New mesothelioma treatment research to determine if chemotherapy before surgery and radiation can prevent mesothelioma recurrence could provide a major step forward for the treatment of this rare cancer of the lining of the chest caused by exposure to asbestos.

This new mesothelioma treatment study is an attempt to build on previous clinical trials that have shown promise at M.D. Anderson which involved extra pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) surgery where the affected lung and lining of the chest are removed. This is followed by Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

What is really unique about this new mesothelioma treatment study is the fact that this is the first trial to investigate the use of chemotherapy before surgery and radiation.

Results Of Previous Trials Of This New Mesothelioma Treatment

Previous trials of this new mesothelioma treatment involving extrapleural pneumonectomy and IMRT was 90 per cent effective in preventing a local recurrence in patients. However about half the patients who underwent the trials got a recurrence in a different location. Quite often, this was the other lung or another part of the body.

Researchers into this new mesothelioma treatment add that chemotherapy before surgery and radiation usually reduce the possibility of the cancer spreading to another area away from the original site.

Visit the author’s mesothelioma research blog for the latest mesothelioma research findings.

The following mesothelioma research findings were reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Mesothelioma researchers have reported that combining Tomudex (raltitrexed) and Platinol (cisplatin) has shown amazing results in the improved survival of patients suffering from the rare Malignant pleural mesothelioma which is caused by habitual exposure to asbestos.

According to the mesothelioma research findings reported in the journal, the combination of the two treatments dramatically improves the survival of patients compared to the use of Platinol alone.

These mesothelioma research findings emerged from a randomized phase III trial.

Patients suffering from this rare mesothelioma usually experience shortness of breath, cough, pain, fatigue and loss of appetite. This new mesothelioma research findings are all the more encouraging because this type of cancer has proved to be resistant to most therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy on its’ own and even when combined with radiation.

What usually complicates matters further is the fact that usually patients are not aware of the fact that they are suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma until the disease has already progressed to a very advanced stage where treatment with surgery or radiation is no longer a viable option.

That is why the identification of treatment that can improve survival as well as quality of life in patients, as this mesothelioma research promises, is so significant.

Visit the author’s mesothelioma research blog for the latest mesothelioma research findings.

One of the most successful Mesothelioma treatment options involves the removal of the lung and other organs via surgery. However many patients and their loved ones do not quite understand why this is necessary.

This Mesothelioma treatment option is necessary and is one of the most successful because the disease usually starts in the lining of the inner chest wall and the lining that covers the diaphragm. This is called the parietal pleura. The disease then grows into the lining that covers the lung (visceral pleura).

Because it is impossible to separate the visceral pleura from the lung so as to remove the Mesothelioma cancer, there is no option but treatment through the removal of the lung. Secondly it is also important to note that Mesothelioma often attacks the lung tissue so the only way to completely remove the tumor is by removing the lung.

Quality of life for patients after this Mesothelioma treatment option is difficult to predict. Many people may suffer a degree of shortness of breath, which incidentally is also, one of the symptoms of the disease before surgery. Also because the surgery involves a large incision and sometimes portions of the rib are also taken out, many patients suffer a lot of pain after the surgery, however this is usually quickly controlled by pain medication.

However many times this Mesothelioma treatment option results in a big improvement, especially if surgeons are able to properly remove the tumor. In fact many patients are able to breath a lot better with one lung. The reason is because of the relief of tumor compression on the lung and the related restriction of chest wall movement.

Visit the author’s mesothelioma research blog for the latest mesothelioma research findings.

Mesothelioma is a very serious disease. One of the reasons it is so serious is that many people do not know what puts them at risk for mesothelioma. The basic risk of getting mesothelioma has to do with asbestos exposure. Asbestos is very common in many things and therefore it is not very difficult to be exposed to it.

The first cause is exposure to asbestos through one’s occupation. This is very common in several different occupations. People who work in shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, the manufacturing of asbestos products (such as textiles), insulation work in construction and building, and brake repair are at risk. There are also many other occupations that involve asbestos exposure. Men are often associated with higher mesothelioma risk because many of the asbestos-related jobs are often held by men.

Smoking increases the risk for mesothelioma tenfold. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lungs, and the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the lungs beyond repair. When cigarette smoke is coupled with asbestos, the risks for developing mesothelioma and other lung cancers are increased greatly. Persons who smoke should make every effort to stop smoking in order to protect their lungs.

Environmental exposure to asbestos can also increase the risk of developing mesothelioma. Persons who live in neighborhoods near asbestos milling or manufacturing plants should be aware of the potential risk factors. Vermiculite, which is a non-asbestos mineral silicate, was mined at Libby Montana. It was later found to be heavily contaminated with asbestos. Many children played in the vermiculite slag heaps that were located throughout the town. These children later developed mesothelioma. There are 28 sites throughout the USA that received Libby mine vermiculite that have been selected for a community-wide evaluation of asbestos disease.

Another risk of developing mesothelioma is using products that contain asbestos. Asbestos is in a very large number of consumer products, including many that are used today. Products such as electric blankets, heat guns, curling irons, molding clays, deep fryers, slow cookers, frying pans, dry wall patch, fake fireplace logs, dry wall patch, and pipe wrap insulation could put one at risk. There are also many other products that contain, or have had exposure to, asbestos. There are many asbestos-containing products that have been banned by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Unfortunately, there are still products that contain asbestos. It is a good idea to avoid using these products if possible, in order to reduce the risk of mesothelioma.

Robert Linebaugh writes about health issues, but focuses on mesothelioma. Learn more at http://www.justmeso.com .

While asbestos-related mesothelioma may not be as wide-spread as lung or breast cancer, this debilitating disease has affected thousands of Americans throughout the last several decades. Caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers, mesothelioma – in its malignant form - is a fast-spreading, deadly cancer that has been found in individuals all around the world who’ve been exposed to this deadly mineral, used haphazardly for years in many different industries, including shipbuilding and construction.

Technically, in mesothelioma, the cells of the mesothelium – the two-layered membrane that covers the internal organs of the body - become cancerous and grow out of control. This disease is most often of the pleural variety, affecting the membrane that covers the lungs, but can in rare cases be found in the pericardium, the layer that covers the heart, or the peritoneum, that which covers the abdomen.

Who’s Been Exposed?

The material known as asbestos, which is naturally mined from the earth, was used in a variety of industries for decades. Most mesothelioma cases are a result of workplace exposure though there are a number of cases of mesothelioma caused by second-hand exposure.

Those at highest risk worked in such industries as shipyards, power plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, automotive service centers, and construction companies, where the use of asbestos was most rampant because of its excellent insulating properties. Those who worked in vermiculite or talc mines were also exposed to airborne asbestos fibers.

Though the dangers of breathing airborne asbestos fibers have long been known, many companies did virtually nothing to protect their employees from contracting asbestosis, other lung diseases, or the asbestos-related cancer known as mesothelioma.

Though the dangers of asbestos were made public in the mid 1970s and many industries stopped using the material, because the symptoms of meso can take 20-40 years or more to surface, many sufferers have only recently been diagnosed.

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you know that you’ve been exposed to asbestos at the workplace or elsewhere, while it’s not advisable to panic, it is smart to be on the lookout for symptoms of mesothelioma so that it can be diagnosed as soon as possible. Early diagnosis prompts more treatment options. Symptoms of mesothelioma might include:

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Weight Loss
• Pain in chest and abdomen
• Fluid in the chest

Because these symptoms are often indicative of a number of other diseases, diagnosis can be difficult and often occurs during a routine exam or during a doctor’s visit meant to address a different concern. CT scans, MRIs, blood work, and biopsies will be used to make any final determinations.

Treatment of asbestos cancer can be tricky and is usually determined by a number of factors. While surgery may be a viable option in treating many cancers, the late diagnosis of most meso patients and the fast spread of the disease often means that surgery is not a useful treatment. Usually, patients with pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial malignant mesothelioma are treated with radiation or chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the disease, the patient’s age, and his/her overall health. Once a patient has reached Stage IV malignant mesothelioma, most doctors will recommend only palliative treatment, designed to keep the patient comfortable and pain-free.

A medical team, including an oncologist, experienced in the particulars of mesothelioma can best determine what treatment options are must for each individual cancer victim.

Though your doctor or nurse may not suggest them, alternative therapies are being sought out more and more by meso patients looking for pain relief or seeking other palliative measures. Many cancer sufferers consider acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation, and massage to help improve their quality of life.

Dealing with the Diagnosis

While you may have recognized that you were at risk for contracting asbestos-related cancer, confirming the actual diagnosis will certainly be devastating. Be sure to gather as much information about the disease as possible and don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Those who contract the disease will face a myriad of feelings, from disbelief and depression to fear and anger. While turning to family members for support is a good idea, many patients require assistance in the form of professional counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or clergy persons. Addressing the mental difficulties caused by the disease can be just as important as treating physical symptoms.

Who’s Responsible?

Because asbestos exposure is the only known cause of malignant mesothelioma, chances are that most meso victims will have a pretty solid idea of where they contracted the disease. For many years, however, employees hid the dangers of working with asbestos, willingly exposing employees to this hazardous substance on a daily basis. In turn, those who worked with asbestos may have unknowingly exposed their family members as well, bringing white asbestos dust into their homes on their clothes or bodies.

The asbestos cover-up affected many who could have been spared this horrifying disease if only employers would have admitted to the dangers. More and more meso sufferers have been filing lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers and workplaces whose unsafe products or work areas contributed to their disease. Asbestos-related cancer victims have the legal right to collect funds to cover medical bills, loss of income, and loss of quality of life. Many of those diagnosed have been able to collect funds to help with expenses. Mesothelioma victims should take time to find an attorney who’s well-versed as to the ins and outs of the disease and is abreast of the legal options available to those whose life is threatened by asbestos-related cancer.

Visit http://www.mesothelioma.com for more information about mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Mesothelioma lung cancer is usually associated with asbestos exposure. In fact there are many other risk factors that cause mesothelioma cancer. One of them is the erionite. Erionite is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that belongs to a group of minerals called zeolites. Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicates of the alkaline and alkaline-earth metals.

Erionite was used in the past as a noble metal-impregnated catalyst in a hydrocarbon-cracking process. It was studied for use in fertilizers and to control odors in livestock production, because of its ability to selectively adsorb molecules from air or liquids. In many countries erionite blocks were used (and may be are still used) as building material or in stucco pastes and whitewash.

Erionite was mentioned for the first time as a mesothelioma lung cancer risk factor in 1975, when Turkish government presented a study that uncovered a high incidence of a rare malignant mesothelioma in lung tissues of people in certain small villages in the Cappadocia area in Turkey’s central mountainous region. In two small villages the mesothelioma lung cancer accounted for 43% of the deaths during 23 years period of study. Erionite fibers were found in biopsies of lungs of the mesothelioma cancer afflicted people. Comparing this to a 9.7% rate of death from this disease among asbestos insulation installers shows how anomalous this condition was.

Further studies showed erionite causes similar diseases in laboratory animals. When researchers at Mt. Sinai Hospital injected rats with the same dosage of erionite that they used for asbestos, the rats didn’t live long enough to get mesothelioma cancer. At a much-reduced dose, the rats did get cancer. Erionite is probably the most toxic known mineral - a milligram of fibers in the lungs is lethal.

Today erionite is considered so hazardous that the EPA requires any one who intends to manufacture, import or process any article containing erionite to notify the E.P.A. 90 days in advance. This gives the EPA a chance to review, limit or prohibit that activity.

Erionite is no longer mined or marketed for commercial purposes. Although other natural zeolites have many commercial uses (pet litter, soil conditioners, animal feed, waste-water treatment, gas absorbents, etc.) So potential occupational exposure to erionite occurs during the production and mining of other zeolites.

And there are questions:

Are there other mineralogical hazards like erionite and asbestos?

Should we expected mesothelioma lung cancer increases not only from asbestos exposure after another 20 - 30 years?

Vera Cherneva is running Mesothelioma News and Articles site, where everybody who is interested in mesothelioma cancer can find the latest mesothelioma news and related articles. All news and articles can be translated in 24 different languages.

Researchers and experts are concerned about the possible impact of the 9/11 disaster on mesothelioma in the coming years and decades.

It is generally agreed that the large amounts of asbestos released during the 9/11 disaster will have a substantial impact on the number of new mesothelioma cases in the United States in years to come.

9/11 concerns over new mesothelioma cases are further complicated by the fact that it usually takes 20 to 40 years after asbestos exposure for mesothelioma cases to start developing. Currently there are about 3,500 mesothelioma cases being treated annually in the country.

And even where mesothelioma does occur, it is not known exactly how many of these patients will be actually treated because there is usually a large number who are misdiagnosed as having metastatic adenocarcinoma which is another different form of cancer. This could further worsen the impact of 9/11 on new mesothelioma cases over the next couple of decades.

Then there are the usual problems that hinder treatment of mesothelioma like the medical community not bothering to refer patients to centers where potentially curative treatment can be given because it is generally believed that the disease has no known cure. The truth is that although mesothelioma experts are far from having a cure for all patients, recent developments of more effective treatments including radical surgery and advanced radiotherapeutic modalities now offer much better odds for longer survival to patients suffering from mesothelioma.

Before 9/11, researchers had expected the number of new mesothelioma cases to peak in the next few years and probably begin to fall. More so because of the major asbestos control initiatives of the 1970s.

Visit the author’s mesothelioma research blog for the latest mesothelioma research findings.

The three-year-olds were singing “up like a rocket, down like the rain, ‘round and ‘round like a choo-choo train” to demonstrate how well they could hold their bows to their pint-size violins. Staying home with Nick, it was my husband who enjoyed the distinct privilege of reveling, firsthand, in these toddler’s first steps. I only got the post-recital smile—the one I always get when I think about the tiniest musicians among us—as I listened to the complete run-down of their afternoon in Westport. We’d been through that drill four times. The “taca-taca-stop-stop” rhythms on the A-and E-strings; the “Mississippi is a River”; and enough Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’s to practically send us orbiting around them. I’m the first to admit: after the fourth kid got through the “twinkles” I honestly thought that if I never heard that song again, it would be just fine by me.

But then in talking about the recital over the first dinner we’ve shared alone during the past three weeks, I couldn’t help but romanticize the whole process. As I reflected back on the past thirteen years of violin lessons, I thought about those first recital pieces, about dressing up Cristina in hand-smocked dresses with white tights and black patent leather shoes, and about the first time two of them played Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins onstage one Mother’s Day. Yesterday, just as my daughter got on stage to perform, the school director gave a couple minute speech of encouragement for the other parents. For those with babes barely “twinkling” needed to understand that, before long, they too would witness mastery up close and personal. If only they could stick with it long enough…..

Sticking with anything is hard enough. In this harried world of ours, where emails have replaced handwritten letters; “IM” has replaced leisurely phone chats; and digital pix sent over the internet have replaced personal visits: it’s no wonder that few of us have the patience for mastery. For enduring the day-to-day until the picture is 100% complete. During this time in which we find ourselves, business—and life—moves at the speed of thought. And we can hardly wait for that thought to be finished so we can move on to the next one. (Ever catch yourself finishing someone else’s sentence?)

We’re great starters, each one of us. Because starting something only requires that we overcome the law of inertia, (and maybe a dollop of temptation, too). Getting our bottoms off the sofa and over to the art studio to paint or our legs off the footstool and over to the treadmill to run both require overcoming inertia and the temptation of relaxing with too much TV. Finishing the after-school cupcake so as to pull the violin out of the case not only requires overcoming inertia; it requires serious discipline as well. But each act is far easier than incorporating it into your everyday reality. Indeed, going from the first piece in a music book to a full-fledged concerto is a different thing entirely. (As is going from a beginning painter to one who exhibits at galleries or a soft, overweight couch-sitter to a hard-bodied athlete who enjoys both physical strength and aerobic endurance.)

When I reveled today in hearing my daughter perform a drop-dead gorgeous movement from a concerto by Handel (in a post-recital private concert just for me), I was caught off-guard by its parallel to the roughly three-year endurance battle that our son is facing now with leukemia. As my daughter is sailing through mastery, I couldn’t help but think of all the violin battles we’ve had over the years when she was barely taking those first steps of musicianship. Of hating to practice, of hating to play scales, of hating those nasty etudes. The eyeball-rolling, the door-slamming, and the stomping of the feet on each step up the hardwood staircase. And yet here we were, enjoying the fruits of all of those days of practice. It was a goose bump moment that could not be denied. It was proof-positive that mastery comes in inches, and not in miles. And it was a lesson to me that battles of health, or catastrophe, or financial hardships are not fought three years out. They’re fought inch by inch.

It was my girlfriend, Lisa, who sent me the “inch by inch is a cinch” line. She met me with it when I needed to hear it the most. She met me with it when I was trying to mush three years of chemotherapy treatments into one day. When I was trying to calculate the math of a three-year chemo roadmap with high school graduation and the first two years of college away from home. Of three years of immune suppression with three other kids and an airplane-traveling husband during flu season. And of six months of long drives to the out-of-town clinic with New England snowstorms.

Yet I must claim “inch by inch” these days. I claim it when Nick’s hematologist lays out the day’s plan. I claimed it on Friday when we were sent back to the hospital for the day and another overnight stay. And I even got Dr. Joe claiming it with me. Together, we agree to not worry about what next week—or next year—will bring; it’s simply too much to think about. We agree to tackle the battle inch by inch.

Whatever your personal struggle or your present-day worry: adopt an “inch by inch is a cinch” plan of positive action. As I’ve said often: just ask yourself at the end of each day: “Did I move forward?” And if you did—even by an inch—you can sleep soundly in the assurance that you will triumph in this journey of life. One day not far from now, inch by inch, you’ll celebrate mastery. You’ll celebrate wholeness. You’ll celebrate complete healing.

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; homeschooling for ten years provided fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is available on Amazon.com, in bookstores everywhere, or by calling 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via parenting classes and radio and TV interviews. Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com to subscribe to her free ezine and get a weekly shot of inspiration.

Benzene Related Diseases - Leukemia

There have been documented dangers of benzene for well over a century now. Even though benzene exposure often leads to leukemia, there are also many non-cancerous diseases that have been shown when exposed to elevated levels of benzene. Some of these other diseases include:

Myelodysplastic syndromes: also called ‘pre-leukemia’, this is a collection of diseases resulting in diminished blood production and can weaken the immune system. This can result in leukemia.

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: this is a disease affecting the lymphatic systems and shares many similarities with leukemia. It can eventually affect the bone marrow in addition to other organs.

Aplastic Anemia: this is a condition where the marrow in the bone stops producing enough blood cells to replace lost ones.

Even though these diseases are not leukemia, they have strikingly similar resemblances. The victims who suffer from them many times can’t tell the difference. Even with proper care and treatment, victims of these diseases face an uphill battle exposed to pain and suffering.

To learn more about leukemia please visit our website at http://www.resource4leukemia.com

This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay in-tact. Please visit our Leukemia information site at http://www.resource4leukemia.com

As I continue my theory on curing cancer I wish to further CYA my position. I am not a medical doctor, thank god actually, because the malpractice insurance would drive me nuts. Also since I am not in the medical field at all you cannot sue me for this idea, concept of mine. Now then continuing Part III.

Chemo that is directly induced where needed might work, but we have better technology now and could use specific fluid dynamic beams of energy or radiation pointed at the exact source and area or even non-evasive light. Now then here is some additional information: it is now possible to send thoughts by fax through three-dimensional spatial representation of the brain in hologram video. We have hologram faxing available and Brain Surgeons are using this to show damage in the brain. The guy who thought of it had my friend in Malibu working for his company in LA. Now they can transmit this data by fax, three-dimensional faxing, like sending a cad cam design computer, but you can now fax it with special machinery.

Now we maybe able to use this same idea to send a thought. This relates to my theory of cancer curing so follow along. Wow, eventually the devise would be very small the size of a dime or so to send and receive data or thoughts by way of this devise, this is way in the future, but it could be available to the common man in 20 years or so. Now before this technology gets this small and nano-tech achieves these seemingly impossible feats we can use the basic concept to record a thought for my cancer experiment.

Now just think about this for a second. There have been cancer survivors with very positive thought patterns and attitudes and part of the reason they lived and others died may have been just that. We must mirror these thoughts of strength, character and attitude and place these thought patterns in those who do not have them. We can look into the thought patterns of many cancer survivors and take those and average them and mimic them and place them in the patients. Duplicate them with TMS through fMRI scanning and send those impulses to those areas of the brain of the patient.

Strong patients will be best since those thought patterns can converge. All we have to do is isolate the things I have discussed before in my many articles and in my brain research with regards to the 10,000 chemicals of the brain 2000 interacting at any one time and 200 prevalent. Take the ten strongest components of the 200 and experiment with them. What we are looking for in those miraculous cases, why did they survive, what makes them different, why do some die and others live? We look at the brain areas which light up and release the cancer fighting biological components in each strong willed survivor. We find common ground and record it, then hook a machine up to stimulate those parts of the brain in the other cancer fighting folks.

First we try the first experiment by placing thought of one persons brain into that of another, and yes as strange as this sounds I do believe it is totally possible and as the future marches on, very probable. This experiment to prove my hypothesis takes two people from the same mom, preferably brothers or sisters of the same mom and dad and hopefully born within a short time frame (2-3 years). Grew up and were nurtured by the same parents. Similar birth dates. Twins would also be good for this. To prove my experiment first; You separate the twins by 4000 miles but both at the same altitude preferably sea level. Similar longitude with similar magnetic pulls and similar gravity pull of the Earth; this will make sure that the oxygen level in the brain is similar and it will be a non-artificial environment, not a clean room.

Next; You then hook up a brain scanner that records a thought, a complex one, simple one first time. Then record where in the brain the energy is located in sequence during the thought. This is done all the time. It will take a controlled thought and focused thought at first. Next you send the digital thought sequences to the other coast. You could also fax that three-dimensional model to the East Coast or Pacific side or where you are, and hook up the data and the model to the brother or sister. And recreate the exact impulses where they occurred in the last person on the west coast or East Coast. Provided the diets are similar and the intake is similar, oxygen level, basic genetics are similar, you should have it. The same basic thought. Recorded transferred and sent and then duplicated, Thought transfer.

Now that would be a worthy accomplishment in itself but the possibilities for cancer fighting would be amazing indeed. Now obviously you do not reveal the thought to the other person, let them tell you what the thought is or was. A thought is recorded and therefore timeless. Thoughts can travel through time at least we can travel thoughts to the future. Just like knowledge. Or at least this has been theorized by many including Einstein. Now for my experiment once concept of thought transfer is proven: Now after this is done, you take a cancer survivors abilities of focusing in their own your body, mimic the diet and intake of that person with the patient anywhere in the world.

End of Part III

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