Mesothelioma and Asbestosis exist without a cure. Singular methods of chemotherapy and radiation have gone through medical scrutiny only to be declared potentially ineffective. The secret to extending the longevity of life in mesothelioma patients, and reducing the searing pains of cancer and asbestosis, may be found in the magical mix of the next array of clinical trials and experiments involving combination drugs.
Mesothelioma is a disease with little hope. Scientific studies have shown that chemotherapy, radiation or surgery alone often have little value over choosing no treatment. A rare disease appearing late in life, experiments and trials for this cancer haven’t undergone the funding and urgency of the well-known cancers of the masses - yet research for treatment does exist. Pharmacies, hospitals, health professionals and scientists that are dedicated to curing mesothelioma and reducing its painful side effects continue to conduct scientific studies on treatment efficacy for mesothelioma and asbestosis, and strive to develop new treatment options that can improve the quality of life for asbestos diseased patients.
Killing a tumor isn’t easy, and mesothelioma does not regress like other cancers, even after lung surgery. Just as a mix of the right individual talents can produce a powerful team, so can a mix of the right medications and treatment produce a powerful solution. Elementary science best demonstrates this with baking soda and vinegar. Each product has their unique properties that serve product-specific purposes, but when mixed together they can produce a volcanic effect. Finding the synergistic effect from combination drugs and therapies that can debilitate or conquer asbestos related diseases is the goal of mesothelioma and asbestosis clinical trials.
A 2007 medical study added on three months to the lives of mesothelioma patients who participated in clinical trials that used the vitamin supplements of B12 and folic acid along with Emetrexed and Cisplatin, when compared to mesothelioma patients that received Cisplatin without any supplements. Three months may not seem long to a person embraced in the rush of life, but it is a gift of life to the cancer sufferer facing imminent death.
Doxorubicin, a cancer drug for asbestos disease that’s been around for a while, is now being combined with Onconase. Doxorubicin damages the cancer cells, but the cancer cells can heal. Onconase is a drug that goes in and blocks the healing process. A similar clinical study is being done with Pemetrexed disodium, a drug classically prescribed for mesothelioma, combined with Gemcitabine or Carboplantin to determine the better combination. This would compare the results of two powerful drugs that block cancer cell growth versus a combination of one of those drugs with a drug that damages cancer cells.
Mesothelioma and its close relative Asbestosis are expected to reach higher diagnosis rates in the future. Asbestos use has been regulated in many countries, but its wide-spread use still remains. Hundreds of clinical trials for these asbestos diseases exist that will provide help, and maybe even a cure, for the asbestos-induced sufferers of the future. There is a light at the end of the long dark tunnel of mesothelioma. With continued medical research and clinical trials, the light will become brighter and brighter - until hopefully, mesothelioma will be left behind to become a part of the distant past.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Dealing With Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a nightmare associated with some jobs that the workers are not even aware of. So what is mesothelioma? It comes in many different forms. The one found most commonly would be the mesothelioma that affects the lungs and is thus known as Pleural Mesothelioma. It is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos has caused mesothelioma tumors in a number of people so silently that they might have silent tumors and not even be aware of it.
Since asbestos is used in a number of industries the labour force working in these is at risk for developing mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos leading to onset of mesothelioma must be examined by a doctor. If he says that you have developed Pleural or any of the other related mesothelioma troubles you are entitled to financial damages from the party responsible for exposing you to asbestos. This would naturally mean that the firm you work for needs to pay up and if they don’t you will need a lawyer who is a specialist in the field.
A mesothelioma lawyer is experienced in handling such cases and a good one will collect fees from you if you win only. Usually the cases are quite simple and a mesothelioma lawsuit will not have to go to court. The chances of the company paying hefty damages are much more if they do take the case to court. The company is usually more than willing to settle out of court. So you must be sure of what all you need to take into account before your mesothelioma lawyer can accept the settlement on your behalf.
What are the things that you must consider? The first and most relevant is the medical bills that you are going to pay for the treatment of your mesothelioma. Naturally the mesothelioma lawyer will be able to present supporting documents to the company from the hospital and these will generally not be disputed by the company. What will be more debatable is the skill with which the mesothelioma lawsuit is handled by your lawyer. Also it will make a difference if you are a single individual fighting the case or a number of defendants suing the company together.
Key points to make sure of before you head for court with a laywer to start a mesothelioma lawsuit is that you have been diagnosed with the disease and that there is a guilty party who has been responsible for the development of mesothelioma in your body. Naturally the matter is greatly simplified with a group of defendants who have mesothelioma and worked for the same company get together and hire a mesothelioma lawyer to represent them. One odd case can be dismissed at times, but when a whole group of people is claiming mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos while working for the same company, they are going to be taken seriously.
While having contracted Mesothelioma can be a crippling experience for your and your family, you owe it to yourself to ensure that you are compensated for the disease by the guilty party. Taking care of the hospital bills is the least that they can do for you. Hire a good mesothelioma lawyer and leave it to his expertise to handle the lawsuit for you.
Since asbestos is used in a number of industries the labour force working in these is at risk for developing mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos leading to onset of mesothelioma must be examined by a doctor. If he says that you have developed Pleural or any of the other related mesothelioma troubles you are entitled to financial damages from the party responsible for exposing you to asbestos. This would naturally mean that the firm you work for needs to pay up and if they don’t you will need a lawyer who is a specialist in the field.
A mesothelioma lawyer is experienced in handling such cases and a good one will collect fees from you if you win only. Usually the cases are quite simple and a mesothelioma lawsuit will not have to go to court. The chances of the company paying hefty damages are much more if they do take the case to court. The company is usually more than willing to settle out of court. So you must be sure of what all you need to take into account before your mesothelioma lawyer can accept the settlement on your behalf.
What are the things that you must consider? The first and most relevant is the medical bills that you are going to pay for the treatment of your mesothelioma. Naturally the mesothelioma lawyer will be able to present supporting documents to the company from the hospital and these will generally not be disputed by the company. What will be more debatable is the skill with which the mesothelioma lawsuit is handled by your lawyer. Also it will make a difference if you are a single individual fighting the case or a number of defendants suing the company together.
Key points to make sure of before you head for court with a laywer to start a mesothelioma lawsuit is that you have been diagnosed with the disease and that there is a guilty party who has been responsible for the development of mesothelioma in your body. Naturally the matter is greatly simplified with a group of defendants who have mesothelioma and worked for the same company get together and hire a mesothelioma lawyer to represent them. One odd case can be dismissed at times, but when a whole group of people is claiming mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos while working for the same company, they are going to be taken seriously.
While having contracted Mesothelioma can be a crippling experience for your and your family, you owe it to yourself to ensure that you are compensated for the disease by the guilty party. Taking care of the hospital bills is the least that they can do for you. Hire a good mesothelioma lawyer and leave it to his expertise to handle the lawsuit for you.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Mesothelioma & Asbestos
Despite the efforts of numerous health agencies throughout the world in trying to educate the public on the definition and effects of mesothelioma, it is unfortunate that there still exist a large majority of the local population in trying to comprehend such efforts. With this article, I hope that certain facts can be spelt out much more clearly in as simple terminology as possible.
To start off, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant or cancerous cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of our body’s internal organs. At present, statistics have proven that a majority of people who suffer from mesothelioma, have had first contact with materials known as asbestos, in the course of their work or exposure.
Mesothelioma (or cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. The known effect is that invasion and damage to nearby tissues and organs can occur. The cancer cells can also spread from their original location to other parts of the body. And very often, mesothelioma begins in the pleura or peritoneum. The pleura is the membrane that typically surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity, while the peritoneum is the tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. In addition, the pericardium covers and protects the heart, while the tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. For the female, this will be known as the tunica serosa uteri.
While it has been reported specifically in the United States alone that the occurrence of mesothelioma has been at a rate of 2000 cases per year in the last 20 years, there maybe more unreported cases that have gone undetected and therefore, not captured within official records. Typically, mesothelioma affects mainly the male gender, but although (as mentioned above) this form of cancer has affected mainly those in direct contact with asbestos material in the course of their work, there have also been occurrences to those who have had no direct exposure to asbestos.
Before we go on further, we need to be clear on where asbestos comes from. Essentially, asbestos refers to a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos is often found in construction related materials such as cement, roofing materials, flooring products, etc. How asbestos gets into the human system, is when during the manufacturing process, where there is no strict control on the handling process, the particles generated from asbestos will float in the air and maybe inhaled by individuals, thus causing serious health problems. This therefore gives rise to other forms of cancer and one of them, mesothelioma.
Historically, mesothelioma was discovered particularly after the World War Two, as part of the industrialization process and increased war efforts. Millions of Americans were believed to have been exposed to asbestos dust particles in their course of work. And when these folks return home to their loved ones, it is believed that the dust particles which had remained on their work attires were subsequently inhaled by their family members, thus creating a form of “cross contamination” effect. While the occupational safety and health act today has restricted the amount of asbestos workers can be exposed to, the risk has obviously not been fully mitigated and the occurrence of mesothelioma is still possible.
To minimize exposure as well as cross contamination, workers in such industries should change out before leaving their workstations and showering. This concept is similar to exposure during a chemical fallout where the process of decontamination is deployed.
To start off, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant or cancerous cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of our body’s internal organs. At present, statistics have proven that a majority of people who suffer from mesothelioma, have had first contact with materials known as asbestos, in the course of their work or exposure.
Mesothelioma (or cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. The known effect is that invasion and damage to nearby tissues and organs can occur. The cancer cells can also spread from their original location to other parts of the body. And very often, mesothelioma begins in the pleura or peritoneum. The pleura is the membrane that typically surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity, while the peritoneum is the tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. In addition, the pericardium covers and protects the heart, while the tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. For the female, this will be known as the tunica serosa uteri.
While it has been reported specifically in the United States alone that the occurrence of mesothelioma has been at a rate of 2000 cases per year in the last 20 years, there maybe more unreported cases that have gone undetected and therefore, not captured within official records. Typically, mesothelioma affects mainly the male gender, but although (as mentioned above) this form of cancer has affected mainly those in direct contact with asbestos material in the course of their work, there have also been occurrences to those who have had no direct exposure to asbestos.
Before we go on further, we need to be clear on where asbestos comes from. Essentially, asbestos refers to a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos is often found in construction related materials such as cement, roofing materials, flooring products, etc. How asbestos gets into the human system, is when during the manufacturing process, where there is no strict control on the handling process, the particles generated from asbestos will float in the air and maybe inhaled by individuals, thus causing serious health problems. This therefore gives rise to other forms of cancer and one of them, mesothelioma.
Historically, mesothelioma was discovered particularly after the World War Two, as part of the industrialization process and increased war efforts. Millions of Americans were believed to have been exposed to asbestos dust particles in their course of work. And when these folks return home to their loved ones, it is believed that the dust particles which had remained on their work attires were subsequently inhaled by their family members, thus creating a form of “cross contamination” effect. While the occupational safety and health act today has restricted the amount of asbestos workers can be exposed to, the risk has obviously not been fully mitigated and the occurrence of mesothelioma is still possible.
To minimize exposure as well as cross contamination, workers in such industries should change out before leaving their workstations and showering. This concept is similar to exposure during a chemical fallout where the process of decontamination is deployed.
Mesothelioma & Fire
Every year, fires occur throughout the world regardless of where you live in. Despite several initiatives as well as government intervention effects to promote fire safety education along with proper adoption of current fire fighting technology, fires still take place resulting in loss of lives as well as property. But can it cause cancer? In particular, mesothelioma cancer?
Studies have shown that whenever fires occur, several by-products are created typically existing in the form of carbon particles along with whichever material is on fire. And depending on the type of material on fire, this will definitely have an effect on the amount of carbon generation as well as rate of flame spread (ie, how fast the rate of fire can progress). And if you’re not adequately protected and happen to be in the path of the smoke generated, then chances are that you would pretty much inhale a large component of these poisonous substances. While temporary exposure may not have a significant impact on your health, being caught in an environment with no way to escape will definitely have an effect on your health status. Apart from collapsing due to smoke inhalation due to a lack of oxygen in the environment, subsequent recovery along with rehabilitation efforts maybe rather tough as a result of the large amount of carbon particles inhaled.
Unlike smokers who may suffer from cancer over a prolonged period of indulgence, one will not necessarily be a victim of cancer simply because he or she was involved in a fire situation. But, for those of us who are required to be constantly exposed to the effects of fire as a result of our occupation, then you definitely need to take all available precautions to minimize its effects on your health. And yes, studies have shown that cancer can occur for those who work in such occupations due to prolonged inhalation effects and worse still, where no proper personnel protective equipment is used.
But what about mesothelioma cancers? I have explained in my earlier article, “Mesothelioma and Asbestos Side Effects”, that mesothioma cancers occur as a result of asbestos exposure mainly due to excessive inhalation of asbestos made by-products or materials. As such, you can assume that if you’re ever caught in a prolonged fire scenario or environment where asbestos substances are involved, the chances of incurring cancers are there (although the level of exposure is dependent on various other factors as well). As a recap, typical asbestos made materials found in your homes or offices (and at the factories) include false ceiling panels, sound insulation panel partition walls, raised flooring panels, and many others.
Given this situation, what specific precaution can you take to ensure that you are not overly exposed to these asbestos substances when a fire occurs at your workplace or home? Well, apart from donning a breathing apparatus set (if you know how to use it or if your office has one) or an escape hood, your minimal but temporary level of protection would be to cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and to stay well below the smoke level by adopting a baby crawl position all the way out of the building. That’s about as minimal a precautionary level you can adapt when all else is not available and you’re caught in a fire scenario. And while on your way out, do not panic ans start to push everyone around, this only causes more distress and may cause you to lose focus as you try to evade the toxic environment.
Hopefully this should give you a clear concept on whether fires can cause mesothelioma cancers.
Studies have shown that whenever fires occur, several by-products are created typically existing in the form of carbon particles along with whichever material is on fire. And depending on the type of material on fire, this will definitely have an effect on the amount of carbon generation as well as rate of flame spread (ie, how fast the rate of fire can progress). And if you’re not adequately protected and happen to be in the path of the smoke generated, then chances are that you would pretty much inhale a large component of these poisonous substances. While temporary exposure may not have a significant impact on your health, being caught in an environment with no way to escape will definitely have an effect on your health status. Apart from collapsing due to smoke inhalation due to a lack of oxygen in the environment, subsequent recovery along with rehabilitation efforts maybe rather tough as a result of the large amount of carbon particles inhaled.
Unlike smokers who may suffer from cancer over a prolonged period of indulgence, one will not necessarily be a victim of cancer simply because he or she was involved in a fire situation. But, for those of us who are required to be constantly exposed to the effects of fire as a result of our occupation, then you definitely need to take all available precautions to minimize its effects on your health. And yes, studies have shown that cancer can occur for those who work in such occupations due to prolonged inhalation effects and worse still, where no proper personnel protective equipment is used.
But what about mesothelioma cancers? I have explained in my earlier article, “Mesothelioma and Asbestos Side Effects”, that mesothioma cancers occur as a result of asbestos exposure mainly due to excessive inhalation of asbestos made by-products or materials. As such, you can assume that if you’re ever caught in a prolonged fire scenario or environment where asbestos substances are involved, the chances of incurring cancers are there (although the level of exposure is dependent on various other factors as well). As a recap, typical asbestos made materials found in your homes or offices (and at the factories) include false ceiling panels, sound insulation panel partition walls, raised flooring panels, and many others.
Given this situation, what specific precaution can you take to ensure that you are not overly exposed to these asbestos substances when a fire occurs at your workplace or home? Well, apart from donning a breathing apparatus set (if you know how to use it or if your office has one) or an escape hood, your minimal but temporary level of protection would be to cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and to stay well below the smoke level by adopting a baby crawl position all the way out of the building. That’s about as minimal a precautionary level you can adapt when all else is not available and you’re caught in a fire scenario. And while on your way out, do not panic ans start to push everyone around, this only causes more distress and may cause you to lose focus as you try to evade the toxic environment.
Hopefully this should give you a clear concept on whether fires can cause mesothelioma cancers.
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