Archive for the tag 'treatment options'

What is Peritoneal Mesothelioma?

by James F. Howell

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a disease that affects the lining of the abdomen, or peritoneum. Like the other types of mesothelioma, it is caused by exposure to asbestos, which has been widely used in many industrial products, such as cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a relatively uncommon form of mesothelioma cancer that accounts for less than a quarter of all mesothelioma cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma, like other forms of mesothelioma, is inconspicuous until decades after asbestos exposure.
While peritoneal mesotheliomas are less common than pleural mesotheliomas, they tend to be more invasive, and thus often result in a shorter life expectancy for the patient. An early diagnosis of the disease is important. The relief and treatment of people with peritoneal mesothelioma improves dramatically the earlier it is detected. Unfortunately, it often goes undiagnosed until it is quite advanced.

The first step towards detecting peritoneal mesothelioma involves X-rays and CT scans, but a definitive diagnosis is only achieved through a biopsy, which usually involves removing a tiny piece of tissue for analysis. At this time, even though there are various treatment options available, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, there is no known cure for peritoneal mesothelioma.

Typical symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal pains, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal swelling. Because these symptoms are so common, and may be attributed to numerous ailments other than mesothelioma, diagnosis is often delayed until it is too late for treatment to do much more than help the patient feel more comfortable.

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

Symptoms and Treatment of Mesothelioma Cancer

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.

Mesothelioma Treatment - Importance and Classifications

by Ramir Sarmiento

If you are a victim of Mesothelioma cancer, how will you get into Mesothelioma treatment? The best way is to find reliable Mesothelioma cancer information and learn first everything that is relevant to Mesothelioma.

Do you think that Mesothelioma treatments are effective in one or two applications only? It depends to the patient’s body on how we react to the Mesothelioma treatment.

The doctor is the first one who is being aware for applying Mesothelioma treatment. We already know the advantage and disadvantage in taking them. And most of the time Mesothelioma treatments are being useless in some reason.

Mesothelioma treatments are broken down into two categories:
1.Traditional treatments
Traditional mesothelioma treatments are similar to other standard cancer treatment modalities. Two or more traditional mesothelioma treatments are often used together to better combat cancerous cells.

Traditional mesothelioma treatments are often used in combination with one-another to best target cancer cells.

2.New treatments.
New mesothelioma treatments are in the process of ongoing research, development and testing. New mesothelioma treatments are being evaluated in mesothelioma clinical trials in hopes of a mesothelioma cure.

While mesothelioma treatments are slowly inhibiting the victim from being able to enjoy the life they have left, big business is slowly killing the rights of mesothelioma symptoms victims all over the country.

Most of the Mesothelioma treatment options are too high in price that ordinary victims cannot afford to have such treatment.

Various Mesothelioma Treatments
* Bronchoscopy
* Biopsy
* CT scans
* Laparocoscopy
* Mediastinoscopy
* Thorocoscopy
* Peritoneoscopy
* Radiotherapy
* X-ray
* Fluid drainage
* MRI scan

Usually, some medicines and necessary materials are used to function well. With this kind of Mesothelioma treatment, a victim will recover faster.

Having a treatment is necessary because it gives life to the patient or victim in order to survive. Put hope mostly on the family and relative of the patient, and the most important role is to cure everyone with a disease like Mesothelioma cancer.

To be better familiarized with Mesothelioma cancer, join some group or programs relative and concerned with epidemic cancer for the purpose on how to prevent cancer by applying new health technology, healthy lifestyle, diet and nutrition counseling, and alternatives.

Mesothelioma treatments are constantly being developed through clinical trials and research. Mesothelioma treatments are advancing, but the disease still claims far too many lives each year.

Mesothelioma treatments are themselves very aggressive, and invasive, and in many cases not recommended. Treatments are very expensive and usually range -between four hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand dollars.

About the Author
Ramir Sarmiento has been providing useful tips, guidelines, and other important information with regards to Mesothelioma cancer, choosing Mesothelioma lawyers, Mesothelioma treatments, lawsuit issues, and many more.

Medical mesothelioma diagnosis

by Mr.sc. Adam Vrancic

Medical thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of unexplained pleural effusion.

Respirology 1998 Jun;3(2):77-80

Wilsher ML, Veale AG

Respiratory Services, Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.

Approximately 20% of pleural effusions remain without an established aetiology after evaluation. Thoracoscopy has a very high sensitivity for the diagnosis of both benign and malignant diseases and greatly increases the diagnostic yield for pleural effusion. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic yield and safety of medical thoracoscopy at this institution.

The records of all patients undergoing medical thoracoscopy for the evaluation of undiagnosed pleural effusion between 1990 and 1996 were reviewed. The procedure was performed under local anaesthesia with sedation using a Stortz rigid thoracoscope. Fifty-eight patients had thoracoscopy, most having had two (range: 1-6) non-diagnostic pleural aspirations and biopsies of the pleura. Nineteen patients were found to have mesothelioma and nine metastatic malignancy. Three patients were considered likely to have tuberculous pleural disease, six had asbestos related benign pleural fibrosis and three post-cardiotomy syndrome.

There was one chylous effusion of uncertain aetiology, one posttraumatic and two other benign effusions, both of which resolved without clear aetiology. On seven occasions the pleural space could not be adequately accessed, but none of these patients had prior computerized tomography (CT) or ultrasound of the pleural space. There were five false negative diagnoses of malignancy, but no false positives.

The diagnostic sensitivity for pleural malignancy was 85% and specificity 100%. There were no major complications, but four patients had late tumour seeding at the thoracoscopy site. Medical thoracoscopy is a safe procedure with a high diagnostic yield. Pre-operative evaluation of the pleural collection using ultrasound or CT increases the likelihood of successful access to the pleural space and may increase diagnostic yield.

For more information go to http://www.mesotheliomacentar.com/

About the Author
If you have any questions regarding treatment options or your legal rights, please contactn us/

Dealing With Mesothelioma Pain

Causes of Mesthelioma pain:

• The main cause of pain is due to the formation of malignant cells on the lining of the lung and abdomen.

• As the tumor presses against the nerves and other structures and organs around the area, it results in severe pain.

• It can arise due to effects of radiation and chemotherapy along with psychological stress.

Treating mesothelioma pain:

Mesothelioma pain can be acute and chronic. With the advancement in cancer research, various new techniques for controlling and treating are developing, which do not have side effects on mesothelioma patients.

• Some common treatments such as neurosurgery are performed by blocking or changing the nerve pathways through which pain transmits.

• Epidural or nerve blockage help mesothelioma patients manage pain.

• Counseling, meditation or body therapy reduce psychological trauma of suffering.

Mesthelioma treatment options:

With respect to traditional mesothelioma treatment options, locating the position of the cancer, the stage of the disease and age and general health of the patient is considered.

• Common treatments like radiation, chemotherapy as well as surgery are conducted on the patient.

• Radical treatment options and research has led to various available options. Based on the nature and severity of the disease, treatments such as gene therapy, immune augmentative therapy, photo dynamic therapy, interferon and interleukin therapy, radio frequency ablation, and angiogenesis therapies are used.

• At times, aggressive treatment is not possible due to age and health conditions. Under such circumstances, palliative treatment is recommended which treats the symptoms and not the disease.

Read the rest of article here…

Start Beating Mesothelioma Cancer Today Through Awareness and Understanding

Mesothelioma is a serious and very aggressive form of cancer.

People who have mined asbestos, manufactured asbestos products, installed asbestos insulation, or removed asbestos may be at risk for developing mesothelioma. In addition, family members of those who have worked with asbestos, people who have lived near asbestos mines or processing plants, or anyone who has inhaled asbestos fibers may also be at risk for developing mesothelioma.

There are a range of tests and procedures used to diagnose mesothelioma. X-rays, CT scans, and/or MRI scans are performed to determine the presence of mesothelioma. If there is a positive indication of mesothelioma, or if further testing is still needed to determine the presence of mesothelioma, the scans are followed-up with a needle biopsy or an open biopsy.

Treatment options for mesothelioma vary according to age, overall health, location of the disease, and extent of the disease. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, alone or in combination, are standard treatment options for mesothelioma. Experimental treatments, such as those used in clinical trials, may also be an option.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that could have been prevented and is not the fault of the victim, but the fault of the companies that did not protect workers or others against the hazards of asbestos. Financial security for victims and their families, including compensation of medical expenses, pain and suffering, burial expenses, and after-death stability for families afflicted, may, therefore, be accessible through the law.

There are many different types of support groups, as well, available to mesothelioma patients and their families including formal groups that focus on learning about mesothelioma or dealing with feelings, informal groups, social groups, groups only for those with mesothelioma, and groups for those with mesothelioma including family members and friends. Hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers have, or can obtain, a listing of such groups within your local area.

For additional information regarding mesothelioma cancer including mesothelioma symptoms, diagnosis, specialist care, treatment options, lawyer assistance, and support, go to: http://www.BeatingMesothelioma.com/

Author: Rae Rand


Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_68779_27.html

Types of Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that affects the serous membranes surrounding the major organs of the body i.e. the lungs, heart and the abdominal organs, causing these vital organs to inflate with excessive fluid. This fluid further causes the improper functioning of the organs. The only known cause of this cancerous tumor is asbestos exposure. In this disease, malignant cells are built up in the protective linings (serous membranes) of several internal organs known as mesothelium. Different organs in the abdomen cavity can get affected by mesothelioma because of the presence of the protective linings surrounding them. The most common types of mesothelioma include:

* Pleural Mesothelioma,
* Peritoneal Mesothelioma, and
* Pericardial Mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma:

Pleural Mesothelioma is a tumor in which the lining of the lungs, or lung pleura, gets affected by malignant cells. The pleura is a soft protective tissue that surrounds the lungs in the chest cavity. It helps the lungs in breathing (respiration) by producing a serous fluid that lubricates the pleural surfaces to avoid the teasing of the lungs against the chest wall. The malignant cells, once entered the pleura, begin to spread and affect the surrounding organs and tissues. This leads to further complications resulting pain and severe symptoms.

Mesothelioma affecting pleura is of two categories:

Diffused or Malignant (Cancerous):
It is the serious form of pleural mesothelioma that affects the pleural lining of the lungs and its surrounding organs.

Localized and Benign (Non-cancerous):
It is the non-cancerous form of mesothelioma, which does not affect all parts of the body except the pleura. However, it constricts the lung causing shortness of breath, and in some severe cases, pneumothorax (lung failure).

Peritoneal Mesothelioma:

Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a tumor of the peritoneum membrane or the abdomen lining, affecting many organs in the abdominal cavity including stomach. This form of mesothelioma cancer is less common than the pleural form but is more aggressive, resulting severe symptoms and short life expectancy. Like many other cancers, peritoneal mesothelioma can also be either malignant or benign.

Pericardial Mesothelioma:

Pericardial or Pericardium Mesothelioma is the rarest form of cancer, counting less than 10% of mesothelioma cases. In this form of cancer, fluid gets accumulated in the sac that encloses the heart. The main cause of this disease is the inhalation of asbestos fibers.

Due to the rarity of this disease, doctors and researchers have not clearly understood how the asbestos fibers enter the heart lining or pericardium. The only logical explanation so far about this form of cancer is the possibility of the asbestos fibers, converted into tiny pieces, transported from the lung into the heart by means of blood circulation. Once the asbestos fibers enter the heart, they expand the tissues in the chest cavity and the pericardium with excessive liquid, disrupting the working of the heart and causing chest pains with breathing disorders.

Each year, approximately 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed. At some point of their lives, the patients of mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos that later cause the hideous cancer of mesothelioma. If you, at some point of your life, have worked in an asbestos-rich environment or used any asbestos materials, you should contact a mesothelioma doctor for correct diagnosis and best treatment options available.

Author: Jennifer White

—-
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_168788_17.html

Pleural Mesothelioma - The Truth and Facts About Pleural Meseothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma represents for about 75% of all Mesothelioma cases and. The main cause for this type of cancer is the inhalation of asbestos fibers which get embedded in the lung linings, also known as the pleura. These embedded fibers will cause inflammation which will eventually lead to cancer tumors if not treated at the beginning stage.

Also, if the cancel tumors are not detected early, they can spread from the lung pleura to other vital organs which include the heart and abdomen. Pleural Mesothelioma can also invade the lymph nodes and affect the body’s blood system.

The main cause of this type of cancer is exposure to asbestos. If a person is exposed to asbestos for only a couple of months, the deadly and fine asbestos particles may lead to Pleural Mesothelioma 30 to 50 years later. The older generation especially men in their sixties or seventies are most at risk, because this was the generation that worked with the deadly material with minimal protection. Because it takes so long for this type of cancer to surface, these men are only now discovering that they have this deadly cancer. Many now are filing lawsuits against the companies who are responsible for exposing them to asbestos.

Among the symptoms associated with Pleural Mesothelioma is chest pain. However, the pain is does not come directly from the lung pleura but often appears in the shoulder or upper abdomen. Persistent coughing, shortness of breath, facial swelling, weight loss, fever and coughing up blood are the other symptoms of this type of cancer. The tumor for this type of cancer grows rapidly and enlarges the pleural space, causing this space to be filled with fluid. This is the fluid responsible for the discomfort or pain associated with the early symptoms of this cancer. Many of these symptoms are similar to diseases which are more common than this cancer and hence it is very difficult to diagnose until it is too late.

There is not proper cure available for Pleural Mesothelioma and treatment options are limited. Active research is being conducted around the globe and many pharmaceutical companies are testing new drugs to combat this cancer. Current available treatments for this cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery.

According to a research done on 167 patients with proven Pleural Mesothelioma, the median survival rate of patients following diagnosis was 242 days. The survival rate was also affected by the type of cancer cells, age, medical record, and lifestyle. Through this research, patients with biphasic cell types had the shortest life expectancy. The chance of survival can be drastically increased if this cancer is treated in its early stages because once it has developed and spread it is very difficult to cure.
By Ray Lam


Find out more on Pleural Mesothelioma by visiting http://raysinfo.info a popular information website that specializes in offering information about health, wealth, wisdom and also about Mesothelioma Cancer.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Mesothelioma treatments have thus far been unable to limit the spread of the deadly cancer. Treatments for mesothelioma are divided into two categories; traditional mesothelioma treatments and new mesothelioma treatments.
Traditional mesothelioma treatments are the same as those used to treat most other cancers, and include:
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy (radiotherapy)

Traditional mesothelioma treatments are often used in conjunction with one another in effort to provide the most thorough and effective method of treatment. For example, trimodality therapy combines all three traditional methods of treatment, where chemotherapy is administered first with the aim of slowing the growth of malignant mesothelioma. Chemotherapy treatments are followed by surgery designed to physically remove a mesothelioma tumor mass (extrapleural pneumonectomy is often performed as part of trimodality therapy). Postoperative radiation therapy is used for the final step, to target any lingering mesothelioma cells. Although trimodality therapy has been unable to eradicate malignant mesothelioma, it has proven to be effective in significantly prolonging patients’ survival time by as much as five years (the average post-diagnosis survival time is one to two years).
New mesothelioma treatments have been researched and developed with the hope of succeeding where traditional methods have not. Mesothelioma researchers are optimistic that new mesothelioma treatment modalities will eventually prove to be successful, though they have yet to yield results that are any better than traditional methods.

New treatments for mesothelioma include:
Development of new chemotherapy agents
Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
Immunotherapy
Gene therapy
The progression of mesothelioma, as with other cancerous diseases, is typically broken into stages, with the treatment options based on the stage of the disease. The commonly used staging for mesothelioma is the Brigham staging system and it is described as follows.
Stages of Mesothelioma
Stage 1 occurs when the tumor lies completely within the capsule of the pleura, without swollen lymph nodes (adenopathy).
Stage 2 has the characteristics of Stage 1, where the tumor has spread and there is presence of adenopathy. But in Stage 2 the boundaries of the tumor allow for a resection (removal of the tumor) without cutting into other organs.
Stage 3 includes extension of the disease into the chest wall or into the heart, through the diaphragm or peritoneum, or outside the pleura to involve the lymph nodes.
Stage 4 occurs when the cancer has formed in distant organs through metastases.
Treatment options for the management of malignant mesothelioma include:
chemotherapy
surgery
radiation
multimodality treatment
However, none of the treatment strategies have been shown to be particularly effective against the disease.

Mesothelioma Cancer Cells Types

Malignant mesothelioma is generally divided into three histological categories, or types of cells: epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic mesothelioma. Within each of these mesothelioma cancer cell types, subtypes exist. Many mesothelioma patients display more than one cell type.

The diagnosis of mesothelioma cannot be specifically by lung x-rays or other types of imaging, because many different types of cancer can be present in the lungs. The images show only that a tumor may be present, but does not provide an indication of whether the tumor is mesothelioma. A biopsy must be performed where the mesothelioma cancer cell types are used to distinguish mesothelioma from other types of cancer, such as lung cancer.
Epithelioid Mesothelioma Cancer
Epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common cell type, constituting approximately 50% to 70% of all malignant mesothelioma. These cells are relatively uniform in shape and have a tubular pattern with a distinct cell nucleus. The individual cells are shaped like cubes or multi-sided boxes.
Because of the similarity between adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma cancer cells, they are often confused and mesothelioma can be misdiagnosed. Inspection of the cancer cells under high-powered microscopes and identification of unique characteristics of the chemical properties of the cells can help make the proper diagnosis. Learn more about epithelioid mesothelioma cancer.

Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Cancer
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the least common type of mesothelioma cancer cell and accounts for approximately 10% to 15% of malignant mesothelioma. These cells typically have more of an oval, irregular shape and the nucleus of each cell is not as visible with a microscope as the epithelioid mesothelioma cancer cells. Because of the similarity of appearance, the sarcomatoid cancer cells can also easily be confused with the more typical sarcoma cancer cells. Learn more about sarcomatoid mesothelioma cancer.
Biphasic Mesothelioma Cancer
Approximately 20% to 40% of the mesothelioma cancer cells fall into the biphasic category, which is combination of the sarcomatoid and epithelioid types. The biphasic type can occur with the two types of cells intermixed continuously throughout the tumor, or with them in specific groupings. Transitional areas between the two cell types are often present. Learn more about biphasic mesothelioma cancer.
Prognosis Based on Cell Type
The mesothelioma cancer cell type does affect the prognosis. A study conducted on 167 patients showed that patients had the following mean survival times:
epithelioid
8.5 months
sarcomatoid
7 months
biphasic
6 months
Treatment options are very similar for patients with the different cell types.

Next Page »