Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (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 (a 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 fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.[1] Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
The symptoms of mesothelioma 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. The diagnosis can be made with chest X-rays and a CT scan, and confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
Mesothelioma
The tissue that lines your lungs, stomach, heart and other organs is called mesothelium. Mesothelioma is cancer of that tissue. It is a rare but serious type of cancer. It usually starts in the lungs, but can also start in the abdomen or other organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. It can take a long time - 30 to 50 years - between being around asbestos and getting the disease. Treatment includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or all three.
National Cancer Institute
The tissue that lines your lungs, stomach, heart and other organs is called mesothelium. Mesothelioma is cancer of that tissue. It is a rare but serious type of cancer. It usually starts in the lungs, but can also start in the abdomen or other organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. It can take a long time - 30 to 50 years - between being around asbestos and getting the disease. Treatment includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or all three.
National Cancer Institute
Mesothelioma
Definition
Malignant mesothelioma (me-zo-thee-le-O-muh) is a rare cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs (mesothelium).
Doctors divide mesothelioma into different types based on what part of the mesothelium is affected, including:
Pleural malignant mesothelioma, which affects the tissue that surrounds the lungs and is the most common form of mesothelioma.
Peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the tissue in your abdomen.
Pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the tissue surrounding the heart.
Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis, which occurs in the lining around the testicles.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma vary depending on where the cancer occurs.
Pleural mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:
Shortness of breath
Painful breathing (pleurisy)
Painful coughing
Chest pain under the rib cage
Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest
Unexplained weight loss
Dry (nonproductive) cough
Peritoneal mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:
Abdominal pain
Abdominal swelling
A change in your bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation
Lumps of tissue in the abdomen
Unexplained weight loss
Other forms of mesothelioma
Signs and symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma and mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis are unclear. These forms are so rare that not much information is available. Pericardial mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include difficulty breathing or chest pains. Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis may be first detected as a mass on a testicle
Definition
Malignant mesothelioma (me-zo-thee-le-O-muh) is a rare cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs (mesothelium).
Doctors divide mesothelioma into different types based on what part of the mesothelium is affected, including:
Pleural malignant mesothelioma, which affects the tissue that surrounds the lungs and is the most common form of mesothelioma.
Peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the tissue in your abdomen.
Pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the tissue surrounding the heart.
Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis, which occurs in the lining around the testicles.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma vary depending on where the cancer occurs.
Pleural mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:
Shortness of breath
Painful breathing (pleurisy)
Painful coughing
Chest pain under the rib cage
Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest
Unexplained weight loss
Dry (nonproductive) cough
Peritoneal mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:
Abdominal pain
Abdominal swelling
A change in your bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation
Lumps of tissue in the abdomen
Unexplained weight loss
Other forms of mesothelioma
Signs and symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma and mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis are unclear. These forms are so rare that not much information is available. Pericardial mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include difficulty breathing or chest pains. Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis may be first detected as a mass on a testicle
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare type of tumor that arises in the mesothelium, a membrane that lines the cavities of the body (such as the chest and abdomen) and also covers and protects most of the body's internal organs. In the chest, the mesothelium is known as the pleura, where it covers the lungs ('visceral pleura') and lines the internal chest wall ('parietal pleura'). There is a 'potential space' between the visceral and parietal pleura, which normally contains about 10 mls of lubricating fluid that reduces friction between the chest wall and the lungs. In the abdomen, the mesothelium is called the peritoneum, while that surrounding the heart is called the peritoneum.
Mesothelioma can be either benign or malignant. Benign mesothelioma may occur wherever there is mesothelium, is localized, and does not invade nearby tissues. It may cause problems because of a mass effect with compression or blockage of adjacent structures but can usually be managed by surgical removal. Unlike malignant mesothelioma, benign mesothelioma has no association with asbestos exposure.
Malignant mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor that is closely correlated to asbestos exposure. Most malignant mesothelioma occurs in the pleura (65-70%) but may also arise in the peritoneum (25%), the ovaries and scrotum, or the pericardium. All forms of mesothelioma have a very poor prognosis (outlook), and are usually rapidly fatal. Asbestos manufacturers and their insurers have been aware of the dangers associated with asbestos since the 1930s. However these groups have not only failed to protect workers and the public, but have conspired to prevent the health risks of asbestos from becoming widely known.
Risk factors for malignant mesothelioma
Epidemiology (disease frequency)
Mesothelioma is a rare type of tumor that arises in the mesothelium, a membrane that lines the cavities of the body (such as the chest and abdomen) and also covers and protects most of the body's internal organs. In the chest, the mesothelium is known as the pleura, where it covers the lungs ('visceral pleura') and lines the internal chest wall ('parietal pleura'). There is a 'potential space' between the visceral and parietal pleura, which normally contains about 10 mls of lubricating fluid that reduces friction between the chest wall and the lungs. In the abdomen, the mesothelium is called the peritoneum, while that surrounding the heart is called the peritoneum.
Mesothelioma can be either benign or malignant. Benign mesothelioma may occur wherever there is mesothelium, is localized, and does not invade nearby tissues. It may cause problems because of a mass effect with compression or blockage of adjacent structures but can usually be managed by surgical removal. Unlike malignant mesothelioma, benign mesothelioma has no association with asbestos exposure.
Malignant mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor that is closely correlated to asbestos exposure. Most malignant mesothelioma occurs in the pleura (65-70%) but may also arise in the peritoneum (25%), the ovaries and scrotum, or the pericardium. All forms of mesothelioma have a very poor prognosis (outlook), and are usually rapidly fatal. Asbestos manufacturers and their insurers have been aware of the dangers associated with asbestos since the 1930s. However these groups have not only failed to protect workers and the public, but have conspired to prevent the health risks of asbestos from becoming widely known.
Risk factors for malignant mesothelioma
Epidemiology (disease frequency)
If you've been exposed to asbestos
If you are concerned that you or someone you know may have been exposed to asbestos, there are a number of actions you can take.
If you smoke, perhaps the most important first step is to STOP SMOKING. While smoking does not increase the chances of developing malignant mesothelioma or asbestosis, it greatly increases the likelihood of developing lung cancer in the asbestos-exposed by 50-90 times!
Further asbestos exposure should be avoided at all costs.
You should consult your doctor about your concerns and consider taking legal action.
Health monitoring
Legal action
If you are concerned that you or someone you know may have been exposed to asbestos, there are a number of actions you can take.
If you smoke, perhaps the most important first step is to STOP SMOKING. While smoking does not increase the chances of developing malignant mesothelioma or asbestosis, it greatly increases the likelihood of developing lung cancer in the asbestos-exposed by 50-90 times!
Further asbestos exposure should be avoided at all costs.
You should consult your doctor about your concerns and consider taking legal action.
Health monitoring
Legal action
Alimta
In February 2004, Alimta (pemetrexed) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pleural malignant mesothelioma that cannot be removed surgically, when given with cisplatin (another chemotherapy drug). It is the only such drug approved for this indication.
Alimta works by blocking an enzyme necessary in the growth of the tumor. It is given by injection every 21 days, followed by administration of cisplatin. Folate and B12 must also be given, and corticosteroids are also prescribed to decrease skin side effects. As with other types of chemotherapy, there are side effects associated with Alimta, including fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and blood problems.
Alimta does not cure malignant mesothelioma, but it does improve survival. In the study that prompted its approval by the FDA, patients treated with Alimta and cisplatin had a median survival almost 3 months greater than those treated with cisplatin alone.
See Useful resources for links to information about Alimta
In February 2004, Alimta (pemetrexed) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pleural malignant mesothelioma that cannot be removed surgically, when given with cisplatin (another chemotherapy drug). It is the only such drug approved for this indication.
Alimta works by blocking an enzyme necessary in the growth of the tumor. It is given by injection every 21 days, followed by administration of cisplatin. Folate and B12 must also be given, and corticosteroids are also prescribed to decrease skin side effects. As with other types of chemotherapy, there are side effects associated with Alimta, including fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and blood problems.
Alimta does not cure malignant mesothelioma, but it does improve survival. In the study that prompted its approval by the FDA, patients treated with Alimta and cisplatin had a median survival almost 3 months greater than those treated with cisplatin alone.
See Useful resources for links to information about Alimta
Heat therapy
Heat therapy uses heat to improve the effects of chemotherapy agents. In hyperthermic chemotherapy, agents such as cisplatin or doxorubicin are heated and injected at temperatures as high as 109° F, because tumor cells are more susceptible to the toxic effects of the drugs at higher temperatures. In an early study, patients with malignant mesothelioma showed good tolerance to hyperthermic cisplatin given into the pleural space.
In chemohyperthermia, the pleural cavity is heated before chemotherapy is given directly into it. Although proved safe, it has not demonstrated improved survival
Heat therapy uses heat to improve the effects of chemotherapy agents. In hyperthermic chemotherapy, agents such as cisplatin or doxorubicin are heated and injected at temperatures as high as 109° F, because tumor cells are more susceptible to the toxic effects of the drugs at higher temperatures. In an early study, patients with malignant mesothelioma showed good tolerance to hyperthermic cisplatin given into the pleural space.
In chemohyperthermia, the pleural cavity is heated before chemotherapy is given directly into it. Although proved safe, it has not demonstrated improved survival
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