0 Mesothelioma Facts

Mesothelioma (pronounced "mez-o-theel-e-oh-ma") is a cancer of the mesothelium, the protective membrane lining many vital organs, including the lungs, heart and abdomen. This membrane produces a lubricating fluid that allows organs to smoothly glide over each other as they perform their functions (e.g. breathing, beating of the heart, etc.). What are the facts surrounding the disease? Here are the top ten things you need to know about the disease.

* Mesothelioma affects many vital organs

Depending on the location of the cancer, mesothelioma has three types: peritoneal mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen; pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs; pericardial mesothelioma affects the lining of the chest cavity.

A rarer type, testicular mesothelioma, affects the mesothelium of the male reproductive organ (called tunical vaginalis testis) and the mesothelium of the female reproductive organ (tunica seros uteri).

* Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer

There are approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma (about 14 people in every million) in the United States each year or just more than 10,000 worldwide.

* 90% of mesothelioma cases are caused by exposure to asbestos

It is estimated that more than 8 million people were exposed to asbestos fibers in the last 50 years. Previous exposure to asbestos fibers is the only known cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos is a mineral fiber used in a wide range of products and applications and in many industries particularly in the late 19th century until the 1970s.

Asbestos fibers enter the body when breathed in or ingested. When they get stuck inside an organ, they irritate the tissues over time and cause normal cells to mutate into cancer cells. Anybody exposed to asbestos has a 7 to 10% lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma, and many of those diagnosed with the disease contracted the disease on the job.

The causes of 10% of mesothelioma cases are indeterminable. Some theories suggest that victims may have contracted the disease by exposure to zeolite (a chemical) or by radiation from x-rays that contain the chemical thorium dioxide.

* Mesothelioma affects more men than women

Since more men were involved in asbestos product plants, mines, shipbuilding facilities and railroad construction, statistics show that there are more males diagnosed with mesothelioma than females. Mesothelioma is five times more common in men than in women. It is also 75% more common in men aged 60 to 72 than in men aged 55 and below.

* Diagnosing mesothelioma is difficult

Mesothelioma symptoms are non-specific, meaning the characteristics of the symptoms are similar to some other diseases. As such, they are often overlooked. Mesothelioma symptoms include pleuritic pain, fever, weight loss and nausea. During consultation, patients should discuss their medical and personal/occupational history with their physician for a more accurate diagnosis of their disease.

* Mesothelioma has long latency period

From exposure to asbestos fibers, the cancer takes 15 to 50 years to develop. This means that a person who was exposed to asbestos fibers as long as 50 years ago may develop mesothelioma today.

* Mesothelioma is deadly

Benign cases of mesothelioma are extremely rare. Symptoms of the disease do not show up until it reaches its terminally advanced stage. By then, the disease is beyond cure. The average survival rate of mesothelioma victims from diagnosis is less than a year. Therapy options for mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

by Ina Rena

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0 Mesothelioma Misconceptions and Myths

Asbestos exposure is the primary risk factor for contracting mesothelioma, and workers handling asbestos fibers are at the greatest risk for mesothelioma.

There are many misconceptions and myths surrounding the diagnosis of mesothelioma. One of the misconceptions is that mesothelioma is lung cancer. Mesothelioma that originates in the pleural lining of the lung has similar symptoms but is not true lung cancer. Treatments can vary greatly between lung cancer and mesothelioma of the pleural lining of the lung.

Mesothelioma Myths

A mesothelioma myth is that only asbestos workers develop mesothelioma. While the overwhelming majority of mesothelioma cases are attributable to asbestos exposure, other cases of people not exposed to asbestos do exist. Families exposed to the clothing and shoes brought home by workers have contracted mesothelioma.

Another misconception is that a small amount of exposure is not harmful. No amount of exposure to asbestos is safe. The smallest particle of asbestos fiber lodged in the pleural lining can result in mesothelioma. The misconception that there is no hope for mesothelioma victims is perhaps the most troubling. Doctors and researchers are working every day towards finding a cure and eradicating this disease.

Mesothelioma is, in fact, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, a thin layer of tissue that covers almost all of the internal organs of the human body.

• Pleural mesothelioma affects tissue surrounding the lungs

• Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the tissue surrounding the abdomen

• Pericardial mesothelioma affects tissue surrounding the heart

• Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis occurs in the lining of the testicles

Two to three thousand people are diagnosed each year with mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form seen in this disease.

Warning Signs of the Disease

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose due to the subtle changes affecting the body in the early stages of the disease. The symptoms of mesothelioma are often ignored and attributed to common everyday ailments. People with pleural mesothelioma experience lower back pain or side chest pain and shortness of breath. They may also have difficulty swallowing, a persistent cough, fever, weight loss and show signs of fatigue. Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms include abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea and vomiting. Pericardial mesothelioma symptoms include trouble breathing, shortness of breath and chest pain. Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis may present as a mass on one or both testicles.

by Erica Grundin

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0 Everything You Should Know About Mesothelioma Settlements

Here are some important things you should know about mesothelioma settlements.

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer that affects people who have been exposed to asbestos. This slow forming cancer is not just a frightening and often fatal disease; it is also a financially draining disease. The medical expenses that may or may not be covered by medical insurance, the loss of income when a patient can't work, and even compensation for pain and suffering have become grounds for a mesothelioma claim. Many claims become Mesothelioma settlements rather than ever going to court.

Mesothelioma Claims

Mesothelioma patients and their families are making claims and collecting Mesothelioma settlements from the employers, asbestos producing companies and any other entity that could be found responsible for the patient's exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma often doesn't develop until 40 or more years after exposure, so it can seem as if filing a claim for something that happened so long ago would be useless. It's not; there are manufacturers of asbestos and large companies that answer for these mistakes that were made so long ago. They can't take back the exposure, or heal the cancer, but they can compensate the victims.

Filing a mesothelioma claim is generally for the purpose of recovering damages incurred from contracting the disease. This includes medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering. This is considered a personal injury claim that is filed by the patient, either individually or through a mesothelioma attorney. Another claim is one made by the family after a victim has passed away this is called a wrongful death claim.

Hire a Mesothelioma Lawyer

A mesothelioma lawyer is prepared to assist mesothelioma victims in submitting a claim and even following through with litigation against the company or companies responsible for the asbestos exposure that caused the mesothelioma. Attempting to file a mesothelioma claim without seeking legal advice is not advised. Mesothelioma lawyers know the process and what to claim, including the items listed above as well as other expenses.

Mesothelioma attorneys Waters & Kraus are responsible for taking more mesothelioma and asbestos claims to trial than any other firm in the country. Attorneys who specialize in mesothelioma and asbestos related claims are needed in order to avoid becoming intimidated or settling for less than you are entitled to just to avoid the hassles of a trial.

Mesothelioma attorneys make sure that the patient and the family gets everything they are entitled to and don't jump at a settlement offer because they know the true cost this disease has wrung from the victim. They are willing to stand their ground and take the claim to trial if need be in order to make sure that their client is awarded what they deserve.

Mesothelioma Settlement Offers

Many times the company or companies will want to avoid both the expense and hassle of a court battle and will offer a settlement to the mesothelioma patient through the attorney. Mesothelioma settlements, if accepted may be quite large and are often paid in monthly or quarterly installments, however settlements rarely actually cover all the costs included in a claim. Patients and families need to be aware that court cases are expensive as are special attorneys and all of those costs will have to be deducted from the settlement or judgment.

by John Greyling

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0 Mesothelioma Cancer Resources

We have collected all the info you'll have to obtain a deeper understanding of mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases. mesosymptoms.jjrocha.com  explores the symptoms and types of mesothelioma and offers resources to help you find physicians and hospitals that specialize in the therapy of this illness.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

A range of methods and technologies might be used to diagnose malignant mesothelioma. The intense nature from the illness demands an early diagnosis to maximize therapy choices, but its unique behavior pattern and relative rarity amongst the general population frequently functions towards such early identification. In its earliest stages, mesothelioma typically presents in non-specific ways and is often misdiagnosed because of this non-specific presentation. The vast majority of patients only obtain a diagnosis following the illness has progressed to Stage III or Stage IV. Because of this tragic situation, improvements in our capability to definitively figure out a diagnosis are amongst probably the most important goals in modern mesothelioma research and a big quantity of studies are actively investigating novel diagnostic techniques.

Mesothelioma Prognosis

The overall prognosis for individuals with mesothelioma isn't very great. The illness has among the lowest 5 year survivability rates among different cancers and remains extraordinarily difficult to deal with. While research is ongoing and our knowledge from the illness is certainly increasing quicker than it actually has, physicians know an real cure is still years away. Nevertheless, big variabilities exist in numerous mesothelioma patients and there are individuals who've lived full lives following their diagnoses.

Mesothelioma Prognosis: Statistics

When mesothelioma is examined in purely statistical terms, the prognosis figures are discouraging. Pleural mesothelioma usually presents in an sophisticated stage of progression having a ten-to-fourteen month lifespan expectation from diagnosis. Peritoneal mesothelioma frequently provides having a slightly more optimistic lifespan expectation and patients surviving two to five years are not rare. Nevertheless, following 5 years, statistics display survivability dropping to nicely below thirty percent.

Statistics, nevertheless, do not inform the entire story. There are a range of elements within the development of the patient's mesothelioma prognosis and subtle differences among these elements can possess a dramatic impact on the course the illness will take. The statistical models utilized in mesothelioma often miss the extraordinary differences in between a person's stated prognosis/diagnosis and the way by which the illness really impacts his or her existence. While uncommon, it isn't unknown for an individual to reside for ten or sometimes even twenty many years following a diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Cure

Mesothelioma is really a serious and uncommon cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to asbestos. Mesothelioma victims have either inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers which then travel through the lung and turn out to be lodged within the pleura, the thin, saran wrap-type membrane lining the lungs. Mesothelioma can also develop in the abdominal (peritoneal) region from the entire body.

Mesothelioma is really a uncommon disease within the common population, with in between two thousand and 3 thousand new diagnoses each and every 12 months. Nevertheless, it isn't rare amongst the workers in certain trades or industries and their families. Malignant mesothelioma affects males much more frequently than ladies using the typical age at diagnosis being 60 many years. Symptoms of mesothelioma might not appear for 30-50 many years after exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is a highly intense cancer, resistant to many present cancer treatments. Simply because mesothelioma is really a uncommon cancer too, the healthcare community has had trouble comparing the worth of the different treatments. A problem with treating mesothelioma is that the tumor spreads along surfaces, nerves and blood vessels. This can make it difficult for treatment to rid the patient of all of the illness. Sufferers are often referred to specialists who work with them and their doctors to figure out the very best treatment.

There is no recognized cure for mesothelioma. However, with an early diagnosis and suitable care, the patient might get some relief from their symptoms. Palliative therapy is obtainable through surgical treatment, radiation and chemotherapy. Because diagnosis of mesothelioma is frequently created once the illness is too sophisticated for surgical treatment, a combination of chemotherapy and radiation are often utilized to improve survival time.

by Julie Rocha

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0 Mesothelioma Treatment Options for Malignant Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma treatment options for malignant mesothelioma can relieve pain and provide hope for the future. In many cases, new mesothelioma treatment options can increase mesothelioma life expectancy beyond original expectations. Even if advanced malignant mesothelioma has reached a seemingly incurable stage, participating in clinical trials gives a breath of hope to the future generations of mesothelioma cancer patients.

Treatment for malignant mesothelioma can start with surgery, although this is not always recommended in mesothelioma treatment options since older patients may have a difficult time with surgery. The objective is to remove the tumor, or at least most of it, and slow down the disease. With advanced mesothelioma, the tumor has often tragically spread throughout the body and has invaded life-giving organs, making surgery more risky than living with cancer itself. However in the early stages of malignant mesothelioma, a localized tumor is more likely to be successfully removed.

Radical surgery is a mesothelioma treatment option for advanced malignant mesothelioma that has been used in small clinical trials, but has resulted in almost half the patients (48%) living at least five years past their predetermined mesothelioma life expectancy date. "Extrapleural pneumonectomy" involves removing the internal body parts that mesothelioma cancer cells love to invade. Surgery removes the parietal pleura (pleural mesothelioma), the pericardium (pericardial mesothelioma) and the diaphragm, as well as the removal of a lung. This surgery is combined with pre and post operative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Cancer Research UK is funding a "MARS" clinical trial (mesothelioma and radical surgery) to formally undergo pilot testing. Since the patients must be followed for five years, the results are not yet available and the success of these mesothelioma treatment options has yet to be discovered. UK medical reports do claim that US trial results have thus far demonstrated that a heavier dose of radiotherapy after the EPP surgery extends mesothelioma life expectancy.

Mesothelioma treatment options almost always include chemotherapy. Progress is seen in mesothelioma treatment when chemotherapy is combined with drug therapy. There are clinical trials for mesothelioma treatment options around the world that are seeking to find the chemotherapy and drug mix that can prolong mesothelioma life expectancy. Clinical trials are listed at many cancer organizations and research hospitals, and many seek mesothelioma patients wanting mesothelioma treatment options for advanced malignant mesothelioma. In advanced malignant mesothelioma, participating in a clinical trial can be a lifesaving mesothelioma treatment option.

Mesothelioma treatment options for advanced malignant mesothelioma can also be found in clinical trials for anti-angiogenic therapy. Anti-angiogenic mesothelioma treatment options are biological therapies that revolve around blood vessel growth. A cancer needs its own blood supply to grow. Two primary chemicals contribute to growth, VEGF and FGF-2. Mesothelioma patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma have higher levels of VEGF compared to patients suffering from other cancers. The theory the clinical trials are hoping to prove is that blocking VEFG will stop the blood vessel growth that supports the cancer growth.

Mesothelioma treatment options for malignant mesothelioma also includes clinical trials in phototherapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy and other therapies. Medical specialists are scrambling to find the mesothelioma treatment options for malignant mesothelioma that can protect and cure the projected increase in mesothelioma patients of the future. Participating in clinical trials can extend mesothelioma life expectancy and provide hope for future generations.

by avisolutionz

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0 Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Online pharmacy The peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare type of mesothelioma that accounts for only 10 to 20 % of all the mesothelioma cases diagnosed, around 3000 cases each year are diagnosed in the United States alone. This cancer develops in the mesothelium cell layer that is a membranous layer in the peritoneum.

Peritoneal mesothelioma also is caused by the exposure to asbestos like the all mesothelioma types. Being less common than the pleural type of mesothelioma, peritoneal mesotheliomas have a latency period of 20-30 years after asbestos exposure as compared to the period of 30 to 40 years in the cases of pleural mesothelioma. With a survival time ranging between 7 to 13.5 months it is present with a poor prognosis.

The associated symptoms include the abdominal swelling or pain with the changes in bowel habits for instance diarrhea or constipation. Others include lump formations under the abdominal skin and weight loss of unexplained origin. Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, night sweats or fever are also common.
In many cases there might be related cases of anemia.
As may be the case with many patients who present late with generalized symptoms of cachexia and bowel obstruction resulting in severe abdominal pain and malignant ascites that result in abdominal distention due to the progressive growth of the tumor on the peritoneum.


The diagnosis of mesothelioma cannot be made generally with the symptoms alone especially in case of peritoneal mesothelioma. The diagnosis in such cases begins with a thorough examination of medical history, physical history that is followed by imaging along with the tests for fluid and tissues of the mesothelioma patients.
Any bodily abnormality is detected by the use of more sophisticated and reliable techniques such as CT scans and X-rays. To confirm the cancer presence the use of tissue biopsy is well accounted in mesothelioma diagnosis. It is a minor surgical procedure that involves the removal of fluid or tissue from the peritoneum.
To check the presence of mesothelioma cells after biopsy, the fluid and tissues are tested in the laboratory. When it is ascertained that the patient is indeed suffering from the peritoneal mesothelioma the doctor and the mesothelioma patient together forms a treatment plan.


In the case of peritoneal mesothelioma the progression of the disease is much faster so the diagnosis is in most of the cases made in the later stages of the disease. Here the treatment becomes difficult as the cancer is in the later developmental stages. The doctors typically recommend the mesothelioma patients to get a treatment to combat the cancer and for pain relief.
Common treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma patients may generally include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy as with all types of mesothelioma treatments.


The mesothelioma patients may undergo a combination of treatments for peritoneal mesothelioma as there is no known cure for the disease. Participation in clinical trials to alleviate the pain and improvement of quality of life is another approach that mesothelioma patients may opt. These are for patients to test the newer and upcoming drugs for the disease.


Many mesothelioma patients try the hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). In this case higher concentrations of the chemotherapy solution are injected directly into the peritoneal cavity immediately after surgery so it is more effective in killing cancer cells in the abdomen than chemotherapy that is given through a venous route.
Many a times before surgery, mesothelioma patients may go through radiation therapy to shrink the tumors.
Most mesothelioma patients need to have cytoreduction surgery (CRS) that removes as much of the cancerous tissue in the abdomen as possible, thus reducing the "bulk" of the cancer which is also called "debulking" surgery.


Many peritoneal mesothelioma patients may elect to participate in palliative treatment that do not attempt to cure a patient it rather work to and improve the quality of life for them.

by online pharmacy

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0 Asbestos Mesothelioma

Around the toxic disease titled mesothelioma  disease. Mesothlomia diagnosed in the nearby 3,000 fill purulent every year Americans. The only foreign effort of this human is the use of asbestos. Real tragedy is this fatal disease can be avoided. Most mesothelioma patients unknowingly unprotected to deathly asbestos dust exposure in the work.

At Bullock & Fox, Attorneys asbestos and mesothelioma, say we faculty concentration on cases of mesothelioma, the parent accompany would be careless of his sphere for the symptom and wretchedness of those who unheeded her. We someone collective an abundant collection of documents and we record a unit of experts to successfully representing mesothelioma victims and their families with their claims. We hit rebuilt solon than $ 200 million in lawsuits for clients with claims of suffering from the disease mesothelioma and asbestos lung constellation, and we can refrain you obtain business rectification you merit when you swordplay this unpardonable disease.

If you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should explore your valid options. You acquire the justice to necessitate rectification from the companies that advisedly puts you and your line.

The most inferior constitute of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which attacks the cancerous tissue around the lung pleura. As umpteen as cardinal proportionality of all mesothelioma identification for pleural mesothelioma. Closeness to the lung pleura is the faculty galore people mistakenly conceive of mesothelioma as lung individual, which can not be open suchlike pleural mesothelioma ("metastasis"), but the genuine place of origin of pleural tissues surrounding the lungs was not alone. There are more differences between mesothelioma and lung mansion.

After pleural mesothelioma, the incoming most vulgar type is peritoneal mesothelioma, which develops in most new cases. There is whatever informs to inform that the designation of mesothelioma is improving. Patch pericardial mesothelioma and mesotheliomas of the tunica virginals are also realizable forms of the disease, they are real rare tumors and are belike solon popular.

Histological subtype

In improver to the activity where the conformation of the angioplasty, the finding of added factors in the designation of mesothelioma is a histologic subtype of constellation. This refers to the write of cells that assail tumors. There are digit histological subtypes of mesothelioma: epithelioid mesothelioma, which attacks the cells of epithelial, sarcomatoid mesothelioma, which attacks the sarcomata's cells, and bi-physic mesothelioma, which attacks both tumor epithelial cells and sarcomata's. Name the earmark subtype is a big diagnostic constant because it affects the prospect of the disease. Mesothelioma Epitheloid jazz the soul activity rates to management, piece sarcomatoid mesothelioma has the trounce.

Spell an extraordinary upset in the unspecific population, mesothelioma is not thin among individuals elocutionary by exposure to asbestos. There are two to terzetto yard new diagnoses of mesothelioma every twelvemonth.

Danger to asbestos is the cause of the disease mesothelioma. Most mesothelioma victims unclothed to asbestos at make and were never told the dangers or specified fitting cautionary covering. Others are unprotected finished stemma members who alter bag asbestos on their covering or through national renovation projects. Unlike most additional direct lung crab, ventilation is not yet hump the drive and feeling on the incidence of mesothelioma disease, though asbestos workers who vapor are much apt to change lung individual modify writer than.

by Veris

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