Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer of organ linings. Two types of mesothelioma are peritoneal mesothelioma and pleural mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdominal cavity and pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the chest wall and lining of the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma (or lung mesothelioma) is more common than peritoneal mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an asbestos cancer. Exposure to asbestos often takes place at job sites. Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma worked with asbestos containing products such brake pads, roofing shingles and tiles. Workers at high risk of asbestos exposure include mechanics, electricians, plumbers and construction workers.
Mesothelioma symptoms and symptoms of other asbestos-related cancers often manifest decades after exposure to asbestos. Asbestos exposure usually occurs by inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they become trapped in organs such as the lungs. These fibers can lead to the development of asbestos cancer decades later. Mesothelioma symptoms that a patient exhibits can vary depending on the type of mesothelioma involved. Common mesothelioma symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing of blood, abdominal swelling, night sweats, fever and unexplained weight loss.
Mesothelioma cancer has four stages of development. Accurate identification of the stage is important for the purpose of treatment. In the first stage of mesothelioma, the cancer is local to its point of origin in the body. In the second stage, the cancer has spread to regions of the body near the point of origin. In the third stage, mesothelioma has usually spread to more distant areas. In the fourth stage, the cancer can be found in the most remote areas of the body.
Presently, there is no cure for mesothelioma. However, there are mesothelioma treatments techniques that can be effective if applied during the early stages of mesothelioma. These treatment techniques include radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy and surgery. Unfortunately, not all patients benefit from these treatment techniques. Patients whose cancer is at an advanced stage may not be eligible for one or more mesothelioma treatment approaches. However, there are many clinical trials underway for experimental drugs designed to treat mesothelioma. Mesothelioma patients should speak to their doctors about participating in these clinical trials.
People who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma should also consider contacting an experienced mesothelioma attorney. Asbestos exposure often occurs through the recklessness of companies in the asbestos industry. Many companies knew of the lethal dangers of asbestos but failed to disclose those dangers for the sake of protecting business interests. Further, many companies in the asbestos industry failed to provide protective equipment such as masks that could have prevented exposure to asbestos. As such, people suffering from mesothelioma may be entitled to file legal claims against companies responsible for their exposure to asbestos.
Showing posts with label asbestos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asbestos. Show all posts
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer
Mesothelioma is one of the most uncommon forms of cancer. It generally affects the lungs, heart or abdominal organs. The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma. The pleuron is a slight membrane between the chest cavity and the lungs. The lubrication it gives does not allow the lungs to get grazed when they come in contact with the chest wall. Pleural mesothelioma is also known as ""lung"" cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma is another form of mesothelioma. The membrane that envelops the abdomen's organs is known as the peritoneum. While it is less common than pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is more invasive and consequently more fatal for the patient.
Mesotheliomas are either easily curable or malignant. The most widespread form of mesothelioma is the "diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma". This tumor is invasive and destructive. It characteristically spreads quickly to the lungs' surface, heart or abdominal organs. Life expectancy for patients afflicted by this cancer usually ranges between four months to two years. Of course, that depends a lot on myriad factors, like the stage of the disease's detection, the patient's health etc. With appropriate care, some patients have survived for a number of years.
Early diagnosis and surgery may elongate life expectancy. Surgery may not be a feasible option, however, for older or weaker patients. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy can help in the overall program. Home care and pain management are other alternatives during the later stages of the malignancy.
Automobile mechanics, painters, plasterers, pipe fitters, plumbers, shipyard workers and welders, to name a few, are in regular contact with asbestos and thus in greater danger of getting the disease than individuals of other professions.
Generally, it is believed that sustained exposure to asbestos is more liable to give one mesothelioma. However, some individuals with short but severe exposures have developed this malignancy. Also, a person can get this disease indirectly. Women, while washing the clothes of men (son, husband) who work with asbestos, can develop the cancer.
Mesotheliomas are either easily curable or malignant. The most widespread form of mesothelioma is the "diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma". This tumor is invasive and destructive. It characteristically spreads quickly to the lungs' surface, heart or abdominal organs. Life expectancy for patients afflicted by this cancer usually ranges between four months to two years. Of course, that depends a lot on myriad factors, like the stage of the disease's detection, the patient's health etc. With appropriate care, some patients have survived for a number of years.
Early diagnosis and surgery may elongate life expectancy. Surgery may not be a feasible option, however, for older or weaker patients. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy can help in the overall program. Home care and pain management are other alternatives during the later stages of the malignancy.
Automobile mechanics, painters, plasterers, pipe fitters, plumbers, shipyard workers and welders, to name a few, are in regular contact with asbestos and thus in greater danger of getting the disease than individuals of other professions.
Generally, it is believed that sustained exposure to asbestos is more liable to give one mesothelioma. However, some individuals with short but severe exposures have developed this malignancy. Also, a person can get this disease indirectly. Women, while washing the clothes of men (son, husband) who work with asbestos, can develop the cancer.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Mesothelioma. How do doctors diagnose of asbestos cancer? Part 2
Continued from part 1.
If the effusion is suspicious for some infection or cancer, sample of the fluid may give the clue whether the cause is benign or malignant. However, four out of five tests may miss the cancer. Eventually, the biopsy of the pleura by a needle or by a surgical procedure confirms the diagnosis of the mesothelioma.
For abdominal mesothelioma, an abdominal x-ray checks the fluid in your belly.
Sometime an x-ray may show not only effusions, but also mass, or signs of asbestos accumulation, pleural plaques and calcifications or scarring due to asbestosis and chronic inflammation.
Drain of the fluid is done by needle in the chest or abdominal cavity. The name is thoracocentesis or pleural aspiration from chest, and abdoparacentesis or peritoneal aspiration in tummy.
At modern days the CT (computerized tomography) scan is used more often. CT is a special x-ray machine that shows sliced images of your body. CT scan of chest or abdomen shows the swellings in organs, cavities, and lymph nodes. A contrast dye may help to the scan. CT scans show pleural effusion, pleural thickening, pleural calcification, spreading of tumor into chest wall. However, CT do not really distinguish benign asbestos disease, lung cancer or mesothelioma. Doctors also use CT scans for guiding needle aspiration of suspicious pleural masses.
Thoracoscopy is the procedure when a surgeon makes small cut in your chest wall between two ribs and looks through a thoracoscope (a tool with a video camera). The biopsy (tissue sample) goes to a lab to check for cancer cells.
Bronchoscopy allows doctors to look inside the airways. A thin flexible tube (bronchoscope) helps to get samples of tissue and send them sent to a lab for testing for cancer cells.
Mediastinoscopy checks mediastinum (the area in chest containing heart, great blood vessels, lymph nodes, esophagus, nerves and so on). Mediastinoscopy allows sampling lymph nodes in your body to look for metastases.
Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure when doctors look inside of your belly with a small camera-fitted tube. The surgeons will biopsy suspicious areas. The bioptate (the tissue sample) goes to the laboratory. A pathologist checks it under a microscope. Laparoscopy leaves a small cut on the skin of your belly. Another name of the same procedure is peritoneoscopy. The tool is named peritoneoscope.
Putting a needle into your abdomen and removing the fluid inside is named paracentesis Putting a needle into your chest and draining the fluid is named thoracentesis.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan gives a sliced picture of the inside of your body. It is better than X-ray or CT scan because there is no radiation of your body. However it requires significant time. Sometimes it takes up to 20 minutes. And some people afraid to stay in the machine for half an hour required for the test. Besides MRI has a limitation. The test requires avoiding metals in your bodies (like metal joints and other metal implants). MRI is not a routine test, so sometime it is not ordered. Magnetic Resonance Imaging is most commonly ordered to determine the extent of tumor to plan the surgery. MRI also easier than CT scans shows enlarged lymph nodes and surface of diaphragm and this is important for surgical planning.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) came recently for diagnosing different type of cancers and mesothelioma as well. PET uses special radioactive substances that emit positrons. Localized mesothelioma is confined to the pleura. Advanced mesothelioma spreads to the lungs, chest wall, abdomen and lymph nodes.
Pathological examination checks biopsy samples under the microscope It is difficulty to diagnose mesothelioma sometime. The cells of the tumor may be of many different types. These cells may look similar to other cancers. Peritoneal cells may look similar to pleural mesothelioma or other types of lung cancer and even ovarian cancer. Epithelioid type of mesothelioma is more common and considered better for treatment more than aggressive sarcomatous type. Biphasic mesothelioma is the mixture of both.
Doctors and scientists also proposed some immunological makers to find mesothelioma, however majority of the markers are not very specific. Just to mention: Epithelial membrane antigen, CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen √ very unspecific, may happen in many different cancers), Calretinin, Mesothelin, Cytokeratin, osteopontin and some others.
So, to recap, the tests used by doctors:
*X-rays
*CT scan
*Thoracocentesis
*Paracentesis
*Thoracoscopy
*Bronchoscopy
*MRI scan
*Mediastinoscopy
*Laparoscopy
*All kinds of biopsy
The diagnosis is done after careful evaluation of complaints, physical exam and imaging in addition to the biopsy.
Keywords: Diagnosis, asbestos cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, mesothelioma symptoms, peritoneal mesothelioma, lung cancer
If the effusion is suspicious for some infection or cancer, sample of the fluid may give the clue whether the cause is benign or malignant. However, four out of five tests may miss the cancer. Eventually, the biopsy of the pleura by a needle or by a surgical procedure confirms the diagnosis of the mesothelioma.
For abdominal mesothelioma, an abdominal x-ray checks the fluid in your belly.
Sometime an x-ray may show not only effusions, but also mass, or signs of asbestos accumulation, pleural plaques and calcifications or scarring due to asbestosis and chronic inflammation.
Drain of the fluid is done by needle in the chest or abdominal cavity. The name is thoracocentesis or pleural aspiration from chest, and abdoparacentesis or peritoneal aspiration in tummy.
At modern days the CT (computerized tomography) scan is used more often. CT is a special x-ray machine that shows sliced images of your body. CT scan of chest or abdomen shows the swellings in organs, cavities, and lymph nodes. A contrast dye may help to the scan. CT scans show pleural effusion, pleural thickening, pleural calcification, spreading of tumor into chest wall. However, CT do not really distinguish benign asbestos disease, lung cancer or mesothelioma. Doctors also use CT scans for guiding needle aspiration of suspicious pleural masses.
Thoracoscopy is the procedure when a surgeon makes small cut in your chest wall between two ribs and looks through a thoracoscope (a tool with a video camera). The biopsy (tissue sample) goes to a lab to check for cancer cells.
Bronchoscopy allows doctors to look inside the airways. A thin flexible tube (bronchoscope) helps to get samples of tissue and send them sent to a lab for testing for cancer cells.
Mediastinoscopy checks mediastinum (the area in chest containing heart, great blood vessels, lymph nodes, esophagus, nerves and so on). Mediastinoscopy allows sampling lymph nodes in your body to look for metastases.
Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure when doctors look inside of your belly with a small camera-fitted tube. The surgeons will biopsy suspicious areas. The bioptate (the tissue sample) goes to the laboratory. A pathologist checks it under a microscope. Laparoscopy leaves a small cut on the skin of your belly. Another name of the same procedure is peritoneoscopy. The tool is named peritoneoscope.
Putting a needle into your abdomen and removing the fluid inside is named paracentesis Putting a needle into your chest and draining the fluid is named thoracentesis.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan gives a sliced picture of the inside of your body. It is better than X-ray or CT scan because there is no radiation of your body. However it requires significant time. Sometimes it takes up to 20 minutes. And some people afraid to stay in the machine for half an hour required for the test. Besides MRI has a limitation. The test requires avoiding metals in your bodies (like metal joints and other metal implants). MRI is not a routine test, so sometime it is not ordered. Magnetic Resonance Imaging is most commonly ordered to determine the extent of tumor to plan the surgery. MRI also easier than CT scans shows enlarged lymph nodes and surface of diaphragm and this is important for surgical planning.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) came recently for diagnosing different type of cancers and mesothelioma as well. PET uses special radioactive substances that emit positrons. Localized mesothelioma is confined to the pleura. Advanced mesothelioma spreads to the lungs, chest wall, abdomen and lymph nodes.
Pathological examination checks biopsy samples under the microscope It is difficulty to diagnose mesothelioma sometime. The cells of the tumor may be of many different types. These cells may look similar to other cancers. Peritoneal cells may look similar to pleural mesothelioma or other types of lung cancer and even ovarian cancer. Epithelioid type of mesothelioma is more common and considered better for treatment more than aggressive sarcomatous type. Biphasic mesothelioma is the mixture of both.
Doctors and scientists also proposed some immunological makers to find mesothelioma, however majority of the markers are not very specific. Just to mention: Epithelial membrane antigen, CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen √ very unspecific, may happen in many different cancers), Calretinin, Mesothelin, Cytokeratin, osteopontin and some others.
So, to recap, the tests used by doctors:
*X-rays
*CT scan
*Thoracocentesis
*Paracentesis
*Thoracoscopy
*Bronchoscopy
*MRI scan
*Mediastinoscopy
*Laparoscopy
*All kinds of biopsy
The diagnosis is done after careful evaluation of complaints, physical exam and imaging in addition to the biopsy.
Keywords: Diagnosis, asbestos cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, mesothelioma symptoms, peritoneal mesothelioma, lung cancer
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Types of cancer, the connection with asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fibrous mineral, known to Greeks as "miracle mineral" due to its durability, flexibility, and resistance to heat and chemical damages. Asbestos is composed of long and thin fibers that become airborne when damaged and disturbed. In the United States, the mineral is used in numerous industries and about 3,000 commercial products including: vinyl tiles, caulk, roofing and ceiling tiles, brakes shores, textiles, insulation, cement, and many more. It is used as fireproofing and insulating material in factories, schools, homes, and ships.
What are the Types of Cancer Caused by Asbestos?
Despite the many uses of asbestos, it is now considered as hazardous to public health. Studies have finally found out heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos causes several serious illnesses to people.
Mesothelioma. This is a rare type of cancer that is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Even though the incidence rate has decreased in recent years, about 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed every year in the US.
There are three types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs and considered as the most common. Peritoneal and pericardial esothelioma affect the membrane that surrounds the abdominal cavity and the heart, respectively.
The prognosis is poor because condition is often diagnosed in the advanced stages; mainly because symptoms are typically late to appear. There is no cure but different treatment options are available.
Lung Cancer. This disease is not directly linked to asbestos exposure; but the risk gets higher when combined with smoking.
Laryngeal Cancer. There is some evidence that links asbestos as cause of cancer of the larynx (or voice box).
Kidney Cancer. Many studies have shown that asbestos may also cause this type of cancer.
Other cancerous illnesses include: colon, intestinal, esophageal, and gallbladder.
Who is at Risk for Asbestos-Related Cancer?
People who are exposed to asbestos are holding high-risk occupations like: construction and demolition, shipbuilding and shipyard work, drywall removal and installation, auto brake repair, firefighting, and fireproofing.
Asbestos is not harmful when still whole and intact. When disturbed and damaged, it releases microscopic fibers into air. When inhaled or ingested by humans, these fibers get lodged in the tissues and cause inflammation that can lead to malignant tumor.
David Austin is an Attorney focused on complex injury cases. You can learn more about Cancers Associated with Asbestos at his website. http://www.Burke-Eisner.com
Friday, August 6, 2010
What is mesothelioma (asbestos cancer)?
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is believed to affect around 2000 people in the UK each year. It develops when the cells of the mesothelium (a thin membrane that covers the chest and abdomen) start to multiply in a rapid and uncontrollable way and can take up to 60 years to fully develop. In this article I will be discussing this type of cancer in greater detail.
As I already said asbestos cancer develops in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is actually divided into two parts. The first is the pleura which lines the lungs. The pleura is comprised of an inner layer and an outer layer which slide over each other as you breath. If it develops in this area it is known as pleural mesothelioma and it causes the two layers to become thicker. The second is the peritoneum which lines the abdomen and it also has an inner layer and an outer layer. If it affects this area it is known as peritoneal mesothelioma and it also causes these layers to become thicker.
Both types can be very painful and lead to a number of undesirable symptoms. Pleural mesothelioma can cause breathlessness, coughing and chest pain. It can also lead to pleural effusion where lubricating fluid in the lungs becomes trapped between the inner and outer layers of the pleura. Peritoneal mesothelioma can lead to abdominal pain, bowel problems and it swelling in the abdomen.
Almost every asbestos cancer diagnosis is caused by exposure to that very substance. In the past asbestos was a very popular construction material in the UK. However, as people became more knowledgeable they learnt about the dangers associated with this material. In particular they discovered that the very fine fibres that make up asbestos are easily released when the material is handled. This led to a complete ban on the importing and use of asbestos being imposed in the UK in 1999.
Asbesos cancer is a very rare type of cancer and is believed to affect one person in every million. However, it can be deadly. If you have previously been exposed to asbestos you should go see your doctor right away and explain your concerns. Even if it turns out that you do not have this type of cancer it is better to be safe than sorry.
Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Mesothelioma is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.
Tom Parker owns and operates a number of useful fitness resources and websites. You can learn more about mesothelioma and how improving your fitness can help you prevent cancer by visiting Free Fitness Tips.
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