Cancer

This site contains information about any aspect of cancer disease

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Information on Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
By Shane Robertson


What is Mesothelioma?

The National Cancer Institute states that: "Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium)."

How do you get Mesothelioma?

Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Others have been exposed to asbestos in a household environment, often without knowing it. To learn more about the different ways in which people have been exposed, click here.

How much exposure does it take to get the disease?

An exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later.

How long does it take after exposure for the disease to show up?

People exposed in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma because of the long latency period of asbestos disease.

Pathology and The Role of Pathologists in the Diagnostic Process

Pathology, or the scientific study of cells, tissue, or fluid taken from the body is an integral part of a mesothelioma diagnosis. Most hospitals have their own pathology labs staffed by board-certified pathologists and licensed technologists. The importance of pathological diagnosis can not be underestimated, since the course of treatment is dependent upon an accurate diagnosis.

To make a diagnosis, pathologists examine tissue under a microscope, and based on established criteria, make a determination of benign vs. malignant cells. Subsequently, the type of cancer is determined. Although most pathologists have a general expertise of various diseases, a small number acquire training in a subspecialty, such as mesothelioma. These are physicians who have received world-wide recognition as premier experts, and have achieved high acclaim for their research, published articles and abstracts, and teaching. For a list of expert pathologists in the field of mesothelioma diagnosis, please call the MW toll free at 1-877-367-6376 or fill in the form at the bottom of this page specifying your request.

What is the prognosis for mesothelioma?

Like most cancers, the prognosis for this disease often depends on how early it is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated. Click on Treatment Options to find out more about traditional and new approaches.

Is there any promising research or are there promising drugs for mesothelioma?

Research is being conducted at various cancer centers all over the United States as well as by pharmaceutical companies. To find more about these studies, click on Clinical Trials. To read abstracts of the latest journal articles on mesothelioma research and to access these articles, click on Medical Journal Articles; or Mesothelioma News for news articles. A recent study of Alimta showed patients living much longer with Alitma than other chemotherapy drugs.

Where can I find information on living with mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma Aid is a good website for resource for families dealing with mesothelioma. It includes advice and referrals to other resources for coping with cancer, caregiving, financial challenges, and support groups. Alternatively, contact us here at Mesothelioma Web for help finding resouces for living with this disease.

What kinds of other resources are available for people with mesothelioma? There are numerous cancer web sites, some specific to mesothelioma. Because they are often difficult to locate, we have listed some relevant medical sites under Leading Cancer Links. We are always on the lookout for more so check our site often.

Our Comments:

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Mesothelioma Help
By Margaret Wommack

People usually come into contact with asbestos through construction jobs or the clothes of family members working on construction sights. Asbestos is an insulation material used in pipes, boilers, cements, plasters, joint compounds, fireproofing spray, firebrick, gunnite, furnaces, roofs, floors, ceiling tiles, transite siding, brakes and clutches. Thus, the construction workers most exposed to asbestos include insulation intallers, boilermakers, plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, plasterers, shipyard workers, those in the Navy, electricians, mechanics, bricklayers, millwrights, carpenters, steel workers, and maintenance workers. Sites with the largest concentration of asbestos include shipyards, power plants, refineries, paper mills, manufacturing plants, foundries, and construction sites.

Since early symptoms of mesothelioma are non-specific, many sufferers will not be diagnosed with the cancer until it is too late to treat it. These early symptoms are often mistook for pneumonia (shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain). If you feel that symptoms you are having could be related to mesothelioma, contact a doctor to diagnose you to know for sure what you have and what you should do. Diagnosis procedures can include x-rays, CT scans, MRI, PET, thoracoscopy, peritoneoscopy or a biopsy.

Fighting mesothelioma can be expensive and the disease can cause great emotional trauma to the patient and his or her family. If you have been diagnosed with asbestos related mesothelioma, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you fight those responsible for this cancer. If you have mesothelioma, the employer or organization that put you into contact with asbestos is at fault and you deserve compensation. Find a mesothelioma lawyer today.

Contact an experienced Mesothelioma Lawyer today.

Find a Mesothelioma Lawyer associated with a major Mesothelioma Lawfirm today at hugesettlements.

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The Greatest Benefit of Colon Cleansing
By Charles O. Palmerson

One of the stories that has been bantered around after John Waynes death from Cancer was that at his autopsy they removed over 35 pounds of impacted fecal matter from his colon.

It is hard to discern if this is urban legend or fact. However, if this is true you can certainly understand how this waste could have adversely affected his health.

How much undigested food and waste material is being held in your colon?

When we think of cleansing we have to keep in mind that the body has seven channels of elimination. Just like you would clean your entire house you should also undertake a regimen of cleansing all of your channels of elimination. These channels are the liver, lungs, lymphatic system, blood, skin, colon and kidneys. A cleanse which focuses on only one of the channels of elimination is akin to deciding that you are only going to clean the closets in your house.

A constipated colon is one in which the transit time of food is more than 24 hours. Transit time is the length of time it takes for food to enter the mouth and exit the rectum. The basic principle of good digestive health is that you should put food in and wihin 24 hours that food should come out as waste.

The naturopathic perspective is that the longer the transit time of food, the longer these toxins stay in our digestive tract which permits proteins to putrefy, fats to get rancid, and carbohydrates to ferment.

Regardless how you look at it this cannot be healthy for your body. The longer your body is exposed to these toxins in your intestines, the greater the risk of developing disease.

Stop and think about this.

If you have only one bowel movement per day, you will have all of the other meals that you ate over the last 24 hours putrefying in your intestines. This is called intoxification. It is poisoning from within. The inability to purge toxins from our systems.

What we all need to understand is that the reason why constipation is dangerous to our health is that our bodies are designed to absorb whatever is in the digestive tract. If you put good healthy nutrition there the body will absorb it. Likewise, if you put putrefying, toxic waste there the body will absorb that as well.

The best way to start a cleansing program is by cleansing your colon. After you begin your colon cleansing program you might also want to consider maintenance program with colon hydrotherapy.

Talk to your Doctor for guidance and suggestions on things you can do to maintain optimal health.

Charles O. Palmerson is the webmaster for http://www.eConstipation.com an online Constipation Information Resource created to resolve poor digestive health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/