A wide selection of treatments for the cancerous disease of mesothelioma have been developed and are continuously being improved from the numerous clinical trials that have been conducted and are now made available for its patients. Before choosing the appropriate treatment to avail of, it is vital to determine and consider a lot of factors that may include the type and location of mesothelioma, the extent of the disease, the age of the patient and his medical history, and many more.
Here are some of the most common treatment for the disease:
Radiation Treatment
A popular treatment for mesothelioma, radiation treatment is advantageous in that it treats the affected area without harming the healthy cells and tissues. This kind of treatment is not only commonly used in treating mesothelioma, it is widely used in other cancerous diseases as well. In radiation therapy, what happens is that radioactive sources are placed in the affected area. The radiation that these sources emit kills the abnormal cells. Continually transmitting the whole year through, the tumor is eventually removed. Radiation is commonly used alongside surgeries or on patients who may not be well enough to undergo critical surgeries just yet.
Chemotherapy Treatment
This form of treatment of treatment may be given by injecting the medication or just giving the patient some pills. However, sad to say, this form of treatment has its own downsides. The most dangerous is the fact that since chemotherapy drugs are not situated in the targeted areas, they will most likely affect some tissues and organs that are in no way affected by the disease. Such process may look unappealing to other patients. Another side effect is the fact that the drugs involved in it contain very high toxicity levels that may prove uncomfortable for the patients taking them. Patients may suffer from side effects that include vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, and the unsightly loss of one’s hair. But fortunately post-chemo drugs are now available to alleviate these side effects of the treatment.
Surgery
The surgical procedure called pneumonectomy can be used to treat pleural mesothelioma. This surgical procedure pertains to the process that involves the removal of a diseased lung. Another round of a pneumonectomy may be necessarily conducted depending on how severe the disease has spread in the body. This round may unfortunately mean the removal of other parts such as some chunks of the diaphragm or the lung. High risks are always faced when undergoing surgery. The success of any surgical operation is dependent on a lot of factors that may include the patients overall heath and the extent of his exposure to asbestos. Pleurectomy, on the other hand, is another form of surgical operation that may be conducted where part of the chest, the abdominal lining, and the surrounding tissue of the affected area will be removed.
Palliative Therapies
Palliative therapies can likewise be used on patients suffering from the cancerous mesothelioma. The process involves removing excess fluid from the patient through a needle and a suction machine. Drugs are normally fed through a tube inserted into the patient’s chest following the drainage to prevent fluid accumulation.
In most cases, however, a combination of these treatments may be necessary to tackle the issue. Of course, all factors mentioned earlier should still be considered when it comes to deciding what would be best for the patient. The major factors of which are the patient’s overall health and the extent to which the cancer has spread and affected the patient’s body.
Although listed as treatments for mesothelioma, the enumerated treatments do now always come out effective for all mesothelioma patients. Hence, most patients are normally offered treatments just as part of clinical trials. All these trials are aimed at one thing: to bring hope to mesothelioma patients and to those who may be diagnosed with it in the future that indeed an effective and affordable treatment will be available for them soon.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Mesothelioma Research
When people talk about mesothelioma or even other asbestos-related problems like asbestosis, there are things they know and they don't know. First, they know that this rare disease cannot be diagnosed right away, that there are still no treatment that can guarantee its cure, and its associated symptoms are hard determine since they are similar to common illnesses. Moreover, they are also knowledgeable of the fact that it takes years before you can actually get malignant mesothelioma. Still, there are some things they practically don't know about, information that may prove to be critical in identifying and, most of all, treating infinitely this cancer. Fortunately, different medical practitioners, researchers, and scientists have come together to conduct a series of researches in order to solve basic questions in relation to mesothelioma.
The National Cancer Institute is one of the leading organizations that strive to provide answers to inquiries about malignant mesothelioma as well as more effective solutions. They are putting all of their efforts for the sake of efficient, credible, and accurate mesothelioma research. After all, the increasing rate of asbestos victims means that it is practically important to learn as much as possible about the real nature of this fatal fibrous material and its short- and long-term effects to its users.
Moreover, this highly acclaimed institution is also carrying its own independent clinical trials for the purpose of experimentation and testing of initial findings from the research. Most often, these experiments are performed to real patients who are suffering from malignant mesothelioma. Hopefully, these trials will lead to discoveries of other possible treatments that can lessen the risk factors involve with the diseases and eventually cure the patient.
The government, on the other hand, is doing its role in protecting its citizens from death because of mesothelioma. With the researches, they are able to pass bills, ordinances, and other regulations that limit the use of asbestos and provide other viable substitutes and suggestions, which are far safer and even more economical.
However, it’s not only the nongovernmental companies and different government agencies that are bent in contributing something to mesothelioma research. Even commercial companies that manufacture and use asbestos are also taking actions, this after learning that people who are exposed to this fatal fibrous material can run after them for compensation.
In conjunction with this, there are already droves of mesothelioma victims who are currently visiting lawyers, seeking legal advice. Lawyers and law firms, as a whole, are also keen to learning about the disease so they can give the best advice as well as come up with the most effective legal courses of action, should these complaints be brought to court. They can only achieve these if they themselves, or perhaps through close coordination with various medical agencies, perform some research.
Most of the researches made thrive to learn about the harmful effects of asbestos on cells, and how these living matters mutate within constant exposure on this material. By knowing how these healthy cells become damaged due to asbestos, everyone can all help to minimize or even prevent the corruption of these cells.
The different mesothelioma trials being conducted are based primarily on treatments that are assumed to be beneficial to patients. But then, they have remained as such—mere trials. They do not carry any guarantees. Because of that, research is highly required to ensure a more effective and conclusive probable treatment. On a lighter note, since these clinical trials are being conducted regularly, together with the latest technologies and other useful significant breakthroughs, discovering more alternative options of healing is just within our reach.
Clinical trials are usually dependent on the extent the disease has spread. Different stages of these experiments also require patients in varying stages of the malignant mesothelioma. That means that treatments intended to erase the disease at the early stages are tested on patients exhibiting early symptoms of the disease, so on and so forth. Sometimes some alternatives are intended to cure a patient in whatever stage he is on the disease, in which case the said treatment is applied to random patients.
Hopefully, the different researches will help save lives, especially of those who might suffer from it in the future. These studies are expensive and is often company sponsored, such as by the government, drug companies, and other well-funded research groups.
The National Cancer Institute is one of the leading organizations that strive to provide answers to inquiries about malignant mesothelioma as well as more effective solutions. They are putting all of their efforts for the sake of efficient, credible, and accurate mesothelioma research. After all, the increasing rate of asbestos victims means that it is practically important to learn as much as possible about the real nature of this fatal fibrous material and its short- and long-term effects to its users.
Moreover, this highly acclaimed institution is also carrying its own independent clinical trials for the purpose of experimentation and testing of initial findings from the research. Most often, these experiments are performed to real patients who are suffering from malignant mesothelioma. Hopefully, these trials will lead to discoveries of other possible treatments that can lessen the risk factors involve with the diseases and eventually cure the patient.
The government, on the other hand, is doing its role in protecting its citizens from death because of mesothelioma. With the researches, they are able to pass bills, ordinances, and other regulations that limit the use of asbestos and provide other viable substitutes and suggestions, which are far safer and even more economical.
However, it’s not only the nongovernmental companies and different government agencies that are bent in contributing something to mesothelioma research. Even commercial companies that manufacture and use asbestos are also taking actions, this after learning that people who are exposed to this fatal fibrous material can run after them for compensation.
In conjunction with this, there are already droves of mesothelioma victims who are currently visiting lawyers, seeking legal advice. Lawyers and law firms, as a whole, are also keen to learning about the disease so they can give the best advice as well as come up with the most effective legal courses of action, should these complaints be brought to court. They can only achieve these if they themselves, or perhaps through close coordination with various medical agencies, perform some research.
Most of the researches made thrive to learn about the harmful effects of asbestos on cells, and how these living matters mutate within constant exposure on this material. By knowing how these healthy cells become damaged due to asbestos, everyone can all help to minimize or even prevent the corruption of these cells.
The different mesothelioma trials being conducted are based primarily on treatments that are assumed to be beneficial to patients. But then, they have remained as such—mere trials. They do not carry any guarantees. Because of that, research is highly required to ensure a more effective and conclusive probable treatment. On a lighter note, since these clinical trials are being conducted regularly, together with the latest technologies and other useful significant breakthroughs, discovering more alternative options of healing is just within our reach.
Clinical trials are usually dependent on the extent the disease has spread. Different stages of these experiments also require patients in varying stages of the malignant mesothelioma. That means that treatments intended to erase the disease at the early stages are tested on patients exhibiting early symptoms of the disease, so on and so forth. Sometimes some alternatives are intended to cure a patient in whatever stage he is on the disease, in which case the said treatment is applied to random patients.
Hopefully, the different researches will help save lives, especially of those who might suffer from it in the future. These studies are expensive and is often company sponsored, such as by the government, drug companies, and other well-funded research groups.
Mesothelioma Tests and Diagnosis
There are several tests that doctors can run to determine if a patient has mesothelioma. These mesothelioma tests may vary in terms of intrusion into the body and on accuracy. A time line for testing a person suspected of having mesothelioma varies as well.
Some of the primary tests that doctors perform on their patients to determine what they are suffering may include a physical exam that usually consists of the doctor listening to the breath sounds of a patient. He does this to ascertain the normality of the sounds coming from within the chest cavity. He may also check for enlarged lymph nodes as well as doing a tapping test on the chest to listen for dull thumping sounds that may indicate fluid build up in the lungs.
Sometimes, when a patient first presents at the doctor’s office complaining about abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, or pneumonia type symptoms, the primary care physician will take an X-ray or CT scan to determine the presence of asbestos in or around the lungs, heart or stomach.
Once the detection of asbestos is noted, the doctor will look for telltale signs of cancer including, but not limited to, tumors in the vital organs. If tumors are seen present, the primary care physician will typically refer the patient to a specialist for various other tests to determine whether or not there is a possibility of a mesothelioma diagnosis.
A mesothelioma diagnosis is generally tested for in one of two ways. Depending on the patient’s condition, the doctor would decide to proceed with an intrusive procedure called a needle biopsy. Often performed under local anesthesia, the said procedure allows the doctor to abstract cells suspected of cancer infection from the lining affected area. This procedure, however, only provides very little tissue for testing. The doctor can run a few tests on the mesothelial cells obtained in this manner to determine the proper diagnosis for the patient. There are other ways in which the doctor can perform a tissue biopsy in order to run more tests to look for the possibility of mesothelioma. A laparoscopy or thoracoscopy involves making a minutes incision and using a tiny camera to look at the affected area. At this time a small tissue sample can be taken. The tissue samples will be sent away to a pathologists for further tests. Your doctor may decide to do a needle biopsy, where a hollow needle is inserted through the skin and inside the chest cavity. However, needle biopsies such as these have proven to be less than precise.
The second, more common and probably more accurate way that doctors test for mesothelioma is to surgically enter the patients body. This is when they cut a small piece of infected tissue for biopsy purposes. This test is known as an "open biopsy". Often done under general anesthesia, this procedure is usually performed in the sterile and safer environment of a hospital operating room. The extracted tissue fro this type of a biopsy is then sent out for testing by a specialist. The testing process generally takes several days. If the tests reveal the presence of mesothelioma, the doctor will then determine whether the diagnosed mesothelioma is benign or malignant.
If the doctor diagnosis that the mesothelioma diagnosis is malignant, they will have to refer the patient to an oncologist or a cancer doctor for additional tests and treatment.
The oncologist will most likely test the patient to determine the progression of the cancer or how far along the mesothelioma is and the prognosis for the future. At this time the oncologist will likely decide on what treatment option is best for the patient and make recommendations to that effect.
Generally, the oncologist will start the patient on a series of chemotherapy treatments to slow the growth of the mesothelioma. If the doctor determines, after running tests, that the patient is not a candidate for chemotherapy, the oncologists may prescribe medication to help the patient with pain management.
Some of the primary tests that doctors perform on their patients to determine what they are suffering may include a physical exam that usually consists of the doctor listening to the breath sounds of a patient. He does this to ascertain the normality of the sounds coming from within the chest cavity. He may also check for enlarged lymph nodes as well as doing a tapping test on the chest to listen for dull thumping sounds that may indicate fluid build up in the lungs.
Sometimes, when a patient first presents at the doctor’s office complaining about abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, or pneumonia type symptoms, the primary care physician will take an X-ray or CT scan to determine the presence of asbestos in or around the lungs, heart or stomach.
Once the detection of asbestos is noted, the doctor will look for telltale signs of cancer including, but not limited to, tumors in the vital organs. If tumors are seen present, the primary care physician will typically refer the patient to a specialist for various other tests to determine whether or not there is a possibility of a mesothelioma diagnosis.
A mesothelioma diagnosis is generally tested for in one of two ways. Depending on the patient’s condition, the doctor would decide to proceed with an intrusive procedure called a needle biopsy. Often performed under local anesthesia, the said procedure allows the doctor to abstract cells suspected of cancer infection from the lining affected area. This procedure, however, only provides very little tissue for testing. The doctor can run a few tests on the mesothelial cells obtained in this manner to determine the proper diagnosis for the patient. There are other ways in which the doctor can perform a tissue biopsy in order to run more tests to look for the possibility of mesothelioma. A laparoscopy or thoracoscopy involves making a minutes incision and using a tiny camera to look at the affected area. At this time a small tissue sample can be taken. The tissue samples will be sent away to a pathologists for further tests. Your doctor may decide to do a needle biopsy, where a hollow needle is inserted through the skin and inside the chest cavity. However, needle biopsies such as these have proven to be less than precise.
The second, more common and probably more accurate way that doctors test for mesothelioma is to surgically enter the patients body. This is when they cut a small piece of infected tissue for biopsy purposes. This test is known as an "open biopsy". Often done under general anesthesia, this procedure is usually performed in the sterile and safer environment of a hospital operating room. The extracted tissue fro this type of a biopsy is then sent out for testing by a specialist. The testing process generally takes several days. If the tests reveal the presence of mesothelioma, the doctor will then determine whether the diagnosed mesothelioma is benign or malignant.
If the doctor diagnosis that the mesothelioma diagnosis is malignant, they will have to refer the patient to an oncologist or a cancer doctor for additional tests and treatment.
The oncologist will most likely test the patient to determine the progression of the cancer or how far along the mesothelioma is and the prognosis for the future. At this time the oncologist will likely decide on what treatment option is best for the patient and make recommendations to that effect.
Generally, the oncologist will start the patient on a series of chemotherapy treatments to slow the growth of the mesothelioma. If the doctor determines, after running tests, that the patient is not a candidate for chemotherapy, the oncologists may prescribe medication to help the patient with pain management.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma that exists, and in its malignant form is the direct result of exposure to asbestos fibers. You can sometimes get benign tumors with mesothelioma, but more often than not , the malignant form is the most common one that emerges. Breathing in loose asbestos fibers is the cause of this cancer which is found among those who work or have worked with asbestos without any protection. As with other respiratory diseases, the risks is often heightened if the patient smokes.
This variant of mesothelioma attacks the lungs and respiratory areas of the body. The cancer attacks the cells and the lining of the lungs, also known as the pleura, and the ribs. Just like other forms of mesothelioma, the symptoms of pleural mesotheliioma may take twenty or thirty years, sometimes even longer, to present themselves following exposure to asbestos. This can make it impossible for people to sometimes realize that they have already been infected until it is too late.
There are several manifestations to look out for when it comes to detecting pleural mesothelioma, and like peritoneal mesothelioma, they can be nonspecific and be listed under a number of other common diseases or illnesses. The long latency period associated with mesothelioma can already cause some delay in diagnosis and the type of symptoms associated with this disease can also further delay its discovery, sometimes even until onset begins.
Without prior knowledge that a person has worked with asbestos and is in effect a high risk patient where mesothelioma is concerned, the doctor could end up testing for a wide range of other diseases, such as pneumonia, that may not point to what is really bothering the patient. This can waste a lot of time and in an illness where time of discovery can be a deciding factor, it is therefore vital that you not only keep your eyes open for any of the associated symptoms, but also inform your doctor of your past history of working with asbestos. Armed with this information, the doctor can then start running appropriate tests should the symptoms begin to manifest themselves.
Some of the symptoms normally associated with pleural mesothelioma include the common severe coughing, difficulty swallowing, facial swelling, weight loss, fever, rasping, and serious coughing up of blood. Some patients may also experience shortness of breath, regardless of whether they were active or at rest. This may be caused by the thickening of the pleura due to the spread of the cancerous cells. The thicker the pleura gets, the less space the lungs have to function properly, thus affecting breathing.
Some patients may also experience severe pain in the chest area or ribs. This is mostly caused by the spread of the cancerous cells and the tumor. Should the tumor begin to spread, it may affect the chest area, which may include the lungs.
Factors to consider before treatment include the patient’s age, medical history, general well being, and even weight. Other factors that have to be considered may include the extent of damage the cancer has wrought to the body.
The treatments for the different types of mesothelioma are more or less the same in most cases, but obviously they are targeted toward the area that has been affected by the cancer.
These treatments include surgery, which may entail moving part or all of a lung and some of the surrounding tissue in order to remove the tumor and cancerous cells. It may also be necessary to drain the lungs of fluid, simply to make the patient more comfortable. The extent of the surgery will depend largely upon the extent as to which the cancer has spread.
Chemotherapy is another procedure. Drugs are used to fight the cancerous cells and kill them as well as to shrink the tumor. These drugs can be administered orally or may be introduced to the body intravenously. The medication is then able to travel through the body via the blood stream to kill off any cancer cells that they might come across.
Another treatment is Radiation therapy. This is where high energy x-rays are used either outside the body, called external radiation or directed to the source internally , called internal radiation.
This variant of mesothelioma attacks the lungs and respiratory areas of the body. The cancer attacks the cells and the lining of the lungs, also known as the pleura, and the ribs. Just like other forms of mesothelioma, the symptoms of pleural mesotheliioma may take twenty or thirty years, sometimes even longer, to present themselves following exposure to asbestos. This can make it impossible for people to sometimes realize that they have already been infected until it is too late.
There are several manifestations to look out for when it comes to detecting pleural mesothelioma, and like peritoneal mesothelioma, they can be nonspecific and be listed under a number of other common diseases or illnesses. The long latency period associated with mesothelioma can already cause some delay in diagnosis and the type of symptoms associated with this disease can also further delay its discovery, sometimes even until onset begins.
Without prior knowledge that a person has worked with asbestos and is in effect a high risk patient where mesothelioma is concerned, the doctor could end up testing for a wide range of other diseases, such as pneumonia, that may not point to what is really bothering the patient. This can waste a lot of time and in an illness where time of discovery can be a deciding factor, it is therefore vital that you not only keep your eyes open for any of the associated symptoms, but also inform your doctor of your past history of working with asbestos. Armed with this information, the doctor can then start running appropriate tests should the symptoms begin to manifest themselves.
Some of the symptoms normally associated with pleural mesothelioma include the common severe coughing, difficulty swallowing, facial swelling, weight loss, fever, rasping, and serious coughing up of blood. Some patients may also experience shortness of breath, regardless of whether they were active or at rest. This may be caused by the thickening of the pleura due to the spread of the cancerous cells. The thicker the pleura gets, the less space the lungs have to function properly, thus affecting breathing.
Some patients may also experience severe pain in the chest area or ribs. This is mostly caused by the spread of the cancerous cells and the tumor. Should the tumor begin to spread, it may affect the chest area, which may include the lungs.
Factors to consider before treatment include the patient’s age, medical history, general well being, and even weight. Other factors that have to be considered may include the extent of damage the cancer has wrought to the body.
The treatments for the different types of mesothelioma are more or less the same in most cases, but obviously they are targeted toward the area that has been affected by the cancer.
These treatments include surgery, which may entail moving part or all of a lung and some of the surrounding tissue in order to remove the tumor and cancerous cells. It may also be necessary to drain the lungs of fluid, simply to make the patient more comfortable. The extent of the surgery will depend largely upon the extent as to which the cancer has spread.
Chemotherapy is another procedure. Drugs are used to fight the cancerous cells and kill them as well as to shrink the tumor. These drugs can be administered orally or may be introduced to the body intravenously. The medication is then able to travel through the body via the blood stream to kill off any cancer cells that they might come across.
Another treatment is Radiation therapy. This is where high energy x-rays are used either outside the body, called external radiation or directed to the source internally , called internal radiation.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is the name given to the cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen. The second most prevalent type of mesothelomia, this cancer, like others in its family, is caused by asbestos exposure and affects the lining that protects the contents of the abdomen. This lining, also called the peritoneum, also provides a lubricating fluid to enable the abdomen to glide against the tissue surrounding it and is also supposed to protect the abdomen from damage.
There are a number of symptoms associated with this disease. Like all other types of mesothelioma, however, the disease lies dormant for a rather lengthy period of time. Since symptoms may not become evident for decades after exposure, this may mean that by the time a diagnosis is given, it is often already too late to offer any real constructive treatment. Another cause for the delay in discovering the illness may also be due to the fact that most of these symptoms are generally non-specific and can therefore be attributed to a number of other more common ailments. Unless the doctor is made aware of a person's exposure to asbestos in the past, he or she is likely to look at other options before even contemplating mesothelioma. It is therefore important to let your doctor know of any exposure to this substance.
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include abdominal pains and weakness, weight loss, nausea, loss of appetite, some abdominal swelling and bowel obstruction. Depending on the location of the cancerous cells, additional problems may also be experienced, such as breathing problems and severe pain.
The treatments available to peritoneal mesothelioma patients can also vary, and may be dependent upon a number of factors. The doctor, once a diagnosis has been made, will often make a recommendation based upon details such as how far along the cancer is and the patient’s general condition and health. Other factors that come into play when a doctor decides on a treatment is the past medical history of the patient and the patient’s age.
Treatments that may be considered include surgery. This entails cutting out part of the abdominal lining and tissue from the abdomen in order to remove the cancer cells there. The decision as to whether or not surgery needs to be performed and if it is, the subsequent question of how much tissue is to be removed, may depend on how far the cancer has spread. Sometimes, it may be necessary for the doctor to remove a lung or a part of the diaphragm for the surgery to succeed.
Radiation Therapy is another option for the treatment of the cancer. High energy x-rays are used to shrink the tumor or tumors, as the case may be, and kill off the cancerous cells in the affected area. There are two ways to administer radiation therapy. The first is through external means. This uses a machine placed outside the body and emits radiation through the body to the affected areas. The second is by placing a source of radiation directly on or into the affected area by way of plastic tubes. Administering the radiation treatment through the tubes can also enable doctors to administer any required drugs this way.
Chemotherapy is a treatment where a combination of drugs is used to try and kill off cancer cells. Drugs may be administered by mouth in tablet form or they may be administered intravenously via a needle into a vein or a muscle. The drug will then enter the blood stream and travel through the body, hopefully killing off any cancer cells along the way.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is responsible for a number of deaths each year. Although it may not be the most common form of this cancer, many new cases still come to light every year. With continued research and clinical trials, however, doctors and other medical professionals will eventually make it possible to one day find a cure for this disease and give hope to the people who suffer from this cancer.
There are a number of symptoms associated with this disease. Like all other types of mesothelioma, however, the disease lies dormant for a rather lengthy period of time. Since symptoms may not become evident for decades after exposure, this may mean that by the time a diagnosis is given, it is often already too late to offer any real constructive treatment. Another cause for the delay in discovering the illness may also be due to the fact that most of these symptoms are generally non-specific and can therefore be attributed to a number of other more common ailments. Unless the doctor is made aware of a person's exposure to asbestos in the past, he or she is likely to look at other options before even contemplating mesothelioma. It is therefore important to let your doctor know of any exposure to this substance.
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include abdominal pains and weakness, weight loss, nausea, loss of appetite, some abdominal swelling and bowel obstruction. Depending on the location of the cancerous cells, additional problems may also be experienced, such as breathing problems and severe pain.
The treatments available to peritoneal mesothelioma patients can also vary, and may be dependent upon a number of factors. The doctor, once a diagnosis has been made, will often make a recommendation based upon details such as how far along the cancer is and the patient’s general condition and health. Other factors that come into play when a doctor decides on a treatment is the past medical history of the patient and the patient’s age.
Treatments that may be considered include surgery. This entails cutting out part of the abdominal lining and tissue from the abdomen in order to remove the cancer cells there. The decision as to whether or not surgery needs to be performed and if it is, the subsequent question of how much tissue is to be removed, may depend on how far the cancer has spread. Sometimes, it may be necessary for the doctor to remove a lung or a part of the diaphragm for the surgery to succeed.
Radiation Therapy is another option for the treatment of the cancer. High energy x-rays are used to shrink the tumor or tumors, as the case may be, and kill off the cancerous cells in the affected area. There are two ways to administer radiation therapy. The first is through external means. This uses a machine placed outside the body and emits radiation through the body to the affected areas. The second is by placing a source of radiation directly on or into the affected area by way of plastic tubes. Administering the radiation treatment through the tubes can also enable doctors to administer any required drugs this way.
Chemotherapy is a treatment where a combination of drugs is used to try and kill off cancer cells. Drugs may be administered by mouth in tablet form or they may be administered intravenously via a needle into a vein or a muscle. The drug will then enter the blood stream and travel through the body, hopefully killing off any cancer cells along the way.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is responsible for a number of deaths each year. Although it may not be the most common form of this cancer, many new cases still come to light every year. With continued research and clinical trials, however, doctors and other medical professionals will eventually make it possible to one day find a cure for this disease and give hope to the people who suffer from this cancer.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma, the rarest form of the family of asbestos-related cancers, is a disease that affects the lining that surrounds the heart. It affects the pericardium and is often referred to medically as mesothelioma of the pericardium. Although some people mistakenly assume that all cases affect only the lungs, mesothelioma in actuality is a cancer of the serous membranes, which encloses quite a number of midsection organs, including the heart.
The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma, as with other types of mesothelioma, can sometimes take decades to manifest. Usually, if a person worked with asbestos some twenty or thirty years ago, they may not show symptoms of the illness for the same period of time. That does not mean, however, that they are out of the woods, so to speak. This type of cancer may take the same number of years to even show itself in its victim. In some cases, it can even take longer for the patient to notice anything is wrong.
Some of the several main symptoms to look out for when dealing with pericardial mesothelioma are persistent coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. Should a person that has worked with asbestos, or have been exposed to the same, experience any or all of these symptoms, they should then seek medical advice to ascertain the possibility of their having contracted the disease. Mesothelioma can be mistaken for some other illnesses that share the same symptoms, however. These illnesses, which include asbestosis and lung cancer, have been known to masquerade as one or the other, so the World Health Organization has stressed that care should be taken in determining which disease is affecting the inflicted.
Once properly diagnosed, it is then important to assess the extent as to which the disease has spread and to what degree it has advanced to. This is usually determined by imaging or via A CT Scan or MRI Scan. These methods can normally reveal at what stage the disease is at and this will most likely help to determine what sort of treatment should be considered. Other things taken into consideration also include the patient’s age, present medical condition and past medical history. These are important facts that will be taken into account when deciding upon a course of treatment for the patient.
Occasionally, pericardial mesothelioma can be treated through surgery, but then, at this stage, the cancer is more likely diagnosed in is advanced stages. Surgery, therefore, can be just as useless and must be simply foregone. After all, there is that minute possibility that the cancer cells can be killed if one undergoes a surgery.
One of the most common treatments for pericardial mesothelioma is radiation therapy. This is most commonly used for this type of mesothelioma since this treatment has been proven to be most successful with these patients to date. Another possible treatment option is chemotherapy. While both treatments can be successful in treating this disease, these must also be carefully monitored due to certain risks they pose to healthy cells as well as affected ones.
A rather low risk procedure known as ‘fine needle aspiration’ has also been utilized to help alleviate some of the afflicted patient's symptoms. It involves inserting a needle into the cavity of a person’s chest in order to take away some of the excess fluid building up in the cavity. This can sometimes relieve some of the symptoms of the mesothelioma.
Clinical trials into all types of mesothelioma are still being continued all over the world. Many patients find that it helps to be a part of these clinical trials since it gives them a chance to try new forms of treatment that could be effective. It also gives them hope and gives them a positive perspective of the advances being made to help treat their sickness. Through the positive attitudes being displayed by these patients along with the hard work of the professionals that are helping them, the hope that, one day, a cure for all types of mesothelioma at all stages could be discovered lives on.
The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma, as with other types of mesothelioma, can sometimes take decades to manifest. Usually, if a person worked with asbestos some twenty or thirty years ago, they may not show symptoms of the illness for the same period of time. That does not mean, however, that they are out of the woods, so to speak. This type of cancer may take the same number of years to even show itself in its victim. In some cases, it can even take longer for the patient to notice anything is wrong.
Some of the several main symptoms to look out for when dealing with pericardial mesothelioma are persistent coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. Should a person that has worked with asbestos, or have been exposed to the same, experience any or all of these symptoms, they should then seek medical advice to ascertain the possibility of their having contracted the disease. Mesothelioma can be mistaken for some other illnesses that share the same symptoms, however. These illnesses, which include asbestosis and lung cancer, have been known to masquerade as one or the other, so the World Health Organization has stressed that care should be taken in determining which disease is affecting the inflicted.
Once properly diagnosed, it is then important to assess the extent as to which the disease has spread and to what degree it has advanced to. This is usually determined by imaging or via A CT Scan or MRI Scan. These methods can normally reveal at what stage the disease is at and this will most likely help to determine what sort of treatment should be considered. Other things taken into consideration also include the patient’s age, present medical condition and past medical history. These are important facts that will be taken into account when deciding upon a course of treatment for the patient.
Occasionally, pericardial mesothelioma can be treated through surgery, but then, at this stage, the cancer is more likely diagnosed in is advanced stages. Surgery, therefore, can be just as useless and must be simply foregone. After all, there is that minute possibility that the cancer cells can be killed if one undergoes a surgery.
One of the most common treatments for pericardial mesothelioma is radiation therapy. This is most commonly used for this type of mesothelioma since this treatment has been proven to be most successful with these patients to date. Another possible treatment option is chemotherapy. While both treatments can be successful in treating this disease, these must also be carefully monitored due to certain risks they pose to healthy cells as well as affected ones.
A rather low risk procedure known as ‘fine needle aspiration’ has also been utilized to help alleviate some of the afflicted patient's symptoms. It involves inserting a needle into the cavity of a person’s chest in order to take away some of the excess fluid building up in the cavity. This can sometimes relieve some of the symptoms of the mesothelioma.
Clinical trials into all types of mesothelioma are still being continued all over the world. Many patients find that it helps to be a part of these clinical trials since it gives them a chance to try new forms of treatment that could be effective. It also gives them hope and gives them a positive perspective of the advances being made to help treat their sickness. Through the positive attitudes being displayed by these patients along with the hard work of the professionals that are helping them, the hope that, one day, a cure for all types of mesothelioma at all stages could be discovered lives on.
Mesothelioma
A lot of jobs, like mining, require the gathering of a fibrous mineral called asbestos. Generally, this substance is used to manufacture common items like roofing tars, gaskets, acoustical ceilings, stage curtains, fire blankets, fire doors for the interiors, and putty, to name a few. It is even utilized to create firefighters’ fireproof clothing. But what one might not realize is the fact that you can actually get stricken by a disease that, if neglected, may lead to death.
Asbestos gets in a person’s body through inhaling. Once these materials lodge into essential organs like the lungs, they are hard to expel since they are too large. Thus, the body develops diseases because of asbestos, and mesothelimia is a perfect example.
Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer that affects vital organs of the body. It was only in recent years that this disease has been subject to serious study. It targets mainly the mesothelium, a protective sac that serve as vital organs’ lining such as in the lungs and heart. If one is struck from mesotheliomia, the cells in these linings become abnormal, and a tumor develops.
Mesothelioma occurs if a person is constantly exposed to asbestos. From there, one may suffer from major forms of mesothelioma. These three do share some common symptoms, although other warning signs are specific to the kind of disease an individual is suffering. The major disadvantage of mesothelimia is that its symptoms do not surface until many hears have passed. This, somehow, makes earlier diagnosis difficult, and worse, treatment may prove to be futile as there’s nothing else medical science can do.
Pleural Mesothelioma
This is the most common type of mesothelioma. Important organs affected are usually the lungs as well as its cavity. Normally, the early signs of pleural mesothelioma start with the fluid buildup between the chest cavity and the lung lining, which is medically termed as pleural effusion. If a person suffers from this sickness, he is likely to have difficulty in swallowing and breathing, persistent coughing, fever, rasping, weight loss, and shortness of breath.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer. It generally affects the lining in the abdomen as well as in the stomach. The disease normally begins in the abdominal cavity and then later spreads to other body parts. When the tumor starts growing in the abdomen, a person may experience breathing problems, bowel obstruction, chest pain, loss of appetite, anemia, inability to clot blood, fever, abdominal swelling, vomiting, and nausea.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Like the Peritoneal Mesothelioma, the Pericardial Mesothelimia is also a unique kind of cancer. It targets the lining of the heart as well as the cavity surrounding the heart. Common symptoms of this disorder are shortness or difficulty in breathing, palpitations, persistent coughing, and chest pain.
Asbestosis
Another variety of asbestos-related illness is known as asbestosis. Asbestosis is an inflammatory health problem that affects parenchymal tissue found in the lungs. It is generally characterized by shortness of breath due to overexposure to asbestos. If a person suffers from asbestosis, most likely than not, he will develop a lung cancer.
It is practically important therefore that a person who is constantly exposed to asbestos must see his or her doctor as often as possible for regular checkup, especially that some of these associated symptoms are also present in common diseases. Families and friends can also help too by encouraging asbestos-exposed relatives to reveal their present medical problems to a doctor. If vital information are not mentioned to the doctor, he might mistaken your illness as ordinary and neglect the possibility that it could have been mesothelioma. Remember that the earlier a person shares his medical problem to a professional, the earlier the necessary treatment is applied. Both the doctor and the patient must establish awareness of mesothelimia in order to save their and other people’s lives in the process.
Recovery, if undergoing treatment, may take a while, but the sufferer can help speed up everything by being in constant communication with the doctor as well as keeping in mind the latter’s instructions and medical prescriptions.
Asbestos gets in a person’s body through inhaling. Once these materials lodge into essential organs like the lungs, they are hard to expel since they are too large. Thus, the body develops diseases because of asbestos, and mesothelimia is a perfect example.
Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer that affects vital organs of the body. It was only in recent years that this disease has been subject to serious study. It targets mainly the mesothelium, a protective sac that serve as vital organs’ lining such as in the lungs and heart. If one is struck from mesotheliomia, the cells in these linings become abnormal, and a tumor develops.
Mesothelioma occurs if a person is constantly exposed to asbestos. From there, one may suffer from major forms of mesothelioma. These three do share some common symptoms, although other warning signs are specific to the kind of disease an individual is suffering. The major disadvantage of mesothelimia is that its symptoms do not surface until many hears have passed. This, somehow, makes earlier diagnosis difficult, and worse, treatment may prove to be futile as there’s nothing else medical science can do.
Pleural Mesothelioma
This is the most common type of mesothelioma. Important organs affected are usually the lungs as well as its cavity. Normally, the early signs of pleural mesothelioma start with the fluid buildup between the chest cavity and the lung lining, which is medically termed as pleural effusion. If a person suffers from this sickness, he is likely to have difficulty in swallowing and breathing, persistent coughing, fever, rasping, weight loss, and shortness of breath.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer. It generally affects the lining in the abdomen as well as in the stomach. The disease normally begins in the abdominal cavity and then later spreads to other body parts. When the tumor starts growing in the abdomen, a person may experience breathing problems, bowel obstruction, chest pain, loss of appetite, anemia, inability to clot blood, fever, abdominal swelling, vomiting, and nausea.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Like the Peritoneal Mesothelioma, the Pericardial Mesothelimia is also a unique kind of cancer. It targets the lining of the heart as well as the cavity surrounding the heart. Common symptoms of this disorder are shortness or difficulty in breathing, palpitations, persistent coughing, and chest pain.
Asbestosis
Another variety of asbestos-related illness is known as asbestosis. Asbestosis is an inflammatory health problem that affects parenchymal tissue found in the lungs. It is generally characterized by shortness of breath due to overexposure to asbestos. If a person suffers from asbestosis, most likely than not, he will develop a lung cancer.
It is practically important therefore that a person who is constantly exposed to asbestos must see his or her doctor as often as possible for regular checkup, especially that some of these associated symptoms are also present in common diseases. Families and friends can also help too by encouraging asbestos-exposed relatives to reveal their present medical problems to a doctor. If vital information are not mentioned to the doctor, he might mistaken your illness as ordinary and neglect the possibility that it could have been mesothelioma. Remember that the earlier a person shares his medical problem to a professional, the earlier the necessary treatment is applied. Both the doctor and the patient must establish awareness of mesothelimia in order to save their and other people’s lives in the process.
Recovery, if undergoing treatment, may take a while, but the sufferer can help speed up everything by being in constant communication with the doctor as well as keeping in mind the latter’s instructions and medical prescriptions.
Alternative Medicine Options
There are many reasons why people who suffer from mesothelioma are focusing their attention on other alternative medicine options. First, they are much cheaper than the standard treatments available such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Second, these mentioned treatments have only been moderately successful in their endeavor to actually cure a patient from the cancer.
So far, most of the notable types of alternative medicine practiced today are the following:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a well-known Chinese form of medicine which involves the use of sterile fine needles. These needles are inserted to various body parts usually termed as acupuncture points in order to facilitate the proper flow of energy. The Chinese believe that energy passes through particular passageways known as meridians and then circulates all throughout the body. When this energy is free to flow along these meridians, it can stimulate the immune system, which, in turn, brings balance and healing response. Pain and illness, meanwhile, are felt if the energy flow is altered or disturbed.
Acupuncture is used in cancer treatment so lessen the side effects such as vomiting, pain, and nausea caused by some treatments. It also reduces stress. Furthermore, it aids patients who are undergoing treatment by adding to their body’s healing responses. You can simply visit any experienced practitioner or apply for individualized treatment plan.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is characterized by bypassing the natural thinking capacities of a human being, thus establishing only certain types of perception and thinking. The interest in the practice of hypnosis can be traced back to many years ago, back to the ancient times. Even early people practice hypnosis. As of late, this process is used by researchers and practitioners for scientific studies.
In medicine, hypnosis is used to alleviate pain, as expressed by the panel belonging to technology assessment of NIH (National Institute of Health). They can reduce lingering ill feelings caused by cancer and other chronic, acute conditions, as well as from other treatments.
However, just like acupuncture, hypnosis does not take away the cancer itself.
Homeopathy
Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, who first coined the term “homeopathy,” which means treating something “like with like.”
The basic explanation of homeopathy is this: The sick is treated with very diluted agents that, when converted to undiluted doses, can create like symptoms when in the healthy.Its followers believe that this procedure will become even an even more effective remedy if a series of drug dilution, along with vigorous shaking, is performed. Homeopathy views diseases as an organism’s fatal derangements. Diseases are mainly disturbances in the normal vital force.
During January 2006, a journal was published containing a metanalysis of the six homeopathic treatment trials conducted by people from the Complementary Medicine Department of Plymouth and Exeter Universities in relation to cancer therapy, notwithstanding chemotherapy and radio therapy. Three of these experiments include random clinical trials that are double blind and placebo controlled. So far, they have concluded that though homeopathy, used for cancer recovery, is encouraging, it is not sufficient to give some merit to the contribution of, and thus, more studies should be conducted to fill in some of the unanswered questions.
Psychoneuroimmunology
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a balance between the mind and the body. It asserts the influence of thinking over the immune system and the body. With proper guidance and application of techniques, it can help the patient divert positive energy to health and health. Some of the strategies applicable in psychoneuroimmunology are spiritual meditation, stress management, humor therapy, educational resources, support groups, and counseling.
Nutrition Program
While still in the treatment process, it is essential that the patients are well nourished in order to help their bodies recuperate faster. They can ask help from various dieticians and nutritionists near their area. Most of these consultations consist of nutritional assessment and development of an effective food plan.
Asbestos, the leading cause of mesothelioma and other diseases like asbestosis, are hard to eradicate from the body. So these treatments still do not ensure healing. But then again, while everyone is in the process of looking for far more effective options, we can settle for these just to get by each day.
So far, most of the notable types of alternative medicine practiced today are the following:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a well-known Chinese form of medicine which involves the use of sterile fine needles. These needles are inserted to various body parts usually termed as acupuncture points in order to facilitate the proper flow of energy. The Chinese believe that energy passes through particular passageways known as meridians and then circulates all throughout the body. When this energy is free to flow along these meridians, it can stimulate the immune system, which, in turn, brings balance and healing response. Pain and illness, meanwhile, are felt if the energy flow is altered or disturbed.
Acupuncture is used in cancer treatment so lessen the side effects such as vomiting, pain, and nausea caused by some treatments. It also reduces stress. Furthermore, it aids patients who are undergoing treatment by adding to their body’s healing responses. You can simply visit any experienced practitioner or apply for individualized treatment plan.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is characterized by bypassing the natural thinking capacities of a human being, thus establishing only certain types of perception and thinking. The interest in the practice of hypnosis can be traced back to many years ago, back to the ancient times. Even early people practice hypnosis. As of late, this process is used by researchers and practitioners for scientific studies.
In medicine, hypnosis is used to alleviate pain, as expressed by the panel belonging to technology assessment of NIH (National Institute of Health). They can reduce lingering ill feelings caused by cancer and other chronic, acute conditions, as well as from other treatments.
However, just like acupuncture, hypnosis does not take away the cancer itself.
Homeopathy
Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, who first coined the term “homeopathy,” which means treating something “like with like.”
The basic explanation of homeopathy is this: The sick is treated with very diluted agents that, when converted to undiluted doses, can create like symptoms when in the healthy.Its followers believe that this procedure will become even an even more effective remedy if a series of drug dilution, along with vigorous shaking, is performed. Homeopathy views diseases as an organism’s fatal derangements. Diseases are mainly disturbances in the normal vital force.
During January 2006, a journal was published containing a metanalysis of the six homeopathic treatment trials conducted by people from the Complementary Medicine Department of Plymouth and Exeter Universities in relation to cancer therapy, notwithstanding chemotherapy and radio therapy. Three of these experiments include random clinical trials that are double blind and placebo controlled. So far, they have concluded that though homeopathy, used for cancer recovery, is encouraging, it is not sufficient to give some merit to the contribution of, and thus, more studies should be conducted to fill in some of the unanswered questions.
Psychoneuroimmunology
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a balance between the mind and the body. It asserts the influence of thinking over the immune system and the body. With proper guidance and application of techniques, it can help the patient divert positive energy to health and health. Some of the strategies applicable in psychoneuroimmunology are spiritual meditation, stress management, humor therapy, educational resources, support groups, and counseling.
Nutrition Program
While still in the treatment process, it is essential that the patients are well nourished in order to help their bodies recuperate faster. They can ask help from various dieticians and nutritionists near their area. Most of these consultations consist of nutritional assessment and development of an effective food plan.
Asbestos, the leading cause of mesothelioma and other diseases like asbestosis, are hard to eradicate from the body. So these treatments still do not ensure healing. But then again, while everyone is in the process of looking for far more effective options, we can settle for these just to get by each day.
Treatment Options for Mesothelioma
There are many factors that determine the kind of treatment mesothelioma patients may need. These include the stage they are in, in their illness, the age of the patient, the location of tumor mass, and the patient’s general health.
Radiation
X-rays of high energy are used in radiation therapy. The type of radiation being emitted will hopefully kill all the cancer cells as well as shrink tumors. Right now, there are two kinds of therapy through radiation. External radio therapy utilizes an externally operated machine that emits x-rays to certain body parts where mesothelioma is suspected. The Brachytheraphy, on the other hand, is characterized by inserting directly some radiation-producing chemicals into the area where the malignant mesothelioma is, usually in the abdomen and the chest. This is performed with the use of a plastic thin tube.
The location where the malignant cancer can grow is difficult to determine. Thus, it is equally hard to give sufficient high doses of radiation to eliminate the tumor without corrupting the other healthy organs surrounding the area. It is not surprising, therefore, that a lot still think that this procedure is ineffective in treating mesothelioma. However, they are deemed to be excellent in killing tumor cells that remain after surgery.
Radiation therapy is further used to lessen the symptoms exhibited by mesothelioma, especially respiratory difficulties such as chest pain, internal bleeding, and shortness of breath.
Of course, since this primarily uses radiation, it has quite a number of side effects. Among these are nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. These side effects are considered short term; however, it’s still best to ask advice from a doctor so you can better control these side effects.
Surgery
Surgery in malignant mesothelioma entails removing the tumor masses. So far, there are two known types of surgeries: (1) aggressive surgery and (2) palliative surgery.
Aggressive surgery means removing the lung, diaphragm, pleura, or even the pericardium. The main purpose for their removal is to take the tumor out of your system and eventually stop its spread to other parts of the body. This process, also referred to as extrapleural pneumonectomy, is commonly done on patients who are in stage 1 of their mesothelioma.
Palliative surgery, meanwhile, is applied in more advanced mesothelioma stages. The ultimate objective of this surgery is to regulate and reduce the cancer symptoms due to fluid buildup in the cavities or tumor compression on the other organs. It does not, however, cure a patient from mesothelioma.
Surgeries are dependent with the stage the patient is in, in mesothelioma. The earlier stage his cancer is, the better his chances of being cured. Furthermore, high-risk procedures such as surgeries are so complex that some hospitals do not offer this service. Some clinics and treatment centers have standards that need to be followed before they can perform surgery to a patient.
Drugs
Aside from those procedures, there are also prescription drugs taken individually or with other drugs in order to help cure mesothelimia, or even other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis. Some examples of single-agent drugs are Adriamycin, cisplatin, pirarubucin, carboplatin, epirubicin, and mitomucin.
This treatment option known as single-agent therapy has been moderately successful in treating a sufferer from malignant mesothelioma. Recent studies show that response rate to these drugs fall in the 10—20 percent range.
Nevertheless, it is still considered low compared to how cancer cells spread throughout a patient’s body. Thus some of these drugs are combined with others to further enhance their effectiveness. So far, the response rate is higher, yet still not enough. Therefore, different drug companies and other institutions are conducting more research.
Chemotherapy
Generally, drugs used for chemotherapy are extremely toxic. Therefore, any doctor who suggests this procedure should closely monitor the patient’s condition during chemotherapy. Some normal side effects of chemotherapy include loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. It can also lower cell counts, which makes the patient vulnerable to infection, bleeding, bruising, and diseases.
Radiation
X-rays of high energy are used in radiation therapy. The type of radiation being emitted will hopefully kill all the cancer cells as well as shrink tumors. Right now, there are two kinds of therapy through radiation. External radio therapy utilizes an externally operated machine that emits x-rays to certain body parts where mesothelioma is suspected. The Brachytheraphy, on the other hand, is characterized by inserting directly some radiation-producing chemicals into the area where the malignant mesothelioma is, usually in the abdomen and the chest. This is performed with the use of a plastic thin tube.
The location where the malignant cancer can grow is difficult to determine. Thus, it is equally hard to give sufficient high doses of radiation to eliminate the tumor without corrupting the other healthy organs surrounding the area. It is not surprising, therefore, that a lot still think that this procedure is ineffective in treating mesothelioma. However, they are deemed to be excellent in killing tumor cells that remain after surgery.
Radiation therapy is further used to lessen the symptoms exhibited by mesothelioma, especially respiratory difficulties such as chest pain, internal bleeding, and shortness of breath.
Of course, since this primarily uses radiation, it has quite a number of side effects. Among these are nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. These side effects are considered short term; however, it’s still best to ask advice from a doctor so you can better control these side effects.
Surgery
Surgery in malignant mesothelioma entails removing the tumor masses. So far, there are two known types of surgeries: (1) aggressive surgery and (2) palliative surgery.
Aggressive surgery means removing the lung, diaphragm, pleura, or even the pericardium. The main purpose for their removal is to take the tumor out of your system and eventually stop its spread to other parts of the body. This process, also referred to as extrapleural pneumonectomy, is commonly done on patients who are in stage 1 of their mesothelioma.
Palliative surgery, meanwhile, is applied in more advanced mesothelioma stages. The ultimate objective of this surgery is to regulate and reduce the cancer symptoms due to fluid buildup in the cavities or tumor compression on the other organs. It does not, however, cure a patient from mesothelioma.
Surgeries are dependent with the stage the patient is in, in mesothelioma. The earlier stage his cancer is, the better his chances of being cured. Furthermore, high-risk procedures such as surgeries are so complex that some hospitals do not offer this service. Some clinics and treatment centers have standards that need to be followed before they can perform surgery to a patient.
Drugs
Aside from those procedures, there are also prescription drugs taken individually or with other drugs in order to help cure mesothelimia, or even other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis. Some examples of single-agent drugs are Adriamycin, cisplatin, pirarubucin, carboplatin, epirubicin, and mitomucin.
This treatment option known as single-agent therapy has been moderately successful in treating a sufferer from malignant mesothelioma. Recent studies show that response rate to these drugs fall in the 10—20 percent range.
Nevertheless, it is still considered low compared to how cancer cells spread throughout a patient’s body. Thus some of these drugs are combined with others to further enhance their effectiveness. So far, the response rate is higher, yet still not enough. Therefore, different drug companies and other institutions are conducting more research.
Chemotherapy
Generally, drugs used for chemotherapy are extremely toxic. Therefore, any doctor who suggests this procedure should closely monitor the patient’s condition during chemotherapy. Some normal side effects of chemotherapy include loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. It can also lower cell counts, which makes the patient vulnerable to infection, bleeding, bruising, and diseases.
Malignant Mesothelioma
Recently, when people hear the word “asbestos,” thoughts go beyond roofing tars, gaskets, and even firefighter’s clothing. One must not be surprised to see dread in their faces. After all, studies show that asbestos is the primary source health problems like asbestosis and the deadly malignant type of cancer called mesothelioma.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is defined by medical science as a rare form of cancer that targets the mesothelial cells of the body. These cells are known to be the protective linings of major body organs such as the pleura, a thin membrane between the chest cavity and the lungs; the peritoneum, the lining in the abdominal cavity; and the pericardium, the sac that protects the heart.
Who gets affected with malignant mesothelimia?
People who are constantly exposed to asbestos is most likely to develop malignant mesothelimia, especially if the early symptoms are disregarded by the sufferer. These individuals have likely inhaled asbestos particles while doing their specific jobs, like perhaps washing the clothes of a relative who’s working with asbestos or a carpenter who’s dealing with roofs made of asbestos. However, contrary to popular belief, there is no direct relation between smoking and mesothelioma, though both cause respiratory ailments.
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
Unfortunately, malignant mesothelioma cannot be treated after 20 or even 50 years after asbestos exposure and thus contraction. This is because symptoms associated with the cancer do not surface until that time.
Symptoms vary according to the type of mesothelioma a person is suffering. For those who suffer peritoneal mesothelioma, the common signs include abdominal swelling, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia, fever, and abnormities in blood clotting. If the cancer has already affected other areas of the body, the person may experience swelling of the face and neck as well as difficulty and pain in swallowing.
The most common type of malignant mesothelioma is the pleural mesothelimia. Early warning signs are consist of persistent cough, hoarseness, and wheezing, building of fluid in the lungs (called pleural effusion), pain in the chest, and shortness of breath.
In the later stages of the disease, aside from spreading into other body parts, the patient may likely suffer severe bleeding in the vital organs, jaundice, pulmonary emboli (blod clots found in the lung’s arteries), and decreasing sugar level in the blood. Moreover, a patient may have a lot of tumor masses that can eventually cause respiratory failure.
If the tumor grows in the abdominal cavity, the symptoms can be dysfunction in bowel movement, abdominal pain, buildup of abdominal fluid called ascites, weight loss, and growth of abdominal mass.
What are the treatments available for malignant mesothelioma?
Though the diagnosis can be pretty difficult as malignant mesotheliomia does not manifest until many years, there are still a variety of optional treatments for patients.
One of the usual modes of treatment applied to patients is surgery. It involves a combination of adjuvant therapies. The basic type of surgery is called the pleurectomy or decortication, which is charateise by removing the chest lining. Another kind is the EPP (extrapleural pneumonectomy) where the hemidiaphragm, the pericardium, and the lung are taken aside from the chest lining. However, it would deem impossible to eliminate all mesothelium since it can cause the death of the patient.
Radiotherapy doesn’t guarantee to take away the tumors since they are highly resistant to it, but the procedure can somehow lessen the symptoms caused by the growth of tumor such as major blood vessels’ obstruction. This treatment involves inserting an instrument into the chest wall to prevent tumor from growing along its track.
Pleural Mesothelioma, on the other hand, can benefit from the newly approved drug pemetrexed, which can be used in chemotherapy. This chemical is given to the patient together with another drug known as cisplatin. To decrease pemetrexed’s side effects, folic acid is utilized.
Different agencies have always stressed the need to protect oneself from asbestos. In fact, U.S. health department has already issued some regulations when it comes to asbestos. People who are exposed to asbestos can also lessen its ill effects by looking for good substitutes such as using plastic and other materials for insulation.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is defined by medical science as a rare form of cancer that targets the mesothelial cells of the body. These cells are known to be the protective linings of major body organs such as the pleura, a thin membrane between the chest cavity and the lungs; the peritoneum, the lining in the abdominal cavity; and the pericardium, the sac that protects the heart.
Who gets affected with malignant mesothelimia?
People who are constantly exposed to asbestos is most likely to develop malignant mesothelimia, especially if the early symptoms are disregarded by the sufferer. These individuals have likely inhaled asbestos particles while doing their specific jobs, like perhaps washing the clothes of a relative who’s working with asbestos or a carpenter who’s dealing with roofs made of asbestos. However, contrary to popular belief, there is no direct relation between smoking and mesothelioma, though both cause respiratory ailments.
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
Unfortunately, malignant mesothelioma cannot be treated after 20 or even 50 years after asbestos exposure and thus contraction. This is because symptoms associated with the cancer do not surface until that time.
Symptoms vary according to the type of mesothelioma a person is suffering. For those who suffer peritoneal mesothelioma, the common signs include abdominal swelling, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia, fever, and abnormities in blood clotting. If the cancer has already affected other areas of the body, the person may experience swelling of the face and neck as well as difficulty and pain in swallowing.
The most common type of malignant mesothelioma is the pleural mesothelimia. Early warning signs are consist of persistent cough, hoarseness, and wheezing, building of fluid in the lungs (called pleural effusion), pain in the chest, and shortness of breath.
In the later stages of the disease, aside from spreading into other body parts, the patient may likely suffer severe bleeding in the vital organs, jaundice, pulmonary emboli (blod clots found in the lung’s arteries), and decreasing sugar level in the blood. Moreover, a patient may have a lot of tumor masses that can eventually cause respiratory failure.
If the tumor grows in the abdominal cavity, the symptoms can be dysfunction in bowel movement, abdominal pain, buildup of abdominal fluid called ascites, weight loss, and growth of abdominal mass.
What are the treatments available for malignant mesothelioma?
Though the diagnosis can be pretty difficult as malignant mesotheliomia does not manifest until many years, there are still a variety of optional treatments for patients.
One of the usual modes of treatment applied to patients is surgery. It involves a combination of adjuvant therapies. The basic type of surgery is called the pleurectomy or decortication, which is charateise by removing the chest lining. Another kind is the EPP (extrapleural pneumonectomy) where the hemidiaphragm, the pericardium, and the lung are taken aside from the chest lining. However, it would deem impossible to eliminate all mesothelium since it can cause the death of the patient.
Radiotherapy doesn’t guarantee to take away the tumors since they are highly resistant to it, but the procedure can somehow lessen the symptoms caused by the growth of tumor such as major blood vessels’ obstruction. This treatment involves inserting an instrument into the chest wall to prevent tumor from growing along its track.
Pleural Mesothelioma, on the other hand, can benefit from the newly approved drug pemetrexed, which can be used in chemotherapy. This chemical is given to the patient together with another drug known as cisplatin. To decrease pemetrexed’s side effects, folic acid is utilized.
Different agencies have always stressed the need to protect oneself from asbestos. In fact, U.S. health department has already issued some regulations when it comes to asbestos. People who are exposed to asbestos can also lessen its ill effects by looking for good substitutes such as using plastic and other materials for insulation.
Diagnosing Mesothelioma
To diagnose a malignant mesothelioma is difficult. After all, this disease was only known in recent years, and there are still some medical practitioners who are unfamiliar with this rare type of cancer. Added to that would be the symptoms that do not surface until the person has been exposed to asbestos for a very long time, in which case the cancer is already in its later stages and worse treatment many not be longer necessary.
Another common reason why mesothelioma diagnosis is never easy is the fact that many of its symptoms can be associated with other common illnesses like cough and constipation. Nevertheless, it doesn’t really mean that it cannot be determined, but only if consulted right away.
So how does a doctor diagnose malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses like asbestosis? First of all, it must be noted that diagnosing this rare type of cancer may entail biopsies and scans, which can be scheduled by a doctor. Whenever highly necessary, an MRI or a CTI scan is utilized to determine the probability of the disease’s presence in the patient’s body. If the tests will be indicative of a probable presence, a biopsy must be performed.
Doctors often run an examination on the fluid surrounding the lungs, but all too often this is inadequate to make a firm diagnosis. When this happens, a minimal operation may be performed by the doctor to get a tissue sample and use it to conduct a biopsy. The process is commonly referred to as open pleural biopsy. If a person is suspected of peritoneal mesothelioma, the tissue sample should come from the abdominal area to be used in a procedure commonly called peritioneal biopsy.
Through the years, ever since the onset of malignant mesothelioma, open biopsies have been known to be the most conclusive, comprehensive, and most effective. However, with the different technological breakthroughs in the field of medical science, there are now other ways to identify the presence of the disease and even describe the type.
Most of the testing processes begin with imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans, along with x-rays. Visual results can further help doctors identify the possible affected locations and then come up with preliminary findings with the most appropriate courses of treatment. To determine if there are malignant cells in these affected areas, the doctor will then insert a needle to remove the necessary amount of fluid. This extraction will then undergo a series of tests. However, since this strategy is relatively new and often viewed as inconclusive, doctors may go for a follow-up using tissue samples for a biopsy.
When it comes to tissue biopsies, there are also numerous procedures that the doctors can perform to come up with findings for a possible case of malignant mesothelioma. One of the most typical processes, the thoracoscopy, sometimes referred as laparoscopy, requires creating little incisions and utilizing tiny cameras to view the affected location, such as the abdomen. During this stage, a tissue sample is taken, which a pathologist can examine for probable early symptoms of malignant mesothelioma.
Another option available for biopsy is the needle biopsy, where a needle that should be hollow is inserted into the cavity of the chest through the skin. From there, a doctor collects a tissue sample using the needle, and the sample is brought to the pathologist.
Yet the most effective type of biopsy—and many doctors choose this—is the open biopsy. This process allows a larger collection of tissue sample, which results to a more accurate and convenient diagnosis. These collected tissues are examined thororughly, and the results will be used to identify malignant mesothelioma as well as the best treatment.
For any person, the best defense is to inform your doctor early on of the early signs of malignant mesothelioma. It would help him further to mention that the patient has been exposed to asbestos for a longer duration. After all, earlier diagnosis means bigger chances in beating mesothelioma.
Another common reason why mesothelioma diagnosis is never easy is the fact that many of its symptoms can be associated with other common illnesses like cough and constipation. Nevertheless, it doesn’t really mean that it cannot be determined, but only if consulted right away.
So how does a doctor diagnose malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses like asbestosis? First of all, it must be noted that diagnosing this rare type of cancer may entail biopsies and scans, which can be scheduled by a doctor. Whenever highly necessary, an MRI or a CTI scan is utilized to determine the probability of the disease’s presence in the patient’s body. If the tests will be indicative of a probable presence, a biopsy must be performed.
Doctors often run an examination on the fluid surrounding the lungs, but all too often this is inadequate to make a firm diagnosis. When this happens, a minimal operation may be performed by the doctor to get a tissue sample and use it to conduct a biopsy. The process is commonly referred to as open pleural biopsy. If a person is suspected of peritoneal mesothelioma, the tissue sample should come from the abdominal area to be used in a procedure commonly called peritioneal biopsy.
Through the years, ever since the onset of malignant mesothelioma, open biopsies have been known to be the most conclusive, comprehensive, and most effective. However, with the different technological breakthroughs in the field of medical science, there are now other ways to identify the presence of the disease and even describe the type.
Most of the testing processes begin with imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans, along with x-rays. Visual results can further help doctors identify the possible affected locations and then come up with preliminary findings with the most appropriate courses of treatment. To determine if there are malignant cells in these affected areas, the doctor will then insert a needle to remove the necessary amount of fluid. This extraction will then undergo a series of tests. However, since this strategy is relatively new and often viewed as inconclusive, doctors may go for a follow-up using tissue samples for a biopsy.
When it comes to tissue biopsies, there are also numerous procedures that the doctors can perform to come up with findings for a possible case of malignant mesothelioma. One of the most typical processes, the thoracoscopy, sometimes referred as laparoscopy, requires creating little incisions and utilizing tiny cameras to view the affected location, such as the abdomen. During this stage, a tissue sample is taken, which a pathologist can examine for probable early symptoms of malignant mesothelioma.
Another option available for biopsy is the needle biopsy, where a needle that should be hollow is inserted into the cavity of the chest through the skin. From there, a doctor collects a tissue sample using the needle, and the sample is brought to the pathologist.
Yet the most effective type of biopsy—and many doctors choose this—is the open biopsy. This process allows a larger collection of tissue sample, which results to a more accurate and convenient diagnosis. These collected tissues are examined thororughly, and the results will be used to identify malignant mesothelioma as well as the best treatment.
For any person, the best defense is to inform your doctor early on of the early signs of malignant mesothelioma. It would help him further to mention that the patient has been exposed to asbestos for a longer duration. After all, earlier diagnosis means bigger chances in beating mesothelioma.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma and Asbestos
Asbestos has been around for ages. Unfortunately it is the primary cause of a great deal of diseases including mesothelioma. The ancient Greeks were responsible for naming the mineral, which literally means inextinguishable. Appropriately, the Greeks named it for it's unbelievable fireproof capacity, despite their awareness of the harmful effects they had on their workers.
Used for the production of several things, asbestos is a soft and flexible mineral. Nowadays the most common use for which asbestos is famous for is insulation. Also, it been widely used in the making of a lot of items and structures that may include anything from your ceilings to your walls, from toasters to hairdryers. This mineral became all the more popular during the industrial revolution because of its effectiveness and its safety characteristic as a form of insulation. Safe because it was indeed fireproof and not in any other sense as can be proven by the ill effects it entails. Despite the risks involved in working with it that had already been observed some hundred years ago, these risks were however not taken into account when asbestos was widely used for insulation purposes.
Eventually during the 1990s many facts regarding the risks involved with the use of the mineral began to emerge. Traces of fibers and dust of the same mineral were discovered by an English physician from a post-mortem on a man who worked with asbestos for many years. The doctor confirmed that the man had actually died from his constant exposure to the mineral. The following twenty years or so witnessed an unbelievably high mortality rate due to illnesses among workers exposed to the mineral.
It was during the mid-1920s when an English physician made the first diagnosis of asbestosis. Such diagnosis was followed by the study that proved that 25 percent of English asbestos workers manifested signs of a lung disease. This triggered the English government to enact laws to provide better ventilation and protection to workers who were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis. Other countries over the world took the same steps over the next decade.
However, all this was slow to be implemented and likewise did not prove very effective. Despite the fact that manufacturers and companies who were in the asbestos business were now aware of the risks involved, they never refrained from using the harmful asbestos thereby exposing thousands of workers to the hazards associated with the mineral. Totally unaware of the harm that the mineral was capable of causing, these workers continued to work with asbestos. By mid-seventies, a lot of these workers were already unknowingly afflicted by what we now know as the cancer mesothelioma.
Because of the long latency period of the disease, it is only now that those workers exposed to the mineral in the 1950s up to the 1970s are being diagnosed with the disease. With the numerous cases being filed against the guilty companies, most of these companies have actually hired specialized lawyers to focus on these lawsuits. Unfortunately for many of these companies, they were asked to pay millions of dollars to the poor victims of this heinous crime and as such many have applied for bankruptcy.
What is so alarming now is the fact that despite the information that people have observed and learned regarding the ill effects of the mineral asbestos, it still remains to be widely used in the production of many items in many places around the world. Many people, although thinking that they are wearing protection and thus they will be safe, continue to expose themselves to the harmful dusts and fibers of the mineral. Several laws continue to be studied and passed regarding this issue. And although regulations regarding asbestos are more stringent nowadays, this doesn’t in any way change the fact that this mineral pose more harm than good and that it has claimed victims from all over the world—in the form of mesothelioma.
Asbestos has been around for ages. Unfortunately it is the primary cause of a great deal of diseases including mesothelioma. The ancient Greeks were responsible for naming the mineral, which literally means inextinguishable. Appropriately, the Greeks named it for it's unbelievable fireproof capacity, despite their awareness of the harmful effects they had on their workers.
Used for the production of several things, asbestos is a soft and flexible mineral. Nowadays the most common use for which asbestos is famous for is insulation. Also, it been widely used in the making of a lot of items and structures that may include anything from your ceilings to your walls, from toasters to hairdryers. This mineral became all the more popular during the industrial revolution because of its effectiveness and its safety characteristic as a form of insulation. Safe because it was indeed fireproof and not in any other sense as can be proven by the ill effects it entails. Despite the risks involved in working with it that had already been observed some hundred years ago, these risks were however not taken into account when asbestos was widely used for insulation purposes.
Eventually during the 1990s many facts regarding the risks involved with the use of the mineral began to emerge. Traces of fibers and dust of the same mineral were discovered by an English physician from a post-mortem on a man who worked with asbestos for many years. The doctor confirmed that the man had actually died from his constant exposure to the mineral. The following twenty years or so witnessed an unbelievably high mortality rate due to illnesses among workers exposed to the mineral.
It was during the mid-1920s when an English physician made the first diagnosis of asbestosis. Such diagnosis was followed by the study that proved that 25 percent of English asbestos workers manifested signs of a lung disease. This triggered the English government to enact laws to provide better ventilation and protection to workers who were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis. Other countries over the world took the same steps over the next decade.
However, all this was slow to be implemented and likewise did not prove very effective. Despite the fact that manufacturers and companies who were in the asbestos business were now aware of the risks involved, they never refrained from using the harmful asbestos thereby exposing thousands of workers to the hazards associated with the mineral. Totally unaware of the harm that the mineral was capable of causing, these workers continued to work with asbestos. By mid-seventies, a lot of these workers were already unknowingly afflicted by what we now know as the cancer mesothelioma.
Because of the long latency period of the disease, it is only now that those workers exposed to the mineral in the 1950s up to the 1970s are being diagnosed with the disease. With the numerous cases being filed against the guilty companies, most of these companies have actually hired specialized lawyers to focus on these lawsuits. Unfortunately for many of these companies, they were asked to pay millions of dollars to the poor victims of this heinous crime and as such many have applied for bankruptcy.
What is so alarming now is the fact that despite the information that people have observed and learned regarding the ill effects of the mineral asbestos, it still remains to be widely used in the production of many items in many places around the world. Many people, although thinking that they are wearing protection and thus they will be safe, continue to expose themselves to the harmful dusts and fibers of the mineral. Several laws continue to be studied and passed regarding this issue. And although regulations regarding asbestos are more stringent nowadays, this doesn’t in any way change the fact that this mineral pose more harm than good and that it has claimed victims from all over the world—in the form of mesothelioma.
mesothelioma and asbestos
Mesothelioma and Asbestos
Asbestos has been around for ages. Unfortunately it is the primary cause of a great deal of diseases including mesothelioma. The ancient Greeks were responsible for naming the mineral, which literally means inextinguishable. Appropriately, the Greeks named it for it's unbelievable fireproof capacity, despite their awareness of the harmful effects they had on their workers.
Used for the production of several things, asbestos is a soft and flexible mineral. Nowadays the most common use for which asbestos is famous for is insulation. Also, it been widely used in the making of a lot of items and structures that may include anything from your ceilings to your walls, from toasters to hairdryers. This mineral became all the more popular during the industrial revolution because of its effectiveness and its safety characteristic as a form of insulation. Safe because it was indeed fireproof and not in any other sense as can be proven by the ill effects it entails. Despite the risks involved in working with it that had already been observed some hundred years ago, these risks were however not taken into account when asbestos was widely used for insulation purposes.
Eventually during the 1990s many facts regarding the risks involved with the use of the mineral began to emerge. Traces of fibers and dust of the same mineral were discovered by an English physician from a post-mortem on a man who worked with asbestos for many years. The doctor confirmed that the man had actually died from his constant exposure to the mineral. The following twenty years or so witnessed an unbelievably high mortality rate due to illnesses among workers exposed to the mineral.
It was during the mid-1920s when an English physician made the first diagnosis of asbestosis. Such diagnosis was followed by the study that proved that 25 percent of English asbestos workers manifested signs of a lung disease. This triggered the English government to enact laws to provide better ventilation and protection to workers who were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis. Other countries over the world took the same steps over the next decade.
However, all this was slow to be implemented and likewise did not prove very effective. Despite the fact that manufacturers and companies who were in the asbestos business were now aware of the risks involved, they never refrained from using the harmful asbestos thereby exposing thousands of workers to the hazards associated with the mineral. Totally unaware of the harm that the mineral was capable of causing, these workers continued to work with asbestos. By mid-seventies, a lot of these workers were already unknowingly afflicted by what we now know as the cancer mesothelioma.
Because of the long latency period of the disease, it is only now that those workers exposed to the mineral in the 1950s up to the 1970s are being diagnosed with the disease. With the numerous cases being filed against the guilty companies, most of these companies have actually hired specialized lawyers to focus on these lawsuits. Unfortunately for many of these companies, they were asked to pay millions of dollars to the poor victims of this heinous crime and as such many have applied for bankruptcy.
What is so alarming now is the fact that despite the information that people have observed and learned regarding the ill effects of the mineral asbestos, it still remains to be widely used in the production of many items in many places around the world. Many people, although thinking that they are wearing protection and thus they will be safe, continue to expose themselves to the harmful dusts and fibers of the mineral. Several laws continue to be studied and passed regarding this issue. And although regulations regarding asbestos are more stringent nowadays, this doesn’t in any way change the fact that this mineral pose more harm than good and that it has claimed victims from all over the world—in the form of mesothelioma.
Asbestos has been around for ages. Unfortunately it is the primary cause of a great deal of diseases including mesothelioma. The ancient Greeks were responsible for naming the mineral, which literally means inextinguishable. Appropriately, the Greeks named it for it's unbelievable fireproof capacity, despite their awareness of the harmful effects they had on their workers.
Used for the production of several things, asbestos is a soft and flexible mineral. Nowadays the most common use for which asbestos is famous for is insulation. Also, it been widely used in the making of a lot of items and structures that may include anything from your ceilings to your walls, from toasters to hairdryers. This mineral became all the more popular during the industrial revolution because of its effectiveness and its safety characteristic as a form of insulation. Safe because it was indeed fireproof and not in any other sense as can be proven by the ill effects it entails. Despite the risks involved in working with it that had already been observed some hundred years ago, these risks were however not taken into account when asbestos was widely used for insulation purposes.
Eventually during the 1990s many facts regarding the risks involved with the use of the mineral began to emerge. Traces of fibers and dust of the same mineral were discovered by an English physician from a post-mortem on a man who worked with asbestos for many years. The doctor confirmed that the man had actually died from his constant exposure to the mineral. The following twenty years or so witnessed an unbelievably high mortality rate due to illnesses among workers exposed to the mineral.
It was during the mid-1920s when an English physician made the first diagnosis of asbestosis. Such diagnosis was followed by the study that proved that 25 percent of English asbestos workers manifested signs of a lung disease. This triggered the English government to enact laws to provide better ventilation and protection to workers who were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis. Other countries over the world took the same steps over the next decade.
However, all this was slow to be implemented and likewise did not prove very effective. Despite the fact that manufacturers and companies who were in the asbestos business were now aware of the risks involved, they never refrained from using the harmful asbestos thereby exposing thousands of workers to the hazards associated with the mineral. Totally unaware of the harm that the mineral was capable of causing, these workers continued to work with asbestos. By mid-seventies, a lot of these workers were already unknowingly afflicted by what we now know as the cancer mesothelioma.
Because of the long latency period of the disease, it is only now that those workers exposed to the mineral in the 1950s up to the 1970s are being diagnosed with the disease. With the numerous cases being filed against the guilty companies, most of these companies have actually hired specialized lawyers to focus on these lawsuits. Unfortunately for many of these companies, they were asked to pay millions of dollars to the poor victims of this heinous crime and as such many have applied for bankruptcy.
What is so alarming now is the fact that despite the information that people have observed and learned regarding the ill effects of the mineral asbestos, it still remains to be widely used in the production of many items in many places around the world. Many people, although thinking that they are wearing protection and thus they will be safe, continue to expose themselves to the harmful dusts and fibers of the mineral. Several laws continue to be studied and passed regarding this issue. And although regulations regarding asbestos are more stringent nowadays, this doesn’t in any way change the fact that this mineral pose more harm than good and that it has claimed victims from all over the world—in the form of mesothelioma.
What Is Mesothelioma?
One of the cancerous diseases that is fast becoming more common nowadays is mesothelioma. Regular and unprotected exposure to the harmful asbestos affects the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium, which is the body’s outer lining covering vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and the stomach. The long latency period of the disease makes it very difficult to diagnose it at its early ages. Mesothelioma treatments are still being researched and investigated, but sad to say, current treatments still remain futile.
If you have been working with asbestos over the past thirty to forty years, then you most likely have great risks of having the dreaded disease. To calculate, men who are presently in their sixties or seventies are the most likely to have been afflicted with the disease. Thirty to forty years ago, workers who were always exposed to the fibers and dust of asbestos were not wearing any protective masks or gears, hence, causing the abnormality in the cells found in the mesothelium. With the disease taking more than a couple of decades before it becomes fully developed, these men are oblivious to the fact they have actually been mesothelioma stricken already. Several multimillion-dollar lawsuits have been filed by these workers against their employers who made them worked under the hazardous conditions of being exposed to these dangers.
Also, those who have had regular contact with people who have worked with asbestos run the risk of getting the disease themselves. Because the dust and fibers of asbestos easily cling to clothes, hair, and skin, workers were obviously passing the same fibers and dust to family members who would eventually suffer from the same fate of having mesothelioma, respiratory problems, and other similar diseases that may be asbestos related.
The organs that are greatly affected by the disease are the lungs and its surrounding tissues. Pleural mesothelioma, the form of mesothelioma that affects the lining of the lungs, is the most common of this cancer. Symptoms of this kind may include coughing, shortness of breath, weight loss, and swallowing difficulties. When the abdominal area is the one affected by the cancer, the disease is termed as peritoneal mesothelioma, whose symptoms may include weight loss and loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, pain or swelling of the stomach area, fever, and bowel obstruction. Pericardial mesothelioma is the last form of the cancer, which affects the heart and the tissues around it. Although the rarest form, symptoms may be all too common like abnormal palpitations, persistent coughing, and breathing difficulties.
Because symptoms of mesothelioma are shared by patients experiencing other diseases like pneumonia, people suffering from it may be misdiagnosed. It is therefore important for people who have been exposed to dust and fibers of asbestos to consult their doctors immediately and inform them so. This will assist the doctors and specialists to be more conscious and aware of the inevitable probabilities and possibilities in case some symptoms may begin to appear. Although prevention is still better than cure, an early diagnosis of the disease will contribute a lot in the effective and speedy treatment of the cancer. Without the necessary data and facts, a doctor and even a specialist may not be able to successfully give accurate diagnoses to the patient.
It is sad to note, however, that current treatments for the disease remain at a low success rate especially on those who are at the later stages of the illness. As with any disease, the faster the symptoms of the disease are diagnosed, the higher the chances of treating it. It should go without saying that the speedier the diagnosis, the better.
Surgery, chemotherapy, palliative therapy, radiation therapy are just a few of the current treatments available for mesothelioma patients. Other organizations including the National Institute of Cancer are into serious research and study to come up with not only an effective means to fight off the cancer but also to successfully get rid of it even at its later stages.
If you have been working with asbestos over the past thirty to forty years, then you most likely have great risks of having the dreaded disease. To calculate, men who are presently in their sixties or seventies are the most likely to have been afflicted with the disease. Thirty to forty years ago, workers who were always exposed to the fibers and dust of asbestos were not wearing any protective masks or gears, hence, causing the abnormality in the cells found in the mesothelium. With the disease taking more than a couple of decades before it becomes fully developed, these men are oblivious to the fact they have actually been mesothelioma stricken already. Several multimillion-dollar lawsuits have been filed by these workers against their employers who made them worked under the hazardous conditions of being exposed to these dangers.
Also, those who have had regular contact with people who have worked with asbestos run the risk of getting the disease themselves. Because the dust and fibers of asbestos easily cling to clothes, hair, and skin, workers were obviously passing the same fibers and dust to family members who would eventually suffer from the same fate of having mesothelioma, respiratory problems, and other similar diseases that may be asbestos related.
The organs that are greatly affected by the disease are the lungs and its surrounding tissues. Pleural mesothelioma, the form of mesothelioma that affects the lining of the lungs, is the most common of this cancer. Symptoms of this kind may include coughing, shortness of breath, weight loss, and swallowing difficulties. When the abdominal area is the one affected by the cancer, the disease is termed as peritoneal mesothelioma, whose symptoms may include weight loss and loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, pain or swelling of the stomach area, fever, and bowel obstruction. Pericardial mesothelioma is the last form of the cancer, which affects the heart and the tissues around it. Although the rarest form, symptoms may be all too common like abnormal palpitations, persistent coughing, and breathing difficulties.
Because symptoms of mesothelioma are shared by patients experiencing other diseases like pneumonia, people suffering from it may be misdiagnosed. It is therefore important for people who have been exposed to dust and fibers of asbestos to consult their doctors immediately and inform them so. This will assist the doctors and specialists to be more conscious and aware of the inevitable probabilities and possibilities in case some symptoms may begin to appear. Although prevention is still better than cure, an early diagnosis of the disease will contribute a lot in the effective and speedy treatment of the cancer. Without the necessary data and facts, a doctor and even a specialist may not be able to successfully give accurate diagnoses to the patient.
It is sad to note, however, that current treatments for the disease remain at a low success rate especially on those who are at the later stages of the illness. As with any disease, the faster the symptoms of the disease are diagnosed, the higher the chances of treating it. It should go without saying that the speedier the diagnosis, the better.
Surgery, chemotherapy, palliative therapy, radiation therapy are just a few of the current treatments available for mesothelioma patients. Other organizations including the National Institute of Cancer are into serious research and study to come up with not only an effective means to fight off the cancer but also to successfully get rid of it even at its later stages.
types of Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Arizona mesothelioma lawyers are there to help you claim damages when a former company may have been at fault by not telling you that you were working with asbestos. Settlements can often bring a million dollars - most of which will go to cover the cost of medical treatment.
Arizona ranks 22 in the nation for mesothelioma cases. If you are living with mesothelioma or with someone who has it, you are not alone in your struggle. Anyone suffering from this dangerous disease has a right to file a lawsuit. In Arizona, mesothelioma laws come under the personal injury category, and there are many lawyers who specialize in these cases.
A mesothelioma lawyer, with the help of a private investigator, can find out where the exposure to asbestos took place and pinpoint the company or individual responsible for the exposure. Once, the guilt is proved, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you cover medical treatment that is aggressive and life extending and cost thousands of dollars. They will also help you win compensation for pain and suffering. A good lawyer can help you force asbestos manufacturers to reimburse you for your sufferings and take life long responsibility for your livelihood.
The timely process of selecting and hiring the right lawyer can make the difference by securing a multimillion-dollar compensation for you and your family.
Arizona ranks 22 in the nation for mesothelioma cases. If you are living with mesothelioma or with someone who has it, you are not alone in your struggle. Anyone suffering from this dangerous disease has a right to file a lawsuit. In Arizona, mesothelioma laws come under the personal injury category, and there are many lawyers who specialize in these cases.
A mesothelioma lawyer, with the help of a private investigator, can find out where the exposure to asbestos took place and pinpoint the company or individual responsible for the exposure. Once, the guilt is proved, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you cover medical treatment that is aggressive and life extending and cost thousands of dollars. They will also help you win compensation for pain and suffering. A good lawyer can help you force asbestos manufacturers to reimburse you for your sufferings and take life long responsibility for your livelihood.
The timely process of selecting and hiring the right lawyer can make the difference by securing a multimillion-dollar compensation for you and your family.
types of Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Arizona mesothelioma lawyers are there to help you claim damages when a former company may have been at fault by not telling you that you were working with asbestos. Settlements can often bring a million dollars - most of which will go to cover the cost of medical treatment.
Arizona ranks 22 in the nation for mesothelioma cases. If you are living with mesothelioma or with someone who has it, you are not alone in your struggle. Anyone suffering from this dangerous disease has a right to file a lawsuit. In Arizona, mesothelioma laws come under the personal injury category, and there are many lawyers who specialize in these cases.
A mesothelioma lawyer, with the help of a private investigator, can find out where the exposure to asbestos took place and pinpoint the company or individual responsible for the exposure. Once, the guilt is proved, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you cover medical treatment that is aggressive and life extending and cost thousands of dollars. They will also help you win compensation for pain and suffering. A good lawyer can help you force asbestos manufacturers to reimburse you for your sufferings and take life long responsibility for your livelihood.
The timely process of selecting and hiring the right lawyer can make the difference by securing a multimillion-dollar compensation for you and your family.
Arizona ranks 22 in the nation for mesothelioma cases. If you are living with mesothelioma or with someone who has it, you are not alone in your struggle. Anyone suffering from this dangerous disease has a right to file a lawsuit. In Arizona, mesothelioma laws come under the personal injury category, and there are many lawyers who specialize in these cases.
A mesothelioma lawyer, with the help of a private investigator, can find out where the exposure to asbestos took place and pinpoint the company or individual responsible for the exposure. Once, the guilt is proved, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you cover medical treatment that is aggressive and life extending and cost thousands of dollars. They will also help you win compensation for pain and suffering. A good lawyer can help you force asbestos manufacturers to reimburse you for your sufferings and take life long responsibility for your livelihood.
The timely process of selecting and hiring the right lawyer can make the difference by securing a multimillion-dollar compensation for you and your family.
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the periton
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Arizona mesothelioma lawyers are there to help you claim damages when a former company may have been at fault by not telling you that you were working with asbestos. Settlements can often bring a million dollars - most of which will go to cover the cost of medical treatment.
Arizona ranks 22 in the nation for mesothelioma cases. If you are living with mesothelioma or with someone who has it, you are not alone in your struggle. Anyone suffering from this dangerous disease has a right to file a lawsuit. In Arizona, mesothelioma laws come under the personal injury category, and there are many lawyers who specialize in these cases.
A mesothelioma lawyer, with the help of a private investigator, can find out where the exposure to asbestos took place and pinpoint the company or individual responsible for the exposure. Once, the guilt is proved, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you cover medical treatment that is aggressive and life extending and cost thousands of dollars. They will also help you win compensation for pain and suffering. A good lawyer can help you force asbestos manufacturers to reimburse you for your sufferings and take life long responsibility for your livelihood.
The timely process of selecting and hiring the right lawyer can make the difference by securing a multimillion-dollar compensation for you and your family.
Arizona ranks 22 in the nation for mesothelioma cases. If you are living with mesothelioma or with someone who has it, you are not alone in your struggle. Anyone suffering from this dangerous disease has a right to file a lawsuit. In Arizona, mesothelioma laws come under the personal injury category, and there are many lawyers who specialize in these cases.
A mesothelioma lawyer, with the help of a private investigator, can find out where the exposure to asbestos took place and pinpoint the company or individual responsible for the exposure. Once, the guilt is proved, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you cover medical treatment that is aggressive and life extending and cost thousands of dollars. They will also help you win compensation for pain and suffering. A good lawyer can help you force asbestos manufacturers to reimburse you for your sufferings and take life long responsibility for your livelihood.
The timely process of selecting and hiring the right lawyer can make the difference by securing a multimillion-dollar compensation for you and your family.
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