Q. What is Mesothelioma?

A. Mesothelioma is a rare but potentially fatal cancer that affects a layer of the body called as mesothelium. Typically mesothelioma develops in the lining of the chest or abdominal cavity. There are three forms of mesothelioma:

1. Pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma that affects the coverings of the lungs.
2. Peritoneal mesothelioms. Mesothelioma that affects the covering of the abdominal organs.
3. Pericardial mesothelioma. Mesothelioma that affects the covering of the heart.

Pleural is the most common followed by peritoneal and lastly pericardial.

Q. What are the causes of mesothelioma?

A. Asbestos is the number one cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos is a fine fiber material that is resistant to heat. These fibers when inhaled get into the air passages and then reach the pleural cells. The asbestos injures the pleural cells and this injury leads to either benign or malignant transformation. Asbestos is found in many types of industrial supplies and equipments. Asbestos exposure does not lead to mesothelioma immediately. Often it takes decades before the person manifests the symptoms of the disease. Smoking does not lead to mesothelioma though the risk is more for a smoker exposed to asbestos.

Q. What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?

A. Often mistaken for pneumonia, mesothelioma is very difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone. The most common symptoms include:

Persistent cough.
Shortness of breath.
Chest pains.
Swelling up of face and neck.
Coughing up blood.
Nausea and vomiting.
Weight loss.
Loss of appetite.

Not everyone exposed to asbestos will develop mesothelioma. However keep in mind the risk of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma and speaking to a doctor will help in screening and early detection of the disease.

Q. What treatment options are available for mesothelioma?

A. Mesothelioma is often a very difficult disease to diagnose and treat. The various treatment options include:

Surgery in early stages to reduce tumor burden.
Chemotherapy with agents like Cisplatin.
Radiotherapy.
Gene therapy.
Immunotherapy.
Photodynamic therapy.

Cancer of the Mesothelium or Mesothelioma as it is popularly called, occurs when the cells of the Mesothelium begin to behave in an unusually manner and attack other tissues and organs that are close by. The cancer cells are likely to spread to other areas of the body. Research has found that a greater portion of Mesothelioma cases start emanate in the pleura.

Mesothelioma is said to be a rare with about two thousand cases reported annually in the U.S. there has however been a steady increase in it occurrence over the last twenty years. Research has also shown that the disease is more prevalent in men and the old the person the greater the risk. It is important to note that both men and women are at risk for this disease.

The major risk factor for this disease includes prolonged asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a mineral fiber used in the construction industry. Approximately seventy-five percent of all cases are attributed to asbestos exposure at work. The greater the exposure to asbestos and the longer the exposure the more likely the disease will develop. There are however persons who have had minimal exposure who have developed Mesothelioma. Also no everyone who has had prolonged exposure develops the disease.

Mesothelioma symptoms sometimes do not show themselves until up to fifty years after being exposed to asbestos. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pains, weight loss, abdominal pain, and fever. Once the cancer has moved beyond the Mesothelium patients are likely to experience severe pain, swelling of the face and/or neck, and trouble swallowing.

To diagnose Mesothelioma a biopsy is performed. Once this is done the doctor will perform more tests to determine the stage of the disease. Determining the stage of the disease will assist the doctor is developing a treatment plan.

Mesothelioma is usually treated by way of surgery. If the disease in the stomach or chest part of the chest or stomach lining is removed. A portion of the adjoining tissues is also removed. If the disease is found in the pleura then a lung may have to be removed. Another treatment is radiation therapy which is used to kill the cancer cells and to eradicate the tumor. Chemotherapy is also used. Clinical trials are currently on the way to find new treatments for this disease.

Mesothelioma is considered to be the most deadly type of cancer that is caused by inhaling the asbestos particles that float in the air. Mostly people who are directly or sometimes indirectly exposed to asbestos contact this disease. It affects the mesothelium which is the protective lining of most the internal organs in the body. Malignant cells develop on the mesothelium of the heart, lungs or the stomach. The mesothelium of the chest cavity and the lungs is known as pleura, the stomach lining is called peritoneum and pericardium is the lining of the heart. There is provision in the law for the compensation of Mesothelioma patients and special lawyers called asbestos lawyers help the patients in their legal pursuit.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The symptoms of Mesothelioma occur at the last stage of the disease so curing it becomes very difficult. The symptoms can be seen after a long time of exposure to asbestos which may be a long gap of twenty to fifty years. The main symptoms are breathlessness due to accumulation of fluid in the chest, coughing, pain in the chest; blood may also appear with the cough or the spit. These symptoms can be seen if the pleura or the pericardium is affected. If the peritoneum is affected the patient will develop loss of appetite, pain in the stomach, loss of weight, problem in the bowel, anemia and fatigue. The patient may also suffer from frequent fever.

Treatment of Mesothelioma

An effective treatment of this disease depends on several factors like, in which stage the cancer has been detected, what is the age of the patient, how much the cancerous cells have circulated and the general health condition of the patient, that is whether he is suffering from some other disease or not. It has been observed that chemotherapy is the only treatment available for these patients. It uses medicines, chemicals or drugs in a systematic manner to eradicate the cancerous cells. The medicine is either injected directly in the body or administered in pill forms.

The other forms of treatment are immunotherapy, surgery and radiation by which the malignant cells are destroyed so that they do not spread to the other parts of the body. In severe cases many tumors may be detected on the affected area for this the doctors first remove the tumors by surgery and then the other forms of treatment follow. The patient has to decide whether he will undergo the painful treatment or survive for six to twelve months without treatment.

Mesothelioma is just one of the diseases that people can develop after prolonged asbestos exposure. It is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells which cover the outer surface of most of the body's internal body organs. This is caused by the exposure to asbestos which was around quite a lot in certain areas before it was banned. It could have been contracted in a number of ways from simply breathing it in to picking it up second hand from other people's clothing, hair or skin.

Mesothelioma can take various different forms and can develop in the tissues covering the lungs or abdomen. The most common type diagnosed is pleural mesothelioma which affects the tissues lining the lungs, called the pleura. Fortunately, it is unusual for this disease to spread to other parts of the body. When it does, it doesn't usually cause any problematic symptoms.

Most people who develop mesothelioma will have worked in jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. The most commonly affected trades were dockers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, shipyard workers and power station workers. However, it is possible for someone to contract the illness even if they have never had direct asbestos exposure. For example, family members may have breathed in the dust particles from the clothing of someone who worked with it.

There are various different symptoms that people can look out for if they know there is a chance they could have mesothelioma. Shortness of breath, a prolonged cough, chest pain, weight loss, abdominal swelling and fever are just some of the signs to look out for. These symptoms may not start showing until 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure, however which is why many people don't realize what it is at the time.

Diagnosing mesothelioma can be very difficult because the symptoms are similar to many other conditions. For this reason it is extremely important that doctors are made aware of any history to asbestos exposure so they know what to look out for. In order to make a proper diagnosis, a physical examination, a chest x - ray and lung function tests will be performed in order to see if there is any pleural thickening, which is common among those who worked around asbestos. If anything suspicious is found a biopsy will be performed so that a diagnosis can be confirmed and treatment can begin.

Many people have enlisted the help of an asbestos lawyer in order to claim compensation against asbestos manufacturers. The first lawsuit was in 1929 and since then people have successfully won billions of dollars from these companies who neglected to implement safety measures to protect workers against exposure. Mesothelioma Attorneys often take some good percentage of the compensation so watch out before you go ahead and hire any one.

Peritoneal mesothelioma, the rarer of the two forms, can lead to swelling, abdominal pain due to fluid buildup in the abdomen cavity, weight. The other more common pleural mesothelioma symptoms include chest pain and difficulty breathing. Other symptoms often noted among patients include weight loss, fever, cough and night sweats. Also occasionally a patient may be diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma before any symptoms manifest.

A misdiagnosed disease is often an opportunity for the disease to grow in the body. The only way to diagnose mesothelioma is to take a series of tests to discover if the disease is present. A common minimum link to determine the disease is finding the patients proximity to asbestos related environment for 15 - 50 years. If so then image scans can help diagnose the disease. Commonly these include taking a chest x-ray which will show a picture of the lungs to determine if there are any abnormal changes.

A CT scan, computer tomography, is a type of x-ray that uses a computer rather than film to display its images. It can be used to show three-dimensional representations of the relevant parts of the body.

The final type of imaging that may be used is an MRI scan, or magnetic resonance imaging. In an MRI, magnetism is used in conjunction with the computer to create clear images of your body.

If your doctor finds an unusual mass during the imaging process, they are most likely going to take a tissue sample (biopsy), or draw fluid from it to determine what type of tissue it is. Typically a needle is used to draw a small amount of fluid from the tissue. If the results are not able to rule out the condition completely, the next step would normally be to insert a small tube which is attached to a camera and to take a small piece of the tissue remotely. In some cases a more extensive surgical procedure may be needed in order to get a good sample of the tissue. The extreme complicated nature of the disease and fatal nature of the disease often arouses fear in a patients mind.

Mesothelioma is a particularly nasty form of lung cancer, and mesothelioma litigation is increasingly being used as a means of getting cash for asbestos lung cancer palliative care. Without it, many families would not be able to afford professional care for their loved ones, and would have to tend for them themselves at the worst possible time for them and for the patient.

Incidences of mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer are steadily increasing, which indicates just how insidious this disease is. Caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers, the symptoms can take upwards of 40 years after exposure to appear, and may people who suffer do not even remember being exposed to the substance. It does not take much exposure, and many cannot understand the diagnosis when it is available because they cannot remember ever being exposed to asbestos.

There are no known 100% effective conventional medical treatments for mesothelioma, and the prognosis is generally bad. However, there are several things that can be done to alleviate pain and make the patient's life more comfortable. While drugs can help, hospice care is an option that takes pressure of the family and provides a comfortable environment for the patient. However, these alternatives can be expensive and if responsibility can be placed on an employer for the exposure that ultimately led to the disease, then compensation can pay for the palliative care.

This is not seeking charity, but rather making those responsible pay for the treatment. A high level of compensation will be needed to pay for the treatment and care needed, and in order to achieve this result you will require the services of a good mesothelioma attorney. Any lawyer will not do due to the specialized knowledge needed to persuade judges and juries that there very few causes of asbestos lung cancer other than exposure to the fibrous silicates that make up asbestos.

The compensation awarded can be very large, although smokers will receive less since their habit can be construed as contributing to the disease. Mesothelioma is not just another word for asbestos cancer, but is in fact a cancer of the mesothelium, a membrane that lines many body cavities, including the thoracic, or chest cavity. The lining of the lungs is called the pleura, so mesothelioma refers to any form of lung cancer involving that membrane. In fact 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by smoking.

It is therefore very difficult for smokers to blame asbestos exposure for mesothelioma unless they have been working with asbestos. However, a good asbestos attorney should be able to secure a reasonable level of compensation, even for a smoker. It will be a fight though, since the asbestos companies and employers that required employees to work with the substance are aware of the high levels of compensation being awarded, and now actively fight such cases.

When you consult a law firm with a view to instructing them to fight your mesothelioma case, you should insist on talking with the attorney that will be handling your case. You can then discuss your strategy, and you can make sure that your attorney has had previous success with such cases. You don't want to retain a loser!

Ask questions, and determine the success rate of your prospective attorney in such cases. He or she must also appreciate your condition and understand how you feel, so that they can fight your case properly. Nothing can beat experience in a mesothelioma asbestos cancer lawsuit, so make sure that you get the best you can afford. Better still: tell them their fee depends upon them winning!

INTRODUCTION

Lung cancer may also be the most tragic cancer because in most cases, it might have been prevented, 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Lung cancer has long been the most common cause of cancer death in men and since 1987 it has also become the most common cause of cancer death in women. Lung cancer is the second most commonly occurring form of cancer in most western countries and although the lung cancer incidence is less common in developing countries, the rapid increase in the popularity of smoking will see the number of lung cancer sufferers in those countries quickly catch up with the western world.

Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, and 90%-95% of cancers of the lung are thought to arise from the epithelial, or lining cells of the larger and smaller airways (bronchi and bronchioles); for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic carcinomas or bronchogenic cancers.

The most common type of lung cancers are epidermoid carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.

Most experts agree that lung cancer is attributable to inhalation of carcinogenic pollutants by a susceptible host. Who is most susceptible? Any smoker over the age of 40, especially if they began smoking before the age of 15, have smoked 20 or more for 20 years, or worked with or near asbestos. Two other factors also increase susceptibility: exposure to carcinogenic industrial and air pollutants (asbestos, uranium, arsenic, nickel, iron oxides, chromium, radio active dust, and coal dust.) and familial susceptibility.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Because early lung cancer usually produces no symptoms, the disease is often in an advanced stage when first diagnosed. Late stage signs are: with epidermoid and small cell carcinoma; smokers cough, hoarseness, wheezing, dyspnea, hemoptysis and chest pain. With adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma; fever, weakness, weight loss, anorexia and shoulder pain. In addition, hormone production which regulates various body functions may also be affected.

DIAGNOSIS

Firm diagnosis requires chest x rays, sputum cytology, CT scanning, bronchoscopy the examination of pleural fluid and biopsies. Other tests to detect metastasis include bone scans, bone marrow biopsy and CT scans of the brain and abdomen.

METASTASES

Lung cancer most often spreads to the liver, the adrenal glands, the bones, and the brain. Lung cancer that has metastasized to the bone causes bone pain, usually in the backbone (vertebrae), the thighbones, and the ribs. Lung cancer that spreads to the brain can cause difficulties with vision and weakness on one side of the body.

Lung cancer may grow into certain nerves in the neck, causing a droopy eyelid, small pupil, sunken eye, and reduced perspiration on one side of the face; together these symptoms are called Horner's syndrome (see Autonomic Nervous System Disorders: Horner's Syndrome). Lung cancer may grow directly into the esophagus, or it may grow near it and put pressure on it, leading to difficulty in swallowing. Lung cancer may also spread through the bloodstream to the liver, brain, adrenal glands, spinal cord, and bone.

TREATMENT

Treatment for lung cancer depends on the cancer's specific cell type, how far it has spread, and the patient's performance status. If investigations confirm lung cancer, CT scan and often positron emission tomography (PET) are used to determine whether the disease is localised and amenable to surgery or whether it has spread to the point where it cannot be cured surgically. Treatment is usually a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Surgery is usually the first option. Chemotherapy can be used as a first line treatment for lung cancer or as additional treatment after surgery. Radiation therapy can be directed at your lung cancer from outside your body (external beam radiation) or it can be put inside needles, seeds or catheters and placed inside your body near the cancer (brachytherapy). Radiation therapy can be used alone or along with other lung cancer treatments. Radiation therapy can also be used to lessen side effects of lung cancer.

Treatment may not be as effective for patients with bone or liver metastases from lung cancer, excessive weight loss, ongoing cigarette use, or pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease or emphysema. At some point, if you and your oncologist or primary care physician agree that treatment no longer is advisable, hospice care can provide comfort.

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is still one of the most prevalent forms of cancer today. Even after all of the thousands of antismoking campaigns and a huge decrease in the number of smokers, it is expected that there will be more than 215,000 new cases diagnosed this year, and there will be nearly 162,000 deaths.

In 1991 (the latest year that I could find statistics for), 27% of Americans were smokers. That compares to 29% in 1987 and 44% in 1964. The decrease is because of more people quitting the smoking habit, and NOT because of fewer people starting the smoking habit. It's obvious that all of the efforts to prevent people from becoming smokers have not been successful.

Cigarette smoking is considered the number one cause of the disease. There are substances in smoke that cause damage to lung cells. Because of this, smoking cigarettes, pipes, or cigars does cause lung cancer, and this is why it is also true that secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer in nonsmokers. The more often a person is exposed to tobacco smoke, the greater the risk of lung cancer.

However, cigarette smoking is not the only cause. Researchers have also determined that exposure to radon is a big risk factor for developing lung cancer. Radon is found in mines as well as in various parts of the country in the rock and soil. Radon is a radioactive gas that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

Exposure to asbestos is another cause of lung cancer. People who work at such jobs in the construction and chemical industries are most at risk for exposure to asbestos that can cause lung cancer.

A family history of lung cancer, even in people who have never smoked, also creates a higher risk for developing the disease.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the newer lung cancer treatment options available today. Lung cancers are sometimes inoperable, particularly when they are situated in the bronchi or trachea. Similarly, cancers that have spread from other parts of the body to the bronchi cannot be removed surgically. In such cases, photodynamic therapy offers a safe and effective treatment option.

In a best-case scenario, PDT is used as a curative therapy that can eliminate the cancer completely. In many patients, PDT is employed as a palliative lung cancer treatment meant to provide relief from symptoms even though it does not cure the cancer.

Photodynamic therapy can effectively relieve symptoms like breathing difficulties from obstructions in the bronchi or trachea. In some patients, tumors block the airways and can cause coughing, breathing difficulties, pneumonia and bleeding. PDT may be used in such cases depending on the location, size and stage of the tumor.

PDT destroys cancer cells using a laser. To ensure that only cancerous cells are destroyed, a special drug is used to make the cancer cells more sensitive to this treatment while leaving normal cells intact.

There are three steps involved in the process of lung cancer treatment using PDT. In stage one, a drug called photofrin is injected intravenously. This drug has the property of making body cells very sensitive to light. Normal, healthy cells eliminate photofrin, but cancerous cells are unable to do so and the drug is retained in such cells.

In the second stage of PDT, about forty to fifty hours after the injection is given, a flexible tube is inserted into the bronchia. This tube contains a red laser of low intensity. The cancer cells exposed to this laser are destroyed.

In the third and final stage, about two days after the laser light exposure, a bronchoscopy is done to get rid of the dead cancer cells and mucus from the bronchi or trachea.

A patient can benefit from photodynamic therapy only if his or her cancer is situated in a location that is accessible to a bronchoscope. Also, the tumor must be large enough so that the bronchoscope can easily detect it. This means that some cancers like those located outside the bronchial passages cannot be treated with PDT.

Lung cancer treatment with PDT offers almost no dangerous side effects, unlike other treatment methods. Photosensitivity is about the only side effect that lasts for a while. Since photofrin makes cells sensitive to light, the patient may experience heightened light sensitivity for a period of four to eight weeks after the treatment.

During this time, even normal exposure to sunlight can result in severe sunburn. For this reason, patients who have undergone PDT are advised not to venture out into the sun for about eight weeks after their lung cancer treatment. In contrast to photodynamic therapy, major surgery done to eliminate lung cancer usually poses much greater risks.

Many tumors that are inoperable because of their location are prime candidates for treatment with PDT. When used as a palliative, this type of lung cancer treatment offers almost immediate relief.

Given all these advantages, increasing numbers of patients have been using photodynamic therapy as a lung cancer treatment of choice.

Knowing and understanding the early symptoms of lung cancer is one of the most important things that those who are at risk for the disease can do. Lung cancer is the most treatable when it is discovered early, and the only way to discover it early enough is to recognize and report the early symptoms of lung cancer. If you are noticing a combination of these lung cancer symptoms, be sure to talk to your doctor.

One of the early symptoms of lung cancer is a nagging cough that simply will not get better. Often the cough worsens with time and is accompanied by chronic chest pain. Coughing up blood is another of the many early symptoms of lung cancer. In fact, coughing up blood is one of the biggest symptoms that sends lung cancer patients to their doctors. Recurring bronchitis or pneumonia sometimes indicates that the disease is present. Fatigue and shortness of breath are more symptoms to watch out for if you suspect the disease. No matter what the symptoms are, if you have lung cancer, they will gradually progress in intensity as the disease progresses.

These lung cancer symptoms do not always indicate that the disease is present. There are other far less dangerous conditions that can cause these symptoms. However, ignoring the symptoms is dangerous, because if they are pointing to lung cancer, the disease will continue to progress. Early treatment is the best way to successfully fight lung cancer, so do not ignore these symptoms.