Friday, October 24, 2008

What Are The Four Stages Of 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 help (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.

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Mesothelioma Cancer Researchers Eye Biomarkers For Treatments

A study from the Department of Molecular Pathology at the Polytechnic University of Marche in Acona, Italy recently found that biomarkers within the body may offer early warning signs for mesothelioma victims.

The study focused on biomarkers of mesothelioma cancer and found that biomarkers often form before mesothelioma cancer help symptoms appear, which may offer early warnings and potentially a successful treatment for mesothelioma cancer patients, according to the study which was published in a June issue of Mutation Research.

Studying Biomarkers to Help Mesothelioma Treatment

Biomarkers are a type of "biochemically expressed substance" similar to a protein, according to a news report on the study. An effort is being collaborated on by the International Cancer Biomarker Consortium (ICBC) to better address biomarkers as indicators of cancer types such as mesothelioma.

The large-scale effort is similar, according to the ICBC, to the Human Genome Project and uses an array of researchers from around the world to assist in studying the use of the the biomarkers. The Polytechnic study followed 119 individuals who had been previously exposed to asbestos; of these individuals, all exhibited increased numbers of biomarkers compared to individuals who were not exposed to asbestos.

What is Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that can develop after an individual is exposed to asbestos fibers or asbestos dust. After an individual is exposed to asbestos fibers, they may begin to develop cancerous cells on the interior lining of the lung. The cancer is often described as one of the only preventable forms of cancer especially since individuals are still being exposed to asbestos in America through improper cleanup and disposal methods. Asbestos can be found presently in an array of buildings including apartment complexes, homes, elementary schools, universities, hospitals and offices.

Unfortunately, individuals continue to be exposed to asbestos fibers because of its existence in many products implemented throughout the country, and because it is too costly to remove all asbestos by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many remain at risk. Additionally, because mesothelioma cancer usually remains dormant for years, it becomes increasingly difficult to diagnose and to successfully treat.

Finding Help for Asbestos Related Conditions Like Mesothelioma

It is important that individuals who may have been exposed to asbestos to contact a medical professional immediately to assess and potentially diagnose their condition. If mesothelioma cancer is diagnosed early on a mesothelioma victim has a better chance of decreasing the risks of fatality commonly associated with the cancer.

In addition to contacting a medical professional it may also be important to contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn about developing a mesothelioma lawsuit, which may result in receiving monetary compensation to pay for expensive mesothelioma medical bills.

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Your Household May Be The Cause Of Mesothelioma Cancer

Asbestos is a group of minerals resistant to fire and has long been used throughout history for various purposes. It was found in the burial clothes of the ancient Egyptians. Asbestos is mined from metamorphic rocks. When this material is used in materials to increase their resistance of fire, it is often mixed with cement and woven into clothes and fabric.

Asbestos is everywhere in your household, from your brake shoes, in your electric oven, and hot plate wiring, it is in the insulation of your house. It is resistant to chemicals, it is flexible, a material easy to use and very much in demand. However, the inhalation of asbestos is the cause of various serious illnesses.

Therefore, the use of this material has been banned in many countries due to its cancer causing quality. In the US, chrysolite has been widely used in various products such as texture and mud coats, sheeting, adhesives and ceiling tiles, plasters, roofing tars, siding, pipes, fireproofing, and the list continues for long.

Naturally, asbestos is in small quantity in the air we breathe and the water we drink. Studies have shown that members of population, who are not exposed to high asbestos exposure, have around hundreds of thousands of asbestos fibres in every single gram of their dry lung tissue.

Cancer mesothelioma is almost in every cases caused by exposure to asbestos. The mesothelium is a layer of special cells that form a membrane around certain body cavities. This tissue produces a fluid that protects the organs. These organs are enabled to move by the help of this tissue. It is mainly in the pleura, and the outer lining of the lungs.

Most people who develop mesothelioma cancer help have previously been employed in a place where they inhaled asbestos, or have been washing the clothes of people working with asbestos. Developing it shows no relation to smoking.

Diagnosing it is often difficult as symptoms may not occur up to 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, coughing, and pain in the chest are signs of cancer mesothelioma. The latter is due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, which are the membrane around the lungs. Symptoms include weight loss, weakness, fatigue, and anorexia. Abdominal swelling, anemia, and fever are also indicators of the tumor as well.

If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the mesothelium symptoms will include pain or trouble swallowing, or facial or neck swelling. In severe cases, other signs will show, including blood clots in the veins that may be the cause of thrombophlebitis, severe bleeding in many body organs, and jaundice, in which the skin and the eyes turn yellow. The sugar level of the blood can drop significantly, and pulmonary emboli can develop, which is when blood clots form in the arteries of the lungs.

Mesothelioma cancer does not normally spread to the brain or bones. Pleaural tumors are usually found on one side only of the lungs.

Treatment of mesothelioma cancer with conventional therapies have not proved successful, and patients have a survival time span of 6-12 months only. This fact is mainly due to the slow forming of the tumors after the long exposure to asbestos. Surgery has not proved helpful at all in most of the cases. Only 10% of the patients who have been operated have lived for up to 5 years after the surgery.

Radiation has proved to be useful in relieve symptoms, although, the tumours are highly resistant to radiotherapy. Most successful of the treatments is Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy which helps the drugs to enter more efficiently into the abdominal and pelvic tissues by way of heating the fluid agent.

There are various societies and organisations which can help you identify the risk of asbestos exposure in your household, and they can provide you with guidance on how to eliminate the risk.

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Spreading Awareness About Mesothelioma Cancer

Do you consider ignorance to be bliss? Isn't it more sort of a way of escaping? Ignorance can be fatal and it is a very lame excuse to oppose the fact. Ignorance is after all ignorance that can even owe you a heavy price.

Revelation of the Mesothelioma cause

Consider the Mesothelioma cancer help for instance. In the later phase of the nineteenth century for the first time the cause of Mesothelioma was predicted but not ensured. The problem of lung disorder, chest pain, breathing difficulties became prominent in the workers of the shipping yards and construction industries.

The common thing in these types of industrial sectors was brought out. A link of the mineral asbestos was found to be in common. Years later a conclusion was drawn that the cause of the health problem was asbestos and the disease since affected the mesothelium lining around the heart and the lungs was named Mesothelioma cancer.

A gap of a century

It took nearly half a century just for the detection of the right cause and of course the right diagnosis of the Mesothelioma cancer. It was around 1890s the first patient of Mesothelioma cancer came to the forefront in the history of Medical Science.

Look at the fallacy of the situation that after a century it was for the first time that a legal step was announced against the conditions that were responsible for causing this disease. How many lives were lost just at the cost of mere ignorance that was nothing but a definite outlet to escape and turn back towards the issue?

Improper information

Now it has been tracked out that the industries mainly responsible for the spread of asbestos dust and fibers in the atmosphere very well knew that what type of adverse situation they are creating for mass population. The workers were compelled to work in an unhealthy environment for prolonged hours. At the end of the day, may be after thirty years it was diagnosed that the person was suffering from Mesothelioma cancer. Who is to be after all blamed for this situation?

Preventive measures in the working areas can always be taken. But nobody bothered for it for the past one century just to make huge profits. Now that law has taken a stringent step everyone has become cautious about the issue.

Mesothelioma attorneys have become nightmarish for the management of different industries dealing with asbestos. At least there is a good hope even if you die of Mesothelioma; you can get compensated for your ailment with the help of law. We have reached this position just because of the spread of awareness. Ignorance must be replaced by awareness at any cost.

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Side Effects Of Chemotherapy In Treatment Of Mesothelioma Cancers

Mesothelioma cancers cells develop and multiply more quickly than normal and ordinary cells, but also some normal and ordinary cells also multiply rapidly, most particularly the ones in the system of reproduction, digestive tract, and follicles of hair. The side effects happens as a result of the damage done to normal and ordinary cells from treatment of mesothelioma cancers help.

The kind of side effects mesothelioma patients pass through and the severity of the effects, relies on the kind of chemotherapy mesothelioma patients are undergoing, the pharmacology of the drugs, dosage administered and how their body reacts to this type of treatment of mesothelioma.

Types of pain Before chemotherapy treatment begins and starts, mesothelioma patients will be told to sign an agreeement form. Before signing the form, make sure your doctor gives you adequate and all informations of all the facts as regarding the chemotherapy treatment he/she will be administering, also to include necessary and adequate information about the chemotherapy drug or combination of chemotherapy drugs to be administered, the side effects, and risks involved in using each chemotherapy drugs, the amount of chemotherapy treatment of mesothelioma you will undergo and how frequent, and whether you will under a hospital stay, or admission or as an outpatient basis.

Anti-nausea treatment for chemotherapy mesothelioma patients also play a vital role in the treatment of mesothelioma cancers.

Nausea is often times a side effect of mesothelioma treatments.

Mild and temporary side effects such as nausea and vomiting, anorexia, loss of hair, and mouth sores. If some blood producing cells are damaged, there could be low blood cell count.

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Sunday, October 19, 2008

How Deadly Is Mesothelioma Cancer?

Mesothelioma asbestos cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer today, with a mortality rate so high that eight out of ten of those diagnosed pass away within a year of their diagnosis.

Today, asbestos is banned in at least 60 countries, so the asbestos cancer is most often found in those who worked with asbestos mainly from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Asbestos is the name for the group of six different fibrous minerals, which occur naturally in the environment.

Asbestos does not dissolve in water nor evaporate, and they have no detectable odor and taste.

It has a tendency to separate in to microscopic size particles that will remain in the air, and easily inhaled.

Most people develop asbestos Mesothelioma cancer help have they worked on the job where they inhaled asbestos particle, or have been exposed to asbestos dust fibre.

Once asbestos is inhaled, it comes through the respiratory passage. These fibre lodge themselves in the mesothelial cell around the lungs.

It can cause direct damage to the lungs traveling to the end of their small passage reaching pleural are surrounding the lungs.

There are many different names of Mesothelioma cancer such as pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial because of the different location of the cancer on the body’s internal organ.

Being positive from asbestos Mesothelioma cancer need much attention. In common cases, the patient or victim is diagnosed and it was too late to do anything, to save one’s life.

A worker must take necessary precautions when dealing with asbestos fibers to minimize some health problems.

Tips to Prevent Mesothelioma cancer:

- Always wear a protected suit before doing your job. Asbestos particles need not to be able to enter inside your suit.

- Bring extra clothes after work. Change your clothes before going home to avoid the possibilities of inhaling it together with your loved ones.

- Always wear a high-quality dust mask inside the facility.

Mesothelioma asbestos cancer is particularly difficult to diagnose, as the symptoms do not tend to become evident until the final stages of the disease.

A very important characteristic of asbestos disease and asbestos cancer is the long delay, or latency period, between asbestos exposure and the beginning of the asbestos disease or asbestos cancer.

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