Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal Mesothelioma -- The Cancer Of Abdominal Lining
By Fred Lindel



One of the fatal types of mesothelioma is Peritoneal Mesothelioma in which the cancerous cells attack the lining of the abdomen called Peritoneum. Peritoneum is the thin membrane, which shields various organs of the abdomen and also provides a lubricating fluid to enable the organs to move and work properly. Peritoneal Mesothelioma, which affects this lining, is yet now a relatively rare disease that accounts for about 1/5 of all mesotheliomas. Its only known cause in the U.S. till date is previous exposure to asbestos.

Major symptoms

Though Mesothelioma is neither age nor sex specific, peritoneal Mesothelioma is mostly seen in men who are in the age group of 50-70 years. There are a number of symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma most of which start appearing after 20, 30 or 50 years after the exposure to asbestos. These symptoms may include weight loss (however, waist line may increase), pain or swelling in the abdomen, weakness, loss of appetite, bowel obstruction, anemia, nausea and fever. Also, fluid often accumulates in the peritoneal space leading to a condition called Ascites.

Diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma

The initial step towards detection of peritoneal mesothelioma includes X-rays and CT scans. For confirmed diagnosis, however the doctor needs to do biopsy whereby a piece of tissue is cut from the affected part of the victim's body and is placed under microscope for examination. If the disease is detected at an early stage it stands better chance of getting cured than the state of diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma, where the cancer has already spread to various parts.

The cure

It's true that peritoneal mesothelioma is fatal and leads to several deaths every year. However, with continued researches, several modes of treatments have been embarked upon and in the future there is a fair chance of the disease becoming absolutely curable. The types of treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

In surgery a part of the abdominal tissue is cut out to remove the tumor. At times the doctor may also need to remove a lung or a portion of the diaphragm as per the requirement of the surgery. Radiation therapy, the second method, requires the application of high energy X-rays to shrink the tumor and kill the malignant cells. The rays may be applied from an external machine or by placing the radiation source directly to the affected part of the body, by means of plastic tubes. Last treatment type is the chemotherapy whereby a combination of drugs is applied to kill the cancer cells. The drugs may be administered by mouth in the capsule form or may be applied intravenously via needle.

However, it is essential to mention that cost of treating any form of cancer is extravagant and you may consult a mesothelioma lawyer to earn you a handsome compensation from the authority who was responsible for your prior exposure to asbestos.

So learn more about peritoneal mesothelioma so that you can initiate the treatment at the very early stage and get cured.

benign mesothelioma

Benign Vs Malignant Tumors

By Joseph Devine

When you notice an abnormal growth in your body, it can be frightening. Unregulated cell growth produces a mass called a tumor, which can press on other areas of your body. There are two types of tumors: benign and malignant.

Our bodies naturally produce new cells. In fact, during the course of a year, we replace almost every single cell in our bodies. The frequency of this turnover depends on the location. For example, stomach cells divide rapidly because of the wear and tear they receive from stomach acid. However, normally cells die off as new ones replace them in order to keep our body at a normal size. Sometimes, though, this growth can become unregulated and lead to a mass of cells.

Proteins in the body tell cells when they should grow, double their chromosomes, and divide into to distinct cells. In somatic cells, or the cells of the body besides egg and sperm, this process is called mitosis. Because each cycle of mitosis leads to one cell becoming two, this growth can quickly accumulate if unrestricted.

Cells lose the ability to regulate growth if their genetic information is mutated, or changed, due to exposure to carcinogens like radiation or asbestos. This mutation can lead to two different types of tumors, benign and malignant. The form of the tumor depends on the type of growth that it undergoes.

Benign tumors cause an estimated 13,000 deaths each year in the United States, even though they are not cancerous. Benign tumors are basically areas of extreme cell growth, although this can happen at a slow rate. The group of cells proliferates, but does not metastasize to other parts of the body. They are usually not harmful. Doctors may decide to wait on a benign tumor to see if it will continue growing, or they may remove the growth. Often, the tumor does not return. However, benign tumors can hurt someone when they press against organs, blood vessels, and nerves in the area.

Malignant tumors are the type associated with cancer. Cancerous tumors have the ability to metastasize. This means that they can break off into pieces and spread throughout the body. Once they adhere to a spot inside the body, malignant tumors have the ability to harm the body not only by pressing on nearby tissues, but also invading them and interfering with their normal tasks. Additionally, they can contribute to infection in healthy tissue as well as secrete substances that kill off the normal tissue.

Some malignant tumors can be caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos that is ingested or inhaled can lead to two types of malignant tumors, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Mesothelioma has the ability to spread throughout the body by attacking the serous linings of the body.

mesothelioma lung

Asbestos Cause Lung Mesothelioma Cancer

By Nathalie Fiset



Asbestos induced lung cancer is known as Mesothelioma. It is a dangerous disease that, while rare, is troublesome for several reasons. For one thing, the initial symptoms of mesothelioma are ones that can usually be associated with other, less threatening problems, including asthma, old age, and being out of shape. Because of this, while only 3000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed every year, it is held that quite a few fatal cases of seemingly harmless lung ailments were in fact misdiagnosed cases of mesothelioma.

The inital cause of mesothelioma is the introduction of minute fibers of asbestos into a person's lungs through inhalation. Asbestos is a fibrous, fire retardant material that was commonly used in the past several decades for fire proofing purposes. The fibrous nature of the material causes it to fragment into small slivers that are easily airborne and almost invisible to the naked eye. People who inhale the fibers first develop a problem called asbestosis.

Asbestosis is the development of small scar tissue in the lungs due to the fibers of asbestos. This scar tissue causes difficulty breathing, and given time can block entire sections of the lung's air passages altogether. However, if left unchecked, asbestosis causes a more severe lung problem called mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer caused by tumors in the lungs. The lungs and chest cavity in general develop an excess of fluids due to the body's unsuccessful effort to combat these tumors and the foreign particles (the asbestos fibers).

Symptoms

The earliest symptoms of lung asbestos problems is a harsh, rattling breathing pattern commonly associated with smokers. The other symptoms include shortness of breath, shallow breathing, and a drop in physical endurance. Since these symptoms are commonly found in smokers as well, it was a previously held misconception that asbestosis was also caused by smoking filtered cigarettes. Recent studies show that this is not the case - not that smoking is healthy, but rather only that the two, while having the same symptoms, are not related.

If left unchecked asbestosis develops into mesothelioma, and the symptoms worsen to sudden chest pains, even more difficulty breathing, and even a "sloshing" feeling when breathing, like that experienced by people during severe coughs where the lungs temporarily fill with phlegm. Again, this symptom can be easily explained away as a case of fever or cough, and can easily be misdiagnosed.

In either case, the only real way to determine if someone has asbestosis or mesothelioma is to undergo an x ray. X ray scans can detect the presence of asbestos fiber induced scar tissue, or the formation of tumors in the lungs. Without an x ray there is no sure way to determine the presence of asbestos in the lungs.

Effects

The effects of asbestosis and mesothelioma are ultimately fatal if left unchecked. Pulmonary emboli, a condition where blood clotting forms in the lungs and not only restricts breathing, but also sends these clots into the blood stream and eventually causing cardiac arrest, is one of the usual causes of death from asbestos inhalation.

The fluid buildup in the lungs, chest cavity, and chest lining brought about by mesothelioma is another common cause of death, as this fluid can literally fill a person's lungs, restricting breathing completely, or can likewise cause cardiac arrest eventually. The lung tumors of mesothelioma can also grow out of control, eventually eating away a person's lungs like a regular cancer, or can cause severe wounds in the chest cavity that causes internal hemorrhaging.

Treatment

Regular lung surgery can be used to treat early cases of asbestosis, assuming that no cancers have developed yet. The survival rate is pretty much on par with regular operations, so at this early stage people can be treated with safety. However, if the asbestosis has already developed into mesothelioma, regular surgery ceases to be an option, as the average life expectancy of a patient after the operation is only 5 years. Chemotherapy and laser surgery procedures geared towards cancer treatment are the most effective medical procedures used in tandem to treat mesothelioma tumors.

Avoidance/Safety Tips

One fact about asbestosis and mesothelioma is that the symptoms only manifest between 20 to 50 years after inhaling the fibers, depending on the fitness of the person and the amount of asbestos inhaled. Therefore, at the first possible signs x rays should be taken to determine of the problems are simply old age or not.

Wearing safety masks with air filters if working in an area with asbestos is a must to prevent asbestosis and mesothelioma. This not only includes factory workers who are exposed to industrial materials laced with asbestos, but to civilians who travel through construction and demolition sites where old houses are situated. The reason for this is because some houses and buildings constructed in the 1970s and 1980s included asbestos lining as part of the materials in an attempt at fire proofing.

mesothelioma symptoms

Symptoms That Help You Identify Mesothelioma

By Fatima Asna

Mesothelioma can only be identified with help of its symptoms which appear after 20-50 years the person has developed the disease. Symptoms of mesothelioma appear when you have been exposed to the deadly toxic asbestos decades back. By the time they appear, they have already spread to all parts of the body.

There are 3 major types of mesothelioma which attack the body with some similar symptoms. These types of mesothelioma along with their symptoms are:

Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma attacks the lining of the lungs and causes various symptoms. These symptoms include:
# Cough

# Difficulty sleeping

# Fever

# Pain at the side of the chest or the lower back

# Pleural effusions (fluid in the chest cavity)

# Progressive loss of appetite and weight loss

# Dyspnea

# Tiredness

# Trouble swallowing

# Muscle weakness

# Sensory loss

# Nausea

Pleural effusion is an accumulation of fluid between the lining of the lung and the chest cavity. It is one of most common symptoms of mesothelioma and leads to shortness of breath. As the fluid collects in the lining of the lungs and chest, the pain and shortness of breath also increase. Dyspnea is shortness of breath which can be caused by a pleural effusion and/or by the presence of a tumor in the pleura or the lining of the lungs.

A buildup of fluid in the pleural can create a feeling of fullness and pressure, causing areas of pain in the chest cavity and sometimes in the lower back area. Chest pain occurs more often on the right side of the body, as mesothelioma affects the right lung 60% of the time. Only 5% patients suffer from mesothelioma in both lungs.

In some cases, a patient may also have chronic hoarseness, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and/or the coughing up of blood (hemoptysis). These are the rare symptoms of mesothelioma and seen in less than 1% mesothelioma patients. If the patient also suffers from swelling of the face or neck areas, it means that the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma
The other type of mesothelioma is peritoneal which attacks the lining of the stomach or the abdominal cavity. It can cause symptoms like:
# Belly Pain

# Nausea

# Vomiting

# Weight loss

# Fever

# Night sweats

# Frequency of urination

# Bowel obstruction

Abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen also known as ascites is one of the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma. If there is a tumor in the peritoneum membrane, it can put increasing pressure on the organs in the abdomen, leading to bowel obstruction and distention.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

The third type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma which attacks the lining of the chest cavity. It is not a common type of cancer. It can cause symptoms like:
# Heart palpitations

# Chest pains

# Shortness of breath

# Persistent cough

# Weight loss

# Irregular heartbeat

Pericardial effusion may also occur in pericardial mesothelioma. It is the accumulation of liquid in the lining of the chest cavity which may cause difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath. The patient may also complain of irregular heartbeat which is caused due to liquid accumulation in the chest. Persistent cough along with blood may also occur. Pericardial mesothelioma can also lead to lung cancer.

Some of these symptoms can help you identify mesothelioma. Some patients show no symptoms of their mesothelioma which makes it more difficult to diagnose. The exact symptoms will often depend on the area where mesothelioma affects which will help you identify mesothelioma.

mesothelioma prognosis

Mesothelioma Prognosis - Get Straight Facts

By Yachi Verma



The word meaning of the term prognosis is outcome. It is important when it is spoken together with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma prognosis can be tough for some of the patients. After all those years serving the industry, when the patient realizes that they are swindled ultimately, the desperation and pain can proliferate in the sadness. Some of the doctors will conclude the truth that the prospects of survival are slim. The rest of the ensemble inspires hope into the mind of the patient. The outcome of mesothelioma depends on how the body is responding to the treatment.

Mesothelioma is similar to the other embodiments of cancers. It has certain inherent properties that give it a distinctive role. The doctor can start the only after the condition has been examined. Here lies the problem; the condition cannot be diagnosed that easily. It is usually during the advanced stages of the cancer, that tests will reveal that the patient is truly suffering from mesothelioma. Most of the doctors falter at this stage itself, because if timely medication is not provided, the survival chances are thin. Once the condition has been successfully diagnosed, then the doctor can start working on the mesothelioma prognosismesothelioma prognosis.

There are various factors affecting the mesothelioma prognosis. Some of them will be listed as well as illustrated in the rest of the passage. The location where mesothelioma is known to occur plays a pivotal role in the entire process. It is commonly known to occur on the pleura, peritonea, pericardium and the testis. Among these, the one developing on the pleura is the most common form of mesothelioma. The rest of the forms of asbestos cancers is also equally fatal. The next factor that decides the prognosis is the rate of infection. If the condition is found out by suitable tests during the initial phases, with appropriate surgical and therapy sessions, the patient can be saved.

The cancer cells are known to spread to the surrounding cells or migrate to a different location and start attacking the normal cells present in the region. This happens during the later stages and plays an important role in the mesothelioma prognosis. The condition is known to occur with other forms of associated symptoms. These symptoms may be caused by the alternate action of the cancer cells. The smoking and the drinking habits of the patient will also influence the mesothelioma prognosis largely.

The patient has to actively take on the medication sessions without fail. Never lose hope, because in the absence of hope, the chances of recovery are slim. Miracles happen all the time, and if an early detection is made the chances of survival are colossal. The family members should be supportive of the patient at all times. The usual survival rate as published by some of the eminent journal is just 10 percent. People who are undergoing treatment for mesothelioma are known to live approximately five to six years after the initial detection. This is an impressive figure considering the lasting rates of other forms of cancers.