Tag Archives: Treatment

Aggressive Mesothelioma Cancer: Some Characteristics

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer currently without a cure. Exposure to free-floating asbestos dust particles is the primary cause for getting this disease.  Generally, no amount of asbestos exposure is considered safe, and the disease almost always develops in persons that have had extensive, recurring exposure.   Once the exposure has taken hold with asbestos particles stuck in the lining of the lung(s), the detection of mesothelioma cancer may take 20 to 50 years.  The type of asbestos, fiber particle size as well as the duration of recurring exposure are decisive in the development of the mesothelioma cancer.  Today, asbestos is banned in most countries from all industries, particularly the construction industry, which only a few decades ago used it in many building materials.  Asbestos is still being consumed and used by lesser developed nations, and some nations like Canada still mine the ore and ship it to these user nations.

Mesothelioma is frequently mistaken as a lung cancer, which it is not, simply because it affects the thoracic cavity (pleura) most often as well as other thin membranes that cover the body’s organs.

Body organ membranes where mesothelioma can also develop include the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum);  the fibroserous sac which encloses the heart (the pericardium); and the serous membrane that covers the testis and epididymis (the tunica vaginalis).

Generally, symptoms of having mesothelioma include: a cough, husky voice, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, difficult swallowing, chest pain, abdominal swelling with pain, fatigue, anemia, loss of appetite, weight loss, fluid in the chest or abdomen, lack of sleep, and other characteristics.  Obviously, to diagnose mesothelioma is challenging and to connect the symptoms with the cancer because so many of its symptoms are easily mistaken for more common diseases that are not life threatening such as flu, pneumonia or bronchitis.

So, there are three main types of mesothelioma cancers:

  • malignant pleural mesothelioma
  • malignant pericardial mesothelioma
  • malignant peritoneal mesothelioma

And less common types of this disease include:

  • testicular mesothelioma
  • epithelial mesothelioma
  • biphasic mesothelioma
  • cystic mesothelioma
  • liver mesothelioma
  • brain mesothelioma
  • papillary mesothelioma
  • adenocarcinoma mesothelioma
  • sarcomatoid mesothelioma
  • desmoplastic mesothelioma

There are several primary options for the treatment of mesothelioma cancer:

  • mesothelioma surgery
  • mesothelioma chemotherapy
  • mesothelioma radiation

These treatments can be combined for a best-results treatment.  During surgery, the cancer cells are removed and post-surgery mesothelioma doctors usually use radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Treating mesothelioma cancer with these methods will give the patients a possible extension of five years to their lives. Additional treatments used by mesothelioma doctors are anti-angiogenesis drugs, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and intraoperative photodynamic therapy.

Special research and clinical trials are being conducted by the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America on a cure for mesothelioma with good results on the early Phase I and Phase II trials.  This work is done as a collaborative effort for a mesothelioma cancer patient by a team of general practitioners, epidemiologists, pathologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation therapists, oncologists, rehabilitation specialists and psychotherapists.

Contact a mesothelioma doctor in your area with the help of our support staff.

Find out more about mesothelioma victims.

Cancer Monthly Journal and Database for Mesothelioma Research

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) March 08, 2012

Cancer Monthly is proud to announce that it now provides treatment results for Non Hodgkins Lymphoma and Bladder Cancer. Cancer Monthly is the only centralized source of cancer treatment results. Founded more than seven years ago, Cancer Monthly now provides information on the actual performance for nearly 1,000 different treatments for Bladder, Brain (anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma), Breast, Colon, Kidney, Liver, Lung (non small cell), Melanoma, Mesothelioma, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, Ovarian, Prostate, and Rectal Cancer.

For each individual treatment the data includes: actual survival rates, quality of life indicators, drug information, and more. The purpose of the Cancer Monthly is to provide patients with better tools to have more effective discussions with their doctors, explains Michael Horwin the President of Cancer Monthly. Most of the data focuses on cancers in the more advanced stages because in those situations time is at a premium and Cancer Monthly can help patients save research time.

Cancer Monthly has been used by several million patients and doctors over the last seven years. This internet database is free and easy to use. Visitors simply select the kind of cancer they are researching, the types of treatments they are interested in, and where they are located. Treatment types include: Alternative, Biologic therapy, Chemotherapy, Gene Therapy, Hormone, Immunotherapy, Radiation, and Surgery. The database then provides the various treatments that meet these requirements. The data is sorted by the highest survival rate but the user can also sort by hospital, country, date, and toxicity of the treatment. Once a treatment of interest is identified the user can print out an abstract describing the therapy and share it with their doctor. Users can also email the doctor responsible for the therapy if they would like to obtain further details. All of the data comes from the peer reviewed oncology literature medical articles written by physicians and researchers.

Cancer Monthly is just one time-saving tool to help patients perform research on cancer treatments, says Horwin. Because the data comes from the medical journals it can help patients make more informed treatment decisions with their doctors.

To visit Cancer Monthly go to http://www.cancermonthly.com

More Mesothelioma Press Releases

Understanding the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mesothelioma

What is malignant mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma, better known as malignant mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects people who have been exposed to asbestos by working in an environment where they are exposed to and breathed in the asbestos particles, or they have lived in a home containing asbestos. Many people have lived in an environment with asbestos particles floating around and were not aware of it.

Malignant mesothelioma frequently starts out in the chest; one breathes in the sharp hooked particles-look like fish hooks when viewed under a microscope-however asbestos fibers can be ingested with food and drink.

The most common form of mesothelioma is plural mesothelioma. Asbestos particles are inhaled, the particles hook into the lungs. From there the particles slowly work their way to infiltrate the plural lining, which is the sac that contains the lungs. The patient cannot excrete these fibers; they stay within the body, because they are durable.

The body tries to fight the foreign particles that have taken up residence in the body. The asbestos particles cause irritation and as a result cancerous tumors start to develop. The plural form of the disease is very aggressive.

If you have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, you have a cancer of the serous membranes, which are the membranes of glandular cells that secrete serous fluid. Serous membranes in the plural cavity allow the lungs to move with inhalation and expiration smoothly without friction. Many people have the have the disease, or know someone that has the disease have the misconception that mesothelioma is a primary form of lung cancer, but it isn’t. The cancerous tumors develop in the plural cavity. As the tumors grow there is less space in the plural cavity and the lungs become compressed. With lung compression comes respiratory failure.

What is peritoneal mesothelioma?

Peritoneal mesothelioma is cancer of the lining, the serous membranes, of the abdominal cavity. The serous membranes line the cavity and also line the organs. The serous membranes that cover the organs is also called the viscera, or visceral membranes. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common type of mesothelioma. The cause of peritoneal mesothelioma is not clearly understood; however, it is believed the asbestos fibers get to the abdominal cavity two different ways.

It is believed that when a person inhales the asbestos fibers that over time the fibers break apart into smaller particles and find their way into circulation, and then as the blood vessels become smaller the particles work their way through the vessels and into different areas of the body. One such place is the peritoneum, but mesothelioma can develop in the testicles and other parts of the body.

The other theory is that the home is infiltrated with asbestos particles. When the person works in an environment the particles are all over the clothes and float in the air on dust particles. The kitchen are can become loaded with floating particles, and the particles can also settle on plates, glasses and silverware. It is believed that a person can ingest the particles. When they do swallow the asbestos particles they work their way through the stomach lining and invade the lining of the abdomen and the lining of the organs. Once the particles become lodged the peritoneal cavity they cause chronic irritation and then the tumors begin to grow.

What is testicular mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma of the testicles is a rare form. It is believed that asbestos fibers travel from the stomach to the peritoneum and through to the testicles, because the lining of the testicles is an out-pouching of the abdominal peritoneal lining.

Misconceptions

Mesothelioma is sometimes called asbestos lung cancer, or asbestosis. Both terms are incorrect. Mesothelioma is not lung cancer, the disease does not cause tumors in the lungs. The tumors are in the plural lining that surrounds the lungs and compresses them until the patient goes into respiratory failure.

Asbestosis is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. They become stuck in the lungs and cause irritation, but does not cause cancerous tumors. This is a very serious lung disease that mimics the symptoms of asthma and emphysema. It is not to be confused with mesothelioma. As the cancer develops in the peritoneum, the serous membranes rapidly secretes fluid into the abdominal area, which causes pain and discomfort as the organs become compressed. Patients are often symptomatic for approximately 6 months before a diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma is made.

Staging

There is no staging system specific to mesothelioma; however, the staging is the same as is done with other forms of cancer, which is the TNM system-(T) tumor, (N) lymph nodes, (M) metastasis. The first stage (Tumor) indicates a lesion that has developed into a tumor. The second stage (Lymph Nodes) indicates that the tumors are contained within the organ surfaces and the lining of the abdomen. The third stage (Metastasis) indicates cancer cells are leaving the tumor and invading other organs of the body. Once metastasis has occurred the disease is difficult to treat.

Prognosis and treatment

Treatment of mesothelioma depends on the location and stage, and it also depends on the condition of the patient, because patients are often told their survival rate is between 8 and 12 months. Although there are special cancer centers around the country that do have better statistics. There are three types of treatments to treat mesothelioma: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Very often it takes more than one form of treatment, such as surgery with radiation or chemotherapy with radiation. Surgery normally does not remove all of the cancer from the body. Time is of the essence in the prognosis and treatment of mesothelioma. When the cancer has metastasized to other organs it is much more difficult to treat.

Mesothelioma Symptoms and Treatment Options

Three Potential Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms and Treatment Options

Mesothelioma is one of the less common types of cancer affecting approximately 2000 people each year. It develops when the linings of the lungs or the abdomen start to grow in a rapid and uncontrollable way.  This cancer is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos particles and therefore has been nicknamed asbestos cancer. When it affects the lining of the abdomen (the peritoneum) it is referred to as peritoneal mesothelioma. In this article we will be discuss three (3) common symptoms for mesothelioma cancer and share the steps you should take when you notice any of these.

The peritoneum (lining of the abdomen) actually has two layers; the inner (visceral) layer which is beside the abdominal organs and the outer (parietal) layer which is next to the abdominal wall.

One of the functions of the peritoneum is to secrete a lubricating fluid to allow the abdominal organs to move against one another. When peritoneal mesothelioma occurs it leads to both of these layers becoming thicker. This can then lead to a number of undesirable symptoms including:

    1. ASCITES – As the inner and outer layers of the peritoneum become thicker, lubricating fluid can become trapped in this area. This can then lead to a build up of fluid which is referred to as ascites. Ascites can lead to swelling in the abdomen and also cause abdominal pain as the build up of fluid causes the peritoneum to press against the abdominal organs.
    2. ABDOMINAL PAIN – As peritoneal mesothelioma develops and the tumour increases in size it can start to press against the abdominal organs. This often causes abdominal pain and discomfort. As discussed above ascites (another peritoneal mesothelioma symptom) can also lead to abdominal pain.
    3. POOR BOWEL FUNCTIONING – As the tumour increases in size or the ascites cause further swelling the intestines can become blocked. This can make it difficult to excrete waste from the body and also lead to further bowel problems.

When you discover any symptoms similar to those discussed above you should consult your doctor immediately. Upon seeing your doctor you should inform them of the symptoms you have experienced and also tell them if you have previously been in contact with asbestos. Once your doctor has this information they will be able to perform the required tests and determine whether you have peritoneal mesothelioma. Following this they can then discuss the relevant treatment options with you if necessary.

Mesothelioma is one of the rarest types of cancer. In most cases these symptoms will turn out to be something much less serious. However, by seeing your doctor you can get a professional opinion on whether you have, or do not have,  mesothelioma. When you have had persistent abdominal pains, your abdomen has become swollen or you have had regular bowel problems go see your doctor immediately!

This information is intended for general use only, while every effort has been made to make it accurate and informative.  Mesothelioma is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.  

Mesothelioma Treatment Options

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