What Is Mesothelioma? Types and Treatment Options

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which affects the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a thin membrane which covers the heart, lungs and other internal organs. You normally get this disease from being exposed to asbestos fibers at some point in your life.

Types of mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form is pleural mesothelioma which develops within the mesothelium. Pleural mesothelioma will develop in the pleural membrane which is the lungs lining.

Breathing in asbestos fibers is the cause of pleural mesothelioma. Upon entering the lungs, the asbestos fibers will work their way into the lungs pleural membrane. Once in there, the body will find it almost impossible to get rid of them. Over a period of several decades, the asbestos fibers will cause the pleural cells to change. These changes may lead to the lungs becoming scarred and, eventually, tumors forming.

Once the cells of the pleural membrane turn cancerous, they will continuously divide, leading to a reduction in lung capacity and causing fluid to buildup between the layers of the pleural membrane.

Because pleural mesothelioma is usually not caught until the later stages of the disease, the prognosis for the patient is normally poor. But, if the disease is caught in the early stages, then the patient's prognosis as well as the life expectancy will be much improved.

Peritoneal mesothelioma
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma - this is a very rare form of cancer which strikes the peritoneum (the cell walls surrounding the abdominal cavity. The peritoneum lubricates the abdominal cavity which allows the surrounding internal organs and body structures to expand and contract. Peritoneal mesothelioma is very rare with fewer than 500 people contracting this form of cancer each year.

Several decades after asbestos fibers are breathed in or ingested; cancer will develop in the patient's abdomen. Modern tests can diagnose whether or not a patient has peritoneal mesothelioma. Despite the fact that it is not usually diagnosed until it is in the later stages, there are still some treatment options.

Although some patients may qualify for surgery and other curative treatment options, other patients may simply choose palliative measures. Most patients with peritoneal mesothelioma survive for less than a year. However, with the proper treatment, life expectancy could increase. A mesothelioma specialist can help patients find the best treatment options for their cancer, which might improve the patient's prognosis.

According to some studies, the average life expectancy of a man diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma is 7 months, although a few men have survived for almost 100 months. Women usually survive for approximately 9 months after being diagnosed, with a few women surviving for a maximum of 49 months. Patients whose mesothelioma was caught early and with less severe symptoms naturally have a better prognosis.

Mesothelioma treatment options
When it comes to treating cancer, doctors focus on killing the malignant cells and saving the healthy ones. There are several ways to do this.

Doctors will utilize chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation or a combination of all three as the most effective way to treat mesothelioma. The treatment that will be recommended is dependent on several issues:

The type and location of the mesothelioma
How big are the tumors?
How much the cancer has metastasized?
What stage the cancer is in.
The patient's age
The patient's overall health

Several types of doctors will be involved in treating the cancer such as an oncologist or cancer specialist, a radiologist, and a pulmonologist or lung specialist. It can take time to figure out the precise location and variety of the cancer, but determining these factors will enable the oncologist to prescribe the most effective mesothelioma treatment.

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Mesothelioma Litigation - If Your Employer Knew, Ask A Lawyer If You Can Sue

Overexposure to asbestos materials and fibers has been found to pose a number of health hazards. Numerous studies have shown that overexposure to asbestos has lead to the development of a number of diseases including diffuse thickening of the pleura, larynx and lung carcinoma, pleural plaques, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma. For a very long time, asbestos has been used for several purposes in the productions of industrial products that include textiles, insulations, roof shingles, various flooring products, cement, brake linings, gaskets among others. Employees working in such environments are at high risk of getting asbestos related diseases.

It is the duty of employers to ensure that the working sites are both healthy and safe for the workers and the surrounding environment. It is also the duty of employers to advice their employees on any health hazards that the working sites may expose them to. On the same note, employers have the responsibility of providing their employers with equipment and other working gear that can be used protection purposes. People working in industries that produce or use asbestos in its productions are expected to be provided with special clothing and other working gear that limits the exposure to asbestos containing materials.

Mesothelioma litigationis a lawsuit pressed by a mesothelioma victim against any employer for unknowingly exposing him to materials containing asbestos which in turn has resulted in the victim developing mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Mesothelioma is a terminal disease which affects mesothelium which is basically the protective lining covering vital organs like the lungs, heart and the abdomen. The mesothelioma litigation is a way of facilitating asbestos compensation. Sometimes, it can be challenging to prove mesothelioma claims you may make for you to get any asbestos compensation.

Considering that mesothelioma can take between 20-50 years before it starts showing any signs, it can be quite a challenge to link mesothelioma to a working environment especially if you no longer work at the asbestos site. Again, the diagnosis of mesothelioma is a challenge on its own as the mesothelioma symptoms are quite similar to symptoms of other pulmonary diseases. However, a good mesothelioma attorney should be able to dig out substantial evidence linking your ailing health to your work environment. To make it easier for your mesothelioma diagnosis, it is very important to clearly discuss your symptoms and also what your professional dealt with. It is expected that your employer knew the health risks s/he was exposing you to before hiring you. Therefore, the basis of your mesothelioma claims will be that your employer knew what he was exposing you to asbestos and did nothing to protect you.

In as much as mesothelioma is a terminal disease which will only take about 6-18 months after diagnosis to claims the victim's life, it is very important to seek compensation. The mesothelioma compensation might not be able to cure your condition, but it can be used to cater for your medications and mesothelioma treatments that you can use to prolong your life. Even if you do not live to benefit from your asbestos compensation, your spouse or family can be compensated for losing you to mesothelioma.

Negligence is a very complicated subject and cannot be fully explained in a short article like this one. Lawyers spend years learning what is legal and what isn't so you should not assume that you have a case until you get professional advice. For more tips and information, please go to Mesothelioma Litigation Lawyers.

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Smoking, Cancer, and Chemotherapy

Adverse Effects Tobacco Has ON The Brain:

Like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, nicotine increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which affects the brain pathways that control reward and pleasure. For many tobacco users, long-term brain changes induced by continued nicotine exposure results in addiction, a condition of compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative consequences. Studies suggest that additional compounds in tobacco, such as acetaldehyde, may enhance nicotine's effects on the brain. Studies indicate the adolescents are especially vulnerable to these effects and may be more likely than adults to develop an addiction to tobacco.

Cancer:

When people think of cancers caused by smoking, the first one that comes to mind is lung cancer. Close to 90% of lung cancer deaths are in men, with about 80% in women caused by cigarette smoking. There are several other forms of cancer.

· They include the oral cavity
· Pharynx
· Larynx
· Esophagus
· Bladder
· Stomach
· Cervix
· Kidney
· Pancreas
· And acute myeloid leukemia
· Head and neck
· Tongue
· Lip
· Mouth

Lung Cancer-The Big One:

The association between tobacco use and lung cancer stands as a classic in public health. On average, smokers increase risk of lung cancer between 5 and 10-fold and in developed countries, smoking is responsible for upwards of 80% of all lung cancers. Using American data 24% of men who smoke can expect to develop lung cancer during their expected lifetime.

Lung cancer remains a disease with a dismal prognosis. Although one-year all-stage survival is reported to have increased from 32% in 1973 to 41% in 1994, five year survival has remained unchanged at 14%.

Chemotherapy- One Form of Treatment for Cancer:

Chemotherapy is in general a way of treating cancer. People diagnosed with cancer undergo this therapy for their treatment. It is the most popular way of treating cancer worldwide. Chemotherapy is applied to treat leukemia and lymphoma.

Under chemotherapy, use of chemotherapy drugs or medicines is made to kill the cancer-causing cell or reduce their growth. Chemotherapy drugs are known as cytotoxic drugs.

Whenever a person is diagnosed as suffering from cancer, the possibility of he or she undergo some form of chemotherapy treatment is seemingly inevitable. The only question is how the cancer will be administered.

Chemotherapy treatment takes place in cycles. These cycles normally run between three to four weeks consecutively. Between the cycles, there are intervals of around the same time. The thinking behind this in conventional medicine is to allow the healthy cells to recover and reproduce, and the cancerous cells to die. The chemotherapy course of treatment is completed when the doctors are sufficiently sure that all the cancerous cells have been removed from the patient's body.

The dosage of chemotherapy administered is calculated by measuring the height and weight of the patient. Using this method, the doctors and tailor a program "tailor made" for each patient. However, the dose levels can be reduced or increased based on reactions experienced by the patient and routine tests carried out.

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