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Types of Mesothelioma and Treatments

lginger — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:17:40 +0000

There are several types of mesothelioma such as pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common kind of asbestos lung cancer that affects the lining of the lungs.

An individual diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma may experience difficulty in swallowing and breathing, fever, coughing, unexplained weight loss and shortness of breath.

Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdominal area of the body. Symptoms of this type of mesothelioma include bowel obstruction, loss of appetite, vomiting and nausea as well as fever and pain in the stomach area.

The least common type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma that can affect the heart and the surrounding tissues. People diagnosed with this type of mesothelioma are likely to experience incessant coughing, difficulty breathing and palpitations.

Symptoms and Treatments for Asbestos Lung Cancer

Symptoms relating to mesothelioma are fairly common and can sometimes be misdiagnosed for other types of diseases. Patients that have previously lived or worked in conditions that exposed them to asbestos should immediately disclose this to the attending physician. In this way the possibility of asbestos lung cancer can be taken into consideration and early detection can lead to effective treatment.

Unfortunately medical tests such as chest x-rays are unable to detect the presence of asbestos fibers in the lungs. However, it may be able to spot the early signs of asbestos-related lung disease. A CAT scan or lung scan can also be used to examine changes in the lungs that may be attributed to asbestos lung cancer.

The existing medical remedies for mesothelioma are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, palliative therapy and surgery. However various clinical trials are being conducted by different organizations including the National Institute of Cancer to find effective treatments for asbestos lung cancer in later stages of the disease.

The Occurrence of Asbestos Lung Cancer

lginger — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 20:34:49 +0000

Asbestos lung cancer is medically referred to as mesothelioma, which is a form of lung cancer brought about by frequent unprotected exposure to the asbestos mineral. To date, there is no specific treatment for mesothelioma and current treatments have had poor results in clinical tests and studies.

The occurrence of asbestos lung cancer is more prevalent in male senior citizens who in their younger years worked in asbestos-related industries. In earlier years, asbestos was used extensively in various trades such as shipbuilding, construction, mining and the automotive industry. At the same time, there are thousands of products that contain asbestos such as floor tiles, textile products and paper products.

But due to the risk posed by exposure to asbestos, the United States has banned the use of the asbestos mineral in the production of various materials. The risk of contracting asbestos lung cancer depends on the extent of exposure and the kind of industry to which the individual works in. In some cases, only a small number of workers may develop mesothelioma.

Even finished products wherein asbestos has been bonded into like pipes, walls and tiles pose no risk to people provided that these are not smashed up or damaged by means of drilling or sawing. Once the material has been disturbed it releases asbestos fibers into the air that can easily be inhaled or swallowed by people. Asbestos fibers attack the respiratory tract and sometimes the digestive tract of the body that in time will develop into asbestos lung cancer.

Background on Asbestos

lginger — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:38:05 +0000

Asbestos is a mineral that is mined much like copper, iron and lead. However unlike other minerals, asbestos breaks into fine fibers when crushed. These fibers are too small for the human eye to see. Once airborne, asbestos fibers can easily be swallowed or inhaled by an individual without even knowing it.

Asbestos was once a popularly used in construction for fire and soundproofing, insulation and for decorative purposes. Asbestos became very popular because of its many advantages. To begin with, asbestos is a strong and elastic material that is not flammable. It is also a poor conductor of electricity but a very effective material for insulation. In addition, it is resistant to rust. Unfortunately asbestos has been proven to be very harmful to people.

In the United States, there are more than 800,000 schools and public buildings across the country that has asbestos containing materials. But because of the danger posed by asbestos, the government has prohibited the production, processing and import of products with asbestos.

The Three Possible Ways of Contracting Asbestos Cancer

There are three possible ways for an individual to fall victim to asbestos cancer. The most common cause of an asbestos-related cancer is occupational exposure. This mainly affects people who work in the construction industry. Builders who renovate and refurbish buildings with asbestos causing materials are at great risk of developing asbestos cancer due to direct exposure.

Other industries that may put workers at risk of asbestos cancer are brake repairs for automobiles, mining and manufacturing of asbestos and shipbuilding. People that work in these types of businesses should use protective masks to protect them against asbestos fibers in the air.

The families of people whose work exposes them to asbestos are also at risk of developing asbestos cancer. This is known as paraoccupational exposure wherein family members become indirectly exposed to asbestos. More often than not, asbestos fibers will adhere to the clothes of builders exposed to asbestos at the work site. Families will end up inhaling the asbestos fibers released from the clothes that have been infected.

Even people who are not directly exposed to asbestos containing materials or those that do not work in an asbestos-related environment can contract asbestos cancer. People that work or live in an area contaminated by asbestos can get asbestos cancer through neighborhood exposure as asbestos fibers are can easily be released into the atmosphere during operations.

Facts About Asbestos Cancer

lginger — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 19:33:06 +0000

Asbestos cancer is the result of direct or indirect high-level exposure to asbestos containing materials or ACM. The onslaught of an asbestos related cancer is not immediate. Asbestos-related cancer develops over time due to constant exposure. In most cases, asbestos cancer may take years to develop but in the end can be fatal.

Asbestos is a recognized carcinogen or cancer causing agent that mainly affects the lungs. Although there are cases wherein the asbestos fibers may also enter other parts of the body such as the intestines, esophagus, stomach, kidneys or the pancreas.

Constant exposure to asbestos alters the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Eventually, scar-like tissue builds up gradually in the lungs and the surrounding membrane. Scarring of the lungs is a condition referred to as asbestosis. The most common symptoms of asbestosis are shortness of breath, repeated coughing and at times, heart enlargement.

What Are The Symptoms Of Lung Cancer?

lginger — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 18:10:11 +0000

If the person feels some pain in the chest or coughs out blood, there is a very strong chance that the individual has lung cancer. This disease can happen to anyone regardless of gender or age and is the number one cause of cancer in the United States.

Lung cancer happens when cells in the lungs grow rapidly then spread to nearby tissues throughout the entire body. This usually develops in the lining of the bronchi and is made up of a collection of diseases.

Lung cancer is caused by a variety of things. The most common is still from smoking. The person can also get this disease by working in places where asbestos, nickel, chromium, arsenic, uranium and diesel exhaust fumes are present that are usually found in industrial sites.

Non smokers can also get lung cancer due to secondary smoking. This is when the person inhales the fumes from the cigarette or from air exhaled by the smoker. There are 2 types of lung cancer. The small cell and the non small cell. Though non small is more common, small cell is greatly attributed to smoking.

Other signs of lung cancer could be shortness of breath, weight loss, fatigue, recurring, swelling in the neck or face, pneumonia or bronchitis and Hemoptysis. This can happen in one form or in a combination. Since this disease is quite serious, it is best to consult the doctor regarding one’s condition.

People who are prone to lung cancer may be attributed to the family’s medical history, working environment and smoking habits. Should the individual fall into any of these 3 factors, there is a very strong possibility of being a victim of this disease.

Doctor’s can confirm this with a chest X-ray. If it appears to be abnormal, a CT scan will be conducted. Another way to check is by having a sputum cytology where the phlegm is checked for cancer cells.

Of all the tests, a biopsy is the best way to determine if the patient has cancer or not. This can be done by a bronchoscopy, thoracentesis or a thoracoscopy. Each of these tests requires the doctor to extract a sample that is checked under a microscope to confirm if the individual has lung cancer.

The symptoms of this disease are very similar to some sicknesses that are less serious. Because of the wrong diagnosis, this disease is often not treated in its early stages. If the patient gets lucky, a test for another condition detects it and treatment can be administered.

The most common forms of treating it are chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This is because the cancerous cells have already spread to other parts of the body which is a large area to cover.

Lung cancer is a disease that has taken the lives of millions around the world. Since there is no cure yet to stop this, the best thing that can be done is reducing the chances of it happening.

People who smoke should stop since it affects the user and the people in that area. If the environment that the individual works in has toxic fumes, it is best to relocate or to get another job. By being aware of the symptoms, the person may be able to fight this disease in the early stages rather than fighting a losing battle with its complications.

Mesothelioma Treatments

lginger — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 18:49:10 +0000

Treatment

Once the person has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is important that he submit himself for immediate treatment. However, in spite of the many treatments available, there is no particular treatment that can truly cure mesothelioma. To know more, here are five methods used to treat the disease with their corresponding results:

1. Chemotherapy

The hope for a cancer cure by means of chemical agents depends on an understanding of the biochemical and metabolic differences between normal and neoplastic cells that enable tumor cells to be destroyed while healthy tissue remains intact.

The chemotherapeutic drugs are given orally, intravenously, or intramuscularly into the systemic circulation or intra-arterially, depending on the drug and the carcinoma.

2. Surgery

This is usually utilized in fusion with before and after operational “adjuvant” treatment. However, the only drawback with this method is that it has proven to be very defective with a clear manifestation of less than 10% “survival rate” in a span of 5 years.

3. Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

This is usually executed by removing the tumor through the use of a “chemotherapy agent” within the heat range of 40 to 48 degrees. This agent is applied in the abdomen. After which, the liquid is “perfuse” for about 60 minutes up to 120 minutes before draining the fluid.

The process of heating the tumors eventually destroys the cancerous cells, though, some normal cells are damaged during the process.

4. Radiation

Even if the cancerous cells are said to be dead set against radiotherapy, these routines are a little bit used to alleviate indications of mesothelioma from “tumor metastases”. One great example is the obstruction of the main blood vessel.

5. Immunotherapy

Actions involving “immunotherapy” have succumbed erratic results. This process of healing with the goal of increasing the immune system of the patient was found to be useless as far as the disease is concerned.

Indeed, these treatments may or may not cure the cancer of mesothelium. And so the best thing to do is to prevent from accumulating and developing the disease. Avoid getting near any materials made of asbestos.

As they say, prevention is better than cure.

What is Mesothelioma?

lginger — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:23:52 +0000

People generally acquire the diseases in the environment. Once the body is exposed to some harmful chemicals, any probable reactions inside may cause some serious health problems.

Such is the case of those people who have mesothelioma or cancer of the mesothelium. This is because people who have this uncommon cancer usually develop the disease after having been exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos are sets of stringy “metamorphic minerals” from the class of “hydrous magnesium silicate.” It has many uses. The most functional of all is when it is being used in the construction of houses because of its defiance against fire.

The only problem with asbestos is that when a person gets to inhale its dust form, the “glass-like” grains stay in the lungs, thus, causing some respiratory problems. Experts say that when people inhale asbestos, it becomes carcinogenic or it has the ability to develop cancer. And one of the common results of inhaling asbestos is the mesothelioma.

In the United States alone, almost 10 thousand people die every year due to diseases that were triggered by inhalation of asbestos such as mesothelioma.

Cancerous Symptoms

The cancer of the mesothelium or mesothelioma starts when the cancerous cells are developed in the area. Mesothelium refers to the defensive sheet that shields the internal organs of the body. It is commonly found at the surface of the chest cavity and the lungs known as the pleura.

For this reason, people who are exposed and have inhaled asbestos may develop mesothelioma because the dust particles of the asbestos may thrive within the mesothelium of the lungs.

The development of the disease is not abrupt. In fact, health experts say that a person may not experience any symptoms of the disease until after 30 to 50 years subsequent to exposure.

However, specialists suggest that once an individual experiences gasping or shortness of breath and excruciating throbbing in the chest, it would be better to submit himself for physical examination. This kind of symptoms usually indicates “pleural mesothelioma”.

Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer

lginger — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:33:51 +0000

Here are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer:

1. A cough that goes on for more than two weeks

2. Large volume of sputum and change in its color

3. Back, shoulder and chest pain

4. Presence of blood in sputum

5. Constant wheezing

6. Difficulty in breathing

7. Hoarse voice

8. Tiredness

9. Appetite loss

10. Aching joints and recurring headache

11. Bone fractures not caused by accidents

12. Memory loss

13. Swelling of the face and neck

14. Drastic weight loss

To test if one is a lung cancer victim and to find out more about the improvement of the chances of survival, the following tests will be conducted:

1. Physical examination

2. Chest examination

3. Computed Tomography or CAT scan

4. Chest X-ray

5. Positron Emission Tomography or PET scan

6. Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI

7. Sputum cytology

8. Biopsy

9. Bronchoscopy

As for stages, small cell lung cancer has two: the limited and extensive stage. The former is when the tumor is found in one lung and has spread to the lymph nodes near the area. The latter is when the tumor has spread to other organs.

For the non-small cell lung cancer, there is Stage 1 wherein a tumor is found only in one lung. Stage 2 is when it has spread to the lymph nodes near the lung. When the tumor has found itself in the diaphragm and chest wall, that’s already stage 3a. Stage 3b is when tumor has gone beyond the lung and into the neck. Stage 4 is when the tumor has spread to other parts of the body other than the chest.

There are three types of treatment for lung cancer: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

All is not lost when one finds himself afflicted with lung cancer. He just has to be aware of the treatments and actively participate in them for speedy recovery.

Lung Cancer Types

lginger — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 20:17:22 +0000

“Cigarette smoking is dangerous for your health”.

We hear that advisory all the time. There is that emphasis on the word - “dangerous”. Indeed cigarette smoking is one of the reasons why lung cancer takes place. About 90 percent of lung cancers are connected with smoking. Indeed, lung cancer is not an easy matter. It destroys. It kills.

Lung cancer is the unstoppable growth of abnormal and malformed cells in one or both lungs. Such cells multiply at a rapid speed until a tumor is formed, disrupting the lung and making it function malevolently.

Risk factors of lung cancer include smoking nonstop, exposure to asbestos and radon gas, exposure to arsenic and other industrial components, exposure to radiation, air pollution and having been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Take note that there were 163, 510 cases of lung caner reported in 2005, making it one of the most common and pronounced killer diseases in America.

There are different types of lung cancer. Lung cancer can be categorized into two: non-small cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer makes up eighty percent of this disease. The tumors involved are the following: epidermold carcinoma (or squamous cell carcinoma) that is seen in the bronchial tubes’ lining and known as the most prevalent among men; adenocarcinoma which is located in the lungs’ mucus glands and is very common among women; bronchioalveolar carcinoma and large-cell undifferentiated carcinomas.

Twenty percent of lung cancers belongs to the small cell lung cancer category. The cells involved are small but they grow at a fast rate and become big tumors in a short time. Smoking accounts for this lung cancer type.