Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose because the early signs and symptoms of the disease can be subtle at best.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Mesothelioma means Misafe

What is mesothelioma?Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. Although uncommon, mesothelioma is no longer considered rare. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is particulary difficult for doctors to diagnose and one that does not respond well to therapy.The chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart are surrounded by a a layer of specialized mesothelial cells. Most other internal organs are also covered by these cells. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.A special protective lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around is produced by the mesothelium. This protective fluid helps the lungs to move without resistance inside the chest cavity while breathing. The medical name for the mesothelium of the chest is the pleura...

Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural disease is often seen in people who have been exposed to high levels of asbestos on the job. It sometimes takes 10 years or more for changes to appear that are indicative of pleural disease which affects the thin membrane layer in the chest. These differences can include a thickening or calcification of the pleural lining and is usually diagnosed as pleural plaques, pleural thickening and pleural calcification.In most instances, pleural disease is not considered fatal but it does have the ability to impair lung function and it does confirm that a person has sustained significant asbestos exposure and could be at a higher risk for developing more severe asbestos cancer. If you have been diagnosed with pleural disease it is important to preserve your legal rights.However, pleural plaques...

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Malignant pericardial mesothelioma is a type of cancer that originates in the mesothelium, a thin wall of cells that surround the body's organs and internal body structures. Pericardial mesothelioma originates in the lining of the heart. Other locales of the disease are malignant pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the lungs and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the abdomen wall. Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest of these malignancies and accounts for only an estimated 10 percent of all mesothelioma incidences annually.What Causes Pericardial Mesothelioma?Pericardial mesothelioma is known only to be caused by exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring but toxic mineral that was used in industrial capacities. While the precise route by which microscopic...

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the thin cell walls which surround the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneum. Other types of mesothelioma include malignant pleural mesothelioma, occurring in the cell wall surrounding the lungs, and malignant pericardial mesothelioma, which occurs in the pericardial lining of the hearth. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second rarest form of the disease and accounts for approximately 20% of all mesothelioma cases each year.What Causes Peritoneal Mesothelioma?Peritoneal mesothelioma is known only to be caused by exposure to asbestos, a microscopic natural fiber that was used heavily in industry. Asbestos is said to reach the abdominal wall by one of two methods. The first is through ingested asbestos fibers which are...

Causes of Mesothalioma

What are the main causes of mesothelioma?Mesothelioma is most predominantly caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers that are inhaled through the mouth and nose may eventually become embedded in the lining of the lungs, causing damage and resulting in lung cancer or asbestosis (scar tissue formation in the lungs). It has also been found that swallowing asbestos fibers could contribute to a form of mesothelioma originating in the abdomen called peritoneal mesothelioma.Mesothelioma generally results from occupational exposure but there are instances of environmental exposure to asbestos that can cause the disease. Oftentimes second hand exposure of a family member to an asbestos workers dirty work clothes can result in that family member developing mesothelioma.Asbestos insulation workers...

Symptoms

What are the warning signs of mesothelioma?Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose because the early signs and symptoms of the disease can be subtle at best. Symptoms are all too frequently ignored or dismissed by people who are inclined to attribute them to common every day ailments. Sometimes patients live with symptoms for up to 6 months before being diagnosed but usually the symptoms are present for two to three months prior to diagnosis.About 60% of patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma experience lower back pain or side chest pain and there are frequent reports of shortness of breath. Lower numbers of people may experience difficulty swallowing, or have a persistent cough, fever, weight loss or fatigue. Symptoms to also consider are muscle weakness, loss of sensory capability, coughing...

Diagnosis

How do medical professionals diagnose mesothelioma?If you believe that you may have mesothelioma, a qualified medical professional will use a variety of diagnostic tests and methods to confirm the presence of the disease.Medical history review and examThe first step that your health professional will take in evaluating you for an asbestos related disease is to obtain a full medical history to determine the level and severity of risk factors and presenting symptoms. This interview will look consider among other things, where you were exposed to asbestos, the length of exposure and the amount of asbestos that you were exposed to.In addition, he/she will perform a medical exam to look for signs and symptoms of various forms of mesothelioma. For example, if pleural mesothelioma is suspected the...

Stages

How is mesothelioma staged?Staging is the process of finding out how far the cancer has spread. Staging of mesothelioma is based on imaging studies such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans. The treatment and outlook for patients with mesothelioma largely depends on the stage (extent of spread) of their cancer. Since pleural mesothelioma occurs most frequently and has been studied the most, it is the only mesothelioma for which a staging classification exists.The staging system most often used for mesothelioma is the Butchart system. This system is based mainly on the extent of the primary tumor mass, and divides mesotheliomas into stages I through IV.Butchart Staging SystemStage I: Mesothelioma is present within the right or left pleura, and may also involve the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm...

Types of Mesothelioma

A lot of mesothelioma related diseases exist. Mesothelioma can be classified by their location. Below shows the common types of mesothelioma.Pleural — 75% of all mesothelioma cases Peritoneal — 10%–20% Pericardial — 5% Lung Cancer MesotheliomaLung cancer is the leading cause of death in mesothelioma illnesses. When these asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they may become trapped in the lungs or the digestive tract permanently, causing serious illness or disease such as lung cancer mesothelioma.Lung cancer is difficult to diagnose early and it also spreads at a rapid rate, and is rarely cured. Lung cancer mesothelioma typically occurs at a younger age than other lung cancers. It equally has a smaller latency time than other mesothelioam related cases.If you’ve worked in places that exposes...

Drug Study for Abdominal Mesothelioma

Researchers recently published the results of a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology detailing a potentially new treatment for patients of abdominal mesothelioma that will likely improve the condition for patients.The study found that when patients suffering from abdominal mesothelioma were given a combination of two drugs, Alimta (pemetrexed) and Gemzar (gemcitabine), their condition improved. The following are the results of the study:* Response rate among patients was 15 percent.* The control rate of the disease for patients while on the medication was 50 percent.* The median time to disease progression was 10.4 months.* The median survival time was 26.8 months.* The mesothelioma study involved 20 patients suffering from the condition.Each patient also received various vitamins including...

the chest x-ray is suggestive of malignant mesothelioma, it is likely that further investigations will be ordered, especially if compensation may be

Mesothelioma is a medical term refers to the development of cancer cells in the mesothelial tissue due to inhalation of asbestos fibers. This is a severe form of cancer that can be caused uniquely by asbestos fibers. Depending on the organ affected and its severity, mesothelioma is classified in:- Pleural Mesothelioma , which affect the pleural cavity , thin layer of tissue covering the lungs- Peritoneal Mesothelioma , affecting the peritoneum, tissue that lines the abdominal and pelvic cavities;- Benign Mesothelioma , the less severe of mesothelioma characterized by occurrence of noncancerous tumor cells in the pleura.Although severe, mesothelioma is still a rare type of cancer. About one person in a million is affected. In 2004, it was estimated that around 15 individuals to 1,000,000 were...

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

If the chest x-ray is suggestive of malignant mesothelioma, it is likely that further investigations will be ordered, especially if compensation may be sought. These investigations may include additional imaging studies, blood tests, bone scans, and lung-function tests, as well as more invasive procedures such as thoracentesis, thoracoscopy, pleuroscopy or a lung biopsy. This is a typical mesothelioma diagnosisMesothelioma diagnosis can be done through chest x-ray. The typical abnormalities seen on chest x-ray in patients with malignant mesohtelioma are pleural effusion (a collection of fluid in the space between the 2 layers of the pleura), or it is called pleural thickening.Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking Malignancies involving mesothelial cells...

Diagnosed With Mesothelioma

Have you been diagnosed with Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma can be a very scary thing, because in fact many of the patients with Mesothelioma end up dying within a year. If you have gotten a Mesothelioma diagnosis for yourself or for a loved one, you should rest assured that there is a way to get compensation for the pain you are going through. It is very easy to get a Mesothelioma attorney through the Johnson Law Group in Louisiana, and you will be able to find a Mesothelioma lawyer that understands what you are going through. Your Mesothelioma diagnosis might mean the end of many things that you love to do, but there is a way that your family and you can be, in some small way, put at ease by a Mesothelioma settlement that will benefit you and benefit your family. In many of the Mesothelioma...

Detailed Information on Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma, also known as mesothelioma cancer is a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lung (pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), and the lining of the heart (pericardium). The most familiar type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, while pericardial mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma are less frequent. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, although other factors such as smoking may result in additional complications. Smoking modern cigarettes does not seem to enlarge the risk of mesothelioma. Simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma. There are five common types of mesothelioma. Four of are...

Contacting A Mesothelioma Lawyer

Many people who are diagnosed with Mesothelioma have no idea what it is and have never heard of it before. Mesothelioma is cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure and to date, there are no other findings that suggest this cancer to be caused by any other source. Most of the victims of Mesothelioma were workers who worked with asbestos who were not warned of the dangers of working with this toxic product. People who are diagnosed with Mesothelioma should contact a Rhode Island Mesothelioma lawyer to help them with a Mesothelioma lawsuit that can get compensation for them to help with the medical and financial bills that are a result of the diagnosis.The cause of Mesothelioma is the inhalation or swallowing of asbestos fibers that become lodged in the body. These asbestos fibers are indestructible...

Chemotherapy Treatment

Mesothelioma treatment options almost always include chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is recommended by mesothelioma doctors to attempt to stunt or destroy the mesothelioma cells. Most patients who undergo mesothelioma treatments do so in order to prolong life, or to make life as symptom free as possible while there is still time. Most mesothelioma doctors have the unfortunate duty to prepare their patients for the high likelihood of death.Asbestos lawyers have joined forces with mesothelioma doctors in providing the best care possible, mesothelioma doctors providing care for the patient's health while the asbestos lawyers provide care for the patient's financial future. Mesothelioma attorneys are working tirelessly on behalf of mesothelioma victims to provide families with whatever closure may...

Mesothelioma Cancer An Overview

Cancer takes on many forms and results from many causes. Some cancers are preventable. Some forms of cancer have a good prognosis. The type of cancer that is the focus of this article is called Mesothelioma and it is preventable. If someone develops mesothelioma, typically the prognosis is poor and families need to seek help from a mesothelioma lawyer. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and the legacy of mesothelioma is a disturbing one. Thousands of people unduly suffer from the effects of asbestos exposure and many more have wrongly died. The hazardous effects of asbestos became know in the 1920s but corporations, who were using asbestos, did not tell their employees of the danger nor did they use alternative materials. Thousands of persons were unnecessarily exposed to asbestos...

Monday, February 9, 2009

Mesothelioma

What is mesothelioma?Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. Although uncommon, mesothelioma is no longer considered rare. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is particulary difficult for doctors to diagnose and one that does not respond well to therapy.The chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart are surrounded by a a layer of specialized mesothelial cells. Most other internal organs are also covered by these cells. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.A special protective lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around is produced by the mesothelium. This protective fluid helps the lungs to move without resistance inside the chest cavity while breathing. The medical name for the mesothelium of the chest is the pleura...

Pages 51234 »

Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites