The Three Main Organs Affected by Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that develops in the lining of large internal organs. It is caused by asbestos exposure. Because asbestos fibers are minuscule, they become lodged in the lining of the internal organs and, over time, lead to the growth of cancerous tumors. The time period between exposure to asbestos and the onset of mesothelioma cancer can be several decades, which is why many patients fail to recognize the initial symptoms of the disease. Sadly, this leads to a delayed diagnosis of mesothelioma, which in turn decreases the patient’s life expectancy.

Patients who develop mesothelioma often have been exposed to asbestos at their workplace, such as navy shipyards and construction sites. The repeated exposure to asbestos means that they inhaled millions of tiny asbestos fibers that remained in their bodies. The three organs most often affected by mesothelioma are the lungs, heart and stomach.

Lungs: Pleural Mesothelioma

The most common form of mesothelioma, known as pleural mesothelioma, affects the lungs. The disease results when inhaled asbestos fibers become lodged in the lining that surrounds the lungs and cause the growth of cancerous cells around them. This process causes the lining of the lungs to fill with fluid, which obstructs breathing and causes chest pain. At this point, most pleural mesothelioma patients notice that something is wrong and seek the help of a doctor.

Stomach: Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The asbestos fibers can also become lodged in the lining around the stomach. This type of mesothelioma, which is called peritoneal mesothelioma, occurs when a person eats food covered with microscopic asbestos fibers. The fibrous material remains in the stomach lining for a long time (20-50 years) before it prompts the growth of the cancer cells. Peritoneal mesothelioma is much rarer than pleural mesothelioma, accounting for about 10-20 percent of all mesothelioma cases.

Heart: Pericardial Mesothelioma

The tiny asbestos fibers can also become lodged in the lining of the heart, where they can cause cancer. This form of mesothelioma is called pericardial mesothelioma. It is a very rare type of mesothelioma, accounting for about 10 percent of all mesothelioma cases.

Mesothelioma: Medical and Legal Considerations

The treatment for all forms of mesothelioma is similar and typically involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. While an aggressively administered mesothelioma treatment can slow the spread of the disease, it can rarely cure it. This is because most mesothelioma cancers are discovered at an advanced stage, when treatment is less effective.

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New Developments in Mesothelioma Research and Treatments

Cancer research and development is an ongoing process. In the field of mesothelioma treatment, researchers are focusing on improving traditional treatments as well as developing new techniques to ease the pain of patients. New chemotherapy agents and combination’s are now giving new hope to mesothelioma patients and are increasing the survival rate amongst them. Several recent advances have improved diagnosis and treatment of this incurable disease. Hoping for a cure in the near future is therefore not something surreal.

CT Scans

Computer tomography scans are not only a diagnostic tool in mesothelioma treatment. CT Scans now enable the surgical team to accurately determine the position of tumors in the anatomy of the patient. This enables cytoreduction to be more effective. Adequate cytoreduction is an essential prerequisite to improving the survival chances of the patient. The greater the number of tumor cells that are removed, the less is the chances that the cancer grows and propagates.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

Photodynamic Therapy is one of the latest mesothelioma treatments being researched. PDT makes use of a photosensitizer. This is a drug that produces active oxygen when exposed to a certain wavelength of light. Active oxygen destroys all nearby cells. When the patient is treated with the photosensitizer (e.g. with porfimer sodium), the drug invades the whole body. However, by the very nature of the molecule, it remains attached to cancer cells for a longer period. Hence, after a period of 24-72 hours, when the agent has been removed from the normal cells, the tumor is exposed to light (usually a laser transmitted to the tissue by a fiber optic cable carried by an endoscope). Active oxygen destroys the tumor cells directly with minimal damage to normal cells. PDT also helps to shrink tumors indirectly by destroying the blood vessels that supply tumors and activating the immune system to fight the tumor.

The advantage of PDT is that it can be used repetitively with much less side effects than other treatments. The main drawback is that the light usually cannot reach tumor cells that are more than 1 cm deep. Hence, PDT is most effective in skin cancers and cancers found in the lining of internal organs or cavities. Fortunately, mesothelioma falls in this category.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors

Angiogenesis refers to the development of new blood vessels. Blood vessels are a critical factor in the growth of tumors. All malignant tumors develop their own vascular system that carries nutrients from the bloodstream to the tumor, fuelling its growth. Controlling the development of these vascular systems has been an important strategy in the fight against mesothelioma cancer. Angiogenesis inhibitors are drugs that block angiogenesis. This cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tumor whose growth immediately halts.

The advantage of angiogenesis inhibitors is that they are not as toxic as most other chemotherapy drugs. They can thus be given continuously to the patient and are thus more effective in fighting the cancer. An example of an anti-angiogenesis drug under clinical trial for mesothelioma is bevacizumab (Avastin).

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Use Mesothelioma Lawyers As a Last Resort

Mesothelioma lawyers specialize in cancer cases and have many years of experience in gaining benefits for their client cancer sufferers. Mostly they work on a contingency basis so the patient does not have to find lots of cash to fight for compensation. Mesothelioma lawyers are aware of all of the potential sources of compensation. There are several.

Mesothelioma cases are complex and lawyers need to have access to huge amounts of data and documentation concerning asbestos related cancer cases. If you are in need of a good mesothelioma trial lawyer be sure they are “AV rated.” This is the highest level of professional excellence awarded by an independent lawyer-rating agency.

When we think about lung cancer we all too often link the disease to tobacco use. Smoking surely is the commonest cause of lung cancer however it is not the only one. The tiniest speck of asbestos inhaled to the lungs is an even more definite source of cancer cell growth and it is called mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma sufferers pay the ultimate price and consequences of mans’ historical ignorance. Our knowledge of mesothelioma was woefully inadequate and architects and builders were unaware of the hazards of asbestos as an insulating material. Mesothelioma lawyers now know better than anyone that asbestos is a deadly carcinogenic. For workers in an asbestos removal environment the risks of contracting mesothelioma are constant and serious.

For those who smoke and also work in close proximity to asbestos, particularly when it is being disturbed, the risks of contracting asbestos lung cancer are doubled. Mesothelioma sufferers should not have to pay financially and should seek legal redress through compensation.

A mesothelioma lawyer worth his or her salt can definitively prove the clinical link between tobacco use, asbestos dust and the factor of eight likelihood of lung cancer. To put it another way, smoking, now or in the past, together with the inhalation of even just one minute speck of asbestos makes the person become eight times more likely to develop mesothelioma than a non-smoker breathing in the same particle.

Asbestos is a man made substance. Airborne asbestos particles are a completely avoidable health hazard. However when they are accidentally released to the atmosphere the responsible organizations must be brought to book for causing mesothelioma and to be made to compensate the victims of their actions.

Workers in the asbestos industry who smoke should seriously rethink their lifestyle if not their employment. Asbestos workers should think carefully about giving up the job because of the dangers of getting this fatal industrial disease.  At the very least if they choose to continue working with asbestos then quitting smoking will greatly reduce the risk of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma lawyers are all about compensation and money rather than prevention or cure. If you suffer with mesothelioma it is too late and your only recourse is the law. Mesothelioma lawyers are experts in helping in all the ways the law can.

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