Mesothelioma: a Brief Overview
Author: Thomas Berten
Introduction
Mesothelioma is a cancer which affects the tissue which surrounds and protects various organs in the body. This tissue is called the Mesothelium, and Mesothelioma causes it to become abnormal, divide without control, and invade and damage nearby organs. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma which affects the sac that lines the chest cavity and protects the lungs (the pleura). Other forms are peritoneum mesothelioma (which affects the abdominal cavity) and pericardium mesothelioma (affecting the lining around the heart). The tumours can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) although they are most often malignant.
Causes
Mesothelioma is caused by the inhalation of asbestos, a fibrous carcinogenic. These fibres lodge themselves in the lining of the lung affecting the mesothelial cells. Sometimes they cause scarring of the lungs (which is called asbestosis) but this is not cancerous. They can, however, trigger tumour growth between 20 to 50 years after they are inhaled (the average is 35 to 40 years). Asbestos fibres which are swallowed can reach the lining of the abdominal cavity where they play a part in causing peritoneal mesothelioma.
It is generally the case that the longer or more intense the exposure to asbestos the more likely Mesothelioma is to occur. However, there are cases of people getting Mesothelioma years after having worked with it for just a few months. The families of asbestos workers are also at risk as they would possibly have been exposed to asbestos fibres on the clothing of their loved ones.
The dangers of asbestos are now well known, but this was not always the case. Before the 1970s asbestos was a primary insulating material with little or no control in its use or handling. The resulting increase in cases of Mesothelioma is a direct cause of these past practices.
Symptoms
Mesothelioma is often advanced before symptoms occur. This means that the prognosis is not usually very good, with the average survival time for all stages of Malignant Mesothelioma being about one year. Symptoms resemble pneumonia, which coughs, breathing difficulties and abdominal pain being common.
Treatments
Mesothelioma can be treated by chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, or a combination of the three.
Surgery
Extra pleural pneumonectomy is where the entire lung and a portion of the lining of the chest, the diaphragm, and some or the entire sac which surrounds the heart is removed.
Wide local excision targets and removes the cancer and a limited amount of the healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous region.
Pleurectomy and decortication removes part of the covering of the lungs, as well as the lining of the chest and portions of the outside covering of the lungs.
Pleurodesis uses a blend of chemicals and/or drugs to create an intentional scar between the layers of the pleura. Post surgery, the space created by the scar must be drained, using either a catheter or chest tube, and is then filled with a chemical which inhibits the accumulation of fluid in the pleura cavity.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells.
In External radiation therapy a machine emits radiation in a targeted stream at a certain portion of the body.
Internal radiation therapy uses needles, seeds and catheters to place radioactive substance directly on or near the cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses cancer targeting drugs to stop the cells them from dividing and thus prevent their growth.
About the Author:
Andy Bowen manages Mesothelioma ArticlePages a site dedicated to providing articles and information about the disease Mesothelioma.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/mesothelioma-a-brief-overview-59701.html
Potential Mesothelioma Treatment Uncovered
Author: Peter Kent
An incurable form of lung cancer, which often kills patients within a few years after symptoms begin to appear, is being treated with a cholesterol drug — Lovastatin.
Nearly 20 to 30 years ago, the drug’s effects were known as killing cancerous cells, however, at that time it was too powerful to test on cancer patients. At that time, however, the anti-cancer effect was considered too risky to continue studying because of the extremely high doses that were needed to be given to a cancer patient. Researchers put the study on hold, according to news reports, until recently when scientists at a Nashville, Tenn., clinic started providing the drug to pleural mesothelioma patients.
Details of Lovastatin and its Cancer-Killing Potential
Researchers have given little notice to Lovastatin as a treatment for mesothelioma cancer even though a stage-four melanoma patient had received treatments of Lovastatin in 2000 and currently remains cancer-free, nearly nine years later. Medical professionals aren’t sure that Lovastatin can do much for pleural mesothelioma patients as it did for the melanoma patient, but it is being heavily researched.
The drug, according to an article in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, described Lovastatin’s effects as apoptosis. Apoptosis is also described as ?ogrammed cell death, according to the Reproductive and Cardiovascular Disease Research Group. Apoptosis occurs when a stimuli is introduced to a variety of cells in which the cells begin to commit ?ll suicide?The study looked at the ?rophologic changes, histologic evidence of nuclear condensation and degeneration, and flow-cytometric analysis of DNA content?f the mesothelioma cancer cells treated with Lovastatin and determined it a potentially sufficient treatment for mesothelioma.
What is Lovastatin?
Lovastatin is part of a group of drugs known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). The drugs decrease the production of bad cholesterol within the body. It is often prescribed to patients as an oral pill that is taken in low-doses — once every four weeks. Lovastatin does have reported side effects, which have not been fully studied on mesothelioma patients, however, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) the side effects include:
* hives, rashes and itching
* loss of appetite
* flu-like symptoms
* nausea as well as pain in upper right part of stomach
* extreme tiredness
* yellowing of skin and eyes
* lack of energy
* difficulty breathing and swallowing
* swelling of face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles and
* lower legs/calf muscles
* muscle pain, tenderness or weakness
* fever
* unusual bleeding or bruising
* hoarseness
* constipation
What to do If Diagnosed With Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma cancer has become increasingly prevalent in the United States and around the world. Individuals who were exposed to a mineral known as vermiculite containing deadly asbestos may have had the condition for 20 or more years without any signs of the cancer within their bodies.
Although asbestos was banned once mesothelioma became linked to asbestos exposure, the damage had already occurred. Unfortunately, asbestos is still used in many industries today and was so prevalent from the 1920s to the 1980s that millions of homes are contaminated with asbestos as well as hospitals, elementary schools and offices.
Those who have suffered from mesothelioma cancer or feel they may have been a victim of asbestos exposure have the ability to consult a legal professional for a potential mesothelioma lawsuit. Developing a mesothelioma lawsuit might assist a victim in paying for medical bills if they receive a monetary return on their damages incurred. Consulting a mesothelioma attorney is often a free legal service and may add peace of mind for mesothelioma victims, their families and friends.
About the Author:
To better understand what a mesothelioma diagnosis means, visit http://mesothelioma.legalview.com/. LegalView also offers a variety of other information portals such as that of the Ketek side effects or learning how to develop a truck accident lawsuit after an incident has occurred.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/potential-mesothelioma-treatment-uncovered-555473.html