What is Pleural Mesothelioma?
Pleural Mesothelioma or malignant pleural mesothelioma is cancer in the layer of the lungs that can spread to the lungs. The spread of the tumor over the pleura results in pleural thickening. This hinders the reflexivity of the pleura and encases the lungs in an increasing restrictive belt. With the lungs thus restricted, they get constricted in no time and a person is always out of breath.
Pleural mesothelioma can be:
- Diffuse and malignant (carcinogenic)
- Localized and benign (non-cancerous)
Benign pleural mesothelioma can be removed surgically, but the malignant tumors are the real terror heads.
Most common among other mesothelioma cases, Pleural Mesothelioma is caused due to exposure to blue asbestos for a longer period of time, say 20 years, in which time the disease incubates only to show its fearful countenance via certain symptoms.
The symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma
The symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma include difficulty in breathing, difficulty in sleeping, pain in the chest and abdominal regions, blood vomits, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, lower back pains, persistent coughing, hoarseness of voice, sensory loss and difficulty in swallowing.
Diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma
The first step is to go through a chest X-ray or a CT scan (computed chest tomograph), which will reveal a pleural thickening and an effusion. This is followed by a bronchoscopy. However, it should always be left to a medical practitioner for a better understanding of the respective cases. Another method is a biopsy, which can be a needle biopsy, an open biopsy, or a thoracoscopy, where a mini camera is inserted inside the body and with that a tissue sample is attained for further diagnosis.
Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma
Treatment is directly proportional to the time of the revelation of the disease, i.e., at an early stage the tumor can be removed through surgery.
A pioneering mesothelioma treatment option is immunotherapy, e.g., intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a useful mesothelioma treatment in which an effort is made to intensify the immune response.
Radiation treatment and chemotherapy is probably then the answer to the malignant pleural mesothelioma, but this can aid the pain management only; there's no escaping death with Pleural Mesothelioma.
Side effects of Treatment
The side effects and penalty of mesothelioma lung cancer treatment are more than its treatment, which is damaged healthy tissues, a state of absolute fatigue ness; excessive radiation causes the skin to become red, dry and itchy.
Other side effects of radiotherapy are nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, urinary discomfort and a sudden reduction in the number of white blood corpuscles.
The average life span of a person with Pleural Mesothelioma is up to 6 months to a year and the maximum can reach up to 5 years - the magnesium-silicate mineral fibers take its toll that's more than painful.
Other factors that may accelerate the possibility of pleural mesothelioma are chronic lung infections, tuberculous pleuritis, radiation (Thorotrast), exposure to the simian virus 40 (SV40) or mineral fibers (Zeolite) and tobacco smoking to a certain extent.
Pleural Mesothelioma does not give a person the avenue for fair play. Though the existence depends much on the various stages of the disease, it is an ultimate killing menace that sucks out the life of the common man.
Fred Lindell is a successful writer and publisher of health related issues, for more informative articles go to http://www.mesotheliomaplaza.com/
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Mesothelioma - Early Detection is a Matter of Life or Death
Mesothelioma - Early Detection is a Matter of Life or Death by Rick Hendershot
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer where cancerous cells develop in the mesothelium -- a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Like most cancers, early detection of mesothelioma greatly increases the chances of beating the disease.
But early detection is more difficult with mesothelioma because it has a long dormancy period of 30 or 40 years in which the cancer remains fairly inactive and causes very few symptoms. When the disease passes into its active phase it rapidly spreads to the internal organs such as the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. In its active phase it is very difficult to treat successfully because it develops and spreads so quickly.
Causes of mesothelioma
Mesothelioma was barely in the public eye until a few years ago. It has a very specific cause -- exposure to asbestos. And the dangers of asbestos exposure were not widely acknowledged until the 1970s and 80s when its serious health implications could no longer be ignored.
As often happens in cases involving commercial products with harmful side effects, there was tremendous resistance to acknowledging its dangers. In the case of asbestos, it was a product that had some very important properties that made it ideal for insulation applications.
During the first half of the previous century, right up until the mid 1970s asbestos was the default material used to retard heat transfer in buildings, machines, heavy equipment, and a broad range of commercial applications. Because it was plentiful and inexpensive to mine, asbestos was widely used in building products such as home insulation, floor, ceiling and roof tiles. It was also used in commonly found commercial products such as brake linings and pipe insulation.
This meant that millions of people were coming in contact with asbestos on a daily basis. And since the effects of exposure to asbestos fibre often do not become apparent for 30 or 40 years after prolonged exposure, there often appeared to be no immediate health risk. This was especially important in the case of workers who mined and processed asbestos. Although workers were regularly getting sick and often had premature, painful deaths, the long period of dormancy of mesothelioma made it difficult to make the connection to asbestos.
Even short term asbestos exposure will cause mesothelioma
Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is directly related to the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. The health risk also increases with the intensity of the exposure to asbestos.
However, an exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. At the age of 48, Canadian Member of Parliament Chuck Strahl, was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma and traces the cause back to changing brake pads on logging equipment after he graduated from high school. Strahl's case is a good example of the fact that Mesothelioma has a latency period of anywhere from 20 to 50 years. Like thousands of others he developed the disease long after his exposure to asbestos.
Symptoms of mesothelioma
Because of its long dormancy period, mesothelioma is often not detected until it enters its active, aggressive stage. Pleural mesothelioma - cancer of the lung lining - causes shortness of breath or chronic coughing. Unfortunately these symptoms can easily be mistaken for allergies or a common cold. And in fact this form of mesothelioma is often discovered by accident when patients think they have one of these more common illnesses. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include chest pain, chronic coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, hoarseness, weight loss, or blood in the phlegm from the lungs when coughing.
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around the stomach and intestines and is usually just as dangerous. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include pain or swelling in the abdomen, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia, and fever.
Treatment of mesothelioma
Unfortunately, by the time most infected people become aware they have mesothelioma it has ceased being dormant and becomes extremely aggressive. Once it is no longer dormant, this type of cancer can travel quickly, and this makes it almost impossible to stop.
While there are treatments that are available in order to keep the patient comfortable, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma, and as many as 75% of those who develop the disease will lose their life within one year. The remainder may last for up to an additional six months.
Among the treatments that are used in order to reduce the effects of the disease are oxygen, postural drainage and pain killers. A wide range of treatment approaches are being tested, ranging from attempts to fortify the body's natural immune system to gene therapy which tries to attack the problem at the DNA level. Other alternative treaments such as homeopathy, herbs and acupuncture have also been tired. But none have yet been shown to be very effective once the disease reaches the aggressive stage.
Given the generally poor prognosis for people who do not catch the disease in time, early detection is the best defence against mesothelioma. If you have worked in an industry such as construction or suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos, be alert for symptoms and contact your doctor immediately. Like all forms of cancer, detecting mesothelioma at the earliest stage possible greatly increases your chances for survival.
For more information about the causes, symptoms and early detection of mesothelioma visit MesotheliomaAdvisors.com.
About the Author
Rick Hendershot is a writer and publisher of The Linknet Publishing Network featuring article writing and distribution and Power Listings to promote your products or services.
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer where cancerous cells develop in the mesothelium -- a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Like most cancers, early detection of mesothelioma greatly increases the chances of beating the disease.
But early detection is more difficult with mesothelioma because it has a long dormancy period of 30 or 40 years in which the cancer remains fairly inactive and causes very few symptoms. When the disease passes into its active phase it rapidly spreads to the internal organs such as the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. In its active phase it is very difficult to treat successfully because it develops and spreads so quickly.
Causes of mesothelioma
Mesothelioma was barely in the public eye until a few years ago. It has a very specific cause -- exposure to asbestos. And the dangers of asbestos exposure were not widely acknowledged until the 1970s and 80s when its serious health implications could no longer be ignored.
As often happens in cases involving commercial products with harmful side effects, there was tremendous resistance to acknowledging its dangers. In the case of asbestos, it was a product that had some very important properties that made it ideal for insulation applications.
During the first half of the previous century, right up until the mid 1970s asbestos was the default material used to retard heat transfer in buildings, machines, heavy equipment, and a broad range of commercial applications. Because it was plentiful and inexpensive to mine, asbestos was widely used in building products such as home insulation, floor, ceiling and roof tiles. It was also used in commonly found commercial products such as brake linings and pipe insulation.
This meant that millions of people were coming in contact with asbestos on a daily basis. And since the effects of exposure to asbestos fibre often do not become apparent for 30 or 40 years after prolonged exposure, there often appeared to be no immediate health risk. This was especially important in the case of workers who mined and processed asbestos. Although workers were regularly getting sick and often had premature, painful deaths, the long period of dormancy of mesothelioma made it difficult to make the connection to asbestos.
Even short term asbestos exposure will cause mesothelioma
Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is directly related to the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. The health risk also increases with the intensity of the exposure to asbestos.
However, an exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. At the age of 48, Canadian Member of Parliament Chuck Strahl, was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma and traces the cause back to changing brake pads on logging equipment after he graduated from high school. Strahl's case is a good example of the fact that Mesothelioma has a latency period of anywhere from 20 to 50 years. Like thousands of others he developed the disease long after his exposure to asbestos.
Symptoms of mesothelioma
Because of its long dormancy period, mesothelioma is often not detected until it enters its active, aggressive stage. Pleural mesothelioma - cancer of the lung lining - causes shortness of breath or chronic coughing. Unfortunately these symptoms can easily be mistaken for allergies or a common cold. And in fact this form of mesothelioma is often discovered by accident when patients think they have one of these more common illnesses. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include chest pain, chronic coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, hoarseness, weight loss, or blood in the phlegm from the lungs when coughing.
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around the stomach and intestines and is usually just as dangerous. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include pain or swelling in the abdomen, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia, and fever.
Treatment of mesothelioma
Unfortunately, by the time most infected people become aware they have mesothelioma it has ceased being dormant and becomes extremely aggressive. Once it is no longer dormant, this type of cancer can travel quickly, and this makes it almost impossible to stop.
While there are treatments that are available in order to keep the patient comfortable, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma, and as many as 75% of those who develop the disease will lose their life within one year. The remainder may last for up to an additional six months.
Among the treatments that are used in order to reduce the effects of the disease are oxygen, postural drainage and pain killers. A wide range of treatment approaches are being tested, ranging from attempts to fortify the body's natural immune system to gene therapy which tries to attack the problem at the DNA level. Other alternative treaments such as homeopathy, herbs and acupuncture have also been tired. But none have yet been shown to be very effective once the disease reaches the aggressive stage.
Given the generally poor prognosis for people who do not catch the disease in time, early detection is the best defence against mesothelioma. If you have worked in an industry such as construction or suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos, be alert for symptoms and contact your doctor immediately. Like all forms of cancer, detecting mesothelioma at the earliest stage possible greatly increases your chances for survival.
For more information about the causes, symptoms and early detection of mesothelioma visit MesotheliomaAdvisors.com.
About the Author
Rick Hendershot is a writer and publisher of The Linknet Publishing Network featuring article writing and distribution and Power Listings to promote your products or services.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Finding Valuable Mesothelioma Cancer Information
Cancer, as everything else, has been largely discussed on the Internet. There are many sites dedicated to cancer diseases, to people suffering from cancers, to their friends and families. The Internet is a good source of valuable cancer information, but there is more to it than that. It is a means to integrate the suffering into a network of virtual friends and supporters, which doesn't let them feel isolated and alone.
The Internet helps friends and families of deceased people to realize that they are not alone with their pain, and that many people are going through the same terrible plot. One of the best traits of cancer information sites is that they unite people and help them overcome their grief.
There are a variety of forums and online discussions meant to bring people together. Cancer is a topic of great interest for many people. Anyone can read and respond to, there are options for instant messages with fellow cancer patients, cancer survivors, and cancer supporters.
One useful site for friends and family members of ill patients is Cancer and Careers.com's "What You Can Do as a Friend". It props you up with information about what your behavior in front of the ill friend should be. You shouldn't talk about certain things, neither be too optimistic, nor be too negative in your expectations.
Your main duty as a friend should be supportive and encouraging. This cancer information is very helpful at the beginning. Another essential book for friends may be Facing Cancer Together: How to Help Your Friend or Loved One by Pamela N. Brown. It can help a lot in guiding your attitude towards your ill friend.
Valuable cancer information can be found at cancernews.com. There is a large list of directories meant to give orientation to people for any local cancer support groups. Most of them can also be found at the Cancer Information Network. There are many organizations supporting cancer hotlines-- one of them is The National Cancer Institute, their site being reached at cancer.gov, others are Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization (Their site is: y-me.org/hotline), the RA Bloch Cancer Foundation Cancer Hotline (1-800-433-0464), and the Lung Cancer Alliance Toll-free Hotline (1-800-298-2436).
There are also a lot of specific information sites about different types of cancers: see Mesothelioma-net ( a site, designed to offer cancer information on the specific types of mesothelioma, its treatment, and coping strategies and so on). Another site which presents you a list of all cancers is The Cancer Information Network (at cancerlinksusa.com); and, of course, The American Cancer Society (cancer.org). The latter one gives you information on everything from prevention and early detection strategies, as well as treatment and cancer information by type. There are great statistics and investigations included, which offer you information from the past 100 years. .
About the Author
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning health and research. Learn more at Cancer Information
The Internet helps friends and families of deceased people to realize that they are not alone with their pain, and that many people are going through the same terrible plot. One of the best traits of cancer information sites is that they unite people and help them overcome their grief.
There are a variety of forums and online discussions meant to bring people together. Cancer is a topic of great interest for many people. Anyone can read and respond to, there are options for instant messages with fellow cancer patients, cancer survivors, and cancer supporters.
One useful site for friends and family members of ill patients is Cancer and Careers.com's "What You Can Do as a Friend". It props you up with information about what your behavior in front of the ill friend should be. You shouldn't talk about certain things, neither be too optimistic, nor be too negative in your expectations.
Your main duty as a friend should be supportive and encouraging. This cancer information is very helpful at the beginning. Another essential book for friends may be Facing Cancer Together: How to Help Your Friend or Loved One by Pamela N. Brown. It can help a lot in guiding your attitude towards your ill friend.
Valuable cancer information can be found at cancernews.com. There is a large list of directories meant to give orientation to people for any local cancer support groups. Most of them can also be found at the Cancer Information Network. There are many organizations supporting cancer hotlines-- one of them is The National Cancer Institute, their site being reached at cancer.gov, others are Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization (Their site is: y-me.org/hotline), the RA Bloch Cancer Foundation Cancer Hotline (1-800-433-0464), and the Lung Cancer Alliance Toll-free Hotline (1-800-298-2436).
There are also a lot of specific information sites about different types of cancers: see Mesothelioma-net ( a site, designed to offer cancer information on the specific types of mesothelioma, its treatment, and coping strategies and so on). Another site which presents you a list of all cancers is The Cancer Information Network (at cancerlinksusa.com); and, of course, The American Cancer Society (cancer.org). The latter one gives you information on everything from prevention and early detection strategies, as well as treatment and cancer information by type. There are great statistics and investigations included, which offer you information from the past 100 years. .
About the Author
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning health and research. Learn more at Cancer Information
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)