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| Mesothelioma & Asbestos Cancer Information |
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Protect Against Mesothelioma by Avoiding Asbestos
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that attacks the body's mesothelial cells around the organs. The mesothelium provides a protective membranous lining for the internal organs and allows moving organs (i.e. the heart and the lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. The names of the three regions of mesothelial cells that provide protective coating are 1) pleura, the sac which surrounds the lungs; 2) peritoneum, the lining which protects the abdominal cavity; and 3) pericardium, the sac which surrounds the heart. Three different types of mesothelioma cancer attack these three different regions. Pleural mesothelioma: A type of lung cancer which attacks the pleura surrounding the lungs, this is the most common type of mesothelioma, affecting approximately two-thirds of all mesothelioma patients. Symptoms include horseness, fever, blood in sputum, swollen arms and face, coughing, loss of weight, difficulty breathing, chest pain, weak muscles, and reduced tactile sensitivity. Peritoneal mesothelioma: A cancer of the abdomen which attacks the peritoneum lining the abdominal cavity. This affects approximately one-third of all mesothelioma patients. Symptoms include abdominal bloating, impaired bowl function, fever, swollen feet, and nausea. Pericardial mesothelioma: This form of mesothelioma which attacks the pericardium surrounding the heart is extremely rare. Symptoms include chest pain, dyspnea, cough, and palpitations. Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a type of building material used in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles. In the United States, asbestos usage peaked during the 1950s - 1970s. During the late 1960s, concerns over the health consequences of asbestos exposure began to arise, thereby decreasing the amount of asbestos manufactured in next two decades. By the 1980s, a new industry of asbestos abatement began to flourish. But according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as many as 733,000 schools and public buildings still contain asbestos. Small asbestos fibers that enter the air do not evaporate and can remain suspended in the air for a long time. These fibers, when breathed into the body, are toxic. There are three types of asbestos exposure. Occupational asbestos exposure: People working in factories that manufacure asbestos are likely to have a high exposure to asbestos and are most at risk of developing asbestosis or mesothelioma. Paraoccupational asbestos exposure: Family members of workers exposed to asbestos in the workplace are susceptible to exposure from asbestos dust brought home by the worker on his clothes or skin. Neighborhood asbestos exposure: Those who live in the vicinity of an asbestos manufacturing plant are also at risk. Mesothelioma is still a relatively rare form of cancer. There are an estimated 2,000 - 3,000 new cases per year in the United States. Approximately 7-13 per one million male patients with a history of asbestos exposure contract mesothelioma. Diagnosis usually occurs 20-40 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Jimmy Atkinson writes for the Mesothelioma Reporter at http://www.mesotheliomareporter.org .
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Alternative Medicine Symptoms of Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is an extremely nasty and permanent cancer that infects the membrane surrounding most internal organs. It is also a very subtle form of cancer providing only a few noticeable symptoms until it becomes extremely advanced. The most common type of mesothelioma is called pleural mesothelioma. It causes shortness of breath and/or chronic coughing that can easily be mixed up with allergies or a common cold. In many cases mesothelioma is discovered by accident when patients are looking into these symptoms. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include: Is Replacing the Lungs the Answer to Lung Cancer? Late stage lung cancers are some of the hardest to treat, but in the future scientists maybe able to grow human lungs and simply remove and replace the damaged lung. So far it appears that major steps have been made to make this feasible for lung transplants. In the United Kingdom a specialized team of researchers at the Imperial College London used embryonic stem cells and had them grow into cells found in the lungs of adults. Lung cells, which allow oxygen to cross into the blood stream where made. Although this maybe a decade or so away, it is possible to make this procedure a simple process. It is also theoretically possible to make these tissues from other types of adult stem cells, which avoids the political stem cell debates, which have been a firestorm of controversy, between religious doctrines and modern bio scientists. Currently it is hard for a lung cancer victim to get a transplant, which is a close enough match for a viable risk of rejection, but this could change all that some day. Mesothelioma Cancer - What to Tell Children The amount of information you should give them depends on their age and how grown up they are. Being honest is one thing but giving them all the information at once may be too much. Try spreading it out a bit to ease the shock of the inevitable outcome. Lung Cancer 101 What You Need to Know About Accounting about for 14% of all cancers and 28% of all cancer deaths, Lung Cancer is now the major cause of deaths (of both men and women) in the United States apart from being the most prevalent species of cancer. Lung Cancer is different from benign cancer tumours (which do not generally spread to other parts of the body affecting only the part which is hit by it) as Lung Cancer (having the ability to start anywhere in the respiratory systems or lungs) CAN spread to different organs of the body. How Is Mesothelioma Treated? Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. However, they may have been been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways. This could include working with asbestos or by home renovation using asbestos cement products or even by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos. The resulting disease is rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Asbestos Litigation Some Basic Facts About The Process When Should I Consult an Asbestos Attorney? How to Treat Mesothelioma from Asbestos Exposure There are many forms of treatment for Mesothelioma. Their effectiveness is on a cases by case basis. Here are five possible treatments that have been used: Mesothelioma Book - Review "Lean on Me" Cancer through a carer's eyes Lorraine Kember (2003) 130pp.ISBN 0 646 49969 6 Lung Cancer Discoveries There is a new way to treat lung cancer with four-dimensional protons. Sounds way out and kind of science fiction like, but there is some validity to the theory and on-going research. The 4D Proton treatment is different than that of the x-rays traditionally used in radiation type therapies. Protons can potentially obliterate lung tumors without damaging as much localized healthy tissue. There is currently lots of discussion of putting this new technology to work and it has been brought up at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine meeting in Seattle. The Asbestos Disaster - Who Is To Blame The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians were all aware of the health dangers of asbestos. It seems strange that the asbestos industry in many parts of the world chose to ignore the risks. Mesothelioma Tragically the word mesothelioma is becoming more and more well known, the mere mention of it striking fear into all of us for we know that it is associated with death. Asbestos is the reaper, mesothelioma its hand maiden. Mesothelioma Cancer: Early Warning Signs and Causes What is Mesothelioma? Asbestos Killed My Husband He was only a child when it begun -and he played as children do- in his yard with his toy cars and tip trucks But his sand was asbestos blue? Mesothelioma Cancer Mesothelioma is a type of cancer involving mesothelial tissues of body organs usually lungs or abdominal. It is often caused by exposure to asbestos. However, there are 30-50% of patients without any history of asbestos exposure. People who have received asbestos exposure of as little as one or two months to very low doses are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. Even people who wash clothes of asbestos exposed people are at risk. A person exposed to asbestos could develop mesothelioma after 50 years of exposure. Mesothelioma Cancer Diagnosed: Dealing With Emotions People deal with and react to having cancer in different ways. There really isn't a right or wrong way to behave or feel regarding this disease and it is easily forgotten that partners, family and friends will need support as well. Mesothelioma Lawsuit Mesothelioma is a cancer of the linings of the heart, chest and abdominal cavity and is caused by exposure to asbestos, either first hand from working in (usually industrial) sites which used asbestos or second hand from coming into contact with the clothes of a family member who worked on one of these sites. It is a dangerous cancer because of its long latency period, 20 to 50 years, and because its initial symptoms are similar to normal colds or pneumonia. It is an expensive and hard-to-cure cancer, but a mesothelioma lawyer can help you win the compensation owed to you by the business that put you in contact with the deadly asbestos. Asbestos - Mesothelioma Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral found in the ground and mined all over the world. It is so small it can only be identified under a microscope. In the past, asbestos was added to various products such as insulation to increase fire resistant properties. Asbestos exposure, especially of an extended duration, has been linked to mesothelioma and other health problems, including lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects cells in the lining of the chest and abdomen. The tissues in these areas are called the mesothelium, and they produce a lubricating fluid that allows the organs to move easily and without irritation or injury in the torso cavity. What You Need To Know About Lung Cancer Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells don't function right, divide very fast and produce too much tissue that forms a tumor. A leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women is probably lung cancer. This is the number one cause of cancer deaths surpassing breast cancer as the leading cause of deaths in women. Cancers that begin in the lungs are divided into two major types, the non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer depending on how the cells look under a microscope. Coping With Cancer-A Family View An often forgotten feature of dealing with cancer is what I call 'after the event'. That is, when your loved one has passed on. The coming months are a particular difficult time for such people. How to Sense Low Levels of Asbestos in Your Daily Environment My discovery came to me by accidentally removing an asbestos material in my home. The resulting condition of the whole house after this accident left me with a sore chest, dry and unbearably iching skin and eyes. My wife complained of extreme thirst and my oldest son, age 14, developed severe asthma. This all continued for five to six months. During this time I tried desparately to determine if we were living in an unsafe level of asbestos. The material that I had removed was tested and found to contain 20% crysitile asbestos. Air sampling proved to be unreliable because the area had been ventilated so well. But the furnishings, carpets, walls and all other personal belongings were covered the remnants of the demolition.Everyone wanted to play down the seriousness of the situation, but, to me it was obviously not a healthy environment.
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