Monday, January 26, 2009

mesothelioma definition

Definition of Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma: A malignant tumor of the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the thin lining on the surface of the body cavities

mesothelioma definition

Mesothelioma is nothing but a cancer of mesothelium. Mesothelium is the covering structure of most of the internal organs of the body

mesothelioma definition

Mesothelioma Statistics

Mesothelioma Statistics including disease instances, asbestos exposure rates and products, mesothelioma lung cancer information.

Mesothelioma Statistics

Mesothelioma Statistics: Mesothelioma Asbestos News provides asbestos exposure and mesothelioma lawsuit information. Contact us to speak with a mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Statistics

mesothelioma applied research foundation

A non-profit organization leading the way to a cure of mesothelioma. Non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease.

mesothelioma applied research foundation

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) is the national organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease

mesothelioma applied research foundation

Friday, January 16, 2009

Mesothelioma Prevention tips

The criticism expressed by the estimates Tomatis et al. did not take into account all the pilot projects and all investigations by human pleura that since the Seventies for unanimously declared that asbestos is mesothelioma caused by fibres ultrafine category. These fibres are so fine that is not visible under a microscope light is mainly ultrashort, but will also include, in varying percentages, which is> 5 microm time. The conclusions of Tomatis et al, which attach mesothelioma in all its fibre lengths and diameters, has not been confirmed in the literature. Today, mesothelioma, prevention must consist of identifying and reducing airborne ultrafine fibres, especially in urban environments. The techniques to do now exist and can be implemented. The ultrafine around asbestos, forgotten for decades, should be the main target for prevention programmes and must be controlled to a large extent in work and daily life.

home Prevention Mesothelioma

The first step to be taken to prevent mesothelioma is avoiding exposure to toxic this mineral. Through the asbestos is no longer used in the overwhelming majority of products, this dangerous substance is not banned in the United States and products containing asbestos, even today, such as automobiles and clutch linings break. Since asbestos has been used in many industries for decades, some of the older products in homes may contain asbestos, including:

If these elements are intact, which usually have little to no health risks. However, if damaged or "friable," should be removed from the home immediately. Expulsion must be licensed by a reduction company, as this is the best way to protect you and your family from exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Questions and Answers - 2

What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.

Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.

Mesothelioma-Questions and Answers -1

What is the mesothelium?

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.

Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma can attack the pleural lining around the lungs. It can also attack the peritoneum, a tissue that surrounds the GI tract. Mesothelioma can attack the stomach lining, other internal organs, or even the pericardium (the tissue sac covering the heart). Thus, mesothelioma can be generally classified into the following types:

Pleural — 75%
Peritoneal — 10%
Pericardial — 5%
Mesothelioma can also be classified by the cancer type rather than the location of the cancer:
Epithelioid — most common.
Sarcomatoid — most severe.

Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma can attack the pleural lining around the lungs. It can also attack the peritoneum, a tissue that surrounds the GI tract. Mesothelioma can attack the stomach lining, other internal organs, or even the pericardium (the tissue sac covering the heart). Thus, mesothelioma can be generally classified into the following types:

Pleural — 75%
Peritoneal — 10%
Pericardial — 5%
Mesothelioma can also be classified by the cancer type rather than the location of the cancer:
Epithelioid — most common.
Sarcomatoid — most severe.

people who died from mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, though rare, has had a number of patients. Hamilton Jordan, Chief of Staff for President Jimmy Carter and life long cancer activist, died in 2008. Australian anti-racism activist Bob Bellear died in 2005. British science fiction writer Michael G. Coney, responsible for nearly 100 works also died in 2005. American film and television actor Paul Gleason, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Principal Richard Vernon in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, died in 2006. Mickie Most, an English record producer, died of mesothelioma in 2003. Paul Rudolph, an American architect known for his cubist building designs, died in 1997.

Bernie Banton was an Australian workers' rights activist, who fought a long battle for compensation from James Hardie after he contracted mesothelioma after working for that company. He claimed James Hardie knew of the dangers of asbestos before he began work with the substance making insulation for power stations. Mesothelioma eventually took his life along with his brothers and hundreds of James Hardie workers. James Hardie made an undisclosed settlement with Banton only when his mesothelioma had reached its final stages and he was expected to have no more than 48hrs to live. Australian Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd mentioned Banton's extended struggle in his acceptance speech after winning the 2007 Australian Federal Election.

Steve McQueen was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma on December 22, 1979. He was not offered surgery or chemotherapy because doctors felt the cancer was too advanced. McQueen sought alternative treatments from clinics in Mexico. He died of a heart attack on November 7, 1980, in Juárez, Mexico, following cancer surgery. He may have been exposed to asbestos while serving with the U.S. Marines as a young adult—asbestos was then commonly used to insulate ships' piping—or from its use as an insulating material in car racing suits.[14] (It is also reported that he worked in a shipyard during World War II, where he might have been exposed to asbestos

Treatment for Mesothelioma

Treatment of malignant mesothelioma using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 12 months after presentation[citation needed]. The clinical behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity which favours local metastasis via exfoliated cells, invasion to underlying tissue and other organs within the pleural cavity, and the extremely long latency period between asbestos exposure and development of the disease.


Surgery
Surgery, either by itself or used in combination with pre- and post-operative adjuvant therapies, has proved disappointing. A pleurectomy/decortication is the most common surgery, in which the lining of the chest is removed. Less common is an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), in which the lung, lining of the inside of the chest, the hemi-diaphragm and the pericardium are removed.

Immunotherapy

Treatment regimens involving immunotherapy have yielded variable results. For example, intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in an attempt to boost the immune response, was found to be of no benefit to the patient (while it may benefit patients with bladder cancer). Mesothelioma cells proved susceptible to in vitro lysis by LAK cells following activation by interleukin-2 (IL-2), but patients undergoing this particular therapy experienced major side effects. Indeed, this trial was suspended in view of the unacceptably high levels of IL-2 toxicity and the severity of side effects such as fever and cachexia. Nonetheless, other trials involving interferon alpha have proved more encouraging with 20% of patients experiencing a greater than 50% reduction in tumor mass combined with minimal side effects

Mesothelioma Prevention

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart,[1] the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma.[2] Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.[3] Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).

The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.