Saturday, June 28, 2008

Abdominal Mesothelioma - Abdominal Mesothelioma


Did you know?
It is estimated that 27.5 million Americans were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1979.


Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma cancer comes from inhaling or digesting asbestos dust particles. Mesothelioma cancer affects the abdominal cavity, chest cavity, and the region surrounding the heart.

Mesothelioma is a life-threatening disease and should not be left untreated. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

Mesothelioma cancer occurs in the mesothelium, a thin layer of tissue that covers your internal organs. The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. There are two layers of cells in the mesothelium; one layer surrounds the organs; the other layer forms a sac around the organs.

Mesothelioma is most common in the pleura (the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart).

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibers in other ways, such as by washing clothes of a family member who worked around asbestos.

There are funds available for mesothelioma victims. Visit Mesothelioma Help Center

NEW MESOTHELIOMA CASES

It has been well documented for many years that asbestos exposure can result in the development of deadly cancers, particularly Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first exposure to asbestos. It is estimated that there will be about 250,000 cases of Mesothelioma before 2020.

There are currently about 3000 new cases of Mesothelioma diagnosed per year, mostly in men over the age of 40.

About 4,000 People die each year from Mesothelioma. During the 20th century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings in the U. S.

More than 700,000 people have filed claims against more than 6,000 Asbestos companies.

These same companies knew of the dangers for many years before ever warning the public of those risks. It is thought that around eight million people in the United States have been exposed to asbestos over the past half a century, and many more cases - are expected to be reported in the next 25 years.

MESOTHELIOMA EXPOSURE

The National Institute of Health in 1978 estimated that eight to eleven million U.S. workers had been exposed to asbestos by that date. In fact, by 1970, it is estimated that some 25 million tons of asbestos were used in the U.S.
People all over the world have been poisoned by toxic levels of asbestos, putting them at risk for mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other deadly diseases that are directly caused by the inhalation and digesting of asbestos fibers.
Asbestos was used in thousands of products that humans and animals encounter on a daily basis particularly in building components such as ceiling and floor tiles, walls, bricks and stucco, and in automotive parts such as brakes and clutches.
Workers who have mesothelioma have labored for years in jobs that required frequent contact with asbestos. When asbestos is mined, processed, woven, sprayed or otherwise manipulated, its microscopic fibers can be released into the air, where they may be inhaled, initiating the development of mesothelioma.

MESOTHELIOMA SYMPTOMS

mesothelioma symptoms include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss

Mesothelioma signs and symptoms:

  • abdominal pain
  • bowel function problems
  • chest wall pain
  • weight loss
  • pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
  • shortness of breath
  • fatigue or anemia
  • wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
  • blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)

Mesothelioma signs and symptoms in severe cases:

  • blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
  • disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
  • jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
  • low blood sugar level
  • pleural effusion
  • pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
  • severe ascites

MESOTHELIOMA TYPES

Mesothelioma can attack the pleural lining around the lungs. It can also attack the peritoneum, a tissue that surrounds the GI tract. Mesothelioma can attack the stomach lining, other internal organs, or even the pericardium (the tissue sac covering the heart). Thus, mesothelioma can be generally classified into the following types:

  • Pleural — 75% of all mesothelioma cases
  • Peritoneal — 10%–20%
  • Pericardial — 5%

Mesothelioma Types

  • Epithelioid — most common, best survival rate
  • Sarcomatoid — most severe, but more rare
  • Mixed/biphasic — a mixture of epithelioid and sarcomatoid cancer

MESOTHELIOMA DIAGNOSIS

If you think that you may have been exposed to asbestos at any time, it is important to share your concern with a physician.
Mesothelioma is a very aggressive form of cancer, and one of the reasons that it has such a low survival rate is because it is not typically diagnosed until the disease is fairly advanced.

Diagnosis of Mesothelioma is based on a pathological exam, more commonly referred to as a biopsy. This exam will test a tissue sample for the presence of malignant and/or pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos is a common theme in diagnosing mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma diagnosis is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions.
Mesothelioma diagnosis includes a physical examination followed by chest X-rays and a CT scan, and confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination.

To diagnose mesothelioma a thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) is used to do a biopsy.
Individuals with pleural mesothelioma may accumulate some fluid between the lung lining and chest cavity. This can be detected through a chest x-ray, as well as CT scans.

MESOTHELIOMA TREATMENT

Treatment for mesothelioma using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 18 months depending on which stage (1-4) the mesothelioma cancer has progressed.

Treatments for Mesothelioma

Research into new and more effective treatments for mesothelioma is ongoing. There is no cure as yet for mesothelioma. The standard treatments that attempt to hold back the progression of this cancer are:

  • Surgery — to remove part of all of the affected body tissues
  • Radiation therapy — to target and kill the mesothelioma cells
  • Chemotherapy — the use of drugs, injected or taken orally, to kill or stop the growth of the cancer cells

Mesothelioma treatment depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.

MESOTHELIOMA DRUGS

In February 2004, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pemetrexed (brand name Alimta) for treatment of mesothelioma. Pemetrexed is given in combination with cisplatin. Folic acid is also used to reduce the side-effects of pemetrexed.

MESOTHELIOMA AND SMOKING

Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person’s risk of developing cancer of the lungs.

The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of mesothelioma have resulted. Smoking modern cigarettes does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.
The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the airways (lung cancer, bronchial carcinoma).
If you do smoke, stop. In addition to mesothelioma and asbestosis, there is research that indicates that those who suffer from asbestos exposure and smoke are at a greatly increased risk of developing mesothelioma lung cancer.

WHAT YOU NEED TOP KNOW ABOUT MESOTHELIOMA

Mesothelioma symptoms may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure in the workplace is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases.

Mesothelioma will cause shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space.
Mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural mesothelioma tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.
Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos related diseases.
Early Mesothelioma screening tests can diagnose mesothelioma earlier than conventional methods thus improving the survival prospects for patients.

Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated.

Mesothelioma is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

Mesothelioma death rates increased from 1980 to the late 1990s, the death rate from mesothelioma in the USA increased from 2,000 per year to 3,000, with men four times more likely to acquire it than women.
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is now known to occur in those who are genetically pre-disposed to it.
Mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.
Most doctors and medical experts agree that there will be tens of thousands of new cases of mesothelioma in the years to come.
Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises prior to the banning of asbestos may still contain asbestos.
Incidence of mesothelioma had been found to be higher in populations living near naturally occurring asbestos.
Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. It was used widely used during World War II.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace.
There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases.
Occupations that have high rates of exposure include ship builders, oil refinery workers, steel workers, power plant workers, Navy shipyards, pipefitters, auto workers, railroad workers and construction workers.
If you are a grieving family member or executor of the will of a person who has died from asbestos-related disease or mesothelioma, you may be eligible to file a claim as well.
For those diagnosed with mesothelioma it is very important to consult with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer. In most cases there are funds available for your treatment and personal suffering. Please feel free to contact us at any time at 1-800.291.0963

MESOTHELIOMA LAWSUIT - Note of Urgency

The first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929. Since then, many lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known (some reports seem to place this as early as 1898).

A good Mesothelioma attorney understands the unique complexities involved in this kind of litigation lawsuit, including asbestos product identification, specific asbestos-related medical issues, and specific time constraints that narrow the window of opportunity to file a claim.
It is important to find the right Mesothelioma lawyer before your state’s statutes of limitations expires, leaving you and your family grieving and empty-handed. There's no time to wait - contact our mesothelioma lawyers today for a free case review.

We have helped many people get experienced legal and medical help for their mesothelioma cancer and asbestos cancer cases. We will actually walk you the process of contacting an experienced mesothelioma lawyer that we have worked with to get you the best possible settlement for your mesothelioma case.

Posted by Illumination Blogs at 6:26 AM
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What is Mesothelioma?


Mesothelioma Patient

Throughout the past decade, the term "mesothelioma" has become more and more recognizable. Once an obscure disease that meant little to the general public, mention of this disease now conjures up thoughts and pictures of factories and mines strewn with asbestos and the unfortunate workers who were employed in those dangerous places.

Thanks to concerned medical professionals, researchers, and watchdog organizations, we're learning more and more about mesothelioma and how it affects the lives of those who are afflicted. However, there's still far to go as both better treatments and a cure for the disease are sought.

About the Disease

Simply put, mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer caused primarily by the inhalation of dangerous asbestos fibers. The disease attacks the mesothelium, a protective, two-layered membrane that covers the internal organs of the body including the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Between these layers, the cells produce fluid, which allows easy movement of the heart and lungs within the chest cavity. The layer that covers the lungs is called the pleura, and the layer that covers the heart is called the pericardium. The peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity. Mesothelium also lines the male and female reproductive organs. Mesothelioma can affect any of these cells, but is usually seen in the pleural or peritoneal mesothelium. The most commonly diagnosed form of this cancer is pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma takes anywhere from 20 to 50 years to develop, which is why older individuals are usually the victims. However, recent cases involving September 11th World Trade Center first responders and clean-up crews show that high concentrations of asbestos can cause the disease to develop much more rapidly. A few WTC workers have already died of the disease.

Effects of the Disease

The invasion of the mesothelium by cancer cells makes it very difficult for the patient to breathe, resulting in the need for oxygen, especially as the disease progresses. Those with the pleural form of mesothelioma may also suffer from pleural effusions. These effusions prevent the smooth movement of the lungs and other organs in the chest. Peritoneal mesothelioma also affects the stomach area and abdominal cavity, causing nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite, which can result in dangerous weight loss. In addition to breathing difficulties and loss of appetite, mesothelioma victims also complain of excessive coughing, sleeping difficulties, persistent chest pain, fever, and pain in the lower back.

Mesothelioma, in general, is a very painful disease and because it is usually not diagnosed until it's in an advanced stage. For this reason, the symptoms are typically quite serious. Late diagnosis also means that the cancer is more likely to have metastasized, or spread, making successful mesothelioma treatment even more difficult.

Who Gets Mesothelioma?

Statistics show that, because of their work history, the disease most often affects men between the ages of 50 and 70 who were employed in an asbestos-laden environment before asbestos warnings and bans were in place in the 1970s. Though women still have a much lower frequency of the disease, cases of second-hand exposure to asbestos has prompted more diagnoses among women, especially those whose male family members worked with asbestos. The occupations most associated with mesothelioma are shipyard workers, electricians, plumbers, construction industry workers, pipefitters, boilermakers, and anyone subject to heavy exposure to dangerous asbestos and airborne asbestos fibers.

An abundance of cases have also demonstrated that mesothelioma can develop among people who lived in communities where asbestos factories or mines were located. In some instances, entire towns have been adversely affected by the presence of asbestos fibers in the air. For example, in Libby, Montana - site of a former vermiculite asbestos mine - hundreds have already died of mesothelioma.

Though still significantly rarer than other cancers, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Other countries, notably the United Kingdom and Australia, report a much higher incidence of the disease. Nevertheless, the United States - like many other countries - has seen an increase in asbestos-caused cancer as men who worked in U.S. shipyards in the 1940s and 1950s, at the height of production, are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Dealing with Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in its late stages, and such a diagnosis is devastating to the individual and his/her family. Though research into the disease has been ongoing, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma. Some patients may be candidates for surgery to remove tumors or even an entire lung, but most are better treated with radiation or chemotherapy. More often than not, these treatments are palliative, serving to lessen the severity of the symptoms of the disease rather than offering a cure.

Medical professionals and research scientists, however, are constantly exploring new ways to combat the disease. For example, doctors know that some combinations of chemotherapy drugs work better than others and tests developed to ascertain earlier diagnosis of the disease or to monitor those most at risk have arrived on the scene.

Who's to Blame?

The reason someone develops mesothelioma is usually the lack of proper protection offered to those who worked with asbestos. Though the dangerous properties of asbestos and asbestos products have been evident for decades, many employers neglected to protect their workers from inhaling asbestos while on the job. It wasn't until public awareness of the dangers of the material were revealed in the 1970s that many employers began offering protective clothing such as respirators, gloves, aprons, and other such items to those working with asbestos on a daily basis.

Due to the negligence of employers, many companies who manufacture asbestos or products that contain asbestos have been subject to literally thousands of lawsuits filed by those who've been harmed by the material. Many of those lawsuits have come from individuals suffering from mesothelioma.

Treatments for Mesothelioma


Mesothelioma Treatment

A diagnosis of mesothelioma is always difficult, whether it is pleural mesothelioma or another variety. Because this is such an aggressive and stubborn form of cancer, patients and their families may have a difficult time addressing the issue of treatment, but because options for mesothelioma patients are steadily increasing, the discussion of treatment is quite important, even if all hope seems lost.

Each mesothelioma case is considered individually and there is no right or wrong treatment for the disease. What's best for you or your loved one will depend on a number of factors. Diagnostic tools such as x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and biopsies will be used to determine these factors and these tests will assist the doctor and/or oncologist in determining the best treatment for the patient in question.

What are the Options?

Cancer treatment usually focuses upon destroying malignant cells and preserving healthy ones. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. At present, mesothelioma patients are faced with three major options for treatment of their disease - surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. What course of treatment is recommended will largely depend on these issues:

  • The type of mesothelioma and location of the tumor
  • The size of the tumor(s)
  • The degree to which the cancer has spread or metastasized
  • The stage of the cancer - beginning, advanced, etc.
  • The age of the patient
  • The overall physical health of the patient

Setting up any type of treatment may involve seeing a variety of doctors, including an oncologist (cancer specialist), pulmonologist (lung specialist), or radiologist. Patience is sometimes necessary, but doctors will no doubt set up treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis.

Surgery

Surgery can be performed on mesothelioma patients for one of two reasons: in an attempt to cure the disease or for palliative reasons in order to keep the patient more comfortable and improve the quality of life. Unfortunately, because mesothelioma is almost always diagnosed in its late stages, curative surgery is not usually an option.

As tests are developed that may help to diagnose mesothelioma at an earlier stage, surgery may become more of an option in the future. At that point, doctors may be able to attempt to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue in an attempt to stabilize the disease.

More often, however, surgery is used as a palliative measure. For example, doctors may opt for a surgery called a pleurodesis, which involves injecting talc into the lungs to prevent fluid from returning. A thoracentesis, a surgical procedure that removes fluid from the lungs by means of a thin needle, may also be recommended.

In severe cases, a pleurectomy may be recommended for palliative purposes. This involves removing the pleura - the lining of the lung - and can control fluid build-up and lessen pain and breathing difficulties.

Radiation Therapy

If a patients health is too fragile for surgery or chemotherapy, radiation is often recommended. Radiation causes the fewest side effects and is usually easier to tolerate than chemo. There are a few different forms of radiation therapy available to meso patients:

External beam radiation - the preferred type to treat mesothelioma, this type of radiation comes from a machine outside the body and is aimed toward affected areas. Usually administered 5-days-a-week for up to 5 weeks, this type of radiation is often used for palliative purposes - to lessen breathing difficulties, pain, bleeding, or difficulty swallowing - but seldom has much of an effect on the mesothelioma tumors. This type of radiation may also be used in addition to surgery.

Brachytherapy - Rarely prescribed for mesothelioma, this kind of radiation places radioactive material directly inside the lung or abdomen.

Chemotherapy

Like radiation, chemotherapy provides no cure for mesothelioma but can go a long way in providing relief from the horrendous symptoms of the disease. As researchers continue to test different combinations of chemotherapy drugs, patients continue to benefit from their findings, and someday, chemo may go a lot further in prolonging the life of a mesothelioma victim.

Chemotherapy is given in pill form or injected. In the case of mesothelioma patients, the drugs are given intrapleurally (into the chest cavity) or intraperitoneally (into the abdominal cavity). Doctors usually combine two drugs for the best result. Currently, the preferred combination is Alimta© (pemetrexed) and Cisplatin, but other drugs are used in tandem if deemed preferable for a specific patient. In some cases, patients can only tolerate a single drug so only one is used for treatment.

Other drugs are given to the patient to combat the unpleasant side effects of chemo, such as medication to relieve nausea and vomiting or vitamins to replace essential ones lost during chemotherapy.

Some patients decide that the side effects of chemotherapy are too severe and opt not to receive this treatment.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are the study of promising new treatments for a particular disease. These trials are constantly in need of patients who are willing to try these experimental treatments before they are approved by the FDA. Patients should speak to their doctors about current clinical trials available to them and if they might qualify to be a part of a particular study. Those opting to participate in a clinical trial should carefully weigh the pros and cons before agreeing to participate.

Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies include potential treatment for a disease or its symptoms that are not part of the conventional treatment generally recommended for patients with the disease. These might include the use of vitamins or herbs or participation in therapies such as acupuncture, massage, or hypnosis.


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