What is Mesothelioma (Also called malignant mesothelioma)?

The next time you hear the disease, Mesothelioma, from one of your family doctor, friends, or parents, don’t ignore it. Though it is a kind of a cancer, I doubt very few people across the world might know lot about it.

Reason: It is very rare amongst people. Mesothelioma affects the mesothelial cells which are located at the outer layer which protects the major organs of our body like stomach, heart and even lungs.

Symptoms: Researches have concluded that it results when one comes in direct and unprotected contact to asbestos. The symptoms are very strange, which might be an intricate task to diagnose. The latency period of the disease is difficult to find out as well.

How is it caused: The people who have worn-out most of their lives under the regular exposure to asbestos; are the most prone people to this disease. The fibers and the dust coming out from the asbestos cause the mesothelium cell to become malfunctional.

Thus Mesothelioma is a dangerous cancerous disease case due to the malfunctioning of the tissue Mesothelium, which takes care of may important organs of your body.

Treatment: Mesothelioma is treated by combinations of surgery, direct radiations, and/or chemotherapy.

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Tips to Prevent Mesothelioma: Prevention Asbestos at Home (II)

by Nathalie Fiset

Hence, to avoid Mesothelioma, learn the prevention asbestos at home tips.
Here's how:

1. Learn to recognize asbestos

The problem with most people who get sick with mesothelioma, even if they are not working in an industrial company or construction field, is that they do not know how to recognize asbestos or asbestos-containing products right at their own home.

The government has already passed laws and is now implementing full restrictions and control on the use of asbestos in home products. Asbestos containing products are considered as one of the primary factors for developing mesothelioma.

Hence, if you are planning to buy tools for your home, try to check if they contain asbestos. Some of the products that normally contain asbestos are floor adhesives, door gaskets, boilers, furnace ducts, vinyl floor tiles, textured paint, fireproof gloves, asbestos cement roofing, etc.

2. Buy quality materials

The use of asbestos cannot simply be ignored considering the fact that they have high resistance to fire. However, it is best that you check on the quality of the asbestos containing product you are about to buy. Low quality or damaged products may tend to emit asbestos dust, which can infiltrate your lungs and may develop mesothelioma.

3. Dispose asbestos dust before going home

Workers at an asbestos infested environment must try to eliminate any signs of asbestos dust from his clothing or tools. Before going home, it is best that the employee must take a bath thoroughly and wash his clothes carefully to eradicate asbestos dust.

4. Be wary on floors that contain asbestos

If you have used asbestos containing products in your home, such as the flooring, it is best not to wax or brush the floor. Brushing or waxing the asbestos containing flooring may discharge "microscopic fibers" into the air, increasing the risk of inhaling asbestos dust.

5. Do not sweep suspected asbestos dust

If you think you are about to sweep asbestos dust, leave it alone. Dust particles may only infiltrate the lungs once inhaled. This can be prevented by leaving asbestos dust alone. Do not let them fly into the air.

Prevention is better than cure. Hence, to avoid mesothelioma, it is best to learn the prevention asbestos at home tips and start a life away from health hazard.


About the Author
For more information on mesothelioma and lung cancer, please go to: http://mymesotheliomacancer.com/?page_id=620 http://mymesotheliomacancer.com http://www.drnathaliefiset.com

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Tips to Prevent Mesothelioma: Prevention Asbestos at Home (I)

by Nathalie Fiset


Did you know that mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure can be prevented at home?

Mesothelioma is an illness characterized by scattered pulmonary fibrosis from the infiltration of asbestos dust into the lungs. Current laws restrict the use of asbestos, but many industries used it in the past. Therefore, exposure occurred, and may still occur, in various jobs, comprising of manufacturing and mining of asbestos, shipbuilding, demolition of structures containing asbestos, and roofing. Materials such as cement, clothing brake linings, vinyl asbestos tile, shingles, and fireproof paint, and filters all contained asbestos at one time, and many of these materials are still in existence. Additional diseases related to asbestos exposure include lung cancer, asbestosis, and asbestos pleural effusion.

What is Mesothelioma?

Inhaled asbestos dust enters the body and sticks to the lungs. The common affected area is the mesothelium or the protective sheet that covers the internal organs in the lungs. Mesothelium is located in the chest cavity and the lungs known as pleura.

Asbestos dust triggers the abnormal activity of the mesothelium. They also propagate without control. The onset of the disease is subtle, and the patient has persistent, dry cough, shortness of breath, chest pain brought about by the buildup of fluid in the pleura, weight loss, and abdominal pain.

In the case of mesothelioma, cancer cells can metastasize or undergo the process of metastasis. This is the dissemination or spread of malignant cells from the pulmonary tumor to distant sites by direct spread of tumor cells to body cavities or through lymphatic and blood circulation.

Frequency Cases

Statistical reports show that more than 2,000 Americans are affected with mesothelioma every year. However, even if most cases occur at work, many are still affected right at their own home. This does not necessarily mean homeowners use asbestos at home. Surveys reveal that cases of mesothelioma at home are commonly caused by asbestos dust brought at home.

People who work at industrial companies or construction sites, or simply those who have been inadvertently exposed to asbestos may unconsciously bring asbestos dust at home. Asbestos dust may stick to clothes, hair, skin, cars, or even in their tools.

to be continued

About the Author
For more information on mesothelioma and lung cancer, please go to: http://mymesotheliomacancer.com/?page_id=620 http://mymesotheliomacancer.com http://www.drnathaliefiset.com

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All About Mesothelioma

By: tony thompson


Mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor of the pleura or peritoneum. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. Asbestos is Usually used as a fire resistant and heat resistant insulating material. You can get three types of asbestos white which Is very common, blue and brown which is the most dangerous. Asbestos is now controlled by stringent regulations.
Mesothelioma causes pain and breathlessness. If you have the tumor of the pleura, this is the membrane surrounding The lungs, other symptoms which may occur are chest pain, cough and difficulty breathing more so if the pleura effusion Develops the outer and inner layers of the pleura can become thickened. Excess fluid will fill the gap between them when This happens it means that the lungs can not expand, making you have shortness of breath.

If you have the tumor in the peritioneum it can cause a obstruction of the intestines or a enlarged abdomen. .Mesothelioma can Be diagnosed by a chest x ray and also a biopsy. This is where a small amount of cells or tissue are taken from the body To be looked at under the microscope. If Mesothelioma is diagnosed and the cancerous tumor is small enough, surgery Can be fairly successful if not and the tumor is large there is not any successful treatment, although sometimes radiotherapy
May be offered to help ease the symptoms. Mesothelioma of the peritoneum cannot be operated on and there is no other form of treatment and will usually lead to death with in one or two years.

Mesothelioma can develop even after dealing with asbestos for just a short time. The usual gap between a person working with asbestos and being diagnosed can be up to twenty or thirty years. Mesothelioma is contracted by people who work With blue and brown asbestos. For more information please visit my CANCER SITE


for everything you need to know about cancer visit www.understand-cancer.com

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Mesothelioma: What is it and why is it becoming so so well known?

By: Jere

Mesothelioma cancer occurs more commonly in men than in women, the ratio being 3:1. Studies have confirmed the association of mesothelioma cancer with exposure to asbestos. Nearly 60-80% of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer report a history of exposure to asbestos.

About 2500 to 4000 new cases of mesothelioma cancer are diagnosed every year in the U.S. alone with the international statistics being 0.9 per 100,000 persons. Exposure to asbestos through mining, milling, manufacturing, shipyard work, building construction works, insulation, brake linings, roofing materials and other asbestos related products (paints, pipes, textiles, gaskets, etc.) increase the risk of developing mesothelioma cancer.

The treatment options for a mesothelioma cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a multimodality treatment. Without any treatment, mesothelioma cancer can be fatal within 4-8 months and most die within 18 months of diagnosis since it is fast growing and is at an advanced stage by the time it is diagnosed.

Why are we hearing so much about mesothelioma cancer in recent years? Because mesothelioma has a latency of up to thirty or forty years. This means that those who were exposed to asbestos may not experience any of the symptoms for a 30-40 year period.

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Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment and Prevention

by Juliet Cohen

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer. It caused by previous exposure to asbestos. An exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. Simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. The two major types of malignant mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma, which concerns the mesothelium membrane that surrounds the lungs, and peritoneal mesothelioma which concerns the mesothelium layer that covers the organs in the abdominal cavity. The people most at risk from being carriers of this cancer are those have worked with asbestos over the past thirty to fifty years. Because of this, the disease is most common in men between the ages of sixty and seventy as this is the group that commonly worked with asbestos during those years. Because of the lack of protection and regulations in those days, these workers were constantly exposed to the dust and fibres from the asbestos, which caused the cells of the mesothelium to become abnormal. Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises prior to the banning of asbestos may contain asbestos. Those performing renovation works or diy activities may expose themselves to asbestos dust.

Mesothelium helps protect the organs by producing a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around. Mesothelioma is an extremely malignant and incurable cancer that infects the membrane that surrounds most of the internal organs. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Affecting the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium - the outer lining that protects the body's major organs such as the heart, stomach and lungs. Pleural mesothelioma represents 75% of mesothelioma cases - but it is far from the only type of this deadly cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around the stomach and intestines, and is just as dangerous and deadly. Treatment of MM using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 12 months after presentation. The clinical behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity

Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Health-care workers who specialize in part control are employing state-of-the art techniques to successfully fight pain.

2. During the initial stages of mesothelioma, pain can be relieved with over-the-counter analgesics, such as aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).

3. Drug therapy is the primary method for treating mesothelioma pain.

4. Non-Opoids are pain-relieving medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and NSAIDs, such as ibuprofin, which can be purchases over-the-counter and taken orally.

5. Opoids are the strongest medicines available to treat pain. Opoids, such as codeine, morphine, oxcodone, fentany, and hydromorphone, are very effective in relieving mesothelioma pain.

6. Adjuvant analgesics are medicines intended for purposes other than pain relief. A number of these are used to alleviate pain associated with mesothelioma, such as antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and steroids.

7. Emotional Support to Help Relieve Pain.As with all aspects of mesothelioma, emotional support from family or professional counseling can play a key role in pain management

8. For patients with localized disease, and who can tolerate a radical surgery, radiation is often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment.

9. Chrysotile has been used more frequently, hence many mesotheliomas are caused by chrysotile.

10. Removal is taking place in schools and other public buildings throughout the U.S. The hope is that these measures will greatly reduce the occurrence of this cancer.


About the Author
Juliet Cohen writes articles for health care clinic and home remedies. She also writes articles on beauty tips.

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Is Mesothelioma a sleeping dragon?

by Dr. Phil Hariram


Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a substance found naturally. It is made of strong flexible fibres. It was used extensively in industry because the fibres are not affected by heat or chemicals and a poor conductor of electricity. It is estimated that over 5,000 products have or had asbestos in them.

Of the six types of asbestos, only four are used commercially. These are chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite and anthrophyllite. Of these, crysotile or white asbestos accounts for 99% used in USA. In it natural state or well contained and maintained in products, asbestos do not pose a real hazard. It is when asbestos is broken down and fibres are released that there is concern.

Asbestos fibres are very thin and sharp. The fibre is 2,000 times thinner than a human hair. It measures under 0.3 microns or one millionth of a millimetre in diameter and five microns in length. It is not visible with the naked eye or through a microscope.
When released, the fibres remain in the atmosphere for a long time and can be carried great distances. When the fibres are inhaled, they stick to the lung tissue and are not expelled by breathing out or coughing. Some remain in the lungs, others gravitate into the pleural lining.

Asbestos exposure can lead to disease and develops over a long period of time. Asbestos related diseases are asbestosis, pleural plaques and lung cancers. The lung cancer can be either cancer of the lung itself or mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining. These cancers can take between 20 and 50 years to develop.
A recent article in a UK Newspaper highlighted the case of a Hospital Consultant who developed mesothelioma. He cannot recall any exposure to asbestos. It may well be that he was inadvertently exposed to asbestos without his knowledge i.e. such as living in the vicinity of a factory that leaked asbestos into the atmosphere.

Professor Peto has shown that new cases of mesothelioma will continue to increase in the early part of the twenty first century. He also said, "Every single person in the UK has asbestos in their lungs. It is the level of exposure that is important."

We also know that people who has a history of asbestos exposure has a greater risk of lung cancer if they smoked. In a survey in 1992, 2602 individuals with lung cancer were interviewed. One in eight was exposed to asbestos and of these a third still smoked. A US study suggested that non-smokers exposed to asbestos have a five times greater risk of lung cancer. If they smoked, then the risk increased by a factor of 11. Smoking and asbestos exposure increases the risk of developing lung cancer to 52 times that of the general population.

At present no one knows how many lung cancers are due to asbestos exposure because of the long latency period and that cigarette smoking remains the major cause. Mesothelioma, however, is caused by asbestos exposure and this has been the basis of numerous high value legal claims.

As for the future, in the USA and Europe, asbestos related diseases will gradually increase to a peak. Of concern, however, are areas of conflict. In the Middle East, when a building was bombed, or when numerous buildings were bombed during the invasion of Iraq, do we have any idea how much asbestos was released into the atmosphere?

We are, however, certain that during the 9/11 disaster, asbestos fibres were released. When the Twin Tower collapsed, there were 400 tons of asbestos in the structure. The toxic cloud that hung over Manhattan, contained high level of asbestos. It is estimated that over 100,000 people suffered asbestos exposure. The greatest exposure was amongst first responders. Deborah Reeve was the first to die from asbestos related disease after 9/11. She was a first responder and paramedic. She died in March 2005 from mesothelioma. This concerned experts because mesothelioma takes a very long time to develop. They concluded that her exposure must have been excessive.

A study result showed that 70% of recovery and rescue workers who were active during and after the World Trade Centre collapse had some form of respiratory problem. A six year follow up study showed that sufferers with respiratory problems continue to have the same ailments.
"In the six years since the attacks," Nadler said, "We have accumulated a mountain of evidence that thousands of those exposed are suffering from chronic respiratory disease and, increasingly, a variety of rare cancers."

Hopefully, as experts predict, within the next few years asbestos related diseases will peak and the annual new cases will drop. If not, could it be a sleeping dragon about to wake up?



About the Author
Dr. Phil Hariram is a retired General Practitioner. He has treated various medical conditions. His website on asbestos and mesothelioma is intended to help anyone who is looking for comprehensive information on the asbestos related diseases. Visit his website: http://www.themesothelioma-info.com and learn about this very serious condition.

READ MORE - Is Mesothelioma a sleeping dragon?