Mesothelioma Cancer

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by medicalcrunch

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs.

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medical consultant to medical crunch team. www.medicalcrunch.com

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by Peter Nisbet

There are various types of mesothelioma but asbestos lung mesothelioma is an asbestos-induced cancer of the mesothelium of the lung, more familiarly known as the pleura, which is the external lining of the lung.

Many of the major organs of the body have a mesothelium, that of the heart being called the pericardium and of the heart the peritoneum. However, it is with the pleura that we are concerned here, and the symptoms of asbestos lung mesothelioma are what you would expect: coughing, discomfort in the chest cavity and eventual pain.

Before we come to possible treatments and palliative care, let’s have a look at what causes it and why we are still seeing new cases today after asbestos was banned for construction use in the 1970s.

Asbestos comes in several forms, the most dangerous thought to be crocidolite, commonly known as blue asbestos. This form of asbestos is in a highly fibrous form, and it is the inhalation and ingestion of these fibers that cause the problem. They tend to remain in the body for a considerable period of time and it can take up to 40 ��” 45 years before the symptoms of mesothelioma begin to appear, though some people contract it in their 30s.

To complicate the situation, it is not only asbestos that causes the symptoms, but any fibrous silicate, which it is why some compensation cases are not as cut and dry as they could be. To add to this complication, smoking adds to the possibility of cancer and it is argued that many patients would not have contracted mesothelioma had they not smoked.

This is not only an argument made by solicitors in court, but has been established by statistics. It is pretty certain that smokers have a greater tendency of contracting asbestos lung mesothelioma than non-smokers, since attorneys for the employers have used this as a reason for having the otherwise high compensation significantly reduced.

There is a popular misconception that mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, but it is just a misconception. Lung cancer is mesothelioma, and in the USA 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by smoking. That is an indisputable fact. In order to prove the intervention of asbestos in a case, therefore, not only would the patients have to prove that they had worked with asbestos, but also not to have smoked. Had they smoked, then the award could be greatly reduced.

The term “asbestos lung mesothelioma” is therefore a correct one because that form of the disease to which we are referring is caused by asbestos, and not smoking, is of the pleura of the lung and not of the pericardium or peritoneum, and is mesothelioma.

Its treatment is largely palliative, or intended to ease suffering, because the prognosis is fairly grim. Only about 20% of cases live to 5 years after diagnosis, with most surviving only one year, though much depends on how far the condition had developed by the time it was diagnosed. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are used, but not successfully, and various degrees of surgery are also used. Removal of the affected lung, pericardium and half the diaphragm is the most major of these, and even that only extends life to a maximum of around five years from diagnosis.

There are new treatments being tested, but all treatment is expensive, and a good attorney is likely necessary to secure the compensation to pay for these. Ultimately hospice care will be required and again compensation money should be kept back for this. Ultimately, in spite of all the treatment given, it is palliative care that will make the last days of the patient bearable, as will the help and support of the family, and this is what compensation can fund.

About the Author
More information on this disease can be obtained from Pete’s webpage Asbestos Lung Mesothelioma where more detail is given of possible treatment.

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by James F. Howell

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Over time, cancerous cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Only after several decades do symptoms begin to show, and often because of this delay, by the time mesothelioma is diagnosed it is too late for treatment to be effective.

Mesothelioma is rare, with a rate of infection of only 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004. It is most often found in individuals who encounter asbestos on the job, such as shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople.

There are three primary areas mesothelioma can develop, the lining of the lungs and chest cavity known as the pleura, the lining of the abdominal cavity called the peritoneum, or the sac surrounding the heart called the pericardium. Each form of mesothelioma cancer has its own specific symptoms, but there are many symptoms that can be found in all of them. Such symptoms include coughing, fever, shortness of breath, chest or abdominal pain, and fatigue.

Because the symptoms of mesothelioma are so general, it can be very difficult to diagnose the disease. This, combined with such a long delay before symptoms begin to develop often means that little can be done to help the patient. The most common forms of treatment are radiation, chemotherapy, and sometimes surgery. Unfortunately however, these treatments have been unable to increase the survival rate of mesothelioma victims beyond a few months.

About the Author
James Howell is a freelance writer and researcher. Find out more about Mesothelioma Cancer.

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by Ivan Chia

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient’s medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful. A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

About the Author
Ivan Chia is an active online content writer. If you would like to learn more about mesothelioma, please visit: Mesothelioma Resource.

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By Husseiny Ahmed

What is mesothelioma? This name refers to a very rare type of cancer that has some thousands of cases on all over the world. This type on cancer is caused by inhalation of Asbestos. Asbestos are some materials used in construction manufacturers.

There are four types of mesothelioma cancer, three types of them are very dangerous and are very hard to treat, there three types are Pleural Mesothelioma “Tumors develop in lung lining”, the second dangerous type is Peritoneal Mesothelioma “Tumors develop on Peritoneum, the outer membrane of the internal organs in the abdominal cavity, the third dangerous type is Pericardial Mesothelioma “Tumors develop in the sac that contain the heart”. The fourth type is Benign Mesothelioma and this type is not dangerous.

Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common type of that cancer, the most patients of that cancer are diagnosed as victims. The main reason for this disease is the inhalation of Asbestos, these Asbestos was used at construction manufacturers especially the cement manufacturing companies.

In fact, they can make a law suite to have their compensation rights from the manufacturing companies that let them exposure to Asbestos. the settlement in such cases can reach millions of dollars. There are people can help victims to get their rights and there are many lawyers specify in such settlements.

It is less common than pleural mesothelioma but it is more dangerous. In this case of cancer, tumors develop in the peritoneum, if you don’t know what is peritoneum exactly, Peritoneum is the outer line surrounds the internal organs in abdominal cavity.

Pericardial Mesothelioma, the least common type of that cancer, in this case the tumors develop in the heart lining or Pericardium.

For more information, please visit Mesothelioma Activists Site, you may also visit Pleural Mesothelioma Page and Peritoneal Mesothelioma Page find more information.

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By P. Mehta

Mesothelioma cancer is often caused by exposure to asbestos. People who have received asbestos exposure of as little as one or two months to very low doses are at risk of this. A person exposed to asbestos could develop mesothelioma after 50 years of exposure. The 2 common types are pleural mesothelioma (lung cancer) and peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen organs).

There are no immediate symptoms of mesothelioma cancer. The symptoms may appear in 30 - 50 years after exposure to asbestos. The following symptoms may be noticed after several years of exposure.

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma cancer: shortness of breath and pain in the chest.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma cancer: abdominal pain and weight loss, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia and fever.

Please note that these symptoms may be due to other reasons. If you have any of these symptoms or signs, please consult your Doctor for thorough checkup.

Treatment Options for Mesothelioma Cancer

There are several possible treatments. Following are the main options for mesothelioma treatment:

Radiation therapy
Chemotherapy
Surgery
Photodynamic therapy
Radiation or chemotherapy combined with surgery may increase the survival time by double.

Copyright 2005, P. Mehta

[Please note that this article is not intended as a subsitute for medical advise. Always consult your Doctor.

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (clickable) and references and copyright info. You are not permitted to include any additional hyperlinks.]

This article has been written by http://www.fatfreekitchen.com. Visit the web site mesothelioma information page for more information.

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by Archana Sarat

Qualified medical professionals perform mesothelioma diagnosis. A wide range of tests and procedures are done to find out whether the disease is present. Mesothelioma diagnosis is a difficult procedure as the symptoms of mesothelioma are very similar to other benign diseases. This coupled with the fact that mesothelioma has a huge latency period makes patients and their doctors dismiss the symptoms of mesothelioma as signs of ageing. Only after detailed testing because of recurring symptom mesothelioma is confirmed.

Review of medical history of patient

The medical history of the patient will be reviewed in the first place. This is because the doctor will need to determine the extent and the severity of the risk factors and the symptoms of mesothelioma. Also, the doctor can find out the nature of asbestos exposure of the patient, how long and how much they were exposed. One another point the doctor will want to know is whether you were a smoker or not. This is because smokers have a higher risk of contracting mesothelioma as compared to non-smokers.

The doctor will also conduct some preliminary examinations to determine the type of mesothelioma. This can be found out by checking for fluid. When fluid is found in the chest. It is a case of pleural mesothelioma. When fluid is in the abdomen, it is a case of peritoneal mesothelioma and when fluid is in the heart, it is a case of pericardial mesothelioma.

Diagnostic tests:

CT scans, x-rays and MRIs are very useful in determining the spread of the cancer. These diagnostic image tests help to determine the stage of mesothelioma. All the methods are very useful and they help in making a more detailed diagnosis. The CT scans help in getting a 3D view of the inside body parts. Thus, the same part can be viewed from various angles. Unlike x-ray, MRI uses magnetic fields to view the body parts.

Testing fluid and samples of tissues:

In case of mesothelioma, fluid may build up in chest, abdomen or heart. In such cases, the medical professional will take a sample of this fluid and test it. The sample will be drawn via a long needle and then, it will be tested in a laboratory. The doctor in certain cases of mesothelioma may also prescribe a bronchoscopy procedure. Sometimes, certain tissue samples may be taken to perform further testing. Persons having lung cancer or pleural mesothelioma may also have lymph nodes affected by the disease. These patients may be advised to undergo a mediastinoscopy. This procedure helps the doctors to find out how far the disease has affected the lymph nodes. This will help in a better diagnosis of mesothelioma. It will also help in determining the stage of mesothelioma.

Diagnosing mesothelioma is a very complex procedure involving a lot of steps. While the first symptoms are completely misleading, the later symptoms are also not conclusive. Fluid build up in the body organs alone is not a sign of mesothelioma. Only specialized medical personnel in highly specialized laboratories can correctly determine mesothelioma. This is the reason why many mesothelioma cases go undocumented. It is necessary that all countries fund and encourage their researchers and medical professionals to find an easy and simple diagnostic procedure for mesothelioma.

About the Author
Archana Sarat is a freelance writer and research expert. She shares her knowledge of mesothelioma at http://mesothelioma-guidance.blogspot.com To know more about mesothelioma go to http://www.rarehope.com

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by Archana Sarat

Medical View of Mesothelioma

More than 8 million people have been exposed to asbestos and are at risk of succumbing to mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused when the mesothelium cells start to divide rapidly leading to cancer. The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos fibers. The disease has a very long latency period, sometimes even around 60 years. The disease has no known cure and death becomes inevitable.

It is also very hard to correctly diagnose the disease in the early stages, as the symptoms of the disease are similar to other non-malignant diseases like pneumonia. The asbestos fiber, which is light and invisible, is released during mining and manufacture of asbestos. It is inhaled easily through nose and mouth and affects the mesothelium lining of the body part that it comes into contact with. This sets off the mesothelium cells rapid division operation, resulting in tumors. The mesothelium lining can be found in the organs like lungs, abdomen and heart.

Depending on this, mesothelioma can be classified into three categories: § Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs, § Peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the abdomen, and § Pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the heart.

Due to the long latency period of the disease, people who have worked in asbestos-related factories in their youth may contract the disease in their old age during or after retirement. Many of them may have shifted many jobs by this time and they do not relate their condition to asbestos exposure. Thus, they do not consider mesothelioma as an occupational disease. They face huge sorrow at having to part with their loved ones in such a tragic way.

Life of Jack Daws

Jack Daws was working as a tutor in the rural regions of Pennsylvania. He had a beautiful wife and a handsome son. He had what is called as a perfect family! They were always supportive and co-operative. They had enduring love and constant hope on each other.

Jack Daws loved his job as he loved kids of all ages and all sizes. He was the coach of the local soccer team during weekends. When Jack was around 55 years, he was planning on getting a retirement from the school where he tutored in another year or two.

At this crucial point of time, Jack slowly started realizing something was wrong with his health. He felt a constant pain in his chest and severe shortness of breath. He, his family and his doctor dismissed all these symptoms as a cause of aging, initially. But, slowly, his condition started to worsen. He felt as if a heavy weight has been placed on his chest. Also, he started losing weight rapidly. By now, the doctor also started sensing that something was wrong with Jack. The doctor conducted a whole lot of tests on Jack. One of the tests that were conducted was to study the fluids & cells in his lungs. After this test, the doctor felt that it appeared cancerous. Further tests followed to make the right diagnosis. It was, finally, confirmed. Jack suffered from ‘Pleural Mesothelioma’, I.e. mesothelioma affecting the lungs. Doctors felt that Jack had only another year or two of life on earth. Jack started analyzing how he contracted mesothelioma. He had never worked in any asbestos-related industries. Slowly, it dawned on Jack. Lots of construction and painting work used to be done on in his school.

Due to his long career at the school, he was constantly exposed to asbestos dust, which was used during the painting work. The company, which did the job for the school, did not take any safeguards to protect, anyone. Jack was advised to initiate proceedings against the company. The company did not disclose the dangers of asbestos and behaved in a selfish profit-oriented manner.

When Jack initiated proceeding against the company, it was found that lots of people have already sued the company for the same reason and have won their cases. Thus, the Company did not want to go into lengthy and expensive legal proceedings. They agreed to go in for an out-of-court settlement. After negotiations, the company paid Jack around a million dollars for the health damages he suffered and around two million dollars for his family-dependents. Jack underwent treatment at a cancer center. The cancer was spread all around his body and surgery was ruled out for him. Jack underwent chemotherapy and lived a life of suffering for the next two years. After that he succumbed to the disease. However, his soul will rest in peace as he has provided a safe and comfortable settlement for his loving family members.

About the Author
Archana Sarat is a freelance writer and medical researcher. Know more about mesothelioma at http://www.rarehope.com

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by elazheng

Let’s start first with what is Mesothelioma? “A usually malignant tumor of mesothelial tissue, especially that of the pleura or peritoneum.” This is the fundamental definition of the deadly disease Mesothelioma according to the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary.

Mesothelium tissues circle around the lungs, heart and abdominal region of your body. This is medically termed as Mesothelium lining in the body that protects your internal organs. When you inhale air containing asbestos dust particles, the air directly hits the Mesothelium lining in the body. This is basically how your body gets exposed to the asbestos fibers without actually letting you know what further damages it would cause at the later stage of your life.

Instant symptoms

Mesothelioma doesn’t pop up with instant symptoms. This is one of the biggest reasons that till date a clear-cut treatment procedure has not been formulated to cure the Mesothelioma patients. When the problem is finally diagnosed no time is left for any treatment because the patient has already reached the last stage.

Again a common symptom of Mesothelioma is that it is detected when the patient has reached the age of fifty or sixty. At this age the person’s normal immunity level becomes quite low. And it becomes rather difficult for the person to cope with this situation. At the young age the symptoms remain hidden and come in fragments when neither the patient not the doctor is able to detect and the treatment is confined to some petty common diseases.

Cancerous symptoms

Chronic level of gastric disorder Severe pains in the regions circling the heart and the lungs. This is from the external side but the problem lies beneath in the cavities of the body’s internal regions circled by the Mesothelium lining.

Excessive vomiting can be a valid symptom that is often mistaken for acidity and gastric problem. But it is very much related to Mesothelioma.

Difficulties while breathing and frequently feeling short of oxygen while undergoing even some small tasks.

Someone carrying all these symptoms cannot be readily considered as a Mesothelioma patient. But if it is confirmed that the person had a long history of working in an asbestos company, if they have dwelled in a place near an asbestos firm, or if there was an indirect way to come in touch with asbestos fibers. It can be assured that together with the combination of all these symptoms the person is very likely suffering from Mesothelioma cancer.
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