Since the late 1800's Asbestos has been mined and used commercially. The use of Asbestos dramatically increased during World War II and since the early 1940's millions of Americans have been exposed to asbestos dust working within industries where initally the risks were not known. There has been widespread exposure to Asbestos by workers within shipyards, mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople and an increase risk of deveolping mesothelioma has been the result. .
Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. By contrast, the British Government's Health and Safety executive (HSE) states formally that any threshold for mesothelioma must be at a very low level and it is widely agreed that if any such threshold does exists at all, then it cannot currently be quantified. For practical purposes, therefore, HSE does not assume that any such threshold exists. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases. Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers.
To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.
The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung. The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of mesothelioma have resulted. Smoking current cigarettes does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.
There is no curative treatment. Close monitoring (routine X-rays or even pleural biopsy) for mesothelioma is mandated. Oxygen therapy at home is often necessary to relieve the shortness of breath. Supportive treatment of symptoms includes respiratory treatments to remove secretions from the lungs by postural drainage, chest percussion, and vibration. Aerosol medications to thin secretions may be prescribed
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Saturday, September 10, 2005
General Information for Asbestos Cancer and Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancerous condition of the serous membrane covering the body cavities viz. pleura, pericardium or peritoneum.
Mesothelioma is an occupational disease. It primarily occurs in the workers who come in close contact with asbestos.
PR9.NET September 20, 2005 - Mesothelioma is a cancerous condition of the serous membrane covering the body cavities viz.
pleura, pericardium or peritoneum. Mesothelioma is an occupational disease. It primarily occurs in the workers who come in closecontact with asbestos. i.e. workers in manufacturing units of asbestos or carpenters who inhale the dust coming out of asbestossheets while cutting the sheets. Primarily, Mesothelioma occurs in the pleura i.e. the membranous covering on the lungs. From herethrough blood vessels it may reach the pericardium, the serous covering on heart or to peritoneum, the serous layer on the inside ofthe abdomen.
Types of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma comes in two types, benign type which does not spread and malignant type which spreads to other parts of the body.
The spread of Mesothelioma may occur by continuity i.e. direct spread to the other parts of pleura thus involving a greater part of pleural membrane or it may spread by contiguity i.e. direct spread to the adjoining parts of lung & trachea i.e. windpipe.
Prevention Care for Mesothelioma
As is true with any disease prevention is better than cure. It holds true especially with Mesothelioma as chances of survival are not significant after Mesothelioma especially malignant type. All the workers should be provided with protective gear which covers their noses & filters air of asbestos particles before it enters the nose.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma generally presents with symptoms pertaining to respiratory system. Chest pain, persistent cough, excessive sputum which may be blood stained are the symptoms patients have. The doctor that treats Mesothelioma is a thoracic surgeon who has had specialty training in chest surgery after basic graduate degree in medicine. For the diagnosis of Mesothelioma x ray chest is the baseline investigation which rules out other respiratory diseases having similar presentation. HRCT i.e. high resolution CT scan of the chest shows the involved part of the pleura and the lung with the spread to the adjoining structures. Histopathology in which a very small part of the suspected lesion i.e. diseased part is removed surgically, stained with special dyes and subjected to microscopic
examination helps in grading i.e. knowing the severity of the disease.
Treatment for Mesothelioma
The treatment of the disease is essentially surgical. The surgeon opens the thorax i.e. the chest cavity through thoracotomy incision,
verifies the extent of the spread of disease and then he may choose to remove the involved part by local resection or pleurectomy by removing the pleura or pulmonectomy which involves removing the affected part of the lung with pleura. After the patient recuperates from the surgery and surgical wounds heal the patient may be subjected to radiotherapy and chemotherapy depending upon the
severity of the disease. In radiotherapy, the affected part of the patient is subjected to high energy x ray radiation which kills the leftover microscopic cells of the Mesothelioma. In chemotherapy, anticancer medication is given through intravenous injections to kill those microscopic cells of cancer which have reached other pars of the body through blood. Sometimes radiotherapy & chemotherapy
is used pre-operatively i.e. before surgery to reduce inadvertent spread of the tumor cells during the surgery.
Choosing a right thoracic surgeon who will chalk out a proper treatment plan insures a positive outcome with maximum benefit.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for the general public awareness only. The patient is advised to take proper
medical opinion before undergoing any treatment mentioned herein
Mesothelioma is an occupational disease. It primarily occurs in the workers who come in close contact with asbestos.
PR9.NET September 20, 2005 - Mesothelioma is a cancerous condition of the serous membrane covering the body cavities viz.
pleura, pericardium or peritoneum. Mesothelioma is an occupational disease. It primarily occurs in the workers who come in closecontact with asbestos. i.e. workers in manufacturing units of asbestos or carpenters who inhale the dust coming out of asbestossheets while cutting the sheets. Primarily, Mesothelioma occurs in the pleura i.e. the membranous covering on the lungs. From herethrough blood vessels it may reach the pericardium, the serous covering on heart or to peritoneum, the serous layer on the inside ofthe abdomen.
Types of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma comes in two types, benign type which does not spread and malignant type which spreads to other parts of the body.
The spread of Mesothelioma may occur by continuity i.e. direct spread to the other parts of pleura thus involving a greater part of pleural membrane or it may spread by contiguity i.e. direct spread to the adjoining parts of lung & trachea i.e. windpipe.
Prevention Care for Mesothelioma
As is true with any disease prevention is better than cure. It holds true especially with Mesothelioma as chances of survival are not significant after Mesothelioma especially malignant type. All the workers should be provided with protective gear which covers their noses & filters air of asbestos particles before it enters the nose.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma generally presents with symptoms pertaining to respiratory system. Chest pain, persistent cough, excessive sputum which may be blood stained are the symptoms patients have. The doctor that treats Mesothelioma is a thoracic surgeon who has had specialty training in chest surgery after basic graduate degree in medicine. For the diagnosis of Mesothelioma x ray chest is the baseline investigation which rules out other respiratory diseases having similar presentation. HRCT i.e. high resolution CT scan of the chest shows the involved part of the pleura and the lung with the spread to the adjoining structures. Histopathology in which a very small part of the suspected lesion i.e. diseased part is removed surgically, stained with special dyes and subjected to microscopic
examination helps in grading i.e. knowing the severity of the disease.
Treatment for Mesothelioma
The treatment of the disease is essentially surgical. The surgeon opens the thorax i.e. the chest cavity through thoracotomy incision,
verifies the extent of the spread of disease and then he may choose to remove the involved part by local resection or pleurectomy by removing the pleura or pulmonectomy which involves removing the affected part of the lung with pleura. After the patient recuperates from the surgery and surgical wounds heal the patient may be subjected to radiotherapy and chemotherapy depending upon the
severity of the disease. In radiotherapy, the affected part of the patient is subjected to high energy x ray radiation which kills the leftover microscopic cells of the Mesothelioma. In chemotherapy, anticancer medication is given through intravenous injections to kill those microscopic cells of cancer which have reached other pars of the body through blood. Sometimes radiotherapy & chemotherapy
is used pre-operatively i.e. before surgery to reduce inadvertent spread of the tumor cells during the surgery.
Choosing a right thoracic surgeon who will chalk out a proper treatment plan insures a positive outcome with maximum benefit.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for the general public awareness only. The patient is advised to take proper
medical opinion before undergoing any treatment mentioned herein
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