Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer where cancerous cells develop in the mesothelium — a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Like most cancers, early detection of mesothelioma greatly increases the chances of beating the disease.

But early detection is more difficult with mesothelioma because it has a long dormancy period of 30 or 40 years in which the cancer remains fairly inactive and causes very few symptoms. When the disease passes into its active phase it rapidly spreads to the internal organs such as the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. In its active phase it is very difficult to treat successfully because it develops and spreads so quickly.

Causes of mesothelioma

Mesothelioma was barely in the public eye until a few years ago. It has a very specific cause — exposure to asbestos. And the dangers of asbestos exposure were not widely acknowledged until the 1970s and 80s when its serious health implications could no longer be ignored.

As often happens in cases involving commercial products with harmful side effects, there was tremendous resistance to acknowledging its dangers. In the case of asbestos, it was a product that had some very important properties that made it ideal for insulation applications.

During the first half of the previous century, right up until the mid 1970s asbestos was the default material used to retard heat transfer in buildings, machines, heavy equipment, and a broad range of commercial applications. Because it was plentiful and inexpensive to mine, asbestos was widely used in building products such as home insulation, floor, ceiling and roof tiles. It was also used in commonly found commercial products such as brake linings and pipe insulation.

This meant that millions of people were coming in contact with asbestos on a daily basis. And since the effects of exposure to asbestos fibre often do not become apparent for 30 or 40 years after prolonged exposure, there often appeared to be no immediate health risk.

This was especially important in the case of workers who mined and processed asbestos. Although workers were regularly getting sick and often had premature, painful deaths, the long period of dormancy of mesothelioma made it difficult to make the connection to asbestos.

Even short term asbestos exposure will cause mesothelioma

Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is directly related to the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. The health risk also increases with the intensity of the exposure to asbestos.

However, an exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. At the age of 48, Canadian Member of Parliament Chuck Strahl, was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma and traces the cause back to changing brake pads on logging equipment after he graduated from high school. Strahl’s case is a good example of the fact that Mesothelioma has a latency period of anywhere from 20 to 50 years. Like thousands of others he developed the disease long after his exposure to asbestos.

Symptoms of mesothelioma

Because of its long dormancy period, mesothelioma is often not detected until it enters its active, aggressive stage. Pleural mesothelioma - cancer of the lung lining - causes shortness of breath or chronic coughing. Unfortunately these symptoms can easily be mistaken for allergies or a common cold.

In fact pleural mesothelioma is often discovered by accident when patients think they have one of these more common illnesses. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include chest pain, chronic coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, hoarseness, weight loss, or blood in the phlegm from the lungs when coughing.

Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around the stomach and intestines and is usually just as dangerous. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include pain or swelling in the abdomen, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia, and fever.

Treatment of mesothelioma

Unfortunately, by the time most infected people become aware they have mesothelioma it has ceased being dormant and becomes extremely aggressive. Once it is no longer dormant, this type of cancer can travel quickly, and it becomes almost impossible to stop.

While there are treatments that are available in order to keep the patient comfortable, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma, and as many as 75% of those who develop the disease will lose their life within one year. The remainder may last for up to an additional six months.

Among the treatments that are used in order to reduce the effects of the disease are oxygen, postural drainage and pain killers. A wide range of treatment approaches are being tested, ranging from attempts to fortify the body’s natural immune system to gene therapy which tries to attack the problem at the DNA level. Homeopathy, herbs and acupuncture are also used. But none have yet been shown to be very effective once the disease reaches the aggressive stage.

Given the generally poor prognosis for people who do not catch the disease in time, early detection is the best defence against mesothelioma. If you have worked in an industry such as construction or suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos, be alert for symptoms and contact your doctor immediately. Like all forms of cancer, detecting mesothelioma at the earliest stage possible greatly increases your chances for survival.

For more information about the causes, symptoms and early detection of Mesothelioma visit MesotheliomaAdvisors.com. See our extensive collection of mesothelioma articles and reports.

Rick Hendershot is a writer and publisher of The Linknet Publishing Network featuring article writing and distribution and Power Listings to promote your products or services.

Lung cancer has now become the deadliest of all forms of cancer in many developed countries including the USA where about 170,000 people die from the disease each year. Worldwide this type of cancer kills an estimated 3.5 million people a year; a startling statistic when you consider it’s largely preventable.

More than one billion people worldwide are smokers even though nine out of ten lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking. By the year 2020 it’s estimated that as many as ten million people a year will die of smoking related diseases unless radical action is taken to curb the advance of the mega-bucks tobacco industry into Third World countries. About three quarters of those ten million deaths will be in developing nations.

Lung Cancer in the developing world

The good news for richer countries is that public health messages seem to be hitting home and lung cancer deaths are starting to decline. The bad news is that if you started smoking 40 years ago (before the dangers were widely known) and you are diagnosed with lung cancer today, you have only a slim chance of surviving more than a year. Lung cancer is rarely detected in its early stages but when it is, the prognosis is good with speedy and appropriate treatment. That is why campaigners are demanding more funding for early detection and research into new and better treatments. But the disease currently receives far less funding in developed countries than other forms of cancer which elicit public sympathy (such as breast and prostate cancer.)

Lung Cancer and passive smoking

There is a certain stigma attached to lung cancer and an attitude that the patient probably brought it on themselves. That is particularly hard for those who started smoking without knowing the health risks and for victims of passive smoking.

Thanks to government regulation and public education the long term picture regarding the reduction of lung cancer deaths in wealthier corners of the world is fairly optimistic. Not so for poorer countries which are the new targets of the tobacco moguls. Tired of being taken to court and hampered by advertising controls in countries like the USA and UK, cigarette manufacturers are now setting their sights on developing nations and governments which are easily lured by the promise of sizeable inward investment.

Ann Knight

For more information on lung cancer, the effects of smoking and the treatments available; visit Guide4Living who encourage public discussion on a number of the most pressing health and social issues of our time.

Everybody have listened the word Mesothelioma, but few people know what this rare type of cancer really is. Through a series of articles you will know and learn rapidly about this cancer disease that affects either men or women at any age.

The cancer of the mesothelium appears when the cells of this membrane -that forms the lining of several internal organs within the different body cavities: the pleura in the thoracal cavity, the peritoneum in the abdominal cavity and the pericardium in the heart sac, become abnormal or ‘malignant’ and divide neither with control nor order.

The mesothelium is composed by two layers of cells, which produce a fluid that enable the expanding and contracting movements of organs, such as the heart beating and the corresponding lungs movements.

Although most Mesothelioma cases start in the pleura or peritoneum, the problem increases when these cancerous cells can damage nearby tissues and organs or even metastasize or spread to other parts of your body.

Despite Mesothelioma cancer rate has increased over the past 20 years, this disease is not as common as other types of cancer pathology. The number of new diagnosed cases in the United States rises up to 2,000 per year.

Next Article: Risk factors for Mesothelioma

Article written by the staff of mesothelioma -10.com a website edited by Hector Milla. If you want to read more articles about malignant mesothelioma cancer information visit http://www.mesothelioma-10.com, you can reprint this article in your website or ezine always mentioning the author above and keeping a live link to his website.

Since the late 1800’s, Asbestos has been widely used for commercial purposes and the usage dramatically increased during World War II. Thousands of Americans who work I in the ship yard; commercial plants etc were exposed to Asbestos dust. This was the beginning of Mesothelioma. The people who had a widespread exposure to Asbestos were at an increased risk of developing Mesothelioma. This was the beginning of the cursed disease.

Mesothelioma is the medical name for cancer of the pleura (the lining of the lung and chest cavity) or cancer of the peritoneum (the lining of the abdomen). Mesothelioma can be caused even due to an exposure to Asbestos for 1-2 months but it is most commonly found in those who had prolonged or persistent exposure.

Mesothelioma, generally does not affect a victim immediately after your exposure to Asbestos. Its affects usually appear 20-50 years after the exposure. This long latency period is one main reason why the number of people suffering from Mesothelioma is increasing everyday, in spite of preventive measures taken by the government as well as individuals.

Very similar to other forms of cancer, Mesothelioma spreads rapidly, spreading not only throughout the pleura but also metastasizing to other internal organs. The common symptoms would include shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing and loss of weight.

Mesothelioma can be effectively countered by Oxygen treatment and reducing sugar consumption. Otto Warburg discovered that the main reason of cancer is replacement of normal oxygen respiration of the body’s cells by an anaerobic [i.e., oxygen-deficient] cell respiration. Warburg’s theory helped us to understand that Cancer cells hate oxygen and that is the foundation of the modern oxygen treatment of cancer.

Another important information that we gathered from Warburg’s research is that Cancer cells metabolize through fermentation and fermentation requires sugar. Also, metabolism rate of a cancer cell is almost 8 times more than a normal cell. (Check how Mesothelioma works at Human anatomy animation ) This fact has been wisely used and concluded that reducing or stopping the intake of sugar can definitely work as an extremely useful deterrent to cancer growth.

The initial testing for Mesothelioma is done by X-rays and often followed by an open lung biopsy to confirm the test results. If diagnosed at an early stage the cancer can be removed surgically and full recovery can be achieved through regular chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

At an advanced stage, Mesothelioma is incurable; however, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other pain relief treatments can relieve the patient comparatively and increase the life span. The period of survival depends on the stage at which the patient has been diagnosed for Mesothelioma and his general health conditions.

This article is written by Ray Smith, a marketing expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing.

Had it not been for the Mesothelioma lawyers the reign of terror unleashed by the widespread use of asbestos would have left the American society scarred just as asbestos leaves scarring marks in the lungs! Quite aptly, a Mesothelioma lawyer is regarded as the guardian of the Mesothelioma victims.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer; an ailment of the mesothelial cells that line the internal body organs. Typically associated with the exposure to asbestos, Mesothelioma is very rarely diagnosed at its early stage. Consequently, most cases are not detected before they reach malignancy.

As regards asbestos, man has been familiar with its heat and combustion resistant properties since the ancient times. People of the prehistoric civilizations were open to the use of asbestos. All the while, however, man was in the dark about the hazardous effects of asbestos. America saw the maximum use of asbestos during the two World Wars. Rampant use of asbestos was made in the shipping, construction and combat equipment manufacturing industries.

Once the dangers of asbestos exposure were recognized, legal regulations aimed at eliminating the use of asbestos (rather the abolition of asbestos) were introduced. Today, the US law does not prohibit the use of asbestos but attributes deadly consequences to its use. The legal regulations and warnings, however, failed to deter all employers and masked use of asbestos continues in certain fields.

This denial, on the part of the US employers, to abide by the asbestos regulations has given rise to hundreds of asbestos litigation claims. Some eminent lawyers and law-firms have come forward to safeguard the interests of the Mesothelioma. Every state of US now has its own Mesothelioma lawyers and law firms. The proceeding being quite complicated, people (who have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma or those who have been exposed to asbestos) approach lawyers and law-firms for help regarding their asbestos lawsuits.

These days, the Mesothelioma attorneys file class action lawsuits against those manufacturers who continue to use asbestos in their products and expose their employees to the probable health threats. (Class action lawsuit is a legal device that allows a person or persons to sue or be sued as the representative of a group of people; however, it also requires all of them to have a common interest). Class action lawsuits, upholding the liability of employers and seeking compensation for the harm caused to employees, have restored the peace of mind (even if it is only a bit) of the Mesothelioma victims and their near and dear ones.

Law-firms fielding competent Mesothelioma lawyers with proven records of accomplishment can pull off advantageous monetary settlement in the form of reimbursements for the Mesothelioma victims. Mesothelioma settlements, ranging from few hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, depend on the lawyers’ skill in pinpointing the cause of asbestos exposure. Once this hurdle is crossed, the Mesothelioma lawyer investigates into the avenues of working out the smartest deal for the Mesothelioma litigation claim. In case of litigations being handled by experienced lawyers, manufacturers readily agree to the settlement proposals benefiting the Mesothelioma victim as well as the family members and the society at large.

You may freely redistribute this article on your website providing no alterations are made to the text and the link remains intact.

For Lawyers and Attorneys Please visit us at http://www.1st-lawyersonline.com

Lung cancer is deadly. The earlier you diagnose and treat it, the better off you’ll be- hopefully.

Depending upon the type of cancer and when it’s diagnosed, will determine your treatment options and survivability. Believe it or not, you don’t have to smoke to get lung cancer. There’s second hand smoke, there’s carcinogen’s in our environment, and our work environments may have something to do with it.

As a lawyer, when a client comes to me wondering if their lung cancer could have been detected earlier, I need to know the following important answers:

1. Were you under the care of an internist, or any physician, during the time you believe you should have been diagnosed?

2. Did you make any complaints to your doctor that should have warranted a chest x-ray?

3. Does anyone in your family have a history of cancer, especially lung cancer?

4. What type of lung cancer were you diagnosed with?

5. What stage of lung cancer were you diagnosed with? (The stages are typically from Stage 0 to Stage IV, with IV being the most severe and deadly.)

6. How much time went by from when you believe you should have been diagnosed, until the actual diagnosis was made?

7. Did you ask your treating cancer specialist (an oncologist) if your outcome would be different if the cancer had been detected ‘x’ years ago? (This is very important, since different types of cancer have different growth patterns. Some are slow growing, and some are fast growing. If you have a slow growing tumor, and had made complaints that suggested the need for further follow-up and x-rays, you might have the basis for a case.)

8. What is your prognosis? (What do the doctors think about your survivability and the treatment still available to you?

9. Are you a smoker?

10. What type of cancer have you been diagnosed with?

Then, with all of that information, I must obtain your medical records, x-rays, CAT scans, and other information, and have a medical expert (preferrably a pulmonary specialist) review your records.

This expert will determine whether the standards of care in New York were breached, and if so, whether those departures from good care caused and contributed to your injuries. All of those elements must be present in order to start a lawsuit on your behalf. If any one of those elements is missing, it is impossible to prosecute a case for you.

Attorney Oginski has been in practice for 17 years as a trial lawyer practicing exclusively in the State of New York. Having his own law firm, he is able to provide the utmost in personalized, individualized attention to each and every client. In our office, a client is not a file number. Client’s are always treated with the respect they deserve and expect from a professional. Mr. Oginski is always aware of every aspect of a client’s case from start to finish.

Gerry represents injured people in injury cases and medical malpractice matters in Brooklyn, Queens, New York City, the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. You can reach him at http://www.oginski-law.com, or 516-487-8207. All inquiries are free and totally confidential.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer affecting the cells of mesothelial lining in the chest and abdomen. Mesothelioma is rare, though it appears to be on the rise. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States alone. Symptoms for both types of mesothelioma are not specific only to this disease, and often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for a significant amount of time. Difficulty breathing, abdominal and chest pain, and fever can all be attributed to other causes, so this cancer has time to advance fairly fair before diagnosis usually occurs. Due to the difficulty in diagnosis of mesothelioma, survival time after diagnosis is estimated at about a year.

There are two main types of mesothelioma. The first type, pleural mesothelioma, spreads within the chest cavity, and sometimes involves the lungs. This type or cancer can metastasize into any of the body’s organs, including the brain.

Metastasis occurs more often than previously thought, and signals the disease’s progression. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include persistent pain in the chest and severe difficulty breathing caused by pleural effusion, or an accumulation of fluid in the pleural lining Cough, weight loss, and fever are also common symptoms. Survival time for this type of mesothelioma is better than that of peritoneal mesothelioma. The median survival time is 17 months, with ten percent of patients living for three years after diagnosis.

The second type of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma. This cancer invades the abdominal cavity, the liver, spleen, and sometimes the bowel. Predominant symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include persistent pain the region as well as a swollen abdomen, both due to the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen and affected organs. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and swelling of feet, fever, and difficulty moving the bowels. The prognosis for peritoneal mesothelioma is worse than that of pleural mesothelioma, with a median survival time of only ten months past diagnosis.

Mesothelioma takes two rarer forms. Benign mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelioma of the peritoneum. The peritoneum is the lining of the major organs in the chest and abdomen. It is difficult to diagnose, and appears more frequently in young women. Mesothelioma of the pericardium is a very rare cardiac cancer. Mesothelioma can also occur in the ovaries and scrotum. The prognosis for these unusual kinds of mesothelioma, with the exception of benign mesothelioma, is very poor.

The progression of mesothelioma is broken down to four stages. These stages provide a baseline to predict how far along the cancer has spread. Staging is based on x-rays, CT scans, and MRI imaging. Treatment decisions and prognosis depend upon the stage of the mesothelioma, as well as the kind if mesothelioma. In the first stage, mesothelioma is present in the pleura, lung, pericardium, or diaphragm, and is localized to one side of the body. Mesothelioma invades the chest wall or the esophagus during the second stage. The second stage may also see cancer in the heart, both sides of the pleura, or the lymph nodes in the chest. The third stage involves penetration through the diaphragm and into the peritoneum, and sees cancer spread to more distant lymph nodes. The fourth and final stage occurs when tests provide evidence of metastases in distant organs. Within the fourth stage, the mesothelioma spreads through the bloodstream to these new sights.

Mesothelioma is most often caused by exposure to Asbestos. Asbestos was frequently used for insulation in homes or businesses. Schools, factories, and military buildings have also been found to contain asbestos. Radiation from thorium dioxide may also cause mesothelioma. This material was once used for x-rays, though was not widely used for long. Zeolite, a silicate material related to asbestos, may also cause mesothelioma. Cases of Zeolite-induced mesothelioma centralize in the Anatoli region of Turkey.

About The Author:

Alan Jason Smith is the owner of http://www.abemesothelioma.com which is a great place to find mesothelioma links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.abemesothelioma.com

Mesothelioma is a rare form of malignant cancer that mostly affects individuals who have worked in jobs associated with asbestos. Breathing in asbestos dust is the main cause of mesothelioma, a person who has worked in an environment for as little as one to two months where they were exposed to asbestos dust could result in them contracting the disease 30 to 40 years later. Mesothelioma is a malignant tumour of the membrane lining of the chest cavity called the pleura or the abdomen called the peritoneum. The symptoms of Mesothelioma are typically chest pain, shortness of breath and a persistent cough but these symptoms are similar to other condition so a visit to the doctor is vital.

As with most cancers, along side traditional treatment changing your diet can help. Increase soy beans products in your diet, the alpha carotene and lycopene in soy help to revert and reduce tumour growth and metastasis. Other anti-cancer foods that should be plentiful in your diet are cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, pears, citrus fruits, turmeric, tomatoes, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, green tea, walnuts, spinach, wheat bran, rice bran, rosemary, garlic, thyme, oregano and onions. These foods should be organic. Cut down on meat (especially grilled or barbecued) and dairy food consumption, pickled food, smoked food, alcohol, saturated fats, salt, sun exposure and smoking.

The following supplements may help if you are suffering from Mesothelioma.

Multivitamins and multiminerals

B group vitamins

Vitamin E

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Vitamin D

Vitamin K

Co-enzyme Q10

Echinacea

Shark cartilage

Fish Oil

Selenium

Zinc

Manganese

Copper

Calcium

Pro-biotics

Evening primrose oil

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Advice for a healthier natural life

website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com

Much research work has been dedicated to find out the first symptoms of lung cancer. Cancer is that painful disease that needs no introduction and cancer of the lung is one of its most common forms. It is said that early detection of cancer is the key to its prevention.

Extensive research works conducted at Mesothelioma research clinics have uncovered some symptoms of lung cancer closely linked with the disease.

Lung Cancer Symptoms

People addicted to tobacco and those who are constantly exposed to the ill effects of asbestos are more susceptible to lung cancer. Ignorance about the symptoms of lung cancer may lead to a full-fledged blown up case.

Be on alert if you are having cough most of the time. This is one of the first symptoms. A related symptom may be a change in the nature of coughing. Other symptoms may be- being short of breath and coughing up bloodstained sputum. Mesothelioma research has established that aches while breathing, loss of appetite, fatigue and loss of weight can also be the first symptoms of the cancer of the lung.

These are considered to be the primary symptoms of lung cancer. There are secondary symptoms too.

Sudden development of a hoarse voice is one of the secondary lung cancer symptoms. Difficulty in swallowing is considered as another symptom of cancer of the lung.

Swelling of the face due to blockage of main blood vessel and swelling of neck due to enlarged lymph nodes may be other symptoms as well.

Treat pain in the right rib region and shortness of breath due to accumulation of fluid as warning signals of cancer of the lung. When you notice any of them, visit your physician for a thorough check-up.

Let’s combat the deadly lung cancer together.

Jon Butt publishes http://www.the-mesothelioma-guide.com With the web being packed with mis-information http://www.the-mesothelioma-guide.com is a leading free resource of Mesothelioma support, advice and legal help along with alternative remedies, natural supplements and more. Helping both you and your loved ones

Current radical mesothelioma treatments include chemotherapy treatments, radiation treatments, surgical treatments and experimental therapies and drugs. Research news reports the limited success of present treatments for Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma research news indicates that traditional treatments viz. single or multi-drug chemotherapy has a response rate of about 20%. Radiation treatments, usually used in conjunction with surgery or chemotherapy treatments can relieve pain and shrink tumors, making breathing easier. However, radiation treatments can also cause severe side effects.

Efforts To Combat Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma can take between ten and sixty years to develop after inhalation of respirable asbestos fibers, but Mesothelioma progresses fast. Radical surgeries as mesothelioma treatments have had limited success. Surgical treatments attempted include extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and pleurectomy.

Treatment news indicates that in EPP over 15% patients die soon after surgery. EPP involves removal of pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, part of the phrenic nerve and the entire tumor-affected lung and has to be supported by chemotherapy or radiation.

The pleurectomy treatments involve removal of the pleura without removing the whole lung. These treatments are best in patients with good lung expansion who tend to accumulate fluid. In combination with radiation pleurectomy is reported in treatment news to have given 22-month survival in 50% and 24-month survival in 41% cases in a 27-patient group with mesothelioma of the epithelial subtype.

Surgical treatments of mesothelioma have not been shown to offer significant advantages over the limited non-surgical treatments. Experimental drugs under evaluation include treatments by Onconase, Lovastatin and an Endostatin and angiostatin combination.

The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America is funding research on mesothelioma cure. The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles has completed Phase I Clinical Trials on a new mesothelioma treatment drug called Veglin.

Phase II Clinical trials of Veglin have begun in July 2004, opening exciting treatment possibilities for mesothelioma victims.

Jon Butt publishes http://www.the-mesothelioma-guide.com With the web being packed with mis-information http://www.the-mesothelioma-guide.com is a leading free resource of Mesothelioma support, advice and legal help along with alternative remedies, natural supplements and more. Helping both you and your loved ones