Mesothelioma - The simple facts

By Robert Benjamin

What is Mesothelioma: Mesotheliomas form a range of tumors that usually arise in the pleura or in the abdominal cavity. Malignant tumors arising within the pleura are strongly associated with prior asbestos exposure in up to 92% of cases. The time period from initial exposure to development of the cancer may range from 25-45 years and the lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma following heavy exposure ranges from 7-10%. It spreads through the pleural space, directly invading other thoracic structures associated with pleural effusion. The underlying lung is usually encased within the tumor.

The abdominal peritoneal variant is also related to asbestos exposure and 50% of these patients may have pulmonary fibrosis. Although 50% of these cases may be limited to the abdominal cavity, intestinal obstruction is common frequently leading to death. The classic histopathology of the mesothelioma is a biphasic tumor with both an epithelioid and sarcomatoid or spindle cell component. From this description, it can be readily appreciated how the diagnosis may be very difficult to confirm.

Mesothelioma Symptoms: Many of the early symptoms of mesothelioma are often over looked due there similarity to symptoms of less serious diseases. A lot of patients do not show any signs of sickness in the beginning stages of the disease. The most common symptoms of mesothelioma include pleuritic pain, lasting cough, weakness, and weight loss. Most early symptoms will not be attributed to mesothelioma unless the patient is examined by a knowledgeable doctor who orders the appropriate tests. Test for mesothelioma, may include CT scans, x-rays, or MRI. .

What Jobs Are Associated With Mesothelioma: Asbestos was used in a lot of occupations. A large amount of former military personnel, came into contact with asbestos during their service. Large amounts of asbestos were used in shipbuilding and construction prior to the mid -1970's. Anyone involved with those industries is at a higher risk for developing an asbestos related disease, including mesothelioma. The typical exposure period is lengthy, but some persons with short but intense exposures develop mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma can also occur from non-occupational exposure, as evidenced by manifestation of the disease in women whose exposure came from washing the clothing of men who worked with asbestos. A unique feature of asbestos-related injuries is the long latency period between exposure to asbestos and the onset of the injury or disease. For mesotheliomas, the latency period is between 15 and 50 years, or more. That means that a person could have been exposed to asbestos 50 years ago, and develop mesothelioma today. The average mesothelioma latency period is approximately 35 - 40 years. On average 3,100 cases per year of malignant mesothelioma are being reported in the United States, and it appears to be rising. The disease is three times more common in males than in females. In men, the occurrence of mesothelioma is ten times higher in men between the ages of 60-72 as compared to men between the ages of 30-42. Job site exposure to asbestos over the past fifty years in the United States is calculated to have occurred in over 8 million people.

Why did we use so much Asbestos: Asbestos is a great material for the manufacturing and construction industry. It does not burn and transmits heat very poorly, making it a great insulator against heat. It is a poor conductor of electricity and is also used as an insulator against electricity. It resists rust and can be used in exterior applications. Asbestos is a strong material and yet flexible. It has the soft and pliable qualities of cloth making it useful in protective clothing. Asbestos can be applied to a product by spraying painting it on or it can be added to a product such as concrete.

There is a website that provides facts and other great information on Mesothelioma and numerous medical conditions, the website is called: All About Health, and can be found at this url:

http://www.rb59.com/medical-health-info

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's. End Times Prophecy News http://www.rb59.com/prophecy-news

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Colon Cancer Symptoms

By Sven Ullmann

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In the United States, around 1000 patients die each day from complications of cancer. Approximately 2.4 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with the dreaded disease in 2007. The exact cause of cancer is unknown. It is only characterized by the abnormal cell division and growth. Genetics, exposure to chemicals and lifestyle are just some of the risk factors in cancer.

Colon cancer is a particular cancer in which the primary affected area is the colon. Many studies showed that people with colon cancer are those who have been smoking, drinking excessively, suffers from inflammatory bowel disease and are obese. Regular colon cancer screenings should be accomplished if you are considered to be at risk. This kinds of screenings can help you fight against any kind of colon cancer that might decide to rear its ugly head. It's important to take care of the matter before it becomes too much of a problem.
If you are exhibiting the following colon cancer symptoms, you should be evaluated for colorectal cancer at once.

1. Irregular bowel movements: you could have less or more bowel movements if you have colon cancer. You can even experience constipation more often. This is because the tumor in your colon is already obstructing the regular flow of your bowel.

2. Stomach Cramps- due to bowel obstruction, you will feel stomach cramps and sometimes even bloating. As the tumor grows bigger, it could actually be perforating the bowel wall causing pain and discomfort.

3. Bloody Stool- you might observe bleeding in your bowel. Sometimes the blood will be present in a very small amount and not be noticed. But there are also cases, where the stool is really bloody. A fecal occult blood test can confirm presence of blood in your stool.

4. Unexplained weight loss- one of the classic sign of cancer is weight loss. If you are losing weight even if you are not tr ying, you should ask your doctor.

5. Fatigue- another colon cancer symptom to look out for is unexplained tiredness. Some experts link this symptom to anemia or iron deficiency. To be sure, you should have your blood checked.

6. Nausea and vomiting- because of the tumor in your colon area, you might feel nauseous and even vomit for no apparent reason.

7. Gassy- obstruction of the colon by a tumor causes air to be trapped.

Diagnosing colon cancer can be done in a number of ways. Your doctor could perform a digital rectal exam to check for abnormal areas in your rectum. Another way is to take endoscopic images of your colon. This is done by inserting a lighted device in you rectum and images are transmitted to a monitor. This is a very accurate test and could also differentiate between a polyp and a tumor growth.

If detected early, colon cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The key is early diagnosis. Chances for su rvival are higher for people who are diagnosed at the early stages of colon cancer. This is the reason why you should be evaluated or screened by a cancer expert especially if you are exhibiting classic colon cancer symptoms.

Article provided by Sven Ullmann, who runs http://www.deservedhealth.com - a site dedicated to different health related articles. Read more about http://www.deservedhealth.com/detecting-early-signs-of-colon-cancer/

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Mesothelioma - Cancer of the lung lining

By Garry 123456

Mesothelioma is a very rare form of lung cancer that arises in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is made up of parietal and visceral membranes, thin layers of tissue, which surround organs and body cavities, such as the lungs or abdomen. The visceral membrane immediately surrounds the organ, and the parietal membrane is a sac covering. The visceral and parietal membranes that make up the mesothelium. The mesothelium is referred to by different names, depending on what part of the body it is found in.

Dealing with mesothelioma

Dealing with mesothelioma is a very difficult process. It will require a lot of physical and emotional endurances. The best way to understand mesothelioma is to learn everything that you can learn about the disease. This should include the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of mesothelioma- cancer of the lung lining.

Symptoms

Since mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining takes a long time to develop in side a human body. It is often difficult to identify the symptoms. In the early stages there may not even be any symptoms at all. When they do appear the most common early symptoms are shortness of breath and chest pains.

Presentations and expectations

There are two major types of asbestos: chrysotile and amphibole. It is thought that exposure to the exposure to the amphibole form is more likely to cause mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining. However, chrysotile has been used more frequently hence many mesothelioma are caused by chrysotile.

Removal is taking place in schools and other public buildings throughout the U.S. . The hope is that these measures will greatly reduce the occurrence of this cancer.

Long-term effects of the disease

A mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining is a highly aggressive tumor that is generally deadly. Current treatment of malignant mesothelioma-cancer of the lung lining is designed to make the person with cancer comfortable.

Screening

There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However some research indicates that the serum osteopontin level might be useful in screening asbestos- exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble mesothelin- related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of patients at diagnosis and it has been suggested that it may be useful for screening.

Treatment

Once mesothelioma-cancer of lung lining has been diagnosed a treatment procedure can be recommended and begun. The correct treatment will depend on a number of factors. They include the location of the tumor, the stage of the disease and how far the cancer has spread in the patient. The recommendation will also depend on the age and overall health of the patient.

It is certainly not easy to deal with all of the medical, physical, emotional and financial issues that may be raised when dealing with a serious disease like mesothelioma-cancer of lung lining, but it always better to be prepared. We can just have a hope that in future as the medical science advances this incurable disease can also be cured and lives of many people can be saved.

About the Author

The Article is written by themesothelioma.org - Mesothelioma Treatment

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