Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a from of Mesothelioma that attacks the tissue lining of the abdomen. It is caused by exposure to asbestos.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma accounts for 10% of Mesothelioma cases. It is extremely deadly. Due to the latency of the disease and the nature of the symptoms, it is hard for doctors to diagnose Peritoneal Mesothelioma, a fact which contributes to its deadliness. It is important to include exposure to asbestos in your medical history as that will lead your doctor to look at the Peritoneal Mesothelioma option.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma
The Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma include:
- A shortness of Breath
- An incessant cough
- chronich fatigue
- Continuous pain in the lower back
- Pain in the side of the chest
- difficulty in swallosing food coupled with loss of appetite and weight loss
As these symptoms are also present in many other diseases and ailments, doctors are reluctant to diagnose them as arisin from Mesothelioma.
One other symptom which is reserved to Pleural Mesothelioma is an accumulation of fluid between the lungs and the chest. This brings about shortness of breath and requires draining.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common form of Mesothelioma. It accounts for about 75% of the cases of Mesothelioma. It is also extremely deadly.
The Pleura is a sheet like tissue which surrounds the lungs, protects them and facilitates their regular operation. Pleural Mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks the Pleura.
One of the more dangerous aspects of Pleural Mesothelioma is that it is often misdiagnosed by doctors as lung cancer which attacks the lungs themselves and not the Pleura.
Remember: If you or a loved one worked with asbestos 30-50 years ago or came in regular contact with someone who did, you should have a checkup for Mesothelioma.
The Pleura is a sheet like tissue which surrounds the lungs, protects them and facilitates their regular operation. Pleural Mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks the Pleura.
One of the more dangerous aspects of Pleural Mesothelioma is that it is often misdiagnosed by doctors as lung cancer which attacks the lungs themselves and not the Pleura.
Remember: If you or a loved one worked with asbestos 30-50 years ago or came in regular contact with someone who did, you should have a checkup for Mesothelioma.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Mesothelioma and Asbestos - A lethal connection - Part 2
The only ackowldged cause of Mesothelioma is Asbestos or more accurately a regular exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos was a popular material in construction as it does not burn, melt, pass heat or electricity.
It is mainly used as an insulation material in building and also in automobiles. Asbestos was widely used until the mid 1970's. Thousands of construction workers and their families were regularly exposed to asbestos through the decades in which it was popular and all over the world there are still buildings with asbestos in the walls.
The asbestos fibers can easily be inhaled by human beings and then they become lodged in the respiratory system. They settle in the lung area and cause the surrounding cells to become cancerous. When a person is eating in an asbestos infused environment, the asbestos fibers can go into the stomach with the food and damage the abdomen tissue.
Most Mesothelioma patients are people who directly worked with asbestos or the loved ones of those workers. Construction workers, miners and especially workers in the insulation industry are the most vulnerable. The most frustrating thing is that if asbestos is packaged and handled correctly it poses little danger. But defects in work procedures, negligence and gradual deterioration of insulation and packaging have gotten people into direct contact with asbestos and in danger of developing Mesothelioma.
Remember: If you or a loved one worked with asbestos 30-50 years ago or came in regular contact with someone who did, you should have a checkup for Mesothelioma.
Asbestos was a popular material in construction as it does not burn, melt, pass heat or electricity.
It is mainly used as an insulation material in building and also in automobiles. Asbestos was widely used until the mid 1970's. Thousands of construction workers and their families were regularly exposed to asbestos through the decades in which it was popular and all over the world there are still buildings with asbestos in the walls.
The asbestos fibers can easily be inhaled by human beings and then they become lodged in the respiratory system. They settle in the lung area and cause the surrounding cells to become cancerous. When a person is eating in an asbestos infused environment, the asbestos fibers can go into the stomach with the food and damage the abdomen tissue.
Most Mesothelioma patients are people who directly worked with asbestos or the loved ones of those workers. Construction workers, miners and especially workers in the insulation industry are the most vulnerable. The most frustrating thing is that if asbestos is packaged and handled correctly it poses little danger. But defects in work procedures, negligence and gradual deterioration of insulation and packaging have gotten people into direct contact with asbestos and in danger of developing Mesothelioma.
Remember: If you or a loved one worked with asbestos 30-50 years ago or came in regular contact with someone who did, you should have a checkup for Mesothelioma.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Common Symptoms of Mesothelioma
The common symptoms of Mesothelioma include:
- An incessant cough
- Chest pain which is worsened by heavy breathing
- Spit or phelgm with traces of blood
- Hoarsenss
- Loss of appetite which leads to weight loss
- Serial infections. Pneumonia is a common manifestation
- Shortness of breath and wheezing
In advanced stages of the disease, tumors can appear near the skin and cause pain and certain neurological affects may appear such as dizziness.
Remember: If you or a loved one worked with asbestos 30-50 years ago or came in regular contact with someone who did, you should have a checkup for Mesothelioma.
Some awful facts regarding Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a pretty awful disease, not only in the symptoms it brings but also because it is very difficult to diagnose and symptoms usually appear in the later stages of it, when Mesothelioma has spread through the body and there is little chance of survival. Here are some gruesome facts regarding Mesothelioma:
15% of Mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. This percentage is very low, and it means that 85% of patients will discover that they are sick only when the disease had time to spread.
The 5 year survival rate (the chance of any patient to last 5 years with Mesothelioma) is 50% if the disease has not spread to any lymph nodes. The horrbile fact is that usually Mesothelioma spreads to far before its detected and so the 5 year survival rate is actually around 15%. We all need to be aware of the symptoms in ourselves and in our loved ones, for an early diagnosis can make the difference between life and death, between misery and relative comfort.
15% of Mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. This percentage is very low, and it means that 85% of patients will discover that they are sick only when the disease had time to spread.
The 5 year survival rate (the chance of any patient to last 5 years with Mesothelioma) is 50% if the disease has not spread to any lymph nodes. The horrbile fact is that usually Mesothelioma spreads to far before its detected and so the 5 year survival rate is actually around 15%. We all need to be aware of the symptoms in ourselves and in our loved ones, for an early diagnosis can make the difference between life and death, between misery and relative comfort.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Mesothelioma and Asbestos - A lethal connection
The most common cause of Mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Now, don't get nervous if you've been around asbestos once or twice in your life. It takes a continued and unprotected exposure to asbestos in order for it to cause Mesothelioma.
One of the things about Mesothelioma is that it has a long period of latency, meaning that the disease can remain dormant for years and even decades before its symptoms become apparent. Most people who have Mesothelioma are not even aware of for decades until its symptoms become apparent. That's why Mesothelioma usually appears in people who worked in asbestos saturated environment between 30-50 years ago. The dust and fibers associated with working around asbestos cause the cells of the mesothelium to mutate.
Mesothelioma is most common in men over 60 years old, because this age group worked with asbestos and in which Mesothelioma had time to develop through its latency period.
People who socialized with workers with asbestos are also at risk, for the dust and asbestos fibers cling to the clothes and hair and can be carried on the air to people in close proximity.
One of the things about Mesothelioma is that it has a long period of latency, meaning that the disease can remain dormant for years and even decades before its symptoms become apparent. Most people who have Mesothelioma are not even aware of for decades until its symptoms become apparent. That's why Mesothelioma usually appears in people who worked in asbestos saturated environment between 30-50 years ago. The dust and fibers associated with working around asbestos cause the cells of the mesothelium to mutate.
Mesothelioma is most common in men over 60 years old, because this age group worked with asbestos and in which Mesothelioma had time to develop through its latency period.
People who socialized with workers with asbestos are also at risk, for the dust and asbestos fibers cling to the clothes and hair and can be carried on the air to people in close proximity.
What is mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which has grown very common over the past few years.
Mesothelioma attacks the mesothelial cells which compose the mesothelium which is a protective layer surrounding some of the body's most vital organs such as the heart, abdomen and lungs. I know that this is very academic and somewhat frightening, but I did not invent these terms, so don't blame me for making a difficult subject even more annoying.
The lungs are the organs most affected by Mesothelioma. Pleural Mesothelioma, the most common variatioon, is the name of the strain of the disease which attacks the lungs or specifically the outer protective layer of the lungs, the mesothelium. Peritoneal Mesothelioma attacks the abdomen and is much less common than Pleural. Pericardial Mesothelioma is a rare strain of the disease and attacks the heart and the surrounding tissue.
I hope to explore Mesothelioma in this blog and to see what is done to combat this disease.
Mesothelioma attacks the mesothelial cells which compose the mesothelium which is a protective layer surrounding some of the body's most vital organs such as the heart, abdomen and lungs. I know that this is very academic and somewhat frightening, but I did not invent these terms, so don't blame me for making a difficult subject even more annoying.
The lungs are the organs most affected by Mesothelioma. Pleural Mesothelioma, the most common variatioon, is the name of the strain of the disease which attacks the lungs or specifically the outer protective layer of the lungs, the mesothelium. Peritoneal Mesothelioma attacks the abdomen and is much less common than Pleural. Pericardial Mesothelioma is a rare strain of the disease and attacks the heart and the surrounding tissue.
I hope to explore Mesothelioma in this blog and to see what is done to combat this disease.
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