Archive for the tag 'public buildings'

Study Finds Increased Mesothelioma Death Rates In A Group Of Shipyard Workers

by Sam Gurgis

A recent study conducted on workers in a US Coast Guard shipyard has found a significantly greater mortality rate associated with lung cancer and mesothelioma compared to the general population. The study also found an increased general mortality rate.

The study followed 4702 (4413 men and 289 women) civilian workers who were employed at the shipyard between January 1950 and December 1964. The study then measured the number of deaths and their causes through 31 December 2001.

The study was conducted by S Krstev, P Stewart, J Rusiecki, A Blair and was published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The original study publication is available at http://oem.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/64/10/651.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is usually associated with exposure to asbestos. The majority of individuals who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have a history of exposure to asbestos particles at work or home. Family members of workers have also been affected. Renovators of homes containing asbestos cement material are accounting for an increasing number of diagnosed sufferers. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear for decades after the exposure to asbestos. Symptoms include abdominal pain and weight loss. Diagnosis of mesothelioma can be difficult due to the fact that the symptoms are similar to other respiratory diseases.

Since mesothelioma is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma can be best be prevented by avoiding or limiting exposure to asbestos in homes, public buildings, and at work. Workers that may be at risk include miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers, railroad workers, ship builders, contractors and construction workers, particularly those involved with insulation. If there is a possibility of exposure (such as when renovating old buildings) protective equipment should be used and safety procedures should be applied. Asbestos was commonly used in building materials due to its durability and fire-resistant properties. In addition to buildings, asbestos was used in the manufacture of cars and ships and many other products.

About the Author
Sam Gurgis is a scientific writer and the webmaster at mesotheliomawise.org and sam-gurgis.com

Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment and Prevention

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer. It caused by previous exposure to asbestos. An exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. Simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. The two major types of malignant mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma, which concerns the mesothelium membrane that surrounds the lungs, and peritoneal mesothelioma which concerns the mesothelium layer that covers the organs in the abdominal cavity. The people most at risk from being carriers of this cancer are those have worked with asbestos over the past thirty to fifty years. Because of this, the disease is most common in men between the ages of sixty and seventy as this is the group that commonly worked with asbestos during those years. Because of the lack of protection and regulations in those days, these workers were constantly exposed to the dust and fibres from the asbestos, which caused the cells of the mesothelium to become abnormal. Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises prior to the banning of asbestos may contain asbestos. Those performing renovation works or diy activities may expose themselves to asbestos dust.

Mesothelium helps protect the organs by producing a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around. Mesothelioma is an extremely malignant and incurable cancer that infects the membrane that surrounds most of the internal organs. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Affecting the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium – the outer lining that protects the body’s major organs such as the heart, stomach and lungs. Pleural mesothelioma represents 75% of mesothelioma cases - but it is far from the only type of this deadly cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around the stomach and intestines, and is just as dangerous and deadly. Treatment of MM using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 12 months after presentation. The clinical behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity

Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Health-care workers who specialize in part control are employing state-of-the art techniques to successfully fight pain.

2. During the initial stages of mesothelioma, pain can be relieved with over-the-counter analgesics, such as aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).

3. Drug therapy is the primary method for treating mesothelioma pain.

4. Non-Opoids are pain-relieving medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and NSAIDs, such as ibuprofin, which can be purchases over-the-counter and taken orally.

5. Opoids are the strongest medicines available to treat pain. Opoids, such as codeine, morphine, oxcodone, fentany, and hydromorphone, are very effective in relieving mesothelioma pain.

6. Adjuvant analgesics are medicines intended for purposes other than pain relief. A number of these are used to alleviate pain associated with mesothelioma, such as antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and steroids.

7. Emotional Support to Help Relieve Pain.As with all aspects of mesothelioma, emotional support from family or professional counseling can play a key role in pain management

8. For patients with localized disease, and who can tolerate a radical surgery, radiation is often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment.

9. Chrysotile has been used more frequently, hence many mesotheliomas are caused by chrysotile.

10. Removal is taking place in schools and other public buildings throughout the U.S. The hope is that these measures will greatly reduce the occurrence of this cancer.
Author: Juliet Cohen


Juliet Cohen writes articles for http://www.healthatoz.info/ and http://www.health-disease.org/


Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_185414_17.html

How To Protect Your Family Against Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is uncommon form of cancer, usually attack the pleura (the lining of the lung and chest cavity) or the peritoneum (the lining of the abdomen). Mesothelioma cancer caused by prolonged or persistent exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is extremely dangerous.

First, until this article made there is no medical technique to cure this disease or even to significantly slow its effect. Usually 75% of patients die within 18 months of the first signs of the disease. A Lucky patient could survive for approximately 24 months.

Second, is the long latency period between exposure to asbestos, the cause of the disease. Latency runs 15 to 50 years, meaning that you may have been exposed to asbestos long before the first serious signs of the disease manifest themselves. Recent Studies showed the average reported latency is approximately 35-40 years.

Now the big question is how to protect your family? Considering asbestos used in many building in United States and according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as many as 733,000 schools and public buildings still contain asbestos.

Until now we are able to point to a single root source, asbestos exposure, you should take necessary precautions to avoid contraction of the disease from affecting your family. For example you could contact your children local scholl district now to ensure your children did not exposed to asbestos.

In 1986 Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, which required public and private nonprofit schools to inspect their buildings for asbestos-containing materials. However, recent inspection showed that numerous schools still have not taken the necessary steps to eliminate the potential for asbestos exposure.

You should ask your child’s school district to have a copy of documentation that proper steps have been taken to remove asbestos from building. For more information about the school contractor research via the internet and Better Business Bureau to ensure that the contractor has a good track record. More information about mesothelioma can be found at http://mesothelioma-cancer-center.blogspot.com , one of top blogs about mesothelioma.


About The Author:

One of Leon Reinhart’s close friend died because of mesothelioma. Since then he has write several article about mesothelioma cancer, mesothelioma treatment, and mesothelioma lawyer which you could find on his blog at http://mesothelioma-cancer-center.blogspot.com. His blog are considered one of top blogs about Mesothelioma Cancer.

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_63423_17.html

Mesothelioma - Cancer of the lung lining

Mesothelioma is a very rare form of lung cancer that arises in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is made up of parietal and visceral membranes, thin layers of tissue, which surround organs and body cavities, such as the lungs or abdomen. The visceral membrane immediately surrounds the organ, and the parietal membrane is a sac covering. The visceral and parietal membranes that make up the mesothelium. The mesothelium is referred to by different names, depending on what part of the body it is found in.

Dealing with mesothelioma

Dealing with mesothelioma is a very difficult process. It will require a lot of physical and emotional endurances. The best way to understand mesothelioma is to learn everything that you can learn about the disease. This should include the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of mesothelioma- cancer of the lung lining.

Symptoms

Since mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining takes a long time to develop inside a human body. It is often difficult to identify the symptoms. In the early stages there may not even be any symptoms at all. When they do appear the most common early symptoms are shortness of breath and chest pains.

Presentations and expectations

There are two major types of asbestos: chrysotile and amphibole. It is thought that exposure to the exposure to the amphibole form is more likely to cause mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining. However, chrysotile has been used more frequently hence many mesothelioma are caused by chrysotile.

Removal is taking place in schools and other public buildings throughout the U.S. . The hope is that these measures will greatly reduce the occurrence of this cancer.

Long-term effects of the disease

A mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining is a highly aggressive tumor that is generally deadly. Current treatment of malignant mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining is designed to make the person with cancer comfortable.

Screening

There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However some research indicates that the serum osteopontin level might be useful in screening asbestos- exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble mesothelin- related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of patients at diagnosis and it has been suggested that it may be useful for screening.

Treatment

Once mesothelioma-cancer of lung lining has been diagnosed a treatment procedure can be recommended and begun. The correct treatment will depend on a number of factors. They include the location of the tumor, the stage of the disease and how far the cancer has spread in the patient. The recommendation will also depend on the age and overall health of the patient.

It is certainly not easy to deal with all of the medical, physical, emotional and financial issues that may be raised when dealing with a serious disease like mesothelioma-cancer of lung lining, but it always better to be prepared. We can just have a hope that in future as the medical science advances this incurable disease can also be cured and lives of many people can be saved.


About the Author

The Article is written by themesothelioma.org - Mesothelioma Treatment

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_132570_17.html

Mesothelioma Cancer Diagnosis

What Exactly Is Mesothelioma ?

Mesothelioma the medical name for cancer of the lung or the abdomen lining, and is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Cancer | Asbestos

Asbestos is a type of building material used in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles. Asbestos usage peaked during the 1950s - 1970s, but during the late 1960s, concerns over the health consequences of asbestos exposure began to arise, thereby decreasing the amount of asbestos manufactured over the following two decades. But even though new measures where brought in to get rid of it, many schools and public buildings still contain asbestos.

Small asbestos fibers that enter the air do not evaporate and can remain suspended in the air for a long time. These fibers, when breathed into the body, are toxic. The people most at risk are :-

People working in factories that manufacture asbestos are likely to have a high exposure to asbestos and are most at risk of developing asbestosis or mesothelioma.

Family members of workers exposed to asbestos in the workplace are susceptible to exposure from asbestos dust brought home by the worker on his clothes or skin.

Those who live in the vicinity of an asbestos manufacturing plant are also at risk.

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until between twenty and fifty years after exposure, which explains why so many new cases of this form of cancer are coming to light now. Many people who haven’t been in contact with asbestos for decades, are now showing symptoms of this dreadful desease.

As with many forms of cancer, mesothelioma can spread rapidly. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, loss of weight, and chest pains. If it is diagnosed early enough, the tumor can be surgically removed, and with chemotherapy and radiation treatment, a full recovery is often possible.

However, in more advanced cases, cure is usually not possible. In such cases, chemotherapy and radiation treatment can be used alongside other pain relief treatments, to ease the symptoms. Where cure is not possible, the average survival time is between four and eighteen months, depending on the stage of the tumor and the general health of the patient.

I was prompted to write about mesothelioma because as a child I lived near a factory which produced asbestos, and I personally know families who have suffered due to this terrible desease.

About The Author

Wesley Exon
Senior Writer
www.mesothelioma-cancerinfo.com

Reprint Rights are Free subject to the following conditions:
a) Author’s Name is published
b) An active link to www.mesothelioma-cancerinfo.com is also published
c) The article is published in its entirety.

Mesothelioma claims more

Although it is not 100%, some say that mesothelioma is caused lung cancer caused by asbestos, it is undisputed that the cause is most likely.

Ie, disputes are usually longer, to show that a company or agency, rather then whether the condition is due to asbestos or other factors, as a long-time practice to smoke.

Because mesothelioma is a deadly disease to pay compensation for the victims succeed, the huge claims, and, if a judge gives a mesothelioma Regulation, it is almost always pointed out in the national press. This has wound asbestos lawyers widespread, but also means that the applicant should be extremely cautious, the specialist language, which they are asked, and the nature of the structure of fees, which her lawyer. It is possible for the family of a deceased victim of mesothelioma to do, always a process damages. This can, for a lawyer to unscrupulous property from other people, the grief or loss. “No win no cost”, the claims should be regarded with much caution, since it goes without saying that if you do not win, your tax damages could be very high. Therefore it is important that you look for the large number of lawyers and know who you in the atmosphere and the way, each different in its approach and fees. They want your business with a lawyer, you look for, you work with your case could be evacuated.

In the United States, you can see that the climax of mesothelioma claims in the vicinity of the year 2020, then decline slowly. This is because of the general changes, which were in the years 1980, the public buildings, factories, homes and products, the asbestos to the security aspects. An argument that the business is, the increase in the future, there is less excuse for the operations co directly for the accusation of poor public safety. A good example of this has been shown, in the year 2001, after the attacks on New York. Since then, many claims for asbestos injuries, but it was widely considered that the removal of asbestos in buildings, most of the years before. Proof of a connection between the victims and the condition of the premises of their employer or the working conditions are growing more contentious as the years pass, and it is not clear that the compensation of establishments are always so high.

Many countries outside the United States did not monitor such programmes the abduction of asbestos in the years 1980 and disputes, if the prevailing culture in the United States were to implement even in countries such as China, the former Soviet Union and the countries of the Eastern bloc in the future , then it will be without a doubt a large number of lawyers to achieve for many years.