Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Mesothelioma Treatment Options – asbestos causes mesothelioma cancer

Mesothelioma Treatment Option – cancer mesothelioma asbestos

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.

Mesothelioma 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 have not always been as well known as they are today.  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.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma is often well advanced before symptoms are recognized.   Consequently, the prognosis for the disease is usually poor with the common survival time for all stages of Malignant Mesothelioma being about one year.  Mesothelioma symptoms resemble pneumonia, which coughs, breathing difficulties and abdominal pain being common.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Mesothelioma can be treated by chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, or a combination of the three.

  • Mesothelioma Surgery Treatment

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.

  • Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Treatment

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.

  • Mesothelioma Radiation Treatment

Radiation therapy is used to treat Mesothelioma patients with the goal of controlling the spread of cancer in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation emanates from high energy X-rays, photons, neutrons, cobalt, or other radiation sources. Chemotherapy and Radiation treatments are useful ways to combat other types of cancers but, used alone, have not been very helpful for treating Mesothelioma.

Research continues as the medical field looks for a cure.  Different combinations of drugs and surgery, studies of newly developed drugs, gene therapy, and more are being studied, with clinical trials in the United States and abroad.

Prognosis for mesothelioma is difficult to estimate consistently when looking at different research studies because there are often large differences in the time before diagnosis and the rate of disease progression.  Many factors affect a person’s prognosis, including the type of disease, a person’s age and general health, when the disease was found, and a person’s response to treatment.

 Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.

For some patients, taking part in a mesothelioma clinical trial may be the best treatment choice.  Mesothelioma clinical trials are part of the cancer research process.  Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.

Many of today’s standard treatments for mesothelioma cancer are based on previous, earlier clinical trials.  Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new mesothelioma treatment.

Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.

Learn more about Mesothelioma, Asbestos, Symptoms and Treatments

Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Cisplatin Treatment for Mesothelioma May Prove to be a Safe Alternative

Dr. Chris Carter, a scientist in Europe is working to develop a treatment for mesothelioma that would perhaps be more effective than traditional methods of treatment.  Currently, patients with mesothelioma cancer receive medication through intravenous injections.  But, the new method of treatment would be delivered in the form of an inhaler.  Using an inhaler would bring the Cisplatin medication directly to the cancer cells in the lungs.

As a result of direct and prolonged contact with asbestos, a person will contract a form of lung caner called Mesothelioma.  Because the disease forms in and affects the lungs, treating it directly at the source could be a much more effective way than traditional needles. This new treatment will use a nebulizer to deliver medication directly to the lungs in a vaporized form. Researchers believe that this method could be more effective and could also help to eliminate the commonly felt side effects of mesothelioma treatment which can include kidney disease as well as other complications.

Each year, mesothelioma causes thousands of patients to suffer from this deadly disease but might benefit by the development of this new treatment method.  Mesothelioma cancer brings 2,000 to 3,000 deaths in the United States every year, as well as thousands mores each year in Scotland where research on the new treatment method using Cisplatin nebulizer is being conducted.  Scientists are working on this method with Dr. Chris Carter through the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.   The treatment method  should be released relatively soon for clinical trial, and they are very optimistic that their treatment will work.

Dr. Chris Carter, senior lecturer leading the research team states:

By delivering Cisplatin, one of the most widely used drugs for lung cancer, in a vaporized form, we would be able to get it to the cancerous cells and avoid the damage to healthy cells which can be hugely debilitating to patients. It would make the treatment far less onerous for them and we hope it would help them to live longer.

The new treatment would provide effective dosage to patients who are limited by the type of treatment that they can receive and will help to eliminate harmful side effects of Cisplatin which patients normally feel after intravenous injection of the drug. The nebulizer will target the lungs with the medication, and  allow the drug to be administered into the patients system much faster than traditional treatment.  This too could help to alleviate discomfort from the disease much more quickly.

This research shows that scientists and many health organizations continue in the fight to help patients with this deadly disease. Treatments are constantly being researched as scientists work to find an overall cure for mesothelioma which some doctors considered incurable.

Find More Mesothelioma Treatment Treatments

Stories & News

Studies on Mesothelioma and Chromosomal Abberrations

 

Article Reviews

 

Mesothelioma Cancer Research Study #1:

 

“Specificity of asbestos-induced chromosomal aberrations in short-term cultured human mesothelial cells”

Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics Volume 41, Issue 1, August 1989, Pages 33-39

by Kenth Olofssona and Joachim Mark, a Department of Pathology and Cytogenetics, Central Hospital, Skövde, Sweden.

Abstract – Short-term cultured normal human mesothelial cells were exposed for 48 hours to three different asbestos compounds, crocidiolite, chrysotile, and amosite. In the concentration used (0.01 mg/ml) all three asbestiform minerals caused, within a few days, a significant increase of cells showing numerical and/or structural abnormalities. The abnormalities were analyzed in detail using banding techniques. The results were compared with the cytogenetic observations in 52 published cases of mesotheliomas.

This comparison revealed only a few similarities as regards numerical deviations. The structural rearrangements in asbestos-exposed cultures, however, in many instances involved chromosome types and chromosome regions preferentially affected in mesotheliomas.”

 

Mesothelioma Cancer Research Study #2:

“Recovery of ingested asbestos fibers from the gastrointestinal lymph in rats”

Environmental Research Volume 22, Issue 1, June 1980, Pages 201-216

by P. Sebastien, c, R. Masse†, d and J. Bignon.

Abstract – Using the transmission electron microscope, asbestos fibers have been assessed in lymph fluid collected from the thoracic lymph duct in five groups of rats previously exposed to asbestos fibers (by ingestion). Ten rats were gavaged a single dose weighing approximately 20 mg. Five were given pure UICC chrysotile A while another group of five had pure UICC crocidolite.

All the rats of the chrysotile group were positive animals with recovery rate values ranging from 6.9 × 10−7 to 3 × 10−5 (90% of the fibers being recovered during the first 16 hr following the gavage). The crocidolite group had only three positive animals and lower recovery rate values of 5.7 × 10−8 to 5.6 × 10−7. A third group was fed a synthetic diet containing 1%, by weight, chrysotile with a majority of short fibers (90% below 4 μm). Of the 15 rats comprising this group, 13 were positive with maximum daily recovery rates ranging from 2.1 × 10−7 to 2.1 × 10−6. A group of eight rats fed the same kind of diet but containing a higher proportion of long fibers, showed only four positive animals, however, they had higher daily recovery rates ranging from 1.9 × 10−5 to 2.1 × 10−4. No fibers were encountered in the samples of the two control rats. This study demonstrates the passage of chrysotile and crocidolite fibers across the gastrointestinal wall, with the passage rate being higher for long fibers than short ones.”

 

Mesothelioma Cancer Research Study #3:

“Penetration of cells by asbestos fibers”

 Environ Health Perspect. 1974 December; 9: 255–260

by J. M. G. Davis, R. E. Bolton, and J. Garrett

Abstract – Studies on the behavior of asbestos fibers within tissues have shown that the only cells that regularly contain asbestos are macrophages and their derivatives. However, these cells actively incorporate the asbestos fibers by the process of phagocytosis, and there is little evidence of direct penetration. Examination of the gut lining after prolonged asbestos ingestion has shown no evidence of dust penetration either through or between the epithelial cells. The structure and arrangement of these cells is discussed, and it is suggested that they are exceptionally well adapted to prevent penetration by any solid material.

 

Mesothelioma Cancer Research Study #4:

“Static electrification of airborne asbestos: A study of its causes, assessment and effects on deposition in the lungs of rats”

American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, Volume 42, Issue 10 October 1981, pages 711 – 721

by J. H. Vincent; W. B. Johnston; A. D. Jones; A. M. Johnston

Abstract – The paper describes a series of experiments carried out in the laboratory to investigate how asbestos fibres might become electrostatically charged during the process of being made airborne, the magnitude and polarity of the charge per fibre, and the effect on lung deposition in rats. Measurements of the penetration of fibres through an electrostatic elutriator enabled the magnitude and distribution of charge in a cloud of fibres to be quantitatively assessed. Thus it was found that a typical fibre of UICC amosite, as dispersed in a typical animal exposure chamber, carried a net charge of magnitude equivalent to about 60 electrons. The distribution of charge was bimodal, suggesting that two charging mechanisms were taking place, the main one producing net negative charge and the lesser one producing net positive charge. These were attributed to materials in the dust dispenser used and with which the fibres came into contact during dispersal. It was found that the magnitude of charge on a typical fibre could be significantly reduced by the introduction of equal numbers of positive and negative gaseous ions from an a.c. corona discharge ioniser. Finally it was found that enhancement by up to 40% of the dust deposited into the slowest clearing part of the respiratory tract of experimental rats was brought about by the electrostatic charge on the airborne fibres. The implications of this finding in the field of occupational hygiene are briefly discussed.

 

Stories & News

Burglar Inhaled Asbestos Fibers During Theft Leading To Mesothelioma Cancer

symptoms of asbestos exposureA burglar may have gotten more than he bargained for when he entered a building that was under renovation, intent on stealing tools left behind by the contractors doing the renovation work. What the bandit didn’t realize, however, was that the house on James Street in Syracuse, NY was filled with airborne asbestos.

According to the Syracuse Post-Standard New York Newspaper, the criminal – whose name was not released – gained access to the building by knocking a 3 foot by 3 foot hole in a brick wall. A police report stated that he most likely didn’t observe the warning signs that were placed around the structure noting that asbestos removal was taking place inside. The doors and windows were all boarded up with plywood.

Bill McHale, foreman for Conifer-LeChase Construction of Syracuse, NY, the company performing the asbestos abatement, told the media that there are safe areas and containment areas within the building, and it was evident that the robber had entered into a containment area after breaking into the house through the wall.  The police were told by Mr. McHale that the containment area is “extremely dangerous” and full of asbestos dust, and that the burglar has put his health at serious risk for having entered the asbestos dust part of the building.

While the burglar has escaped with several pieces of electric equipment, gas-powered equipment, ladders, scrap wire and copper, he probably inhaled significant portions of dangerous, sharp asbestos fibers, that may very well become imbedded in his lungs which eventually will cause mesothelioma cancer. Many people develop this cancer after years of exposure to the toxic mineral in the workplace, such as in factories and shipyards, but doctors and researchers have determined that even the smallest amount of asbestos exposure can lead to the development of cancerous tumors.

Meso Cancer

Three Studies in Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer – August 2012

Mesothelioma Cancer Research and Clinical Studies

visceral pleura parietal pleura

Mesothelioma Cancer Research Study #1:

 “Solitary (localized) pleural mesothelioma: A light- and electron-microscopic study”

in American Journal of Surgical Pathology

 Abstract – Six solitary (localized) pleural mesotheliomas were studied by light and electron microscopy. All the lesions were benign and were composed mainly of fibrous tissue of variable cellularity with or without cystic spaces lined by round cells. The lining cells of the cysts and the adjoining round plump cells were interpreted as true neoplastic cells of the fibroblast type. Results of light- and electron-microscopic study of human mesothelial cells and fetal mesothelial cells of rats were compared. The cytoplasmic organelles of the tumor cells were generally scanty, though rough endoplasmic reticulum, sparse mitochondria, intracellular bundles of fibrils, and numerous polysomes were seen.

Some tumor cells had junctional apparatus and basement membranes and showed inter-digitation of the plasma membrane. These cells lined the cystic spaces irregularly and also proliferated into the surrounding fibrous tissue, where they assumed a spindle shape and resembled fibroblasts. Ultra structurally, the tumor cells were similar to mesothelial and stromal cells of fetal rat pleura. We speculated that the solitary (localized) mesotheliomas were probably derived from coelomic epithelium and that tumor cells remained un-differentiated or revealed minimal differentiation toward mesothelial cells.

Mesothelioma Cancer Research Study #2

“Reactivity of six antibodies in effusions of mesothelioma, adenocarcinoma and mesotheliosis: stepwise logistic regression analysis”

in Cytopathology Volume 11, Issue 1, Feb 2000

Abstract – Anti-CEA, anti-vimentin, CAM5.2, BerEp4, Leu-M1 and anti-EMA were applied to effusions from 36 mesotheliomas, 53 adenocarcinomas and 24 reactive mesothelial proliferations.

Stepwise logistic regression analysis selected three criteria of major importance for distinguishing between adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma: BerEp4, CEA and EMA accentuated at the cell membrane (mEMA), these three being of similar diagnostic value. The pattern BerEp4−, CEA− and mEMA+ was fully predictive for mesothelioma (sensitivity 47%), whereas the opposite pattern was fully predictive for adenocarcinoma (sensitivity 80%). Only EMA seemed to distinguish between mesotheliosis and mesothelioma. Comparison of reactivity in cytological and histological material from the same mesotheliomas showed similar staining frequencies for CEA and CAM5.2, with some random variation for Leu-M1 and EMA, whereas vimentin and BerEp4 reactivity was more frequent in cytological specimens.

Mesothelioma Cancer Research Study #3

“A pilot study of systemic corticosteroid administration in conjunction with intrapleural adenoviral vector administration in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma”

– Sterman DH, Molnar-Kimber K, Iyengar T, Chang M, Lanuti M, Amin KM, Pierce BK, Kang E, Treat J, Recio A, Litzky L, Wilson JM, Kaiser LR, Albelda SM. – Cancer Gene Ther. 2000 Dec;7(12):1511-8. 

Abstract – One of the primary limitations of adenoviral (Ad) -mediated gene therapy is the generation of anti-Ad inflammatory responses that can induce clinical toxicity and impair gene transfer efficacy. The effects of immunosuppression on these inflammatory responses, transgene expression, and toxicity have not yet been systematically examined in humans undergoing Ad-based gene therapy trials. We therefore conducted a pilot study investigating the use of systemic corticosteroids to mitigate antivector immune responses. In a previous phase I clinical trial, we demonstrated that Ad-mediated intrapleural delivery of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (HSVtk) to patients with mesothelioma resulted in significant, but relatively superficial, HSVtk gene transfer and marked anti-Ad humoral and cellular immune responses. When a similar group of patients was treated with Ad.HSVtk and a brief course of corticosteroids, decreased clinical inflammatory responses were seen, but there was no demonstrable inhibition of anti -Ad antibody production or Ad-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell activation. Corticosteroid administration also had no apparent effect on the presence of intratumoral gene transfer. Although limited by the small numbers of patients studied, our data suggest that systemic administration of steroids in the context of Ad-based gene delivery may limit acute clinical toxicity, but may not inhibit cellular and humoral responses to Ad vectors.

Meso Cancer

What Are The Stages of Mesothelioma Cancer Development?

Mesothelioma Cancer

One rare form of cancer is called Mesothelioma, a malignant tumor in the mesothelial tissues of the lungs and the abdomen, arising from the inhalation of asbestos. Because it is rare many people are unaware of this fatal disease. There are many people who go undiagnosed and die of Mesothelioma.  While there is a growing awareness of asbestos hazards  to health, too many people have not learned about Mesothelioma and therefore do not understand its cause, nature, signs and treatment. Today,  physicians find it difficult to detect Mesothelioma as its symptoms are similar to other lung diseases such as pneumonia and lung cancer. Moreover, it can take many years, decades, for a person exposed to asbestos to develop Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Awareness

Being unaware of Mesothelioma poses higher risks since it deters diagnosis and treatment. A person undergoing treatment must know the different stages of the cancer or the extent of the disease. Chances of recovering from Mesothelioma and the kind of treatment depend on the stage of the illness.

Mesothelioma Staging Systems

There are basically two staging systems used for Pleural Mesothelioma (lungs): TNM system and Brighan system. These staging systems are also used in other kinds of cancers; however, the first is commonly used. There is no established method in determining the stage of the Peritoneal Mesothelioma cancer (abdominal) so the TNM system is used.

The Mesothelioma TNM System

There are three variables in the TNM system: tumor, lymph nodes and metastasis. In the earliest stage of Mesothelioma, stage 1 (one), the malignant Mesothelioma cells start to grow and multiply only one layer of the pleura. The pleura is the membrane that encloses the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. However, there are some instances wherein the pericardium (membrane that covers the heart) and diaphragm cover are already affected. In this case, the cancer patient is still in stage 1 (one) Mesothelioma.

In the second stage, the two layers of the pleura are already affected by Mesothelioma. Take note, however, that in this stage, only one side of the body is affected. Normally, the pleura produces only small amount of lubricating fluid that allows easy expanding and contracting of the lungs. The excess fluid is absorbed by the blood and the lymph vessels so there’s a balance between the amount of fluid produced and removed. During the second stage Mesothelioma, fluid starts to build up between the membrane of the lungs and the membrane of the chest wall, resulting to pleural effusion. The increase in the volume of fluid produced causes shortness of breath and chest pain. Other Mesothelioma cancer patients experience dry and persistent cough. Diagnosis of the pleural effusion is achieved through a chest x-ray.

Stage 3 (three) Mesothelioma means that the malignant cells have already spread to the chest wall, esophagus and the lymph nodes on one part of the chest. The patient may suffer severe pain near the parts affected. When not treated immediately or when the Mesothelioma patient doesn’t respond well to medication, the cancer may advance to the fourth stage.

Stage 4 (four) Mesothelioma is formidable since at this stage the Mesothelioma cells have penetrated into the bloodstream and other organs in the body like the liver, the bones and the brain. The lymph nodes on the other side of the chest may also be affected by Mesothelioma in stage 4 (four).

The Mesotheloma Brighan System

Brighan staging system, on the other hand, determines whether the Mesothelioma can be surgically removed or not and whether the lymph nodes are affected or not.

Stage 1 (one) Mesothelioma, the lymph nodes are not yet affected and the patient can still recover through surgery.

Stage 2 (two) Mesothelioma, surgery can still be executed but some lymph nodes have already been infiltrated by the cancer cells.

Stage 3 (three) Mesothelioma, the heart and chest wall are already affected; thus, surgery is no longer advisable. The lymph nodes in this stage, however, may or may not be affected.

Stage 4 (four) Mesothelioma, the final stage, cancer cells have already gone to the bloodstream and other parts of the body like the heart, brain, bone and liver. In most cases, a patient who has reached stage 4 (four) Mesothelioma only has four to twenty-four months to live.

Meso Cancer, Meso Causes

Identifying Mesothelioma and Asbestos Related Diseases

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a term for several commonly found fibrous magnesium-silicate minerals. Due to their durable and versatile nature, asbestos materials were used widely in construction and manufacturing for most of the 20th century. Today, it is widely understood that asbestos is an extremely harmful substance. However, this was not always known. Even minimal inhalation of these asbestos fibers can develop into serious, and even fatal, conditions. In 1918, The United States Department of Labor issued a bulletin stating that there was an “urgent need for more qualified extensive investigation” into the severe harm caused by asbestos. Nevertheless, many industries kept using asbestos.

For decades, construction workers, vehicle mechanics, shipyard workers, electricians, and others employed in the building trades did not realize the danger, as they were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. Even now, workers renovating or demolishing old buildings may encounter asbestos. The danger was not limited those who directly handled the asbestos. If a worker had substantial exposure to asbestos, his or her co-worker or spouse also was vulnerable to asbestos-related illness.

Eventually scientific research confirmed the life-threatening risks caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. However, companies still ignored the danger, and continued to make and use products containing asbestos, until it was banned during the latter part of the 20th century. Asbestos was used widely in heavy industry, as well as insulation in hair dryers, electrical wiring, cement, paper, roofing materials, floorboards, and hundreds of other common items. Despite the legal ban on new uses, over one million Americans are endangered by exposure to existing asbestos sources every year.

Asbestos Removal

Asbestos still exists in many older buildings, including schools, hospitals, airports, and factories across Michigan. From skyscrapers to residential buildings, asbestos continues to threaten the health of unsuspecting citizens.

Removal of asbestos is a complex process. Special precautions are necessary, to avoid release of asbestos fibers into the surrounding environment. Otherwise, the asbestos will endanger anyone in the area, who inhales or ingests its odorless and tasteless microscopic fibers. The danger is great, because any amount of asbestos can be harmful. For these reasons, there is a conflict between those who push for removal of asbestos from existing structures, and those who oppose it, if it is unlikely to enter building ventilation systems.

Some companies and government agencies arrange for asbestos removal to prevent public exposure, while others do so to avoid potential litigation. Still other projects are driven by legislation or public outcry for asbestos removal from public buildings, including many older schools across the country.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Related Diseases

Three serious health conditions may result from exposure to even a small amount of airborne asbestos fibers. All three conditions result from inhaling the fibers, which become embedded in the lungs or other parts of the body. It can take years for symptoms of any of these asbestos illness to appear. Some experts believe that no symptoms appear for more than a decade after exposure. In some cases, it takes even longer for the illness to become evident. The following is information about the three major conditions resulting from asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma

The medical profession used to consider this type of cancer as quite rare. While still uncommon, the number of workers diagnosed with mesothelioma has risen. Now, about 3,000 new mesothelioma cases are reported in the United States every year. The incidence of this disease is increasing at an even higher rate in Europe. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer, usually caused by asbestos fibers that actually penetrate lung tissue. It is also possible for mesothelioma to develop after these fibers penetrate the heart or the abdomen. While doctors have found many different causes for other forms of cancer, the only definitely identified cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis

Sometimes, this term is used incorrectly to refer to all ailments resulting from asbestos exposure. However, it is actually a very specific condition. Asbestosis (also known as interstitial fibrosis) develops when inhaled asbestos fibers cause scarring of the lung tissue. Over time, this scarring reduces the capacity of the lung. Individuals with asbestosis may suffer disabling lung impairments, and must be monitored closely because they are at increased risk of even more serious asbestos-related conditions.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is all too common in our society and has many possible causes. However, there is evidence of a link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is even higher for an individual who has been exposed to asbestos, and also smokes cigarettes. Mesothelioma Treatment Options “Staging” is a term that medical professionals use to define the spread and extent of cancers like mesothelioma. In general, the least serious “first stage” only involves the lining of the lung. By the most serious “stage four,” cancer has spread to other organs of the body.

Medical researchers continue to improve treatment for mesothelioma. The most common form of treatment is still chemotherapy. With new combinations of drugs, such as pemetrexed and carboplatin, chemotherapy may slow the progression of cancer in some victims. Radiation or surgery is the an appropriate treatment for other mesothelioma patients. In addition, some experimental treatments are yielding promising test results and offer hope for future victims.

Mesothelioma is still regarded as a deadly form of cancer. The average life span after diagnosis is only one to two years. However, the stage of the disease when it is discovered, and an individual’s response to treatment are significant factors in determining life expectancy. Due to medical progress, 20% of those diagnosed at an early stage of mesothelioma have at least 5 more years to live.

Mesothelioma Symptoms and Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Men are many times more likely to develop mesothelioma than women. This may be due to the higher percentage of men who work in factories and construction, where there is an increased risk of exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Older men are more likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is not surprising, because of the relatively long period of time between asbestos exposure and the onset of this cancer.

Physicians may have difficulty diagnosing mesothelioma, because initial symptoms, such as shortness of breath and chest or abdominal pain, can be confused with other conditions. There are tests to rule out mesothelioma, including a thoracoscopy or a peritoneoscopy.

  • If you have symptoms and believe that you may have past asbestos exposure, see your doctor immediately.
  • If you or a loved one suffer from asbestos related cancer or mesothelioma cancer, talk today with an experienced asbestos lawyer specialist, Jerry Neil Paul.

 

Meso Cancer

Mesothelioma – A Quick Short Introduction

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that occurs in the tissue covering the stomach and bowels (peritoneal tissue) or in the tissue covering the outside surface of the lung (pleural tissue). 90% of the cases of Malignant Mesothelioma are caused by exposure to Asbestos.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a silicate mineral made up of masses of tiny fibers that are as strong as steel and are highly resistant to heat and chemicals. Fibers of Asbestos are inhaled or swallowed and are able to penetrate to the outside surface of the bowel or to the outside surface of the lung where they become trapped. These trapped fibers can cause a reaction that leads to Mesothelioma Cancer. Mesothelioma symptoms may not appear until about 20 or 40 years from first exposure to airborne Asbestos fibers.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Mesothelioma treatments include radiation to shrink cancer tissue or cells, chemotherapy to stop the reproduction of cancer cells, photodynamic therapy and some times, surgery to remove cancerous tissue.  There also some progressive Clinical Trials offering  the hope of a cure found in their research for new solutions.  Clinical trials are available to qualified volunteers.

You Are Entitled To Compensation!

People,  who are faced with Mesothelioma Diagnosis, are entitled to compensation from the manufacturers of any asbestos-containing product to which they were exposed in sufficient quantities to cause disease.  You can discover a qualified Mesothelioma lawyer on the Internet.   Be sure to evaluate and consider the success case references when looking for counsel and representation.

Stories & News

A List of Studies on Mesothelioma and Chromosomal Abberrations

Study #1

Specificity of asbestos-induced chromosomal aberrations in short-term cultured human mesothelial cells

Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics
Volume 41, Issue 1, August 1989, Pages 33-39
by Kenth Olofssona and Joachim Mark
Department of Pathology and Cytogenetics, Central Hospital, Skvde, Sweden

Abstract – Short-term cultured normal human mesothelial cells were exposed for 48 hours to three different asbestos compounds, crocidiolite, chrysotile, and amosite. In the concentration used (0.01 mg/ml) all three asbestiform minerals caused, within a few days, a significant increase of cells showing numerical and/or structural abnormalities. The abnormalities were analyzed in detail using banding techniques. The results were compared with the cytogenetic observations in 52 published cases of mesotheliomas. This comparison revealed only a few similarities as regards numerical deviations. The structural rearrangements in asbestos-exposed cultures, however, in many instances involved chromosome types and chromosome regions preferentially affected in mesotheliomas.

Study #2

Recovery of ingested asbestos fibers from the gastrointestinal lymph in rats

Environmental Research Volume 22, Issue 1, June 1980, Pages 201-216
by P. Sebastien, c, R. Masse, d and J. Bignon.

Abstract – Using the transmission electron microscope, asbestos fibers have been assessed in lymph fluid collected from the thoracic lymph duct in five groups of rats previously exposed to asbestos fibers (by ingestion). Ten rats were gavaged a single dose weighing approximately 20 mg. Five were given pure UICC chrysotile A while another group of five had pure UICC crocidolite. All the rats of the chrysotile group were positive animals with recovery rate values ranging from 6.9 107 to 3 105 (90% of the fibers being recovered during the first 16 hr following the gavage). The crocidolite group had only three positive animals and lower recovery rate values of 5.7 108 to 5.6 107. A third group was fed a synthetic diet containing 1%, by weight, chrysotile with a majority of short fibers (90% below 4 m). Of the 15 rats comprising this group, 13 were positive with maximum daily recovery rates ranging from 2.1 107 to 2.1 106. A group of eight rats fed the same kind of diet but containing a higher proportion of long fibers, showed only four positive animals, however, they had higher daily recovery rates ranging from 1.9 105 to 2.1 104. No fibers were encountered in the samples of the two control rats. This study demonstrates the passage of chrysotile and crocidolite fibers across the gastrointestinal wall, with the passage rate being higher for long fibers than short ones.

Study #3

Penetration of cells by asbestos fibers

Environ Health Perspect. 1974 December; 9: 255260
by J. M. G. Davis, R. E. Bolton, and J. Garrett

Abstract – Studies on the behavior of asbestos fibers within tissues have shown that the only cells that regularly contain asbestos are macrophages and their derivatives. However, these cells actively incorporate the asbestos fibers by the process of phagocytosis, and there is little evidence of direct penetration. Examination of the gut lining after prolonged asbestos ingestion has shown no evidence of dust penetration either through or between the epithelial cells. The structure and arrangement of these cells is discussed, and it is suggested that they are exceptionally well adapted to prevent penetration by any solid material.

Study #4

Static electrification of airborne asbestos: A study of its causes, assessment and effects on deposition in the lungs of rats

American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, Volume 42, Issue 10 October 1981, pages 711 – 721
by J. H. Vincent; W. B. Johnston; A. D. Jones; A. M. Johnston

Abstract – The paper describes a series of experiments carried out in the laboratory to investigate how asbestos fibers might become electrostatically charged during the process of being made airborne, the magnitude and polarity of the charge per fiber, and the effect on lung deposition in rats. Measurements of the penetration of fibers through an electrostatic elutriator enabled the magnitude and distribution of charge in a cloud of fibers to be quantitatively assessed. Thus it was found that a typical fiber of UICC amosite, as dispersed in a typical animal exposure chamber, carried a net charge of magnitude equivalent to about 60 electrons. The distribution of charge was bimodal, suggesting that two charging mechanisms were taking place, the main one producing net negative charge and the lesser one producing net positive charge. These were attributed to materials in the dust dispenser used and with which the fibers came into contact during dispersal. It was found that the magnitude of charge on a typical fiber could be significantly reduced by the introduction of equal numbers of positive and negative gaseous ions from an a.c. corona discharge ionizer. Finally it was found that enhancement by up to 40% of the dust deposited into the slowest clearing part of the respiratory tract of experimental rats was brought about by the electrostatic charge on the airborne fibers. The implications of this finding in the field of occupational hygiene are briefly discussed.

Meso Cancer

What is Mesothelioma and Who is Responsible?

 

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is usually caused from exposure to harmful and inextinguishable asbestos fibers. It severely affects the protective lining of the internal organs (mesothelium). Weakness, anemia, abdominal pain, chest pain and weight loss are some of the symptoms of this cancer.

While modern day medical science has achieved significant advancement in curing certain types of cancer; despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Since it is usually diagnosed only in its final stages, by the time a person has been confirmed to suffer from this form of malignant cancer, considerable damage has already occurred to their internal organs.

Who is affected?

Most people who develop mesothelioma may have worked in factories or manufacturing facilities, where they were exposed to asbestos used for product manufacturing purposes. Commonly such industries include cement, fire insulators, pipe insulators, fireproof dry wall manufacturers and others. Workers in these industries who have not been properly instructed and equipped with safety gear by the manufacturers may run the risk of contracting mesothelioma as long as 50 years after their exposure. Such a person might not immediately notice the symptoms even though they may have contracted this cancer from being exposed to asbestos fibers occupationally. The symptoms surface with time. Workers who are not aware of the deadly effects of the exposure are usually unaware as well of the severe dangers awaiting them. However, they are not to be blamed.

Who is responsible?

It is the responsibility of the asbestos companies to provide appropriate information and adequate warnings about the potential health hazardous of their products.  There are many cases that reflect the suffering of workers who are not warned of the occupational hazards of exposure to asbestos.  Frequently symptoms have worsened to the extent of causing the death of the patient. While families suffer, the manufacturers responsible for such an unfortunate event have known little of the pain and grief caused by the malady. Numerous groups have endeavored to expose the perfidy of those who knowingly have pushed many innocent people towards such a fatalistic disease. Mesothelioma cases have become much more common, and many more people are filing claims for compensation.