abdomen. A rare form of peritoneal mesothelioma can also affect the male testicles, because the lining around the scrotum is an extension of the peritoneum.
Pericardial mesothelioma, in the perdicardium or lining surrounding the heart.
Pleural mesothelioma, which is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma and affects the lining of the lung cavity.
All mesotheliomas are now considered to be malignant, or cancerous. They start as a localized tumor and spread rapidly to include most of the surrounding tissues and organs. Originally, fibrous cists and other non-cancerous growths that appeared in the serous membranes were thought to be mesotheliomas and were termed “benign fibrous mesothelioma” and “multicystic mesothelioma.” These conditions are now known not to originate in the mesothelial cells, but other cells within the serous membranes. These conditions are typically localized, non-cancerous and do not spread rapidly.
Etiology of Malignant Mesothelioma
Most cases of malignant mesothelioma are associated with a previous exposure to fibrous minerals, of which asbestos is the most important. There is now indisputable evidence of the role of these fibers in the development of this disease. This has been demonstrated in animal experiments and many other experiments. Not everyone who is exposed to asbestos fibers has developed malignant mesothelioma, suggesting that other factors may also be involved.
Although malignant mesothelioma is rare, it is a serious, deadly disease. It is often in the advanced stages when it is detected, so the outlook for the patients is not as good as it is for the cancers that are detected earlier. The average survival time after detection is 1 to 2 years. This survival time also depends on the type of mesothelioma.

Tags: abdomen, Art, Asbestos, asbestos fibers, cancer, cancers, case, cavities, cavity, cells, deadly disease, diagnosis, dis, disease, ears, fact, factor, fibers, fibrous minerals, form, growth, Important, Lung, lungs, Malignant Mesothelioma, man, Mesothelioma, minerals, organs, organs in the body, patient, pericardial, peritoneal mesothelioma, peritoneum, plea, pleura, pleural, Pleural Mesothelioma, rate, risk, risk factor, risk factors, site, someone, stage, Survival, test, testic, time, tissues, Treatment, tumor, type, US, year

The mesothelioma is a horrible disease, in which the division of cells mésothélium begin quickly to start and to survive, the other cells. This leads to tumors, and they can stand in the whole body. These tumors may not cancer cells or cancer cells. When cancer cells, they are known as malignant mesothelioma. If they are not cancer cells, they are known as a benign form of mesothelioma. The malignant form leads to instant death, but the benign is not a question of death. However, it affects the patient for his entire life. There is no known cure for mesothelioma. The cause mesothelioma well known. The mesothelioma is a result of exposure to asbestos fibers or asbestos dust. As asbestos is undermined, manufactured and used, many of asbestos dust to be released. This minute dust containing asbestos fibres, which are easy and invisible. This makes the air, and they are easily inhaled by the people through the nose and mouth.

If they are inhaled, they travel through the body of organs in the body. The organs of the body have an outer layer called mésothélium fodder. This surface is associated with asbestos fibers or asbestos dust, he responded negatively. It starts quickly divided. Also, the life span of cells increased mésothélium. This leads to tumors in the body and in this condition is known as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma magic ‘Death and Dying’. There is no known cure for this terrible disease, and the only step that can be undertaken to control the spread of this disease is that a comprehensive ban on the mining, manufacture and use of the ‘asbestos worldwide.

Britain was the first country to ban asbestos. United States even after the example of the United Kingdom. While most western countries awoke the harmful effects of asbestos, in the east have refused to see the light. A country that was very late to wake up was Japan. The main reason is the irresponsibility and indifference of officials in Japan. In the immediate, currency, the gains achieved blind Japan in the future, the harmful effects of asbestos. Japan totally neglected public health, and it is only in 2002 that Japan has a complete ban on all types of asbestos. This measure was adopted by the United States to Japan under pressure to take this step. Japan is the second-largest in the world of business. The people in Japan are rich and taught, but also in the field of public health is ignored. If so, the situation in Japan, I shuddered at the situation in the other countries of Eastern Europe.

Thus, more than 50% of men smoke, Japan. Smoking in connection with asbestos exposure increases the risk of mesothelioma. It is expected that more than one lakh people die in Japan, because of a mesothelioma, by the year 2040. Mesothelioma has a very long latency period. The discrepancy between asbestos exposure and the onset of the disease, in Japan in the magnitude of 20 to 30 years. As in Japan, the end of the ban on asbestos, the impact of this will be in the next 30 years.

Japan has begun to asbestos at the end of the 19th Century. Also at that time in Japan, I was not, the asbestos. He only imported asbestos. Only in the course of the Second World War in Japan, the asbestos. Instead, it has developed its own by 50 mines. Now, all of these mines are closed. The import of asbestos is still in Japan in the years 1960 - 1980. The largest amounts of asbestos arrow in the imports into Japan 352160 tonnes in 1974.

After that, Japan started to slowly wake up the harmful effects of asbestos. One by one, each type of asbestos was banned. In 1988, the blue asbestos was initially banned. Then, in 1993, asbestos was banned brown. For a long time, Japan argues that the white asbestos is not dangerous when used with the appropriate guarantees. Finally, it will be until the year 2002, the white asbestos is banned. However, the building, the seals in the industry in the strings, etc.… that asbestos in the production continue. A complete ban of asbestos in Japan is still a few years longer to be a reality.

Although Japan is too late to act, the first case of asbestosis was in Japan in 1937. In 1960, the first case of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos was in Japan. It is the first case of mesothelioma was in Japan in 1973. Almost 6 people die every year millions of people in Japan because of mesothelioma. And for all mesothelioma cases, there are 2 cases of lung cancer associated with asbestos. Even with such shocking statistics, Japan has been too slow to take all appropriate measures. Only the enormous pressure, the US, Japan, which has decided to offer all types of asbestos. Also, there is no proper diagnosis and incorrect diagnosis numerous cases of mesothelioma. Many cases of mesothelioma is not as well known. How do you expect that the statistics may be even worse than that.

Also, the number of Japanese men seem to be more in comparison to the women in Japan, in order to be affected by this disease. Maybe it’s because more than 50% of Japanese men are smokers. The smokers are in the asbestos fibres have a higher risk of disease compared to non-smokers. The best thing we can say is that in Japan, at least for now, he woke. Although late, it is much better than ever before! But there are also countries like India and China, is no sign that the comprehensive ban on all types of asbestos. It is high time that these countries raise in the footsteps of their western counterparts.

Tags: asbestos dust, asbestos fibers, asbestos fibres, cancer cells, currency, horrible disease, indifference, instant death, irresponsibility, japan, life span, magic, Malignant Mesothelioma, organs in the body, organs of the body, tumors, united kingdom, western countries