Malignant pleural mesothelioma affects the lungs and is one of the three types of mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by direct exposure to asbestos. Each year, two thirds of pleural mesothelioma cases are diagnosed. The grim statistics should alert you to the silent slow killer.
Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that is triggered by direct inhalation of asbestos. This substance is a fragrance-free and neutral colored substance that exists in majority of building materials. The key body organs such as the lungs, heart, and the abdominal organs are affected. The mesothelioma cancer types are not all harmful but there is one benign form which gets the lungs affected. Sixty-six percent of the three thousand latest cases of mesothelioma diagnoses are found to be malignant pleural mesothelioma.
The pleural area is believed to be the first point of attack where the disease will focus into. However, pleural mesothelioma has said to have no type of benign form. Once a tumor develops within the lung area, it will greatly affect the protective membranes of pleural cells of your lungs and the chest cavity. The lungs breathe with the help of pleural tissues by emitting a lubricating fluid that shields the lungs from the chest ribs. They expand fast to nearby organs and tissues, not to mention the pain being caused and other harsh symptoms when the pleura gets invaded by the malignant cells.
Unfortunately, there has never been any identified initial symptom of the disease. Indications such as pains on chest, constant coughs, or shortness of breath are not related immediately with the disease frequently delaying the diagnosis. Patients would complain on experiencing fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss most of the time. Other patients will not experience any symptoms but fluid build-up will sometimes get reflected on their chest X-rays, called as pleural effusion. This can happen to both of your lungs but would normally commence on the right lung.
Studies have shown that this disease can hit individuals at any age and have an effect on men five times more than women. On the other hand, Caucasians are more inclined to acquire the disease than African Americans. The disease will manifest when people reach their fifties or seventies, a number of years after they have taken in or got exposed to asbestos.
Construction workers such as pipe fitters, roofers, insulators, building and house painters, electrical technicians, and building technicians are very much susceptible to acquiring the disease most especially if they had been in direct contact with asbestos. Asbestos-free materials used for construction were available way back. During the 50s and early 70s, construction workers who have been exposed to the substance will most likely suffer with the disease years later even they have switched on to a better working environment. The said disease is fittingly expressed as a slow silent killer.
It was identified that no medications are there to avoid malignant pleural mesothelioma. You have to take preventive measures by inviting an expert on asbestos to make sure that there is no substance present in your own house. Home appliances such as the stove top, telephone, fire-resistant rugs and other appliances would have asbestos.
Never handle asbestos. If your house has been found that asbestos is present then let them do their work by having it removed. Check carefully that your neighbors or nearby surrounding do not work with asbestos. If anyone close to you is working with asbestos, this increases the probability of you being contaminated as it clings to the skin and clothes effortlessly. It is recommended not to rent old apartment buildings as these would have paint, asbestos insulation, or wirings. The use of asbestos is no longer widespread these days but it will always be best to be careful and prevent possible contact with the said substance.
Do you want to learn about asbestos cancer mesothelioma plus learn about the treatment of mesothelioma. Find out about law and getting treatment for your disease
Asbestos Cancer Mesothelioma: The Dreadful Facts
Asbestos cancer mesothelioma finds it home in the bronchi’s linings. The bronchi are the tubes separating the windpipes and the trachea. But this cancer can start anywhere in the lung area, invading the trachea itself, the bronchioles, and the lung’s air sacs. The disease grows slowly and silently to invade other body organs.
The human lungs are complex organs with complex roles. The lungs are associated with the functioning of breathing, talking, the sinuses, and the lymph nodes in the throat. The complexity of the lungs’ function can take up a whole page here; this is just to show you the extent of the lungs importance in the body’s system.
When asbestos lung cancer strikes at the bronchi’s linings, symptoms such as breathing difficulties, swelling in the upper area of the body, and chest pains can occur singly or all at once, depending on the stage and severity of the lung cancer. The problem is, symptoms do not show up until the disease has attached itself and has grown and spread.
The asbestos in the system destroys the bronchial linings, causing them to perform poorly and cause the lungs to build up excessive fluids. A chest X-ray can reveal the severity of the build up indicating the advance of the disease.
Generally, lung cancers are classified according to the size of the cancer cells, the small cell cancer and the big cell cancer. The small round cancer cells and the big cancer cells can be present simultaneously in a condition called small/large cell cancer. However, do not be fooled by the size; small cancer cells can multiply and spread rapidly and form tumors, which travel to other organs.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is used for insulation materials and there are several types of asbestos. In its natural state, the mineral is white, blue, or brown. The curly Chrysotile asbestos is least dangerous and is still mined today but the other forms of asbestos, which are a threat to health, are still mined in many countries.
Asbestos is a carcinogen, and exposure to asbestos in the workplace results in different asbestos related diseases. Asbestos cancer mesothelioma is the worst asbestos-related cancer. When processed, asbestos is inhaled into the system and once it is in the system, there is no way to expel it. The fibrous type of asbestos can also be lodged on the skin and clothes without your noticing it because it is odorless and colorless.
If you are 70 or 40 years old and worked in the insulating and construction industries, or mined asbestos in its raw form, the chances of your having the disease is high. You must be alert to the growing weakness you feel, the chest pains in one side of the chest, bloating, and weight loss. These are the symptoms of the disease but a biopsy, split samples or an x-ray can confirm if indeed you have Asbestos cancer mesothelioma.
The human lungs are complex organs with complex roles. The lungs are associated with the functioning of breathing, talking, the sinuses, and the lymph nodes in the throat. The complexity of the lungs’ function can take up a whole page here; this is just to show you the extent of the lungs importance in the body’s system.
When asbestos lung cancer strikes at the bronchi’s linings, symptoms such as breathing difficulties, swelling in the upper area of the body, and chest pains can occur singly or all at once, depending on the stage and severity of the lung cancer. The problem is, symptoms do not show up until the disease has attached itself and has grown and spread.
The asbestos in the system destroys the bronchial linings, causing them to perform poorly and cause the lungs to build up excessive fluids. A chest X-ray can reveal the severity of the build up indicating the advance of the disease.
Generally, lung cancers are classified according to the size of the cancer cells, the small cell cancer and the big cell cancer. The small round cancer cells and the big cancer cells can be present simultaneously in a condition called small/large cell cancer. However, do not be fooled by the size; small cancer cells can multiply and spread rapidly and form tumors, which travel to other organs.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is used for insulation materials and there are several types of asbestos. In its natural state, the mineral is white, blue, or brown. The curly Chrysotile asbestos is least dangerous and is still mined today but the other forms of asbestos, which are a threat to health, are still mined in many countries.
Asbestos is a carcinogen, and exposure to asbestos in the workplace results in different asbestos related diseases. Asbestos cancer mesothelioma is the worst asbestos-related cancer. When processed, asbestos is inhaled into the system and once it is in the system, there is no way to expel it. The fibrous type of asbestos can also be lodged on the skin and clothes without your noticing it because it is odorless and colorless.
If you are 70 or 40 years old and worked in the insulating and construction industries, or mined asbestos in its raw form, the chances of your having the disease is high. You must be alert to the growing weakness you feel, the chest pains in one side of the chest, bloating, and weight loss. These are the symptoms of the disease but a biopsy, split samples or an x-ray can confirm if indeed you have Asbestos cancer mesothelioma.
Treatment of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma patients are provided traditional treatments but the treatments will vary and depend on the stage of the mesothelioma cancer. Traditional treatment of mesothelioma includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. These are applied separately or combined to get the best results. Newer treatments have emerged but are still under review and more testing.
Surgery is meant to remove the cancer or tumor and to relieve pain; chemotherapy uses cancer-fighting drugs, and radiation uses powerful dosage of x-rays to kill the cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is done intravenously in several sessions to kill the cancel cells and to stop them from dividing and spreading. In the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma, the drug is infused directly into the abdominal with the use of a catheter. This is used to shrink the tumor prior to surgery. It is also used to destroy left-over cells.
Radiation is applied to control the growth of malignant cells. Presently there are two kinds of radiation therapy for mesothelioma available. The internal radiation therapy, or brachytherapy, involves directly injecting the cancerous tissues with small amounts of radioactive material. External radiation involves the several sessions radiation is applied to stop the cancer cells from spreading.
Presently there are alternative treatments and experimental therapies under scrutiny, which promise new revolutionary ways in the treatment of mesothelioma but TIME is essential in any cancer treatment. Alternative treatment of mesothelioma lists acupuncture and massage as the more popular choices in the category. Meditation and yoga are introduced to help patients relax and lessen the pain.
Although these methods offer no absolute cure to mesothelioma cancer, it can be used in conjunction with traditional treatments. Experimental therapies such as photodynamic therapy, multimodality therapy, and immunotherapy are still being studied. Photodynamic therapy uses drugs and light to kill cancer cells. The drug goes to work they are stimulated by a certain light called the photoradiation therapy or photochemotherapy. The treatment is limited to the areas where light can reach.
Multimodality therapy is using a combination of treatments; the treatment was noted to have lesser negative impacts on the long-term impact. In this method, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are used. The principle of the treatment lies in the premise that the combination of treatments can kill off the primacy tumor and stop the spread of cancer cells. For a patient the combined treatment can be very physically and mentally exhausting, and expensive.
Immunotherapy is an application to stimulate the body’s immune system for the treatment of mesothelioma. The latest development in immunotherapy was the cloning of the body’s own immune cells to treat cancer. Immunotherapy promises to be an effective therapy for cancers in their very early stage.
Palliative treatment of mesothelioma is intended to ease pain in mesothelioma cancer patients. These include among other the fluid drainage, and controlling fluid build-up in the lungs. Whatever course of treatment is decided by the doctor, factors such as age of the patient, severity or stage of the cancer, and the general physical condition of the patient are always taken into account.
Surgery is meant to remove the cancer or tumor and to relieve pain; chemotherapy uses cancer-fighting drugs, and radiation uses powerful dosage of x-rays to kill the cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is done intravenously in several sessions to kill the cancel cells and to stop them from dividing and spreading. In the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma, the drug is infused directly into the abdominal with the use of a catheter. This is used to shrink the tumor prior to surgery. It is also used to destroy left-over cells.
Radiation is applied to control the growth of malignant cells. Presently there are two kinds of radiation therapy for mesothelioma available. The internal radiation therapy, or brachytherapy, involves directly injecting the cancerous tissues with small amounts of radioactive material. External radiation involves the several sessions radiation is applied to stop the cancer cells from spreading.
Presently there are alternative treatments and experimental therapies under scrutiny, which promise new revolutionary ways in the treatment of mesothelioma but TIME is essential in any cancer treatment. Alternative treatment of mesothelioma lists acupuncture and massage as the more popular choices in the category. Meditation and yoga are introduced to help patients relax and lessen the pain.
Although these methods offer no absolute cure to mesothelioma cancer, it can be used in conjunction with traditional treatments. Experimental therapies such as photodynamic therapy, multimodality therapy, and immunotherapy are still being studied. Photodynamic therapy uses drugs and light to kill cancer cells. The drug goes to work they are stimulated by a certain light called the photoradiation therapy or photochemotherapy. The treatment is limited to the areas where light can reach.
Multimodality therapy is using a combination of treatments; the treatment was noted to have lesser negative impacts on the long-term impact. In this method, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are used. The principle of the treatment lies in the premise that the combination of treatments can kill off the primacy tumor and stop the spread of cancer cells. For a patient the combined treatment can be very physically and mentally exhausting, and expensive.
Immunotherapy is an application to stimulate the body’s immune system for the treatment of mesothelioma. The latest development in immunotherapy was the cloning of the body’s own immune cells to treat cancer. Immunotherapy promises to be an effective therapy for cancers in their very early stage.
Palliative treatment of mesothelioma is intended to ease pain in mesothelioma cancer patients. These include among other the fluid drainage, and controlling fluid build-up in the lungs. Whatever course of treatment is decided by the doctor, factors such as age of the patient, severity or stage of the cancer, and the general physical condition of the patient are always taken into account.
Asbestos Poisoning: What You Need to Know
The rate of asbestos-related poisoning is increasing alarmingly. The 3000 new diagnosis yearly is an indication you should not ignore. Asbestos poisoning can happen to anyone. Asbestos is everywhere. It is in the air and drinking water from natural sources. It can be on those antique telephones and appliances dating back to the 30s and 60s. For all you know your house is sitting on top of an asbestos landfill.
Before turning on your panic button, understand that asbestos when not disturbed or damaged, can do no harm. The danger arises when asbestos-made materials or the minerals in rocks are pulverized. Hundreds and thousands of invisible and odorless threads of asbestos are inhaled into the lungs and the trouble starts.
Because it is inhaled, the lungs become the target area for the asbestos poisoning. Asbestosis is caused by the trapped asbestos fibers lodged in the lungs. The lungs start to fight back by secreting acids to dislodge the asbestos particles but the same acids can cause scarring of the lungs. When severe scarring occurs, lung impairment and pulmonary fibrosis result.
When the asbestos fibers penetrate the covering of the lung’s outer surface, plaques can form. When the plaques are widespread, lung function can be impaired and later on the plaques can lead to the growth of cancerous cells in the pleural area. Mesothelioma is also another result of asbestos poisoning. This cancer occurs in the mesothelial cells protecting the major organs, i.e. lungs, heart, and abdominal cavity. The cancer becomes lethal when it travels to other body organs.
Lung cancer (mesothelioma) is another result of exposure to asbestos. The disease develops in 35 years or 15 years. Once detected, it has to be surgically removed or blasted with cancer killing rays or treated with chemotherapy. It is a leading cause of mesothelioma. If the asbestos threads are lodge on the skin, one can develop asbestosis warts. The skin becomes inflamed and callous-like growths develop around the affected area. Generally, this is not life-threatening.
If you are in the real estate business of buying old houses and selling them after repairs and renovations, you are exposing yourself, the workers, and the new tenants to asbestos poisoning. Houses built in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and early 70s have asbestos insulation, wires, and pipes. During those times the dangers of asbestos was not understood. Have an asbestos expert evaluate the houses and remove the asbestos before starting repairs or demolishing the property.
Check out the vinyl flooring and insulation materials of your home or apartment and car pads or gaskets as these might contain asbestos. Just check it checked out by a trained expert. Get a booklet about asbestos; this will help you greatly to get around the deadly substance that can be found right in your own home.
Inform your family and friends about the dangers of asbestos that may be lurking in their homes. If you suspect that you might have asbestos poisoning, see a doctor immediately. The earlier you get medical advice treatments can be started for the poisoning caused by asbestos.
Before turning on your panic button, understand that asbestos when not disturbed or damaged, can do no harm. The danger arises when asbestos-made materials or the minerals in rocks are pulverized. Hundreds and thousands of invisible and odorless threads of asbestos are inhaled into the lungs and the trouble starts.
Because it is inhaled, the lungs become the target area for the asbestos poisoning. Asbestosis is caused by the trapped asbestos fibers lodged in the lungs. The lungs start to fight back by secreting acids to dislodge the asbestos particles but the same acids can cause scarring of the lungs. When severe scarring occurs, lung impairment and pulmonary fibrosis result.
When the asbestos fibers penetrate the covering of the lung’s outer surface, plaques can form. When the plaques are widespread, lung function can be impaired and later on the plaques can lead to the growth of cancerous cells in the pleural area. Mesothelioma is also another result of asbestos poisoning. This cancer occurs in the mesothelial cells protecting the major organs, i.e. lungs, heart, and abdominal cavity. The cancer becomes lethal when it travels to other body organs.
Lung cancer (mesothelioma) is another result of exposure to asbestos. The disease develops in 35 years or 15 years. Once detected, it has to be surgically removed or blasted with cancer killing rays or treated with chemotherapy. It is a leading cause of mesothelioma. If the asbestos threads are lodge on the skin, one can develop asbestosis warts. The skin becomes inflamed and callous-like growths develop around the affected area. Generally, this is not life-threatening.
If you are in the real estate business of buying old houses and selling them after repairs and renovations, you are exposing yourself, the workers, and the new tenants to asbestos poisoning. Houses built in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and early 70s have asbestos insulation, wires, and pipes. During those times the dangers of asbestos was not understood. Have an asbestos expert evaluate the houses and remove the asbestos before starting repairs or demolishing the property.
Check out the vinyl flooring and insulation materials of your home or apartment and car pads or gaskets as these might contain asbestos. Just check it checked out by a trained expert. Get a booklet about asbestos; this will help you greatly to get around the deadly substance that can be found right in your own home.
Inform your family and friends about the dangers of asbestos that may be lurking in their homes. If you suspect that you might have asbestos poisoning, see a doctor immediately. The earlier you get medical advice treatments can be started for the poisoning caused by asbestos.
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