Italian researchers found that while a second surgery to treat a recurrence of malignant mesothelioma may not increase the survival rate for a patient, the surgery may relieve a patient's pain. The results were determined after reviewing 74 cases of mesothelioma patients who underwent surgery over 20 years to remove a diseased lung as well the membrane tissue covering the lung and heart, and diaphragm muscle.
Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure, can affect the lining of the lungs known as pleural mesothelioma, or the lining of the abdomen resulting in peritoneal mesothelioma. In rare instances, the lining of the heart can be affected resulting in pericardial mesothelioma.
The researchers, Dr. Leonardo Politi of the University of Florence, and Dr. Giuseppe Borzelleno of the University of Verona, determined that extrapleural pneumonectomy, the surgical procedure, did not offer the expected curative benefits they had hoped to see when treating a recurrence of malignant mesothelioma. They did say that the procedure should be considered an option for certain malignant mesothelioma patients who cannot tolerate additional radiation treatment.
Source
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Asbestos Caused Joiner’s Death from Mesothelioma
Alvaston, UK—A joiner who worked with asbestos sheets for years has died from mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer associated with this toxic building material.
Asbestos is comprised of thin, needle-like, and yet microscopic fibers that can be inhaled. They cannot, however, be exhaled or otherwise expelled from the body, because they embed themselves into the membrane that lines the inside of the thoracic and abdominal cavities, and surrounds the heart and lungs. This membrane, the mesothelium, can then develop tumors—malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma—that are often non-localized and difficult to surgically resect.
David Hartley, who was only 57 when he died, had worked at the Reckitt and Coleman site during his employment with Byard and Green shop fitters. His employment as a joiner for this firm, which lasted from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, required him to cut, drill and fit asbestos sheets. Asbestos was often used as an insulating and strengthening component in a variety of construction materials and consumer products.
Joiners, engineers, plumbers, electricians, boilermakers, and mill workers are among the occupational demographics that are most at risk to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions. Also at high risk are Navy veterans, as asbestos was widely used in the military until the late 20th Century.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, but a deadly one. Although it may remain latent and undiagnosed in the body for up to 50 years, by the time it is diagnosed it has typically reached one of the later, and untreatable, stages. Fewer than 10 percent of patients live past the two-year mark, and the majority die within months of learning that they have the cancer.
Treatment for mesothelioma consists of surgery, if the cancer is detected early enough; chemotherapy; and radiation. Many late-stage patient choose not to pursue these treatment options, however, as they feel that the side effects are too great, and instead opt for pain management.
Source
Asbestos is comprised of thin, needle-like, and yet microscopic fibers that can be inhaled. They cannot, however, be exhaled or otherwise expelled from the body, because they embed themselves into the membrane that lines the inside of the thoracic and abdominal cavities, and surrounds the heart and lungs. This membrane, the mesothelium, can then develop tumors—malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma—that are often non-localized and difficult to surgically resect.
David Hartley, who was only 57 when he died, had worked at the Reckitt and Coleman site during his employment with Byard and Green shop fitters. His employment as a joiner for this firm, which lasted from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, required him to cut, drill and fit asbestos sheets. Asbestos was often used as an insulating and strengthening component in a variety of construction materials and consumer products.
Joiners, engineers, plumbers, electricians, boilermakers, and mill workers are among the occupational demographics that are most at risk to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions. Also at high risk are Navy veterans, as asbestos was widely used in the military until the late 20th Century.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, but a deadly one. Although it may remain latent and undiagnosed in the body for up to 50 years, by the time it is diagnosed it has typically reached one of the later, and untreatable, stages. Fewer than 10 percent of patients live past the two-year mark, and the majority die within months of learning that they have the cancer.
Treatment for mesothelioma consists of surgery, if the cancer is detected early enough; chemotherapy; and radiation. Many late-stage patient choose not to pursue these treatment options, however, as they feel that the side effects are too great, and instead opt for pain management.
Source
Monday, February 15, 2010
Mesothelioma Claims the Life of Army Veteran
Morris, IL—A veteran of the United States Army, who likely was exposed to asbestos while serving his country, has died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma.
James R. Walton, 80, served in the Army and then went on to attend engineering school. He worked at Aurora Caterpillar Tractor Company and the Joliet Arsenal, as well as at the Morris Hospital. Walton may also have been exposed to asbestos at any point during his career, however, since the mineral material was so widely used throughout most of the 20th Century as an insulating and building material. Asbestos could be found in drywall, ceiling and floor tiles, pipe insulation, boilers, shingles, plumbing, and many other products. It was also used in automobile applications such as brakes and clutches, as well as in shipbuilding. Once prized for its lightweight nature, strength, durability and resistance to fire and high temperatures, asbestos later became notorious as a toxin and carcinogen.
Inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can lead to the rare cancer mesothelioma, which occurs when those fibers penetrate the mesothelium—a sheath surrounding and protecting the lungs and other internal organs—and cause the cells thereof to become malignant. Striking only about 3,000 new patients each year in the United States, mesothelioma is an unusual cancer for several reasons. It may remain in the body, undetected, for anywhere from 10 to 50 years. When it is diagnosed, it has usually already reached an advanced stage, and is therefore not often treatable.
Traditional cancer treatments may be used in cases of mesothelioma that are caught earlier, before the disease has metastasized throughout the body. In some cases, surgery is possible, but that is not usually feasible. Chemotherapy and radiation are sometimes employed to attempt to shrink the tumor and stop its spread, but these are less effective for mesothelioma than they are for other cancers, and they also tend to cause painful or debilitating side effects. Many mesothelioma patients are too weak to undergo these treatments, therefore, and opt only to pursue pain management methods.
The average life expectancy for a person diagnosed with mesothelioma is only 4 to 18 months. Fewer than 10 percent live as long as two years after diagnosis.
Source
James R. Walton, 80, served in the Army and then went on to attend engineering school. He worked at Aurora Caterpillar Tractor Company and the Joliet Arsenal, as well as at the Morris Hospital. Walton may also have been exposed to asbestos at any point during his career, however, since the mineral material was so widely used throughout most of the 20th Century as an insulating and building material. Asbestos could be found in drywall, ceiling and floor tiles, pipe insulation, boilers, shingles, plumbing, and many other products. It was also used in automobile applications such as brakes and clutches, as well as in shipbuilding. Once prized for its lightweight nature, strength, durability and resistance to fire and high temperatures, asbestos later became notorious as a toxin and carcinogen.
Inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can lead to the rare cancer mesothelioma, which occurs when those fibers penetrate the mesothelium—a sheath surrounding and protecting the lungs and other internal organs—and cause the cells thereof to become malignant. Striking only about 3,000 new patients each year in the United States, mesothelioma is an unusual cancer for several reasons. It may remain in the body, undetected, for anywhere from 10 to 50 years. When it is diagnosed, it has usually already reached an advanced stage, and is therefore not often treatable.
Traditional cancer treatments may be used in cases of mesothelioma that are caught earlier, before the disease has metastasized throughout the body. In some cases, surgery is possible, but that is not usually feasible. Chemotherapy and radiation are sometimes employed to attempt to shrink the tumor and stop its spread, but these are less effective for mesothelioma than they are for other cancers, and they also tend to cause painful or debilitating side effects. Many mesothelioma patients are too weak to undergo these treatments, therefore, and opt only to pursue pain management methods.
The average life expectancy for a person diagnosed with mesothelioma is only 4 to 18 months. Fewer than 10 percent live as long as two years after diagnosis.
Source
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Forty-five Companies Named in Mesothelioma Lawsuit
Charleston, WV—A complaint filed in a West Virginia circuit court names 45 companies with several asbestos-related violations which allegedly resulted in a man’s diagnosis of mesothelioma.
Arnold Glenn Treadaway filed the complaint on November 23, after having been diagnosed with the rare form of cancer on October 16. In it, he alleges that the defendant companies, which are not named, wrongfully exposed him to asbestos while he worked at various job sites.
The defendant companies are being sued for negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post-sale duty to warn.
Asbestos used to be a common product which had many applications, but was particularly useful as an insulating material because of its remarkable ability to withstand heat and flame. It was used in many workplaces, including mills and metalworking facilities, factories, shipyards and construction sites.
Unfortunately, asbestos is also a known carcinogen. When the material is used, it releases microscopic fibers into the air, which can then be inhaled by workers. These fibers burrow deep into the body’s soft tissues, including a membrane called the mesothelium, which surrounds and protects the internal organs. The asbestos fibers can lead to a rare form of cancer—mesothelioma.
With a grim prognosis and a life expectancy of only six to 18 months on average, mesothelioma is an extremely aggressive cancer. It can sometimes be treated with surgery, although often the cancer is not diagnosed early enough to make surgery a viable option. Chemotherapy and radiation are also alternatives, but often the patient does not feel that the benefits of these treatments will outweigh their debilitating side effects. Pain management, especially in the later stages of this cancer, is sometimes the best option for a patient.
Because of asbestos’s widespread use throughout much of the 20th Century, there have been numerous cases brought to court against defendant companies. In fact, asbestos litigation is the largest tort in the United States, and case are expected to rise as more and more workers are diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Source
Arnold Glenn Treadaway filed the complaint on November 23, after having been diagnosed with the rare form of cancer on October 16. In it, he alleges that the defendant companies, which are not named, wrongfully exposed him to asbestos while he worked at various job sites.
The defendant companies are being sued for negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post-sale duty to warn.
Asbestos used to be a common product which had many applications, but was particularly useful as an insulating material because of its remarkable ability to withstand heat and flame. It was used in many workplaces, including mills and metalworking facilities, factories, shipyards and construction sites.
Unfortunately, asbestos is also a known carcinogen. When the material is used, it releases microscopic fibers into the air, which can then be inhaled by workers. These fibers burrow deep into the body’s soft tissues, including a membrane called the mesothelium, which surrounds and protects the internal organs. The asbestos fibers can lead to a rare form of cancer—mesothelioma.
With a grim prognosis and a life expectancy of only six to 18 months on average, mesothelioma is an extremely aggressive cancer. It can sometimes be treated with surgery, although often the cancer is not diagnosed early enough to make surgery a viable option. Chemotherapy and radiation are also alternatives, but often the patient does not feel that the benefits of these treatments will outweigh their debilitating side effects. Pain management, especially in the later stages of this cancer, is sometimes the best option for a patient.
Because of asbestos’s widespread use throughout much of the 20th Century, there have been numerous cases brought to court against defendant companies. In fact, asbestos litigation is the largest tort in the United States, and case are expected to rise as more and more workers are diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Source
Monday, December 28, 2009
Mesothelioma cancer experts offer advice on mesothelioma lawyers
Mesothelioma settlements are made when the respective court gives a ruling in favor of the plaintiff.
These settlements are conducted, not only for the victims, but also for their families on the basis of losing their loved ones who suffered due to mesothelioma cancer. Their families also suffered both the a financial and emotional loss.
The journey of mesothelioma is very long and dreadful. Between 1900 and 1980, asbestos was used in abundance, in about 3000 industrial and commercial products. Millions of workers were employed in these asbestos-related industries.
Due to the inhuman negligence of the owners of these asbestos mines and industries, mesothelioma cancer developed its roots in the body systems of these workers, and their lives were filled with pain and agony in the years to come.
Mesothelioma cases are filed through attorneys in court for a complete settlement and concessions against problems faced due to mesothelioma. On filing such cases, the results of these claims are often different. Settlement results differ dramatically, with some reaching six to seven million.
The mesothelioma attorneys who deal with these mesothelioma cases claim to get as much compensation as possible for their client, in order to provide security for his family, in his own life, or even when he’s gone. These attorneys have experience dealing with these irresponsible organizations and are of the opinion that the claimants have every right to claim the compensation, since these patients have been robbed of their healthy lives.
Sometimes, it happens that the case may not even have to go to the trial, if a settlement can be reached between the plaintiff and the defendant, through the respective attorneys
Therefore, when looking for a mesothelioma attorney, the patient and his family should search for an attorney with vast experience in dealing with similar cases and achieving success. His guidelines, familiarity and knowledge will help in the processing of claims and result in a sound settlement with a promising compensation.
Source
These settlements are conducted, not only for the victims, but also for their families on the basis of losing their loved ones who suffered due to mesothelioma cancer. Their families also suffered both the a financial and emotional loss.
The journey of mesothelioma is very long and dreadful. Between 1900 and 1980, asbestos was used in abundance, in about 3000 industrial and commercial products. Millions of workers were employed in these asbestos-related industries.
Due to the inhuman negligence of the owners of these asbestos mines and industries, mesothelioma cancer developed its roots in the body systems of these workers, and their lives were filled with pain and agony in the years to come.
Mesothelioma cases are filed through attorneys in court for a complete settlement and concessions against problems faced due to mesothelioma. On filing such cases, the results of these claims are often different. Settlement results differ dramatically, with some reaching six to seven million.
The mesothelioma attorneys who deal with these mesothelioma cases claim to get as much compensation as possible for their client, in order to provide security for his family, in his own life, or even when he’s gone. These attorneys have experience dealing with these irresponsible organizations and are of the opinion that the claimants have every right to claim the compensation, since these patients have been robbed of their healthy lives.
Sometimes, it happens that the case may not even have to go to the trial, if a settlement can be reached between the plaintiff and the defendant, through the respective attorneys
Therefore, when looking for a mesothelioma attorney, the patient and his family should search for an attorney with vast experience in dealing with similar cases and achieving success. His guidelines, familiarity and knowledge will help in the processing of claims and result in a sound settlement with a promising compensation.
Source
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Mesothelioma Disappears With No Treatment
In September 2002, a 61-year-old Australian woman was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Two years later, she was cancer-free without any treatment. Although her doctor still doesn’t know exactly what caused her cancer to regress, he is hopeful that cases like hers will one day lead to a better understanding of mesothelioma, as well as to new and more effective treatments for the disease.
It’s exceedingly rare for a cancer to disappear on its own, although it can happen. There have been cases in virtually all types of cancers in which a patient has been diagnosed with the disease, only to show up cancer-free on a later exam.
Roger Allen, PhD, a Thoracic and Sleep Physician at Wesley Medical Centre in Brisbane, Australia reported in the Medical Journal of Australia on a patient who was referred to his center with severe chest pain. Two expert pathologists reviewed the patient’s chest scans and biopsy results, and confirmed the diagnosis—mesothelioma.
The patient had had a history of exposure to asbestos—the fibrous mineral implicated in most cases of mesothelioma. When she was young, she had worked as a machinist in a factory where asbestos was used. Years later she had washed her son’s work clothes when he worked for a company that produced asbestos gaskets.
Whenever the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the prognosis is usually grim. Patients survive an average of just one year with the disease. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can slow mesothelioma, but they usually can not stop it.
The patient in this report was referred to an oncologist and offered chemotherapy and an experimental treatment, but by the time she was set to begin therapy, her mesothelioma had already started to regress. She felt well enough to opt for no treatment.
When doctors examined the woman again in December 2002, the cancer had decreased in size. By 2004, a CT scan showed that the mesothelioma had virtually disappeared. The patient continues to see an oncologist today, and she remains cancer-free six years after her initial diagnosis.
Dr. Allen sees about 600 patients with asbestos-related diseases a year, and he believes this is the first case in Australia of a patient whose mesothelioma spontaneously regressed and stayed in remission for more than five years.
Doctors still don’t know exactly why some cancers disappear on their own, but the phenomenon may have to do with a combination of mechanisms, including a stimulation of the body’s immune response and factors that trigger cell changes and death. “We don’t know it all, but cancer cells are not invincible,” Dr. Allen says. Understanding the processes behind spontaneous regression could be the key to improving treatments for mesothelioma, he says.
Although it’s rare for a cancer to spontaneously regress, cases like this one should come as promising news to both patients and their doctors, according to Dr. Allen. “I think the message should be to always have hope, and it also gives us hope that one day we may be able to harness the immune system better.”
Source
It’s exceedingly rare for a cancer to disappear on its own, although it can happen. There have been cases in virtually all types of cancers in which a patient has been diagnosed with the disease, only to show up cancer-free on a later exam.
Roger Allen, PhD, a Thoracic and Sleep Physician at Wesley Medical Centre in Brisbane, Australia reported in the Medical Journal of Australia on a patient who was referred to his center with severe chest pain. Two expert pathologists reviewed the patient’s chest scans and biopsy results, and confirmed the diagnosis—mesothelioma.
The patient had had a history of exposure to asbestos—the fibrous mineral implicated in most cases of mesothelioma. When she was young, she had worked as a machinist in a factory where asbestos was used. Years later she had washed her son’s work clothes when he worked for a company that produced asbestos gaskets.
Whenever the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the prognosis is usually grim. Patients survive an average of just one year with the disease. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can slow mesothelioma, but they usually can not stop it.
The patient in this report was referred to an oncologist and offered chemotherapy and an experimental treatment, but by the time she was set to begin therapy, her mesothelioma had already started to regress. She felt well enough to opt for no treatment.
When doctors examined the woman again in December 2002, the cancer had decreased in size. By 2004, a CT scan showed that the mesothelioma had virtually disappeared. The patient continues to see an oncologist today, and she remains cancer-free six years after her initial diagnosis.
Dr. Allen sees about 600 patients with asbestos-related diseases a year, and he believes this is the first case in Australia of a patient whose mesothelioma spontaneously regressed and stayed in remission for more than five years.
Doctors still don’t know exactly why some cancers disappear on their own, but the phenomenon may have to do with a combination of mechanisms, including a stimulation of the body’s immune response and factors that trigger cell changes and death. “We don’t know it all, but cancer cells are not invincible,” Dr. Allen says. Understanding the processes behind spontaneous regression could be the key to improving treatments for mesothelioma, he says.
Although it’s rare for a cancer to spontaneously regress, cases like this one should come as promising news to both patients and their doctors, according to Dr. Allen. “I think the message should be to always have hope, and it also gives us hope that one day we may be able to harness the immune system better.”
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Mesothelioma cancer - Cure
Dallas, TX: Like all other forms of cancer, Mesothelioma also still has no cure. Time and again news reports appear stating that researchers have found a break through, but such developments only help in either early diagnoses or help in reliving the pain, misery and discomfort of the mesothelioma victim. In almost, all cases mesothelioma cancer results from occupational asbestos exposure.
In the last two decades, there has been an increasing awareness about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cancer. Many research institutes and drug producers have come forward, focusing their activities and interests on the mode of attacks that damages this deadly disease. This has resulted in the progress of new therapies and medicines
Once again, researchers are on the path of using Vitamins, such minerals have time and again proved to gain significant role in the continuation and maintenance of good health. The regular use of vitamins, with a specific dose advised by a medical practitioner promotes growth of the immune system, reproduction and the vision.
Latest research has proved that vitamin A, can be of great assistance in the prevention of mesothelioma cancer. Vitamin A, along with Vitamins C and E, have been found to possess antioxidant powers. They are able to destroy free radicals. By increasing the amounts of these vitamins, it is believed that during the treatment through radiation therapy, the normal cells are not destroyed, as in the case of patients who have a lower diet of these vitamins.
With vitamin A being added to the diet of those patients who are undergoing the radiation therapy along with vitamins C and E helps the radical fighting capacity of these vitamins for a longer term protection against the development of cancer.
The fact remains, that mesothelioma cancer is a life taking illness with no cure. This illness caused when asbestos fibers and asbestos dust in inhaled and the silver fiber gets to incubate within the human body for considerable number of years.
Source
In the last two decades, there has been an increasing awareness about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cancer. Many research institutes and drug producers have come forward, focusing their activities and interests on the mode of attacks that damages this deadly disease. This has resulted in the progress of new therapies and medicines
Once again, researchers are on the path of using Vitamins, such minerals have time and again proved to gain significant role in the continuation and maintenance of good health. The regular use of vitamins, with a specific dose advised by a medical practitioner promotes growth of the immune system, reproduction and the vision.
Latest research has proved that vitamin A, can be of great assistance in the prevention of mesothelioma cancer. Vitamin A, along with Vitamins C and E, have been found to possess antioxidant powers. They are able to destroy free radicals. By increasing the amounts of these vitamins, it is believed that during the treatment through radiation therapy, the normal cells are not destroyed, as in the case of patients who have a lower diet of these vitamins.
With vitamin A being added to the diet of those patients who are undergoing the radiation therapy along with vitamins C and E helps the radical fighting capacity of these vitamins for a longer term protection against the development of cancer.
The fact remains, that mesothelioma cancer is a life taking illness with no cure. This illness caused when asbestos fibers and asbestos dust in inhaled and the silver fiber gets to incubate within the human body for considerable number of years.
Source
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