Mesothelioma  

Oct

22

Mesothelioma is a relatively rare type of cancer that
occurs when cancerous cells grow in the mesothelium.
The mesothelium is a protective lining that is on most
of your internal organs. Typically, mesothelioma is
attributed to asbestos exposure when someone inhales
particles and they become lodged in the lungs.

To be in the ?at risk? category, odds are you had to
have come into contact with asbestos at one time or
another. Asbestos is a mass of flexible fibrous
material that is naturally found in the Earth.

For many years it was used in common goods such as
shingles, brake pads, cement, flooring, and
insulation. The mining process as well as the plants
that manufactured products containing asbestos are the
top contributors to mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, many more people come into contact than
just the laborers. Their families are at great risk
because the particles come home on clothing and can
get all over the place. Laundry is a big factor.
Anyone who has handled the clothing of the workers is
at risk as well. This includes commercial laundry
facilities as well as homes.

Asbestos was almost completely banned in 1989 but it
has been in use since the late 1800s and peaked with
World War II. Mesothelioma takes anywhere from 20 to
50 years to show up so many people today are feeling
the effects of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. An X-ray, CT
scan, or MRI can tell you if you have mesothelioma. If
you have ever been around asbestos, it?s a good idea
to mention that to your physician.

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Oct

19

Chemotherapy can be useful in combating the spread of
tumors and can also shrink them. Though it is not
technically thought of as a curative procedure,
chemotherapy when used in conjunction with other
treatments can be very effective.

Many people mistake the term chemotherapy for
radiation treatment but the two are not the same.
Chemotherapy relies on anticancer agents and drugs to
stop cancerous growths like those caused by
mesothelioma.

There are many different reasons to use chemotherapy
but they all depend on the end goal, stage of cancer,
and how early it is detected. For mesothelioma
patients, chemotherapy is often used in conjunction
with surgeries or in place of them if the patient
isn?t fit for surgery.

Chemotherapy is administered through a vein and often
the patient will get a catheter inserted into their
arm. This is so they don?t have to get repeated needle
pokes which can be painful and uncomfortable.

Side effects of chemotherapy are fairly common and
occur because the drugs may do damage to normal cells
in addition to the cancerous ones. This can cause
digestive problems, hair loss, and many other types of
side effects that your doctor will advise you of.

Chemotherapy isn?t right for every single patient. If
you have caught the mesothelioma very early on, it
could be simply removed by surgery.

Chemotherapy can also be pretty expensive but if the
treatment is needed, you may be able to have some or
all of the costs paid for by whoever exposed you. This
could be a factory or mine and odds are they have paid
out to many people already.

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Oct

16

If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be
able to have one of many different types of surgery to
help out in different ways.

There are various procedures that you may have to
undergo and they can usually be classified in three
ways.

There are diagnostic procedures, palliative
procedures, and curative procedures.

Diagnostic procedures are basically the step after you
are suspected to have mesothelioma and you have fluid
buildup or what could be a tumor growing in either the
inner or outer lining of your lungs.

A common procedure is called a thoracoscopy. This
procedure is used to get an absolute diagnosis and
sometimes to check how large a tumor may be.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery is also an option
while in the diagnostic stage. A small camera is
inserted into the chest so the pathologist can get a
good look at what is going on and also get a sample of
tissues.

Palliative surgery is intended to treat one or more
symptoms of mesothelioma but doesn?t actually stop the
progression of the disease. A chest tube to drain
excess fluid build-up is one of the first symptoms and
can be persistent. Occasionally, a small catheter may
be used for continuous drainage.

Curative procedures, though not 100% effective, seek
to eliminate the entire tumor and hopefully cure the
disease without using chemotherapy or radiation. If
the tumor can?t be removed, sometimes the entire lung
may have to be excised. This is called pneumonectomy.
This procedure is also used in peritoneal mesothelioma
also.

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