by Greg. Gardner on August 29, 2010
First of all, you may be wondering what mesothelioma is, and why I should be scared of it ?…..
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is the medical name for cancer of the lung, and is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Symptoms my not appear for up to 50 years or so after exposure to asbestos, and people who haven’t had any contact with asbestos for many years, are now showing signs of having this deadly disease. The symptoms are usually shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pains and feeling very tired.
Why should I be scared of it ?
As a small child, I used to live near a factory which used asbestos to make fire-proof products and other insulating materials for the building industry. I believe that asbestos was also used in the manufacture of break linings. I can remember seeing the asbestos dust that spewed out of the factory covering the surrounding area (including part of our school playground) with this deadly snow like powder. Of course, as we were just kids at that time, we had absolutely no idea just how deadly this dust was. We even played in it completely unaware of its dangers.
The Horror Came Later.
It wasn’t until years later after the factory had been closed down, that we began to see the full horrors of this white snow looking powder, we had played with as children. By this time I was much older, and the dangers of asbestos had been given massive coverage by the media, so I was now aware of what could happen to myself and hundreds of other people who lived in the same area as this factory in years to come.
TV Documentary.
This factory received national television coverage, and on one program they interviewed families who had suffered due to the problem of asbestos. I was shocked to see that I knew some of the people who had lost family members due to developing mesothelioma, in fact I actually went to school with some of the people who took part in the program. The program showed old photographs of the area around the factory (including my old school) covered in powder, and it really did look like it had been snowing. When you see all of this on television it really does make you just a little bit worried, especially when you have been in contact with asbestos like I have.
Treatments.
If mesothelioma is diagnosed early enough, a cure is possible with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. However, in the case of a more advanced illness a cure is not possible, but with the right treatments the illness can be slowed down dramatically and medication can be used to ease any pain.
X-Rays.
As a precaution I did have x-rays a few years ago just to put my mind at rest, and thankfully they were all clear. The doctor recommended that I should have x-rays on a very regular basis just to be on the safe side. So, at the moment everything is ok, but I will always be just a little bit worried of what might happen in the future.
I’m Greg. Gardner, I’m surviving from Abestos Mesothelioma Cancer, and still defeating it everyday! You can read more about my story here! Also visit my site to learn more about Mesothelioma Lawsuits.
by Greg. Gardner on August 28, 2010
Of all the cancers caused by asbestos dust (mesothelioma), pericardial mesothelioma is the most rare, accounting for a fraction of all cases (5%). It’s a cancer that grows on the pericardium (the lining of the heart). This is a delicate ‘film’, and any infection on the pericardium can have deadly consequences.
Once an individual has been diagnosed with pericardial mesothelioma they are offered three different treatment options. These are radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Pericardial mesothelioma is extremely difficult to treat (due to the intricacies involved in removing the tumours from the pericardium), and a patient’s possibilities of survival are slim. All three methods have a poor success rate mainly due to the fact that pericardial mesothelioma is detected during the mature stages of development. (The reason for this is due to the fact that during the early stages of the cancer the symptoms resemble those of diseases just like pneumonia). The prognosis for a patient undergoing treatment at this point (mature stage) is usually less than a year.
Before treatment, the patient requires a doctor’s evaluation in order to determine which of the three treatments are suitable for him/her. Details just like age, weight, medical history, and general well-being are considered prior to the commencement of treatment. So, how will you treat pericardial mesothelioma ?
Radiation – As with all cancer treatments that use this approach, large doses of radiation are used to kill the cancerous cells on the pericardium. The downside to radiation treatment is that not only are you killing off the cancerous cells, nevertheless you are also damaging the vital organs in close proximity to the heart, namely the lungs. The heart also gets damaged (due to the large doses of radiation).
Surgery – We can break this down into two parts; aggressive surgery and palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery involves the removal of the cancerous cell. Since these are extremely close to the heart and lungs, this makes it an extremely precarious procedure and one that requires an extremely skilled surgeon. Palliative procedures are used in the latest of stages of pericardial mesothelioma and serve the sole purpose of reducing the symptoms. Usually at this stage the cancer is practically incurable.
Chemotherapy – This is the most widely-used of cancer therapies which involves the use of drugs to kill the cancerous cells. Unfortunately, the majority of drugs used have a low success rate with pericardial mesothelioma. Research is being conducted to come up with a cocktail of drugs which have a more favourable outcome.
There does exist another form of treatment which involves using all three aforementioned treatment options. It’s known as Dual Therapy. Surgery is used to remove the cancerous cells, subsequently chemotherapy and radiation are used to kill the remaining cells. The success rate for this procedure is higher than just using radiation, surgery or chemotherapy alone, nevertheless can still be dangerous.
I’m Greg. Gardner, I’m surviving from Abestos Mesothelioma Cancer, and still defeating it everyday! You can read more about my write-up about Mesothelioma here! Also visit my site to learn more about Mesothelioma Lawsuits.
by Greg. Gardner on August 26, 2010
As with any cancer, treatment for Mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the progression of the disease, the age as well as state of health of the patient.
It is the oncologist who specializes in the disease who will decide on the line of treatment. The disease is difficult to treat and in most cases the prognosis is poor. Treatment options include:
1. If the diagnosis is done in the early stages surgery may be recommended to remove all cancerous tissues. This means thoracoscopy, VATS or video assisted thoracic surgery, mediastinoscopy (used for staging), or laproscopy. Often, doctors will advise palliative procedures like chest tube drainage and pleurodesis, thoracoscopy and pleurodesis, pleuroperitonial shunt, or pleurectomy, which treat the symptoms of mesothelioma rather than the disease.
2. Radiation is prescribed aggressively for mesothelioma patients and is often given in combination with surgery or in order to control symptoms, palliatively. Research on using radiation therapy using implants or UV light therapy is in progress as traditional radiation therapy damages surrounding healthy tissue.
3. Chemotherapy is an option and around 12-20% of patients respond to the drugs. Anti-cancer drugs destroy cancer cells and prevent their spread. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy is not considered to be curative. The aim is to prevent spread of the disease; shrink the tumor prior to surgery, known as neoadjuvant therapy; to annihilate any remains of the tumor in the body post surgery; and to relieve pain and other discomfort, palliative chemotherapy. Experts recommend prescribing premetrexed along with cisplastin. These drugs have shown positive results and this is now standard care for Mesothelioma not treatable by surgery.
4. Biological therapy using interleukin 2.
5. Immunotherapy where the body’s own immune system is stimulated to fight the disease. Biological response modifiers, BRMs, are used in treatment. These enhance the functions of the immune system; regulate metabolic reactions that promote growth of cancers; alter cancer cell division; block or reverse processes that lead to formation of cancers; and prevent spread of cancer.
6. Gene therapy, where attempts are made to correct the gene sequence that causes the cancer. This is of two kinds, replacement gene therapy and knockout gene therapy.
7. Administration of lovastatin, a cholesterol lowering drug.
8. Photodynamic treatment where a photosensitive medication is activated using a laser. This is done during the surgical removal of cancerous tissues.
9. Draining of fluid in the chest or abdominal cavity followed by introduction of medications into the cavity to prevent fluid accumulation is done for patients who have uncontrolled fluid accumulation and intense discomfort stemming from it.
10. Combination therapy or Trimodal therapy which means surgery accompanied by radiation and chemotherapy.
Often, complementary medicines are also used. Termed to be holistic this kind of treatment focuses on a patient’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being.
In the case of Mesothelioma which is untreatable one can opt for clinical trials of new treatments that are in progress in several research laboratories and centers. The best advice on the line of treatment would be that recommended by the oncologist or physician.
I’m Greg. Gardner, I’m surviving from Abestos Mesothelioma Cancer, and still defeating it everyday! You can read more about my story here! Also visit my site to learn more about Abestos Settlement.
by Clare Westwood on August 16, 2010
It has recently been discovered that nearly half of the UK’s homeowners do not realise that asbestos and asbestos containing materials are likely to have been used in their homes up until the 1990′s. The dangers of asbestos should not be underestimated.
The UK based charity The British Lung Foundation have carried out a study which has prompted them to give a warning to those who are carrying out improvements on their homes. The study involved 2000 participants and results showed that around a third of North West based home owners were under the impression that any asbestos containing materials had been removed from their homes many years ago.
Asbestos is often found in materials such as toilet cisterns, floor tiles, textured ceiling coatings and boiler cupboards.
Only 27% of those questioned answered that they would first of all check that their property was asbestos free before they began carrying out home improvements.
Around 14 million homes were constructed when asbestos materials were used frequently. For this reason the charity is highlighting the importance of conducting home improvements safely. By having this knowledge on the risks the charity are hoping to prevent many DIYers from developing the lethal mesothelioma asbestos related cancer 15- 50 years later.
Mesothelioma kills one person every five hours in Britain. The BLF teamed up with expert DIYer and TV personality Craig Philips to promote the new campaign. Mr Philips works in the construction industry and has had experience with the health implications asbestos can cause as his uncle suffers from asbestosis.
The recent survey has also shown that almost half of home owners are unaware that asbestos was commonly woven into building materials which are possibly still present inside their homes today. The charity have stressed that there is a lot more that needs to be done in order to reach out to the millions of people carrying out home improvements in the UK each year. They are hoping that the campaign will bring attention to the risks that asbestos brings.
Exposure to asbestos can result in serious health problems. mesothelioma compensation can be awarded to people who has suffered through no fault of their own.
by Robert Beck on August 12, 2010
“Asbestos” is a word that insights fear in many homeowners. The presence of the material in most homes built before the mid-1970s is hard to escape. But because the potential dangers are significant, it is important to approach asbestos removal carefully, with the help of experienced professionals.
Asbestos becomes dangerous when it disintegrates, tears, or is disturbed to the point that it releases its tiny fibers into the air. Inhaling the carcinogenic fibers can cause lung cancer and other serious respiratory ailments. Because of these risks, it is crucial to hire experienced professionals to remove the material from your home if necessary.
It is not always necessary to remove asbestos. Many experts actually recommend it not be removed unless its fibers are exposed and airborne. Often, encapsulation can prevent exposure without disturbing the material. It is important for a homeowner to keep an eye on it and check for tears or disintegration, but the biggest reason for removal is construction or other work that would disturb the asbestos or necessitate the replacement of items or fixtures covered with it.
If you need to remove it, have a home inspector or hazardous material specialist survey and assess the material. An inspection should give you information about what can be encapsulated, what needs to be completely removed, and how the removal process should be handled. Then contact contractors who specialize in removing asbestos for bids.
There are many state, local, and federal regulations about removing asbestos. Make sure your contractor is compliant with these laws and is in line with recommendations of the inspection. Prepare to be away from your home for the length of the job, and make sure your contract specifies the details of disposal and clean up.
There is no need to panic about asbestos removal in your home. But if you need to have it removed, take careful steps to ensure your and your family’s safety. Be sure to contact reputable specialists, and you will have little to worry about.
Find more asbestos information and details about the importance of safe removal of asbestos from work and living environments. When you are looking for asbestos removal assistance, you will find it fast and easy!
