FAQ: Is my new health issue a lung cancer symptom? The largest challenge for lung carcinoma patients is that often their disease is not diagnosed until the late stages of the cancer's progression. Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about lung cancer potential symptoms. Is my cough a lung cancer symptom? One of the few symptoms that about 40% of patients do notice early on in the course of this disease is a new cough or a change in the type of persistent cough. Up to 85% of lung carcinoma patients are smokers, who may have a persistent just as a matter of course. What is key is identifying changes in their typical baseline smoker's cough. The changes may be subtle, a change in frequency or intensity. Some minor pain may accompany the cough. What does specks of blood from coughing mean? Speck of blood from coughing may be a cancer sign, or the sign of another serious lung disease such as tuberculosis or a fungal infection. This symptom you should never "wait out." Always see a doctor if you have even the slightest blood speckling as the result of a cough. Is recurring bronchitis or pneumonia a symptom of lung carcinoma or its own problem? The answer is that chronic lung infections can either be a symptom of lung cancers or of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Both are life threatening disorders and need the involvement of your physician. Bronchitis is generally not life threatening in and of itself, but when it is a COPD symptom it is the canary in the coal mine of your overall health. This is a progressive lung disorder, where the lungs slowly lose their oxygen exchange capacity. Could my body aches be a symptom of cancer? Unfortunately, a common lung cancer symptom that is very non-specific to cancer is an increase of bone pain. Whether it is thoracic back pain referred from tumors in the chest or actual cancer activity in the bone marrow from metastasized lung cancer cells. It is particularly difficult to pin down because of the age group where lung cancers are prevalent: adults age 45 to 65. Again, knowing your baseline of body pain is critical to recognizing the difference between symptoms and status quo. I for one know there's a ton of lung cancer information scattered all around the web, and I know it can be somewhat depressing to go through much of it. I have compiled all that researched so it might benefit others. I put many months of research into a useful guide. There's no charge of course and I think you'll appreciate the simplicity of it. Its at MyLungCancerGuide.com. While you are there, you'll find this article about Lung Cancer Symptom and many other very straight forward, helpful articles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Paula_Anfuso/913546 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5844725

One of the largest challenges well dealing with a lung carcinoma diagnoses is to learn more about your condition. Lung cancer information is widely available, both online and offline. There are some critical considerations you must keep in mind as you research cancer of the lungs. 1) Which cancer do I have? Not all lung carcinomas are created equal. Understanding your diagnoses is key to finding the right information about your condition. Your treatment and prognosis may be different depending if the physician diagnoses you with Small-Cell or Non-Small Cell lung carcinoma. Others types of lung-related cancers, such as mesothelioma lung cancer, are not as common. 2) What stage cancer do I have? Your particular stage of cancer is very important to know. Information on lung cancers such as treatment options and even cutting edge clinical trials are all dependent on the type and stage of cancer. 3) Besides conventional medicine, what supporting therapies are available? From dietary changes to meditation to improve the brain-body connection, there are many lifestyle changes available to people to support and augment the effect of conventional cancer treatments. It is important to take information you gather on these lifestyle enhancements and discuss them with your doctor, as there are many people ready to take advantage of cancer patients. 4) What types of clinical trials are on-going? Your doctor may or may not inform you of research and trials that may offer a promising new treatment for your condition. Several websites, ranging from the National Institutes of Health to individual facility websites such as the Mayo Clinic website discuss ongoing and upcoming clinical trials. Particularly if you have no health insurance or if your cancer is one that historically does not have a good response rate to existing treatments, a clinical trial may offer the chance you need to beat your cancer. The most important aspect of finding out lung cancer information is to make sure you validate what you see. The media is notorious for providing only half the story, both traditional media and the internet. Validate what you find with your physician or locate multiple, unrelated sources before you accept that information as truth. I for one know there's a ton of lung cancer information scattered all around the web, and I know it can be somewhat depressing to go through much of it. I have compiled all that researched so it might benefit others. I put many months of research into a useful guide. There's no charge of course and I think you'll appreciate the simplicity of it. Its at MyLungCancerGuide.com. While you are there, you'll find this article about Finding Lung Cancer Information and many other very straight forward, helpful articles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Paula_Anfuso/913546 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5844732

Lung cancer has been divided based upon the morphology of the cells look under a microscope. The building blocks of the body are cells. With the need of the body to keep it healthy cells grow, divide, and proliferate. Sometimes the cells will divide among themselves, even though there is no need to multiply, and the mass of extra cells forms a tumor or cancer. An uncontrolled and rapid growth of lung cells is called lung cancer. The two forms are small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. Treatment differs with each type of the cancer in lungs since it spreads in different ways. Non-small cell lung cancer, which spreads and grows slowly, is the most common of the two. Large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma are the three major types of this cancer. Small cell lung cancer, also known as oat cell cancer, is not so common. This type of cancer spreads rapidly and may reach different organs of the body. Currently, this cancer has been accredited as the deadliest form of cancer in many developed nations including USA where 170,000 people die from the disease each year. Lung cancer takes years together to develop even though lung changes begin almost immediately upon exposure to carcinogens. The main etiology is the inhalation of carcinogens through cigarette smoke by both smokers and non-smokers. Smoking along with an environmental exposure to randon compounds the risk of this cancer. Apart from this, it is considered to be an occupational hazard among the people who are working in asbestos industry, which is termed as mesothelioma cancer in lungs. Lung cancer mostly affects people over fifty and those also having the habit of smoking for quite a long period. Depending upon the location of the tumor in the lungs the symptoms vary. Chronic cough, chest pain, wheezing, and recurring lung infections are some common symptoms. Diagnosis of this cancer is based on your symptoms, smoking history, medical history, earlier family history and exposure to occupational and environmental substances. The confirmative diagnosis can be performed with a chest x-ray. To determine the stage of the cancer different tests are available to diagnose small cell or non-small lung cancer. Medical professionals tend to diagnose whether the cancer is localized in the lung or has spread to other parts of your body. Quitting smoking is the best way to prevent the occurrence of cancer in lungs. You may gradually decrease your risk of the cancer in lungs over 10 to 15 years as your lungs recover, if you quit smoking at an early age. Treatment of cancer in lungs may be achieved by chemotherapy (cancer cells can be eliminated by medications), radiation therapy (eliminating the cancer cells by high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays), or surgery (cancer removal). Treatment of the advanced stage is found to be difficult with moderate success rate in early stage treatment of cancer in lungs. I for one know there's a ton of lung cancer articles scattered all around the web, and I know it can be somewhat depressing to go through much of it. I have compiled all that researched so it might benefit others. I put many months of research into a useful guide. There's no charge of course and I think you'll appreciate the simplicity of it. Its at MyLungCancerGuide.com. While you are there, you'll find this article about Lung Cancer and many other very straight forward, helpful articles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Paula_Anfuso/913546 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5852113

Malignant mesotheliomas are neoplastic growth of the mesothelial cells in the body. Mesothelial cells are found in the lining of various body cavities. To name, the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium and the testes are lined by these cells. The majority of malignant mesothelioma occurs in the pleura, accounting for almost 90% of all cases. In the United States, the incidence of malignant mesothelioma is pegged at 0.1-0.2 in 100,000 which is higher than the international incidence of 0.9 per 100,000 for both sexes. A two to 10-fold increase in risk is seen among populations that are exposed to asbestos. Around 2500 to 3000 cases are diagnosed each year in the country. Peak incidence of the disease occurs in the 3rd and 4th decade of life, with two thirds of cases occurring in the 5th and 6th decades. Malignant mesothelioma is more commonly seen among men with a male to female ratio of 3:1. Among men, 53% reported an occupational exposure to asbestos. The most commonly cited job descriptions were explosives workers, naval mechanics, construction workers, miners, automotive mechanics and even bakers. Around 46% of the men reported a prior non-occupational exposure to asbestos. Among women, 75% were reported to have prior exposure to asbestos, half of which were secondary household contact. Epitheloid was the most common histologic subtype found among women, and the mesothelioma most commonly affected the pleura. Epitheloid, sarcomatous and biphasic (mixed) are the three major histologic subtypes of malignant mesothelioma. Sixty to seventy (60-70%) of mesothelioma are epitheloid. These transformed cells start off as individual nodules and plaques which then later on come together to form sheets. The plaques start at the lower portions of the chest, and slowly progresses upwards to encroach on the upper parts of the chest and interlobar fissures. Tumor growth, in most cases also encases the diaphragm, chest tube and various drainage tracts. If left untreated, the disease can quickly invade the parenchyma of the lungs, the esophagus, and may even reach the great vessels of the heart, as well as the surrounding bony structures such as the chest wall, ribs and vertebrae. Exposure to asbestos is the principal and commonly cited trigger in the pathogenesis of malignant mesothelioma. Different forms of asbestos, such as chrysotile, amphibole, erionite, crocidolite, and amosite are all cited to cause the formation of more than 80% of mesotheliomas. Crocidolite asbestos is commonly the cause for mesotheliomas found among miners, asbestos manufacturers, construction and heat workers. The amphiboles are found to be more carcinogenic than its chrysotile counterparts. Exposure to radiation using silicates such as zeolite and thorium dioxide has also been linked to the pathogenesis of malignant mesothelioma. Although as of yet controversial, Simian virus 40 has also been touted to have an etiological role in mesothelioma formation. Chromosomal changes most frequently found in malignant mesothelioma include a loss of a single copy of chromosome 22, modifications to the p16 (CDKN2A) and p14 (ARF) of the tumor suppressor gene, as well as a functional loss of neurofibromin 2 (NF2). Interleukin 8 has also been shown to have a direct effect on the growth potential of mesothelial cells and thus also contributes to the sustained growth of malignant mesothelial cells. In essence, exposure to asbestos still remains to be the most common instigator in the pathogenesis of malignant mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos by itself has also been touted to cause the majority of mesotheliomas. Seomul Evans is a senior copywriter for Mesothelioma [http://www.asbestosdaily.com/] daily writing about Asbestos Lawyers [http://www.mesotheliomadaily.com/lawyers-attorneys/]. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Seomul_Evans/246618 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5903945

Unfortunately, there are no immediately apparent symptoms of asbestos exposure. Long term inhalation of asbestos fibers has been connected with three serious diseases, Lung Cancer, Asbestosis, and Mesothelioma. These diseases do have identifiable symptoms, but after a very long incubation period, as many as thirty years. Asbestosis Symptoms Difficulty breathing Chest pain Chronic cough Easily exhausted from psychical excretion Shortness of breath Lung Cancer Symptoms Dry, irritating cough Increase in sputum production Blood mixed with sputum Chest pain Lung infection Mesothelioma Symptoms can be characterized by fluid build up in the lungs or in the abdomen and each may have different symptoms. Fluid in the lungs Shortness of breath Chest pain Tightness in the chest Persistent cough Weight Loss Fatigue Fluid in the abdomen Swelling Weight loss Nausea Obstructed bowels Anemia Fever and/or night sweats What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a term used to refer to any of the six different naturally occurring fibrous minerals used in commercial products. Asbestos has been mined and used for thousands of years. It was mined commercially in the United States from the 1800's until 1993. A common misconception is that asbestos use is now banned in the United States. The fact is, asbestos has been used in commercial products in the US since the 1800's and currently is still being used in some products. Use of asbestos dramatically increased during World War II, due its excellent insulation and fireproofing properties. Who is at Risk? Workers and family members living with them while employed in the following trades are at the highest risks associated with exposure to asbestos. Asbestos mining Plants manufacturing asbestos containing products Ship building ship salvage Shipboard mechanics especially boiler mechanics Construction especially roofing Asbestos abatement Brake and transmission mechanics If you experience any of these symptoms and you were exposed to asbestos you should see a doctor for proper diagnosis and care as these symptoms may be associated with other less serious conditions. If you find the above helpful, you can find other helpful articles at Your Law School [http://yourlawschool.com/] where I provide free legal resources. Feel free to stop by and ask your legal questions. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Robert_W_Duncan/912041 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5865377

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer typically caused by exposure to asbestos. The cancer can take many years to become evident and once it is present, it can be difficult to detect. Patients who receive treatment for mesothelioma in the early stages have a better prognosis, but survival rates are low. The health and age of the patient also affect the prognosis.

Mesothelioma treatment fall into two primary categories, curative and palliative. Curative treatment is aimed at curing a patient's mesothelioma by removing or killing the cancer cells in the affected area. Palliative treatments are done merely to reduce a patient's pain and discomfort and improve their quality of life.

There are several different mesothelioma treatment methods. Surgery can be performed. The most common type for patients with pleural mesothelioma is a pleurectomy/ decortication procedure. This surgery involves removal of the lining of the chest where the cancer is contained.

A less common type of surgery performed in pericardial mesothelioma is an extrapleural pneumonectomy. The procedure involves the removal of the lung, the lining of the inside chest wall, the pericardium, and the hemi-diaphragm. The goal of the surgeries is to reduce the size of the cancerous tumors. This helps extending the patient's life.

For patients in the earlier stages of mesothelioma, radiation treatments can be performed. Radiation is often performed following surgery to kill additional cancer cells. The entire hemi thorax is treated with radiation. Radiation therapy is also commonly performed to the sites of the chest drain insertion. This prevents the growth of the tumor along the patient's chest wall. Radiation therapy can also serve the palliative purpose of relieving the symptoms from tumor growth.

Chemotherapy has been an effective form of treatment for patients with mesothelioma. It is often performed in addition to radiation therapy. On a statistical basis, studies have shown that patients receiving chemotherapy extend their lives by several months in comparison to those who do not receive the treatment.

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During the 1970s, the evidence became overwhelming that asbestos exposure led to serious health hazards including mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer. In the 1980s, the amount of asbestos litigation increased greatly. Many asbestos companies declared bankruptcy to seek protection from their creditors. As a result, lawyers have adopted new strategies to obtain compensation for their clients. They now focus lawsuits on other companies that may have been involved in the asbestos exposure to gain compensation.

Companies and individuals that are targeted for asbestos litigation include: owners of the premises where asbestos products were installed, manufacturers of the machinery that may have contained parts with the materials, retailers of products containing the material, such as hardware and auto parts stores, and banks that financed the buildings or ships where the material was installed.

Victims of mesothelioma or their loved ones should carefully choose their lawyer. It is an important decision. Experience is an important factor when deciding which attorney to. Choose an attorney who focuses their practice and has experience litigating asbestos claims. They will know the intricacies of the law and be better prepared to take the claim to trial, if necessary.

Most claims settle before going to trial but choosing an asbestos lawyer who has trial experience is important. It lends credibility and the attorney is better prepared in the event the case goes to trial. It is also important that the lawyer has the resources and staff to expertly handle an asbestos claim.

Asbestos lawyers typically work on a contingency fee basis. They typically do not charge any retainers or fees for their services until a settlement or jury award has been paid. They typically charge between 33-1/3 and 40 percent of the total recovery, plus costs. The attorney's fee, which may be negotiable, should not be the most important factor in choosing a lawyer to pursue damages. This is especially true if you have a high value claim.

If a person was exposed to asbestos and has developed another type of cancer, he or she should still consult with an asbestos lawyer. Studies have shown that exposure increases the risk of cancer of the lung kidney, pancreas, larynx, esophagus, and colon. An asbestos claim can be made for other illnesses besides mesothelioma.

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