Alternative Mesothelioma Treatments

By Bill Cass

Alternative treatments for mesothelioma are often described as holistic treatments because not only do they help patients' physical well being but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Alternative treatments help ease stress and reduce the side effects caused by conventional treatments for mesothelioma cancer. Alternative treatments for mesothelioma therefore are a great compliment to medical treatment.

Alternative Treatments

In order to make the most of your cancer treatment, it is a good idea to discuss alternative treatments with your doctor. Anything deemed outside the traditional treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation) are alternative treatments. Alternative mesothelioma treatments can include:

Acupuncture
Yoga
Meditation
Massage Therapy
Nutritional Supplements and Herbs
Aromatherapy
TENS therapy

These treatments may be expensive and most are not covered by health insurance.

Acupuncture

This technique involves thin, long needles being inserted into certain points on the body. Mesothelioma victims seek this pain relief method used in China for centuries because it decreases the intense pain that may be a symptom of the disease or its treatments and stimulates the release of endorphins.

Yoga and Meditation

Patients use these methods in order to reduce stress and pain. Yoga, meditation, and other similar therapies consist of relaxation and an awareness of body and mind.

Massage Therapy

Massages as a treatment for mesothelioma cancer are therapeutic because the rubbing and kneading of the body's soft tissue increases blood flow, thereby improving circulation. Doctors often promote massages for cancer patients in order to ease the mind and relax the body, in turn helping to control the pain.

Discuss massage therapy with your doctor, as a massage immediately after radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery may cause damage to the recovering parts of the body. Deep massages may cause significant pain if the cancer has spread to the bones, and may even cause bone fractures.

Nutritional Supplements and Herbs

Though not all are verified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most patients use this treatment as a complement to conventional treatments. Also used for centuries in China, nutritional supplements and herbs may boost the immune system.

Again, discuss this alternative treatment with your doctor before beginning an herbal regimen, because some herbs or nutritional supplements may decrease the potency of and otherwise interact with certain drugs.

Aromatherapy

Oils derived from plants are burned releasing a smell that have been known to ease the mind into relaxation by appealing to the human sense of smell.

TENS therapy

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is an alternative method approved by the FDA. Electrodes are placed on the nerve pathways producing an electrical current that stimulates the production of a morphine-like substance in the brain. Some patients have found success through this method as its electrical shocks relieve pain much like massage therapy or acupuncture. There are few side effects to TENS and this method can be performed at home.

Although many of these treatments are not endorsed by some doctors, many patients have found these treatments to be effective in either combination with the conventional medical treatments or as stand-alone therapy.

The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer Resource Center is focused on bringing an easy to use and extremely informative website to those searching for information on mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. With our informative videos and accurate, board-certified-oncologist reviewed articles, we trust you will find this to be a true resource.


 



Understanding the Relation Between Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma Lung Cancer

By David Hooper

An understanding of asbestos is necessary before we try to understand mesothelioma lung cancer. Asbestos, a natural fibrous mineral, used commonly in construction process and manufacturing industries is detrimental to human health. Continuous inhalation of its fibers enhances the susceptibility to respiratory disorders and can lead to many dangerous diseases. A leading example of such dangerous disease is Mesothelioma lung cancer. Actually, mesothelioma lung cancer is misnomer because mesothelioma cancers affect the lining of lungs (pleura) and abdomen and not the lungs. Since mesothelioma cancers mostly affect the lining of the lungs, it is generally called mesothelioma lung cancer. The workers who had worked in industries such as shipbuilding, asbestos mining, and asbestos production are vulnerable to mesothelioma cancers.

Mesothelioma and the Role of Carcinogens:

What is mesothelioma cancer and how does the lining of the lung become cancerous? Cancer is a tumor that is malignant in nature. Tumor is formed when there is abnormal cell division and cell multiplication in the cancerous cells. Exposure to carcinogens or cancer-causing material like cigarette smoke, asbestos and silica dust is instrumental in this abnormal cell division and formation of tumor.

Mesothelioma cancer is directly linked to asbestos exposure. However, those already exposed to asbestos have a greater chance of developing lung cancer if they are exposed to other carcinogens such as cigarette smoke. A study reports that the workers with a history of asbestos exposure and cigarette smoke are more prone to lung cancer than the non-smokers and those with no history of asbestos exposure.

Complications Associated with Mesothelioma Cancer:

Normally, the latency stage for asbestos-related diseases in general and mesothelioma cancers of the lining of lung in particular, 20-50 years, which makes detection of Mesothelioma a complicated issue. This situation is further aggravated particularly where the worker is also addicted to cigarette smoking. By the time, the disease shows its symptoms, a considerable exposure to additional carcinogens linked to cigarette smoking has already taken place. This makes a worker more vulnerable to lung cancer besides the vulnerability to mesothelioma cancers.

Mesothelioma Cancers and Legal Redress:

The Government is conscious of the ill effects of asbestos exposure and the seriousness of mesothelioma cancer. The employees working in factories with significant risk of asbestos exposure are eligible for Mesothelioma compensation, if the exposure is the cause of Mesothelioma. There has been a spate of lawsuits for seeking compensation for mesothelioma and lung cancers. In many cases, the courts have awarded heavy sums as compensation against the asbestos manufacturing companies.

Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.asbestosblog.org/ for information on asbestos reform, mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.



All About Mesothelioma Cancer

By Michalle Law


Mesothelioma cancer is considered to be the rarest and deadliest types of cancer, and usually affects the mesothelial tissues of the body organs, normally abdomen and lungs. It develops malignant and cancerous cells in mesothelium, which is the protective cell covering many internal organs of the body. It can even damage other body organs by spreading out the damaged cells to them.

The main cause of this type of cancer in about 50-80% cases is exposure to the asbestos. People involved in occupations like constructions jobs in insulators, shipyards and boiler makers are at a risk of catching asbestos disease. It is a very restrained form of cancer which provides only few symptoms that can be noticed until the disease becomes enormously advanced.

Pleural mesothelioma is the most usual type of the cancer, indicated by chronic coughing, shortness of breath in combination with common cold and allergies. Other pleural mesothelioma symptoms include chest pain, coughing blood, fatigue, wheezing, swollen lymph node, loss of appetite, loss of weight and lung infection.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is another form of the cancer, which generally affects the covering around the intestines and the stomach. Symptoms of this type of cancer include weight loss, fever, anaemia, pain in abdomen, swelling in abdomen or bowel obstructions. Another type of the cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, the symptoms of which including palpitations, persistent coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath.

It has been estimated that about 2000 new cases of this type of cancer are diagnosed every year. It is to be noted that only a professional cancer expert can diagnose mesothelioma. The disease starts in small lumps in the pleura membrane, that may not be scanned on X-rays, until they are advanced and grown up in large size. The symptoms of the disease may not come into view until 30-50 years of exposure to asbestos.

The treatment options available for this type of cancer are:

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy with doxorubicin or adriamycin has been 20% responsive in cases of mesothelioma.

Radiation Therapy: This disease is quite moderately responsive towards radiation therapy also. It can improve the quality of life of the patient, as it can reduce shortness of breath and pain in the body, while it can not cure the problem.

Surgery: Surgical choices like removing the cancer tumour by cutting out the lun or decortication have also not been very successful so far.

Photodynamic therapy: In this process, the cancer cells are given an intravenous photosynthesizer, which are afterwards activated in order to destroy the cells with the help of a laser light of specific wave length. This therapy is still in its experimental stages.

The average survival time of a patient from the time of observance of the cancer is about 4-24 months, however, with proper care, some patients have also been seen living for many years. Therefore, it is advisable for those who are working in asbestos prone localities to regularly consult a doctor and go for regular check ups, so that any possibility for the cancer can be diagnosed at an earlier stage.

Eirik Comm is the professional freelance writer. He's also the webmaster of Healthyliveworld.com



Mesothelioma Treatment Options

By Garry Neale


Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by contact with asbestos, a carcinogen. The disease attacks the lining of the lung or the lining of the abdominal cavity. It can be difficult to deal with this type of cancer and find decent mesothelioma info online. This article will outline some of the main treatment options available to deal with the disease. The more knowledge you have about this disease, the better.

Most people searching for mesothelioma info are looking for information regarding the different treatments currently available to those affected by the cancer. The type of treatment you receive for it depends on many factors, including cancer stage, location of the disease, and how far it has spread. It also depends on how the cancer cells look under the microscope. Your age and personal wishes are another factor to consider. Although this disease is very dangerous, there have been successful treatments.

There are three main treatment types for those who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma - surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Surgery physically removes the cancer, while chemotherapy using drugs to kill the cancer. With radiation therapy treatment high doses of x-rays and other high-energy rays are used to target and kill the cancer. In your search for reliable information, you may have already discovered that in many cases, two or more of these methods are used to beat the cancer.

One of the surgical procedures that can be performed on mesothelioma patients is called palliative surgery, which involves treating the symptoms of the without going after the disease directly. Palliative treatments often include drainage of the chest tube and pleurodesis - the buildup of fluid is usually what first alerts patients to the reality of their situation. After the fluid has been initially drained, it often returns and patients have to undergo more procedures to permanently remove the remaining fluid. The pleural space must be closed to prevent future problems with fluid buildup.

If you want to know more about mesothelioma info, it's important to realize that other procedures are designed to cure the disease, rather than for palliative reasons. The goal of this type of surgical procedure is to remove the whole of the cancer - but take note that with the surgical removal of the cancer microscopic remnants of the disease are always left behind and have the potential to grow back after the surgery has been completed. It takes time, but you have to realize that this is a strong possibility with surgical treatment procedures.

For this very reason adjuvant therapy is carried out after the surgical procedure to minimize this possibility. This method of treatment is administered in addition to the primary surgery to remove residual disease.

For patients in the early stages, a pleurectomy/decortication is usually the route taken to remove the tumor. If the doctors can't remove the entire tumor without removing the lung, the lung will be taken out (this is referred to as a pneumonectomy). As science progresses, there are other options for treatment, including gene therapy, immunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy.

To learn more about available Mesothelioma Treatment Options, check out the Mesothelioma Treatment Options Web Site.



Mesothelioma Diagnosis-How Do You Diagnose Mesothelioma?

By Bello Kamorudeen


Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that advances quickly and aggressively. However the diagnosis of this type of cancer is not usually made until it has reached an advanced stage. This is mainly due to two reasons:

1-Mesothelioma has a very long latency period. In a typical case, between 20 to 50 years elapse between asbestos exposure and the onset of the first symptoms of the disease show up.

2-Most of the early and warning symptoms are not specific to mesothelioma; they often resemble symptoms of other conditions that are much less serious. For example, the early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may look like those for influenza or pneumonia, and this can result in misdiagnosis.

The First Stages of Diagnosis

Mesothelioma patients are typically diagnosed within three to six months of their first visit to a doctor when they complain of breathing difficulties or chest and abdominal pain.

The first step involved in diagnosis is providing a full and accurate medical history to your doctor, this should include details about current and past health concerns, as well as the types of symptoms you are currently experiencing. A mention of any exposure to asbestos is essential. Without revealing this fact, your doctor may not consider asbestos-related diseases in his or her diagnosis. Next, patients will undergo a physical examination, where a doctor will examine for certain physical signs in different areas of the body that are suggestive of the diagnosis. Most likely, the doctor's next step will be to recommend further testing.

Diagnostic Tests

If your doctor has good clinical suspicion of an asbestos-related disease, he /she will then requests for certain to confirm the presence of mesothelioma, determine the location, size and type of cancer involved, and to determine whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This will often involve imaging tests such as:

-Chest X-ray: This is the most commonly used imaging test for the diagnosis of mesothelioma. Almost all diagnoses will involve an x-ray but a more sophisticated test may follow.

-CT Scan: An x-ray-like procedure in which several x-ray pictures are taken and combined with a computer to produce a detailed image of body tissues. If you undergo a CT scan, you may be given an intravenous injection of dye that helps produce more detailed images.

-PET Scan: Glucose solution is administered via intravenous injection, and a scanner is used to spot deposits of cancer cells. Malignant cells take up and use sugars more quickly than normal cells, so they can be easily distinguished using this procedure.

-MRI Scan: A combination of radio waves and a strong magnetic field is used to create detailed three-dimensional images that can be carefully examined by a radiologist.

Fluid and Tissue Tests

These tests, also known as biopsy tests, involve collecting small samples of fluid or tissue and checking them for the presence of cancer cells. These tests are used to actually make a definitive diagnosis of the cancer. Such tests include:

* Fine Needle Aspiration: Mesothelioma cancers cause fluid to build up in affected locations, such as in the pleural membrane of the lungs. During a fine needle aspiration, the surgeon will remove a fluid sample using a very long, thin and hollow needle.

* Thoracoscopy: Thoracoscopy is used in cases where pleural or pericardial mesothelioma is suspected. During this procedure a very small incision is made in the chest wall, through which a sample of tissue is removed.

* Bronchoscopy and Laparoscopy: These procedures are similar to the thoracoscopy, but are performed on different parts of the body. The bronchoscopy is used to view the trachea and airway, while the laparoscopy is used to remove samples of peritoneal tissue.

* Mediastinoscopy: This procedure is used to view lymph nodes in the chest and neck, to determine if cancer has spread from its point of origin. What Should You Do After Receiving The Diagnosis? If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, your doctor will recommend an "oncologist" (a doctor who has specialized in the treatment of cancers), who is well-versed in treating the disease and will help determine the best options for treatment.

Patients should also educate themselves about mesothelioma and treatment options and reach out to available resources to make coping with a mesothelioma diagnosis easier.

Bello kamorudeen.For complete information on mesothelioma visit http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com



Mesothelioma A Hidden Danger for Veterans

By Bill Cass

The brave men and women who have served their country are modern day heroes. Fighting for freedom has never come easy, nor does it now. According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, there are currently 25 million individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces?THANK YOU!!

Unfortunately, literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions of these heroes were exposed to asbestos-containing materials during their services, and are only now ? sometimes as late as 50 years later ? experiencing what that can mean.

What is asbestos?

These days, asbestos is a well known carcinogen. This fiber consists of long, thin fibrous crystals and may be mixed with other substances in order to resistant heat, electricity and chemical damage, making it at one time a popular insulator and fire retardant.

Why are veterans at risk?

Due to these characteristics, asbestos was widely used by every military branch with the intention of protecting service men and women. It was so useful that it was mandated for wide spread usage prior to being phased out in the 1970s, after its risks became public. In the Armed Forces, it was used mainly for insulation purposes, but has also been used in over 300 consumer and building products. The Navy primarily used asbestos between the 1930s and 1970s, fitting nearly every ship with it, and covering nearly all shipyards with numerous asbestos-containing materials. While the material may have saved lives in the past by preventing fires, there may now be a price to pay for those lives in the form of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that can be either malignant or benign. Malignant mesothelioma is the most hazardous form of asbestos cancer and is deadly in most cases. This cancer affects the mesothelium, a lining that protects the heart, stomach, lungs, and other organs by making a special fluid that lubricates the organs and allows them to move.

What materials and products contained asbestos?

Asbestos was used in various materials and components, including but not limited to:

--Cement
--Flooring products
--Insulation
--Steam pipes
--Gaskets
--Brakes and Clutches
--Boilers

Who could be affected by asbestos?

Many veterans could be affected by asbestos, as its wide spread usage was mandated between the 1930s and 1970s. At-risk occupations in the service include:

--Navy personnel below the deck
--Construction workers
--Shipyard workers
--Boiler room workers
--Machinery repairmen
--Literally all sailors because asbestos was used in their navigation rooms, sleeping quarters, and mess halls, just to name a few.

Possibly even more disturbing, the spouses and children of serving men and women could have been inadvertently affected due to secondary exposure from asbestos fibers carried home in uniforms and other accessories. These fibers could then be inhaled by whoever came in contact with the contaminated clothing, thereby placing that individual at risk.

Is there any compensation involved?

Unfortunately, there is no disability eligibility for serving men and women unless you can prove that the mesothelioma was due to asbestos exposure during active duty. Due to the delayed manifestation of the disease, this can be very difficult to prove. However, there may be recourse available, if you research your situation.

As a veteran of our Armed Forces, you realized many of the dangers involved in protecting this country, and again that service is very much appreciated. However, if you are suffering from lung-related issues, or feel that you may have been exposed to asbestos during your time in the service, you should see your doctor immediately. As with many cancers, mesothelioma has a better prognosis if it is detected and aggressively treated in its early stages.

The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer Resource Center is focused on bringing an easy to use and extremely informative website to those searching for information on mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. With our informative videos and accurate, board-certified-oncologist reviewed articles, we trust you will find this to be a true resource.



Asbestos and Lung Cancer

By David Hooper

Asbestos and lung cancer, yes it is true that asbestos is a major reason for the cause of this deadly disease. Before we analyze the interrelationship between asbestos and lung cancer it is necessary to understand what is asbestos and what are its health implications.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral in the form of bundled fibers. Asbestos fibers are heat and chemical resistant and are poor conductor of electricity. These qualities make it fit for commercial use. Industries use four types of Asbestos: Chrysolite or white asbestos, Crocidolite or blue asbestos, Anthophyllite or gray colored fibers and Amosite or brown colored fibers. These asbestos fibers break into tiny dust particles and thus easily inhaled or swallowed which can cause serious health disorders. Lung cancer caused from asbestos is one such example.

Health Hazards of Asbestos

Regular exposure to asbestos can result in several serious diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma cancers and asbestosis. Asbestosis is as lung disease that produces shortness of breath, coughing and permanent damage to lungs and Mesothelioma-a rare cancer of membrane covering the chest and abdomen, and cancers of larynx, oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract and kidney.

Regular exposure of asbestos results in occupational diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Since 1940, millions of American workers, working in shipbuilding companies, mining and milling of asbestos, manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products, insulation in construction and building trades, and brake repair were exposed to asbestos. Demolition workers, drywall removers and firefighters are also at risk of being exposed to asbestos that may cause lung cancer in them.

Due to stringent norms and improved work practices, today's workers face negligible risks of lung cancer from asbestos. Although heavier and longer exposure time is held responsible for the risk but investigators found that brief exposures could also lead to infection. Not only the workers but also their families are at risk of asbestos diseases and lung cancer. Para occupational exposure occurs because asbestos fibers are brought into the house by means of shoes, clothing, skin and hair of workers. To avoid this exposure workers are required to take shower and change their clothing before leaving their workplace.

The difficult portion of asbestos related diseases and asbestos related lung cancer is that they can lie dormant in the body for 10-40 years before manifesting. This makes it difficult to diagnose the disease in its early stages. When the diseases are manifested and diagnosed, it is too late and chances of survival of victims are very bleak.

Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.asbestosblog.org/ for information on asbestos reform, mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.


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Lung-Mesothelioma-Asbestos. Mesothelioma typically has a long latency period, meaning that many years will pass between exposure to asbestos and the development of the disease

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