Archive for January, 2012

Mesothelioma Facts and Info

Mesothelioma cancer is caused by the inhalation, or swallowing, of asbestos. Nearly 3,000 people are stricken with this disease each year. It is most commonly obtained through exposure on work sites such as those involving old buildings, roofing, or any job that requires handling vast amounts of steel and iron.

Asbestos was once considered an instant solution to projects which required the use of binding materials. It was inexpensive, easy to make, and readily available. Asbestos is a naturally- found fiber. The fragments are so small that the human eye cannot see them, and they have no smell or taste, so it is difficult to tell if you have been exposed to these fibers. They build up in the body, and do not cause problems right away. In some cases, it can take decades for the damage from asbestos to be noticed in the body.

As dangerous a resource that asbestos is, it has yet to be banned in the United States, although many people believe it is. Due to this fact, numerous people have been needlessly exposed to asbestos. In addition, they do not even realize it until the damage is irreversible.

When working with asbestos, it is wise to use protection, such as a breathing mask, to prevent one from inhaling these fibers. If you are working with this product also wear gloves and refrain from touching your mouth or the interior of your nostrils.

If for some reason you are in contact with asbestos and proper protection cannot be provided, do not handle the material. It would be wise for you use machinery, rather than your hands. The further you can stay away from any material containing asbestos, the better. Its fiber strands are extremely small and this toxin stays airborne for a period, much like dust.

Mesothelioma cancer occurs in the mesothelium, which is a thin layer of cells that surrounds several organs of the chest, abdomen, and heart. The mesothelium serves our bodies as a spacer between the various organs and reduces friction with fluid.

This particular cancer is quiet aggressive. Often the victim does not realize they have it until the cancer is already in its later stages of development. Luckily, with the advances in modern day medicine, mesothelioma can be diagnosed at an earlier stage of its progression and treatments can be started in order to enhance your chances of survival and increase your life expectancy.

If you think you might have mesothelioma, you should see your doctor immediately and speak with him or her about your symptoms. Working with a doctor, as with all illness and disease, will greatly increase your chances of surviving mesothelioma.

If you do have mesothelioma, you may want to consider contacting a lawyer about the circumstances during which you contracted this frightening cancer. As in many cases of cancer, your illness probably could have been prevented. When this is the case, someone should be held responsible.

Lung Cancer Awareness: Learn About LCAM and EPA’s Awareness Campaigns and How to Participate

November is the international month for lung cancer awareness. Some of the ways people show their support are by wearing a pearl ribbon, wristband, or key magnet chain. The official ribbon color for lung cancer is pearl. Lung Cancer Alliance (LCM) is the only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to providing patient support and advocacy for people living with or at risk for the disease. Their mission is to win the war against the dreaded disease.

The group has launched an aggressive membership campaign including an educational and information campaign for susceptible people to undergo cancer screening by means of CT scan. A CT scanner can detect early lung disorders and symptoms of cancer which can make it curable. The scanner can take x-ray images which are sliced and reformat in 3-D to visualize the size and shape of lung nodules. This capability can reduce lung cancer fatalities through early detection. Most types of lung cancers are detected during incurable late stages.

The national campaign to increase lung cancer syndrome awareness in the United States is the Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Supporters organize rallies and distribute educational materials. They hold fund-raising events, lobby for a bill for LCAM to be passed in Congress, write press release letters to different newspaper editors, and ask the media for an interview for the public to know more about this leading killer disease. Lung cancer has been responsible for deaths more than prostate, colon and breast cancers combined.

In your area, you can support this campaign in many ways. You can organize an auction or flea market event to encourage people to help raise funds for lung cancer research. Participants pay entrance tickets and buy pearl ribbons. Some hold fun runs like the “Race for Breath” in VA Beach, VA. You can make your voice heard by the media. Many supporters distribute educational pamphlets and LCAM’s Public Service Announcement to local media. LCAM has a sample proclamation letter for lung cancer support which you can send to your governor.

One group, the Kozer-Keystone Health System has a range of awareness activities to render health education about lung cancer prevention and treatment. They arrange educational programs by setting up informational tables in many hospitals and alternate places. Free spirometry screenings and lectures are conducted by pulmonologist and oncology experts like Dr. Thomas Prestel, M.D. Chief of Pulmonology at Delaware Country Memorial Hospital, Dr. Rajesh Thirumaran, DCMD medical oncologist, Dr. Daniel DuPont, Taylor Hospital’s chief of Pulmonary Medicine, Dr. Asad Khan, Crozer-Chester Medical Center’s pulmonologist, Dr. John Lamond, Dr. Leonard Berkowitz, Dr. John Sprandio, medical director of Delaware County Regional Cancer Center,Dr. Walter Scott, chief of Thoracic Surgery at Fox Chase Cancer, etc. Employees of Kozer-Keystone are also encouraged to support these activities by their active participation.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths next to smoking is radon exposure. Each year, it claims 20,000 American lives. The public is encouraged to learn more about the risk from radon. You can’t see, smell, or taste it. Unless you conduct a radon level test in your home, you will not be able to detect it.

In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Radon Video Contest, a public radon awareness campaign for the submission of a 30-60 second video with the theme “Radon: Test, Fix, Save a Life”. The winning video entry featured the true story of lung cancer survivor Eddie Metcalfe. EPA is now promoting “The Eddie’s Story” Radon Public Service Announcements (PSAs) all over the country to highlight the dangerous health risk radon. Now, they are sponsoring media campaigns like Living Healthy and Green featuring a former professional football player, Fuad Reveiz who builds radon resistant homes and EPA’s annual radon poster contest.

To learn more about radon, you should read “A Citizen’s Guide to Radon” and visit the websites of the EPA, WHO, National Cancer Institute, American Lung Association, Radon Mitigation System, U.S. Surgeon General, etc. You should also take steps to do your part in encouraging your community to conduct lung cancer awareness activities including radon level testing of homes, schools and buildings in your community. Radon level testing is done by testing kits which are affordable and easy to use. If a high radon level is detected, the problem can be remedied immediately to protect yourself and your family.

Treatment for Mesothelioma Cancer

When learning about mesothelioma, you should search for words like cached similar mesothelioma, or mesothelioma cached similar. This is because there are a variety of cancers linked to mesothelioma and asbestos cancer.

But how is mesothelioma cancer treated?

Well, in order to explain this, we must first discuss a little about what exactly mesothelioma is, and how it attacks the body. During the attachment of mesosomes, squamous cells rise up from the linings of embryonic body cavities. These squamous cells are located in the peritoneum, the pericardium, and the pleura. The peritoneum is a thin membrane that lines the abdominal and pelvic cavities, and spans across the majority of your abdominal viscera.

The pericardium is located just outside of the heart, surrounding it with a multiple layered sac of fluid that lubricates the surfaces near the heart, preventing damage from friction. The pleuron, grouped into two sections, the visceral pleura, and the parietal pleura, is highly susceptible to pain. It is understood, that mesothelioma cancer, is one of hardship and grief.

As with all cancer growth, it manipulates the integrity of cell walls, mutating the human form. Mesothelioma cancer begins in the lungs. It is contracted by swallowing or breathing in asbestos fiber, which are so small, that the naked human eye cannot see them.

It takes a long time for mesothelioma cancer to set in. In some reported cases, it has taken tens of years for a victim to realize they have this cancer. This is one of the reasons it is so deadly, taking host to more than 3,000 per year.

When being treated for mesothelioma cancer, a patient will undergo several forms of therapy. The most common form includes a series of x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. In addition, you may find that a doctor might recommend biopsies to assist in determining which type of treatment plan will work best for you. As no one person is the same as another, nor is treatment and it will vary from one patient to another. An oncologist or physician will help you to figure out what works best with your body to meet your needs.

In addition, surgery, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy have been known to assist in the fight against cancer. This is the same with mesothelioma cancer treatment. When you began treatment, you will learn that the object of this treatment is finding and eliminate any and all tumors. The variety of theory helps by solving the question of exactly where they are located, and the spread of each tumor. There are my symptoms that will be relieved by following a doctor’s orders, and attending these treatment sessions.

In this particular cancer, a victim may find difficulty in breathing, chest pain, and harsh stomach aches. As a result, depression is likely, and fighting off disease will be more difficult than usual. If you find yourself with these or other symptoms, you should seek help from your doctor or physician right away.