Mesothelioma Treatment Option: Why Is The Removal Of The Lung And Other Organs Necessary?

One of the most successful Mesothelioma treatment options involves the removal of the lung and other organs via surgery. However many patients and their loved ones do not quite understand why this is necessary.

This Mesothelioma treatment option is necessary and is one of the most successful because the disease usually starts in the lining of the inner chest wall and the lining that covers the diaphragm. This is called the parietal pleura. The disease then grows into the lining that covers the lung (visceral pleura).

Because it is impossible to separate the visceral pleura from the lung so as to remove the Mesothelioma cancer, there is no option but treatment through the removal of the lung. Secondly it is also important to note that Mesothelioma often attacks the lung tissue so the only way to completely remove the tumor is by removing the lung.

Quality of life for patients after this Mesothelioma treatment option is difficult to predict. Many people may suffer a degree of shortness of breath, which incidentally is also, one of the symptoms of the disease before surgery. Also because the surgery involves a large incision and sometimes portions of the rib are also taken out, many patients suffer a lot of pain after the surgery, however this is usually quickly controlled by pain medication.

However many times this Mesothelioma treatment option results in a big improvement, especially if surgeons are able to properly remove the tumor. In fact many patients are able to breath a lot better with one lung. The reason is because of the relief of tumor compression on the lung and the related restriction of chest wall movement.

Visit the author's mesothelioma research blog for the latest mesothelioma research findings.

Pericardial Mesothelioma : Quick Facts

What is pericardial mesothelioma?

It is a cancer caused by the inhalation of asbestos dust, and is the most rare of mesothelioma cancers. It accounts for about 5% of all cases. Its period of latency (time it takes for the symptoms to show) is approximately 30-50 years. Symptoms are similar to other diseases such as pneumonia whilst in the early stages. This makes it rather difficult to diagnose and treat.

What are the treatment options for pericardial mesothelioma?

There are three options available for an individual diagnosed with this cancer; surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. A patient will first require a doctor's evaluation to determine which treatment option is suitable for him.

What are my chances of survival from pericardial mesothelioma?

It is important to stress that once you start experiencing the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma (shortness of breath, chest pains, coughing up blood, and palpitations) you should immediately seek specialized help. The prognosis of pericardial mesothelioma depends largely on how early the cancer is detected. Should you be diagnosed in the later stages of development, your chances of survival could be very slim (usually a few months).

Can you go through each of the treatment options?

Radiation - large doses of radiation are used to kill the cancerous cells on the pericardium. The disadvantage of using radiation to treat pericardial mesothelioma is that the vital organs close to the heart are also being damaged.

Surgery - this can be divided into two parts; aggressive surgery & palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery involves the removal of the cancerous cells from the pericardium. This procedure is only performed by an extremely skilled surgeon as the cells are usually located in close proximity to the heart and lungs. Any small mishap can have a fatal outcome.

Palliative procedures are used in the latest stages of pericardial mesothelioma. They serve the sole purpose of relieving the symptoms since the cancer is almost incurable at this stage.

Chemotherapy - drugs are used to kill the cancerous cells. Unfortunately, the majority of drugs used to treat pericardial mesothelioma have an extremely low success rate. Pharmaceutical companies are conducting trials to come up with the right combination of drugs that can produce better results for treating pericardial mesothelioma.

You also have dual therapy which is just a combination of the three methods. Cancerous cells are removed by means of surgery, then the remaining cells are killed off by radiation and chemotherapy. Although still dangerous, dual therapy has demonstrated a higher success rate than using the three individual methods alone.

Nkeno Kapya owns http://www.pericardialmesothelioma.info, where numerous related articles on pericardial mesothelioma can be found.

About Asbestos

Everyone that has ever heard of asbestos knows that it is extremely dangerous. Nevertheless, not everyone is familiar with what this toxin is and what kind of precise dangers it poses to those individuals that are exposed. Let's take a look at some of the dangers associated with this hazard below.

Asbestos is actually a mixture of six natural minerals and it can be found in older buildings, older textiles and older plastic products. It is much like fiberglass in consistency and when it is airborne it is extremely dangerous and toxic to humans and animals alike. Asbestos, when airborne can lead to a disease termed, asbestosis - a form of lung cancer. In essence, long term exposure results in the damage of lung tissues which are irreversibly scarred and permanently damaged.

Anyone who has endured long term exposure may begin exhibiting the signs and symptoms frequently associated with asbestosis: severe difficulty breathing, spasmodic coughing fits, and in worse case scenarios, exposure can lead to death. Likewise, gastrointestinal cancer, cancer of the esophagus, mesothelioma, cancer of the intestines, is also a risk for those that are exposed. In addition, exposure to asbestos has also been known to wreak havoc with the human immune system, weakening it to a state where it does not function properly. Clearly, exposure to this natural hazard is extremely dangerous. Yet, what can people do to protect themselves from exposure? No matter where one discovers a source of these minerals, whether they are from old building materials like special cement or other products, it is imperative that they act quickly to have them immediately removed.

There are a number of companies that focus on the removal of this toxic hazard. Testing can be conducted to detect the hazardous material and if the test proves positive it is imperative that the property owner takes measures to ensure its immediate and safe removal.

No one should ever attempt to remove hazardous, toxic material themselves: especially in terms of asbestos. The removal of this particular toxin requires trained professionals who are skilled at handling such poisons. First, the material will need to be wetted to keep the it from becoming airborne and threatening those in the surrounding area. Next, the toxic waste will need to be professionally contained and sealed and removed from the location. Workers will be required to wear special equipment to protect themselves, like respirators, coveralls, rubber boots, eye protection and rubber gloves to prevent the toxins from entering the body.

Further, warning signs will need to be posted during the process of removal. Air conditioning and heating systems cannot be used during the process of removal because doing so would promote the toxin's airborne travel. Likewise, any area being worked will have to be sealed off until the removal process is complete. Finally, all removal work will have to be followed up with a decontamination process. Clearly, the removal of this dangerous toxin is something that is better left to the professionals that are used to handling it.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Asbestos
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Breast Cancer Statistics How Breast Cancer Survival Rates Increased 50%

Breast cancer statistics show that over 1.2 million persons will be diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide this year, according to the World Health Organization. For breast cancer and prevention, it has long been known that regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the likelihood of having breast cancer. What has not been known or studied has been the effect of regular physical activity on the breast cancer survival rates or likelihood of death in women that already have breast cancer. That is, until now.

The breast cancer statistics and findings as reported by the American Medical Association?s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in May 2005 were astounding! Certain participants in the study of women with Stage I, II or III breast cancer achieved a 50% reduction in the death rate from breast cancer.

Here are these breast cancer statistics: the journal reported that in the study 2,987 female registered nurses had been diagnosed with breast cancer during the years 1984-1998. What the study found was that the women who had physical activity equivalent to walking at a steady pace of 2.0-2.9 miles per hour for 3-5 hours a week had a death rate of only 50% of the death rate of women who had physical activity equivalent to walking less than one hour a week. The conclusion of the breast cancer statistics in the study was that physical activity after breast cancer has been diagnosed may reduce the risk of death from breast cancer. The study found that there was little evidence of any relation between increased physical activity and increased benefit.

It?s time to dust off those walking shoes!

As a physical activity, walking can be done almost anytime by anyone anywhere. All that?s needed is a good pair of walking shoes. Walking is fun and reduces stress. As for injuries, walking has the lowest injury rate of all the various kinds of exercise.

You can walk with a partner, friend, family member or dog, maybe even a neighbor's dog. Or you can walk with your favorite headset and music. If you are walking outdoors with a headset, keep one ear open to hear the sounds around you.

As for basic walking tips:

? As you begin regular walking, take it easy. Standard advice is to check with your physician before starting any exercise program. If it?s been years or decades since you walked regularly, perhaps you can begin with 5 minutes of walking and slowly increase your time and distance.

? Walking at a pace of 75?95 steps a minute will have you walking at a speed of about 2-3 miles per hour.

? Walk with your head up, looking out in front of you. Do not walk looking down right in front of you except to navigate any obstacles.

? Really take it easy the first 5 minutes of walking to warm up. Afterwards, gently stretch for 5?10 minutes while your muscles are warm.

? Practice good walking form. Your arms should swing naturally in the direction you?re walking, not from side to side across your body. Your foot should strike the ground on your heel, then a rolling motion forward toward the ball of your foot, then pushing off with your toes.

And here are some basic walking shoes tips:

? Buy your walking shoes from a sporting shoes store with large selections. That will give you plenty of choices. And buy your walking shoes later in the day when your feet will be larger.

? Buy cushioned, supportive walking shoes. To see if a shoe is supportive, do this test -- take a shoe and turn it upside down. Holding each end of the shoe, try to fold it. If you find the shoe bends in the middle, then that shoe is not a supportive shoe. A supportive shoe should bend where your foot normally bends, near your toes.

? You should allow the width of your index finger between the end of your shoe and the end of your longest toe, or about one-half inch.

? Buy two pairs of walking shoes, one for home and one for the car or workplace. And if one pair gets wet, you can use the other pair that day.

Walking is the closest thing to the perfect exercise. In today?s fast-paced society, regular walking can be a welcomed break from the stress of the day. Maybe you?ll get to know your neighborhood or neighbors better. There may be walking trails you?ve never seen but wanted to.

Wherever and however you choose to walk, not only can the experience be fun, you?ll know you?re being good to your body in a variety of ways. Besides the incredible breast cancer statistics and findings of the breast cancer study, walking helps with weight control and bone strength, elevates mood, helps build and maintain healthy muscles, joints and heart. With so many great health benefits, why not get started walking today!

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com - a website of natural solutions for a variety of health problems. For information about preventing breast cancer, visit Breast Cancer and Prevention to read more.

Personal Injury Solicitors Help Mesothelioma Sufferers To Claim

Every year in the UK around 1,600 people die from mesothelioma, a terminal lung disease which is normally caused by contact with asbestos. Many of the people who have learnt the devastating news that they are suffering from an incurable condition, have made the decision to speak to a personal injury solicitor. A solicitor with expertise in this area of the law can help them to make a personal injury claim. Asbestos related illnesses, which people are suffering from today, could have been avoided if action was taken many years ago.

It is difficult to swallow the facts and figures surrounding asbestos use. Thousands of people are waking up to the fact that their professional lives as many as 30 or 40 years ago were in fact contributing to an early and painful death.

Asbestos was once hailed as a fantastic, revolutionary material and its fire resistant properties were ideal for use in the construction industries, in plumbing and ship building. Asbestos was installed in buildings throughout the world and many hundreds of thousands of men, women and children came into constant contact with it. Whilst it is not dangerous when lying untouched, it becomes deadly when its? fibres are disturbed. People working in these industries are most at risk of contracting these diseases however; their families are also at risk of becoming ill at some point in the future. Barry Welch died at the age of 32 because he came into contact with asbestos dust when he was a child. His stepfather came home each night covered in the deadly fibres.

A large number of employers have now admitted liability for the suffering of their previous employees. Protection was not offered to many of the people who are now living with asbestosis, mesothelioma, emphysema, pleural plaques and lung cancer. It has been discovered that many employers continued to expose workers, even though they had become aware of the inherent risks.

Many people suffering from lung diseases as a result of their employers? negligence have received injury compensation payouts as a result of their contact with a personal injury solicitor. Tracing previous employers and attributing liability is difficult, but people suffering because of another person?s action are legally entitled to make an injury claim for the suffering caused by their work accident.

Unfortunately, new legislation has recently been passed which may mean an end to large compensation payouts for families of asbestos disease sufferers. Britain?s highest court ruled that where a worker was exposed to asbestos dust by several employers, each was liable to pay only a proportionate share of compensation rather than the whole amount. Because many of the employers responsible for fatal asbestos exposure were operating as many as 40 years ago they may now no longer exist or cannot be traced.

Employers union the TUC is calling for the reversal of what it calls a cruel and unjust decision. Many people who may have received hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation may now only receive a fraction of this amount.

If you are suffering from an asbestos related illness then you may wish to discuss your options with a personal injury solicitor who has specialist knowledge of industrial diseases.

Author: Katy Lassetter, Online personal injury compensation claim specialists, with a 97% claim success rate. Call 0800 197 32 32 or visit http://www.the-claim-solicitors.co.uk for more details.

Asbestos Lung Cancer

People with a history of asbestos exposure are about seven times more likely to die from lung cancer than those who are unexposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure is associated with all types of lung cancer, and with a rare type of cancer called malignant mesothelioma, which affects the tissue lining the lungs called the pleura. The time between exposure and development of cancer ranges from 15 to 30 years. This gap between exposure and disease may delay diagnosis until the lung cancer is advanced and less amenable to treatment. If someone with asbestos exposure also smokes, the risk of getting lung cancer increases substantially.

Until the mid-20th century, asbestos was widely used in construction and to manufacture insulation and fire retardant materials. As knowledge of the health risks associated with asbestos fiber inhalation or ingestion increased, asbestos became less commonly used. While asbestos is still present in many public buildings and in older homes, it is generally thought to be less harmful to leave it in place than to remove it, as doing so may release asbestos fibers into the air. Some industries continued to use asbestos after its risks became known, and are facing lawsuits from former employees.

The symptoms of asbestos-related lung cancer are similar to those of lung cancer in general. These include breathlessness, wheezing, chest pain, coughing up of blood, a new cough or a persistent cough, or hoarseness. A diagnosis is usually made using a combination of physical examination, x-rays, CT scans, lung tissue biopsies, and lung function tests. Recent research suggests that levels of a blood protein, osteopontin, rise in people with malignant mesothelioma. Treatment depends on the type of lung cancer and on the stage or extent of spread when it is diagnosed; overall five-year survival rates are below 20 percent.

Lung Cancer provides detailed information on Asbestos Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Stages, Lung Cancer Survival Rate and more. Lung Cancer is affiliated with Asbestos Exposure.

Understanding and Recognizing the Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Cancer

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a serious malignant tumor that affects the torso of the human body. There is a strong link between mesothelioma and contact with asbestos particles via breathing or swallowing.

There are three common forms of mesothelioma:

1. Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common form of Mesothelioma. It starts in the chest cavity (after breathing the particles) before spreading to other areas.

2. Peritoneal Mesothelioma starts in the abdomen (after swallowing the particles) and accounts for about 10-20% of Mesothelioma patients.

3. Pericardial Mesothelioma is the rarest form of Mesothelioma. It starts in the cavity that surrounds the heart.

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose early on because the symptoms are often mistaken for those of other, less serious ailments. To make matters worse, it often takes many years for the symptoms to show up after the contact with asbestos takes place. Individuals with a history of extended asbestos exposure are at the highest risk for developing malignant mesothelioma. Even a small exposure to this cancer-causing material can result in malignant mesothelioma. However, mesothelioma has a latency of up to thirty-forty years, and many individuals previously exposed to asbestos are now displaying symptoms. This means the average age of mesothelioma patients is between 50 and 70 years. Men are typically affected more, because of the common presence of asbestos in industrial settings. There are three major types of malignant mesothelioma. Epithelial, sarcomatoid, and mixed. Epithelial mesothelioma is most common. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to respiratory distress, a lasting cough, and pneumonia. In addition, symptoms are often mistaken for less serious ailments, and many patients do not show any signs at all.

Individuals with pleural mesothelioma may amass some fluid between the lung lining and chest cavity. This can be detected through a chest x-ray, as well as CT scans.

Diagnosis of Mesothelioma is based on a biopsy. This exam will test a tissue sample for the presence of malignant and/or pleural mesothelioma.

Causes of Mesothelioma

Asbestos is the principal cause of Mesothelioma. Asbestos is a type of insulation material, which was commonly utilized in the past in the following industries:

Steel Workers

Brake Mechanics

Insulators

Boilermakers

Ship fitters

Maintenance Workers

Pipe Fitters

Construction industry

Shipbuilding industry

Automotive industry

Other manufacturing industries

Mesothelioma appears most often in people who worked in the above industries and were exposed to asbestos in their workplace. The utilization of asbestos was very prevalent after 1940?s. However it would take 10-40 years after the first exposure for the first symptoms of mesothelioma to become noticeable, which made it very difficult to diagnose. The peak in mesothelioma cases is projected to be reached near year 2010 according to studies. There are three frequently used types of asbestos: white, brown, and blue. Brown and blue asbestos are more frequently associated with mesothelioma. These types of asbestos have been restricted by most countries in the 1990s. A record of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases.

Asbestos is a very dangerous material and can cause serious damage to your health. It is made up of very minute fibers, which can find their way to pleura (outside lining of the lung) and damage the cells pleura are made of. These fibers can also be passed on to clothing, which makes them dangerous not only to the person exposed to asbestos, but to their family members as well.

Smoking

Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure drastically increases a person?s risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not materialize until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling because of a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, difficulty swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Once Mesothelioma is diagnosed, the likelihood of recovery varies according to several factors, including the size and location of the tumor, how much it has spread, and the age of the patient.

In general, the earlier that Mesothelioma is diagnosed, the greater the likelihood of survival. If you feel that you have experienced any of the typical Mesothelioma symptoms, pay a visit to your doctor for professional advice.

Mesothelioma diagnosis

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often complicated, because the symptoms are similar to those of several other conditions. Diagnosis begins with an assessment of the patient?s medical history, as well as any history of asbestos exposure. A physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful. A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is found. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lit tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage and extent of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a precise effort to find out whether the cancer has proliferated and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment. Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has extended beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

Mesothelioma treatment

Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient?s age and general well being. Typical treatment options consist of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.

Surgery is a frequent treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

Radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from moving materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of applying chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).

To ease symptoms and control discomfort, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has accumulated in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be administered through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be beneficial in alleviating symptoms.

Note of Urgency

Mesothelioma is a life-threatening disease and cannot be left untreated. The sooner it is diagnosed the better a patient?s chances are of fighting this deadly cancer. Please contact a qualified doctor immediately if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Read more Facts about Mesothelioma. Alan Hood is a contributing writer at Houston Medical Center

Mesothelioma Cancer Information

Mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor of the pleura or peritoneum. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. Asbestos is Usually used as a fire resistant and heat resistant insulating material. You can get three types of asbestos white which Is very common, blue and brown which is the most dangerous. Asbestos is now controlled by stringent regulations.

Mesothelioma causes pain and breathlessness. If you have the tumor of the pleura, this is the membrane surrounding The lungs, other symptoms which may occur are chest pain, cough and difficulty breathing more so if the pleura effusion Develops the outer and inner layers of the pleura can become thickened. Excess fluid will fill the gap between them when This happens it means that the lungs can not expand, making you have shortness of breath.

If you have the tumor in the peritioneum it can cause a obstruction of the intestines or a enlarged abdomen. .Mesothelioma can Be diagnosed by a chest x ray and also a biopsy. This is where a small amount of cells or tissue are taken from the body To be looked at under the microscope. If Mesothelioma is diagnosed and the cancerous tumor is small enough, surgery Can be fairly successful if not and the tumor is large there is not any successful treatment, although sometimes radiotherapy May be offered to help ease the symptoms. Mesothelioma of the peritoneum cannot be operated on and there is no other form of treatment and will usually lead to death with in one or two years.

Mesothelioma can develop even after dealing with asbestos for just a short time. The usual gap between a person working with asbestos and being diagnosed can be up to twenty or thirty years. Mesothelioma is contracted by people who work With blue and brown asbestos.

http://www.understand-cancer.com/

For more information on Mesothelioma cancer click here

Common Causes of Lung Cancer

There are a various risk factors that are linked to lung cancer. The most common known causes are as follows:

Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smoking is probably the most closely related link to developing lung cancer. A person who smokes two packs or more of cigarettes per day has a one in seven chance of developing lung cancer. Those that smoke one pack of cigarettes per day have a twenty-five times greater chance of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker. In addition, those people that smoke a pipe or cigar have a five times greater chance of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker.

The risk of developing lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked over your lifetime. Cigarette smoking damages the cells in your lungs. The moment you stop smoking, your lungs begin healing themselves, replacing damaged cells with healthy, normal cells. Your risk of developing lung cancer begins decreasing almost immediately when you quit smoking. Every year that you do not smoke, your chances of developing lung cancer drop further. By the fifteenth year, your chances of developing lung cancer are about the same as those of a person who has never smoked.

Secondhand Smoke

Also known as passive smoking, people exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis will have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, even if they do not smoke themselves. Studies have shown that those who live with a smoker have a 24% greater risk of developing lung cancer than most non-smokers. Doctors estimate that about 3000 lung cancer deaths a year are related to secondhand smoke.

Asbestos Exposure

Exposure to asbestos is another well-known cause of lung cancer and mesothelioma - cancer of the pleural lining of the lungs. Asbestos was widely used in construction and everyday products in the late 1800s through the 1960s. Asbestos separates into fine silica fibers that become trapped in the tissues of the lungs. Mesothelioma is inextricably linked to asbestos exposure. There are no reported cases of mesothelioma in people who were not exposed to asbestos either in the workplace or through their environment. A non-smoker who was exposed to asbestos has a five times greater risk of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker who was not exposed. Smoking increases the risk dramatically - a smoker who was exposed to asbestos has a risk of developing lung cancer that is 50 to 90 times greater than that of a non-smoker.

Radon Gas

It is estimated that about 12% of lung cancer deaths can be attributed to radon gas, a colorless, odorless gas that is a natural byproduct of the decay of uranium. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as many as 15% of homes in the United States have unsafe levels of radon gas, which will account for 15,000 to 22,000 deaths from lung cancer annually.

Air Pollution

Scientists estimate that as many as 1% of all lung cancer deaths are attributable to air pollution. They believe that prolonged exposure to very polluted air can raise the risks of developing lung cancer to about the levels of a passive smoker.

For more information about lung cancer and help to quit smoking, visit Lung Cancer and Quit Smoking

Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos, being regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH, NTP, DEP, IARC, HHAG, and EPA, falls on the Hazardous substance list. Also, because of the associated carcinogenic effect, it falls on the Special Health Hazard Substance List. Workplace Exposure limits for Asbestos fibers longer than 5 micrometers have been set. It should, however, be considered that Asbestos, being a carcinogen in humans, has no safe level of Exposure. The crucial steps to minimize Asbestos Exposure to workers and their family members include establishment of a regulated, marked area for handling and storage of asbestos, preference for enclosed operations and use of local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Other important steps for control include the wearing of protective work clothing, communicating all information on the hazards of asbestos, and washing thoroughly before leaving a regulated area and at the end of the work shift.

However, even by adhering to the workplace Exposure limits and to all crucial ways for reducing Asbestos Exposure, it is probable to develop Asbestos-induced health ailments. This needs to be consulted and resolved by a medical practitioner specialized in diseases induced by Asbestos Exposure.

The toxic effects induced by Asbestos inhalation include desquamating alveolitis, bronchiolitis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Other more serious health ailments caused by Asbestos Exposure include pleural effusion, pleural plaques, pleural calcification, and mesothelioma (a highly malignant disease).

The toxicity induced by Asbestos also finds its place in the relatives of the workers exposed to it. This is mainly due to the presence of Asbestos fibers in the clothes of the Asbestos workers. These contaminated clothes, too, require safe measures for cleaning or disposal. Because of the capacity of Asbestos to cause potential hazards to health, its use has been banned in many industries.

Asbestos provides detailed information about asbestos, asbestos and mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, asbestos exposure and more. Asbestos is the sister site of Malignant Mesothelioma.

How to Find a Mesothelioma Lawyer

It is important that you find a good, experienced Mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible after you have been diagnosed with the disease. The earlier you get to a Mesothelioma lawyer, the better your chances of success.

The firm should be trustworthy and you should have a good rapport with it. If you are considering about filing a Mesothelioma lawsuit, you should meet up with several law firms before making the final decision. There are a large number of law firms who are specialized in filing Mesothelioma lawsuits. In order to choose the correct lawyer for filing your lawsuit, following steps can be followed

Where to start
You can look for a qualified Mesothelioma attorney in bar associations, Yellow Pages, and the Internet. Most law firms have their own sites.

Selecting the Mesothelioma lawyer
After compiling a list of some Mesothelioma law firms in your area, you can try to make contact with them either by email, mail or telephone for further information. Provide the law firms with details of your legal issue and find out if they can handle your situation. Also enquire about their fees for an initial consultation and an estimate of the total costs involved in handling a Mesothelioma lawsuit. If possible, make schedule appointments with two or three different law firms before making the final decision.

Meeting the Mesothelioma lawyer
During the initial consultation, it is important that you and your lawyer get to know each other. After studying your case, the lawyer must be in a position to inform you of your rights and suggest alternative courses of action. Moreover, it?s during this initial consultation period that a Mesothelioma attorney can explain what he or she can do for you and how much it will cost. You must also get informed about the attorney?s experience in handling previous Mesothelioma lawsuits. If you are totally satisfied with the details, you may request a written fee agreement before proceeding and a list of references that you may contact.

Post meeting Analysis
After each initial consultation, try and answer the following questions about your Mesothelioma lawyer - Did the lawyer listen to you, was he knowledgeable about asbestos law, did he give you a firm understanding of your alternative courses of action, did you understood the range of possible results associated with each course of action, did the lawyer seemed trustworthy.

Fees
To lower costs, you may want to ask your asbestos lawyer if a junior lawyer or paralegal can perform some of the work. You may also want to ask if there are some tasks that you can perform yourself to save time and money. An asbestos lawyer may charge a flat fee for a specific task or offer other methods of payment. A contingent fee arrangement is that your lawyer gets a percentage of the compensation money you receive as resolution of your asbestos lawsuit. If you do not receive compensation for the lawsuit then your lawyer collects no fees. A contingency fee is a good option for those unable to pay hourly.

Rob Mellor owns the free to use http://www.mesotheliomasupportonline.com website helping people find out more about mesothelioma. Please visit the site for more information on how to find a mesothelioma lawyer.

Common Causes of Lung Cancer

There are a few factors that lead to lung cancer. Some of the most common reasons are:

1. Cigarette smoking: It is a very common factor. There are people who are addicted to cigarette smoking and some even smoke two packs or more per day. Out of every seven people, at least one person would develop lung cancer. Folks who smoke about one pack of cigarettes per day are prone to this threat 25 times more than non-smokers. People who casually smoke are also not free from this, as they could also develop lung cancer. Smoking damages the cells. The moment you quit smoking the damaged cells start repairing themselves and become healthy cells. So, it is advised to give up smoking altogether.

2. Secondhand smoking: it is also known as passive smoking because you tend to inhale smoke without actually holding a cigar or a pipe between your lips. The people who are exposed to this kind of smoking have 24% chances of developing lung cancer. About 3000 deaths are estimated in a year due to secondhand smoking.

Asbestos Exposure: Asbestos causes lung cancer and mesothelioma known as the cancer in the linings of the pleural sheet. It separates the silica fibers that are trapped in the tissues of the lungs. If you have been a smoker or if you smoke even now, then the possibility of contracting this disease is high. The risk is about 50 to 90 percent more than non-smokers.

Radon Gas: radon is a gas that is colorless and odorless that is released from decayed uranium. As per the analysis done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, almost 15% of the homes are exposed to radon and every year about 15,000 to 22,000 deaths occur.

Air pollution: if you inhale polluted air for a long period of time then you are most likely to develop cancer. About 1% of the total lung cancer deaths are due to this problem.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1707.html

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Asbestos From Miracle Mineral To Mesothelioma Menace

During World War II Asbestos was hailed by many as a miracle mineral. Almost anything could be built or manufactured from this mineral. The building and construction industries used it as an additive to strengthen cement and plastics. Asbestos fibers can be separated into thin threads which do not conduct electricity and are not affected by heat or chemicals.

The four main types of asbestos are: Amosite with brown fibers, Anthophyllite with gray fibers, white Christie, and blue Crocidolite. Chrysotile has curly fibers while the other three have rod like fibers. These fibers break into dust quite easily and drift in the air. They can stick on skin, clothing, and can easily be swallowed or inhaled.

Use of asbestos skyrocketed during World War II. Shipbuilding used asbestos extensively in freighters and support vessels to insulate boilers, steam pipes and hot water pipes. Asbestos became the miracle construction material as it was easily obtained, processed, and transported.

After WWII cars used asbestos in break shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos found its way into residential and industrial building materials, water supply, sewage materials, ceiling and floor tiles, and vermiculite garden materials to name a few products.

In the 1970?s the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in several products that could release asbestos fibers into the environment during use, following the discoveries of the health dangers of asbestos dust inhalation. Regulations governing the use of asbestos and concern of public opinion since 1970 have created a significant drop in the use of asbestos in the United States.

In 1989 all new uses of asbestos were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency while any old uses before that year were still permitted. The EPA suggested that schools inspect for damaged asbestos and eliminate any exposure or enclose it in protective barriers. Vermiculite, widely used in horticulture, became a concern of the EPA that recommended outdoor use, limiting the amount of dust used, and keeping vermiculite damp.

Asbestos may create serious health hazards such as coughing, lung damage, shortness of breath, and lung cancer. Most people do not become sick in the early stages of development, but usually need continued exposure, often on jobs such as mining, milling, manufacturing asbestos products, and building construction. Firemen, demolition workers, drywall removers, and any other workers in trades that involve destruction of buildings, ships, and automobiles are also exposed to the hazards and risks of asbestos.

Over a period of years continual exposure to asbestos can cause very serious health problems, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of carcinoma of the membrane that lines numerous cavities of the body, including the lungs, abdomen and heart, and has been associated with exposure to asbestos dust. In mesothelioma, the cells of the mesothelioma metastasize and damage adjacent organs and tissues.

Risk of developing mesothelioma takes a long period of time, often as long as twenty-five or thirty-five years before full blown symptoms appear. Not all workers who have been exposed will develop diseases caused by asbestos, but workers who have been exposed to it may bring fibers on their clothing, hair, shoes, and skin home to their families. To circumvent this risk, most industries require workers to bathe and change their clothing before they leave work.

Many studies have been conducted involving the risks of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. The results of one such study involving the risks of smoking and exposure to asbestos proved extremely hazardous.

Grant Davis, is a freelance writer and has worked in a variety of fields, including teaching.

For further information on asbestos, such as risks, research, lawsuits and disease support groups visit:

http://www.asbestos-headquarters.com

Asbestos Cancer

Asbestos, a naturally occurring complex silicate, was extensively used in many industries, including insulation in ship building, manufacture of brake linings, and automobiles. Asbestos is a common name given to a group of six fibrous minerals which have their existence in two general forms, friable and non-friable. The toxic effects induced by Asbestos inhalation include desquamating alveolitis, bronchiolitis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Other more serious health ailments caused by Asbestos exposure include pleural effusion, pleural plaques, pleural calcification, and Asbestos Cancer (mesothelioma).

Asbestos Cancer, a serious health problem associated with Asbestos exposure, starts when cells found in mesothelium (a protective lining that covers most of the internal organs of the body) becomes abnormal and divide without control or order. These cancer cells may spread to damage tissues and organs. The diagnosis of Asbestos Cancer is difficult with pleural cytology. The characteristic radiographic feature of the disease is massive pleural effusion.

The disease is almost three times more common in males as compared to females. The maximum number of Asbestos Cancer cases is reported in the age group of 40 -60 years. The most common symptoms observed during the onset of Asbestos Cancer include asthenia, breathlessness, and dull chest pain. Other less frequent symptoms include cough, fever, and loss of weight. Haemoptysis is a symptom of Asbestos Cancer which is rarely observed.

The therapeutic (chemotherapy or immunotherapy) means are mostly unable to help significantly in the treatment. Even radiotherapy and pleurectomy fail as effective treatment options. The average patient?s survival after the diagnosis of Asbestos Cancer is 8 to 10 months. The most preferable option can be of preventive treatment for Asbestos Cancer. Strict industrial safety measures, proper hygiene, and regular check up of workers exposed to Asbestos must form the crucial part of serious Asbestos Cancer preventive treatment methods.

Asbestos provides detailed information about asbestos, asbestos and mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, asbestos exposure and more. Asbestos is the sister site of Malignant Mesothelioma.

How Constipation Affects Your Colon and Health

Seventy percent or more of the population struggles with constipation. Some believe the number is even higher, 80- 90%. The market for laxatives is now approaching 1 billion each year. It appears that constipation is an issue that most of us have to deal with at one time or the other. Using natural means to clear constipation is what this e-book is all about.

I believe that to have good health we need to use mostly foods and supplements that are free of additives and food enhancers that are harmful to the body. We need to eat the right foods and watch how we prepare them so we can digest and absorb them without creating or leaving residues that get turned into toxic matter in our colon.

The first question that a nutritionist or any other health practitioner should ask you on your first visit is, ?how many bowel movements do you have each day or each week??

If you visit a doctor, your colon is the last area they discuss with you. And perhaps, this is an area they may never discuss with you at all.

In his article, The Bowel is an Ecosystem, in Healthy & Natural Journal, April 1997, Majid Ali, M.D. recounts,

?When I returned to the clinical practice of environmental and nutritional medicine after years of pathology work, I began carefully testing the assertions of nutritionists, naturopaths and clinical ecologist who claimed that various types of colitis [a deterioration of your colon wall could be reversed with optimal nutritional and ecologic approaches. To my great surprise, I found that such professionals, who are usually spurned by drug doctors, were right after all. My patients responded well to the unscientific therapies vehemently rejected by my colleagues in drug medicine.?

Without good regular bowel movements and colon function, you will create various illnesses, colon discomforts, and diseases ? including constipation.

By concentrating on eliminating constipation and preserving colon health, you can take a major step in preventing many body conditions and illnesses that can shorten your life or make your senior years a miserable time.

As with so many past health practitioners, I believe your colon is so important that any improvement you can make in your colon?s health will help you avert many unnecessary illnesses and suffering. If you make only one effort in improving your health, it should be towards creating a clean and healthy colon.

Heart attacks, cancers, senility, pathogenic organisms and so on cause most deaths that occur in the US and throughout the world. There are few deaths related to natural causes or old age.

Your colon provides nutrients and water to all parts of the body. So, when a specific organ has degenerated it is important to see what part colon toxins have played in this degeneration.

If your colon is toxic, the blood will also be toxic. If your colon is toxic, these toxins will gradually reach all parts of your body through the blood and lymph liquid. The result is the body and various organs affected will become less efficient. Overtime this decreased efficiency will cause the body will become diseased and you will lose your good health.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. For more informatin on his writings go to http://www.stop-constipation.com

Mesothelioma Suing for Compensation

Most asbestos lawsuits have been filed by people who have worked in environments where they have been exposed to asbestos, and who subsequently developed an asbestos-related illness such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. The purpose of asbestos lawsuits is to recover financial damages from the employer responsible for maintaining the safety of the workplace, or from some other company that was negligent in manufacturing or in recommending a hazardous material.

Financial damages usually include the cost of medical bills, other costs associated with the disease, lost wages, and sometimes compensation for loss in quality of living or potential for future earnings. Mesothelioma cases usually recieve the highest settlement amounts -- typically being settled out of court for about $3 million each.

The History of Mesothelioma Lawsuits

The first asbestos products lawsuit took place in Texas in 1966 when Johns-Manville, Fibreboard and Owens-Corning Fiberglas were sued on behalf of Claude Tomplait, an asbestos worker. Tomplait lost this case, but it was quickly followed up by another one in 1969 which was won and upheld in appeals in 1973.

In the late 1970s the legal battles took on a different tone. It was found that asbestos companies were involved in a conspiracy to suppress knowledge about the harmful effects of asbestos. By 1982 punitive damages were being awarded to sufferers of asbestos-related diseases, and many of the major companies responded by seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

This complicated the legal situation considerably. Things also changed in the 1980s because successive waves of new workers were coming forward with asbestos-related diseases. These included workers in construction companies, asbestos distributors, and companies involved with asbestos-related products such as brake linings and insulation.

Eventually, many of the major bankrupt asbestos companies set up settlement trusts to handle problem cases separate from the litigation process. Most lawyers will simultaneously proceed with litigation against the companies while negotiating with the settlement trusts. Normally, when a settlement is reached with the trust it will be for much less money, and payments are often spread over many years.

How do lawyers proceed with mesothelioma cases?

Most lawyers in this field will do an examination of each claim on an individual basis. Since they often take on such cases on a contingency basis, they will usually not take on a case unless they have a reasonable chance of winning. This means that a history of contact with asbestos is usually not sufficient to proceed. A person should have tangible evidence of the presence of mesothelioma before a serious case can be undertaken.

The lawyer will look at all relevant information including medical records, family history, work history, exposure to asbestos. They normally have to be satisfied of two things before beginning -- there must be a diagnosis of mesothelioma, and there must be defendants who can be held responsible. Once they have these two things they are usually prepared to take on the case.

How are the lawyers paid?

Most lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means they do not get paid until the case is settled in their client's favor. A standard rate is 30% of the gross settlement. When selecting a lawyer, be careful of how the funds are dispersed. Some will take their 30% and then pay the legal fees out of the client's portion. This means they will actually be getting more than 30% -- sometimes closer to 40 or 50%. Look for a firm that pays the fees out of the gross settlement amount. And be sure that there are no circumstances in which you will be billed for costs if your lawyer loses the case.

Workers' Compensation or 3rd Party Litigation

Normally when a claim is made against an employer, the case is handled by Workers' Compensation. In most jurisdictions this is a no fault insurance system. All employers must have this kind of insurance. So when a claim is made against the system, there is no need to establish that the employer was at fault. All the system has to do is establish that the employee has been injured or disabled because of his or her employment.

A workers' compensation claim can usually be finalized within 6 to 12 months.

When filing a civil lawsuit against a 3rd party such as a product manufacturer, the process is considerably more complicated. In this case, the lawyers representing a mesothelioma victim will usually name several defendants -- sometimes as many as 30 or 40 mining companies, manufacturers, distributors, brokers, insulation contractors, general contractors, etc. -- to attempt to spread the damages over as many parties as possible and increase the chances of receiving a sizable settlement.

Experienced lawyers will attempt to settle with defendants before actually going to court. If the case does get to court and a verdict is reached it is almost certain to be appealed. In such cases it can take years to reach a final resolution.

If you have been exposed to asbestos...

If you have been exposed to asbestos, the best advice is to have a thorough medical examination to determine if you have any signs of mesothelioma. If you do, then it is best to consult with a lawyer about your situation as soon as possible.

For more information about the causes, symptoms and early detection of Mesothelioma visit MesotheliomaAdvisors.com.

Rick Hendershot is a writer and publisher of The Linknet Publishing Network featuring Power Listings to promote your products or services.

Chronotherapy Helps Lung Cancer Patient on the Road to Recovery

Margaret Olszowka was diagnosed with lung cancer on New Year's Eve, 2002. The prognosis was very grim: her disease had advanced to Stage 4 and was inoperable. Doctors at a very well known university hospital told her there was nothing they could do for her. They didn't even offer chemotherapy as an option; she was told she had months to live. However, instead of giving up, she decided she was going to fight the disease, and ultimately found her way to cancer specialist, Keith Block, MD, where she received chronotherapy as part of her treatment plan. Today, she is doing very well and enjoying her two children and six grandchildren. She wants the world to know about the role chronotherapy played in her survival in the hopes of helping other cancer patients.

What is chronotherapy?

Chronotherapy takes into account how our body's natural rhythms' impact our ability to process medications. Patterns like sleeping, menstrual cycles, even our physical response to the changing seasons, are different for everyone. In the old days we called these biorhythms. Today, doctors are finding that understanding a patient?s biorhythms, and coordinating the timing of their medical treatments to these biorhythms, can profoundly affect the outcome of their treatments. This is called chronotherapy.

?Every drug has an optimal time when it is least toxic and most effective. says Keith Block, MD, editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal Integrative Cancer Therapies, and Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Education, at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago (UIC), and at the Department of Pharmacology. For cancer treatment, this is determined by several factors, including the biological uniqueness of the particular drug being given, the time when the specific type of cancer cells divide the most, when the normal healthy cells of the patient generally divide the least, the patient?s circadian clock and individual rest-activity cycles, and even the time zone the person resides in.

According to Dr. Michael Smolensky, co-author of the book The Body Clock Guide to Better Health, When cancer medications are given in a chronobiological manner, patients may be able to tolerate higher, more potent doses than would be possible otherwise.

?This method of administering chemotherapy is revolutionary and has demonstrated in large randomized trials its potential to improve survival,? states Dr. Block. ?We have found that often patients receiving chronotherapy reduce what would have been recurring side effects of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. This is important because the debilitation caused by chemo can cause patients to reduce or even stop treatments that could otherwise help them win their battle with cancer.?

Chronotherapy is being widely researched around the world:

There are over 62,000 references in PubMed (the National Institute of Health?s archive of biomedical and life sciences journal articles) about chronobiology (how biology is affected by timing) and over 500 scientific articles specifically about chronotherapy. The National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) devoted an entire web cast for doctors on chronotherapy.

So why isn?t chronotherapy used more widely?

One of the main problems has been logistics ? figuring out how to deliver chemotherapy in exactly timed doses. ?Portable infusion pumps may hold the answer,? explains Gerald Sokol, MD, an oncologist with the division of oncology in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Dr. Block has brought technology to the U.S. that administers chemotherapy via a pump designed to precisely time up to four channels of infusion simultaneously to the individual needs of a patient. Highly portable and small enough to fit in a fanny pack, patients are able to maintain full mobility, play sports, and enjoy a full night's sleep ? while receiving their specifically timed cancer therapy.

Leni Kass has been writing and editing articles for various media outlets for the past 8 years. She is cofounder and CEO of Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. NFP, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers teens with self-esteem building tools, to help them counter challenges such as eating disorders, bullying, violence, substance abuse and suicide. U.G.L.Y. is an acronym that stands for Unique Gifted Lovable You. Website: http://www.heyugly.org

Mesothelioma Explained

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer which occurs when asbestos are inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream leading to a cancerous coating on the internal body organs of patients. There has been much controversy on the subject recently as many lawsuits are being filed on the behalf of patients with this disease.

Currently, the average settlement in Mesothelioma related lawsuits is over $1 million. Signs and symptoms of the disease include among other things, shortness of breath and rapid unexpected weight loss as in patients with Mesothelioma, nutrients in the blood stream cannot be always be absorbed resulting in malnutrition and weight loss. Other common symptoms include pain in the chest as well s in the abdominal region.

At this time, there is no treatment that will allow Mesothelioma patients to fully receiver from this disease; however, there is much attention on this subject and thus medicines and other treatment options are being developed to help cure the disease. Currently, the primary form of treatment is surgery, although success rates are very low. Mesothelioma is a disease gathering much news in recent months and look for new treatment options as well as law suits to be filed in the coming months and years.

To find out What Is Mesothelioma visit http://www.whatismesothelioma.ca

Breast Cancer: What Women Should Know

From relative obscurity, breast cancer has become one of the leading causes of deaths among women in the world. In 2001, about 200,000 cases of breast cancer have been reported in the United States, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in the US. It is, in fact, the most common malignancy problem that is affecting women in North America and Europe today.

But what is breast cancer and how do people get it?

Breast cancer occurs when malignant tumors in the breast grow and start to affect other tissues in the body. There is still no clear indications how tumors are created but what is often observed is that cancerous cells usually comes from ducts or glands.

Although women?s health organizations advise women to massage the breast daily and to feel for any lumps, it may a long time before a cancerous cell get big enough for us to feel it. By that time, it may already be too late. Doctors make use of mammograms for their diagnosis.

Breast at risk

All women are actually at risk, with the risk increasing with the presence of some risk factors that are already part of the natural cycle, for example, aging. Family history of breast cancer can also significantly affect the prognosis as heredity has been found to play a role. Women who got their periods before they were 12 years old and those who never had or had children after 30 years old are also more likely to develop breast cancer.

There are also risk factors that medical science can help alter such as hormonal problems through replacement therapies. Women are also advised to decrease their consumption of alcoholic drinks, exercise every day and decrease the use of birth control pills. Breastfeeding has been found to decrease the risk of breast cancer development.

Although there are some factors that women can avoid to prevent breast cancer from developing, cause and effect relationships between these factors and breast cancer is still debatable. For women who are already at high risk, doctors often recommend a drug called Tamoxifen, which is known to decrease the risk by as much 50 percent when taken in five years. Still, like all medications, Tamoxifen has side effects such as hot flushes, vaginal discharges and sometimes even blood clots. Taking the drug can also lead to pulmonary emobolus, stroke and uterine cancer, although these are all isolated cases.

Another avenue that women can go to is Vitamin A, which some studies show to be effective in decreasing the risk. Still, research is still in the initial stages and nothing has been proven yet. Other things that are being linked to the breast cancer fight are phytoestrogens, which can be found in soya, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.

But until something concrete is found in research, the only thing that women can do to ensure that they are safe from breast cancer is early detection. This can be done through daily self-examinations as well as annual check ups and mammogram tests. It is also important that women know the beginnings of breast cancer. Here are some of the signs that they should watch out for.

Lumps in the breast and in the underarms
Scaling of the skin of the breast and of the nipple
Redness in the skin of the breast and of the nipple
Changes in the size of their breasts
Discharges from the nipple

If these signs are observed, it is best to consult a specialist so that you can know whether you have breast cancer or not.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides breast cancer resources on http://www.all-breast-cancer-resources.info

Fewer People Dying From Colon Cancer

Luckily fewer people are dying from Colon Cancer each year in this is due to good education and early detection of those who are potentially at risk. How do you know if you are at risk? Well if someone in your immediate family has had colon cancer you might be more susceptible.

If you are over 45 years old and you have found you are passing blood in your stool then you may want to get checked out. Then or women with iron deficiency used can also be susceptible to colon cancer. Women who have been diagnosed with other types of cancer such as ovarian cancer or breast cancer can also be susceptible to colon cancer.

So the good news is that fewer people are dying from Colon Cancer, but the bad news is if you did I get checked out that isn't that help you much if you're one who has it. About 350 people in about 100,000 will get colon cancer, so your odds are better than you think, but it makes sense to stay on the safe side and consider early detection as the best way to fight colon cancer.

There are many good web sites on the Internet, which have information on colon cancer and you may wish to check the American Cancer Society's web site which has a full listing of all the issues that have to do colon cancer. Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is usually a fatal disease. Often by the time it is diagnosed, the cancer has spread extensively, even though the patient may not have had any earlier symptoms. Malignant mesothelioma affects about 2,000 people each year in the US. It is a fast-spreading cancer, but there are several treatment methods.

Research is being undertaken to alleviate the pain and other symptoms, to improve the quality of life for sufferers, and to find cures for this devastating disease. Life expectancy rates for sufferers normally range from approximately nine months to a year after diagnosis. This can be improved to two, or in rare cases five years with extensive and aggressive treatment, if the cancer is detected early.

Malignant mesothelioma is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, a carcinogenic material used in construction. A few cases are due to exposure to a mineral silicate called zeolite, or to thorotrast, which was used in the pre-1960s as a radiation contrast dye to enable blood vessels show up on X-rays.

The three main types of malignant mesothelioma are epithelial, sarcomatoid and mixed. The most common type is epithelial mesothelioma. Once malignant mesothelioma has been diagnosed, the next step is to determine what stage the disease has progressed to. This helps to fix how extensively the tumor has spread. There are four levels of the staging. Stage I responds best to treatment, as in this stage the tumor is limited to the pleural lining of the chest.

CT scans and MRIs are used to determine the extent of the spread of the tumorous cells, and what treatment is best suited to the case. The disease usually affects the mesothelium, a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma affect the pleura that lines the chest cavity and the lungs. Mesothelioma can also affect the peritoneum, which covers the abdominal cavity. In rare cases, it can affect the pericardium, which covers the heart.

Mesothelioma provides detailed information about malignant mesothelioma, asbestos and mesothelioma, mesothelioma, mesothelioma research and more. Mesothelioma is the sister site of Asbestos Exposure.

Mesothelioma Research

Symptoms of mesothelioma take a long time to develop, which is a major reason for the high fatality rate. Symptoms include shortness of breath, difficult breathing, and pain in the chest or abdominal cavity. Chest pains indicate that the disease is aggravating the nerve cells in the tissues, and has reached a serious stage. Less severe chest discomfort and shortness of breath are generally due to the accumulation of fluid between the two layers of the pleura.

Mesothelioma of the abdomen can have symptoms of abdominal pain and swelling. Other symptoms include cough, fatigue and unexplained weight loss.

As chest pain, shortness of breath or abdominal pain are symptomatic of several diseases, tests are required to identify the cause. These tests vary depending on the symptoms and may include an electrocardiogram (EKG), and a chest or abdominal X-ray. If abnormalities are seen, a CT scan or an MRI scan is taken. These tests help determine the size, location and extent of a possible tumor.

Fine-needle aspiration may also be given. In this procedure, a thin needle is used to remove a small sample of the fluid in the abdomen or lungs for examination. A biopsy is also taken through a thoracoscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT), or through a led laparoscopy. Here, a tube-like instrument inserted through a small incision gives a view of the tumor and collects a tissue sample. A bronchoscopy or a mediastinoscopy may also be done. This enables the doctor to look for other masses of tumors in the lungs or to take tissue samples from lymph nodes.

Mesothelioma provides detailed information about malignant mesothelioma, asbestos and mesothelioma, mesothelioma, mesothelioma research and more. Mesothelioma is the sister site of Asbestos Exposure.

Inch by Inch

The three-year-olds were singing ?up like a rocket, down like the rain, ?round and ?round like a choo-choo train? to demonstrate how well they could hold their bows to their pint-size violins. Staying home with Nick, it was my husband who enjoyed the distinct privilege of reveling, firsthand, in these toddler?s first steps. I only got the post-recital smile?the one I always get when I think about the tiniest musicians among us?as I listened to the complete run-down of their afternoon in Westport. We?d been through that drill four times. The ?taca-taca-stop-stop? rhythms on the A-and E-strings; the ?Mississippi is a River?; and enough Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?s to practically send us orbiting around them. I?m the first to admit: after the fourth kid got through the ?twinkles? I honestly thought that if I never heard that song again, it would be just fine by me.

But then in talking about the recital over the first dinner we?ve shared alone during the past three weeks, I couldn?t help but romanticize the whole process. As I reflected back on the past thirteen years of violin lessons, I thought about those first recital pieces, about dressing up Cristina in hand-smocked dresses with white tights and black patent leather shoes, and about the first time two of them played Bach?s Concerto for Two Violins onstage one Mother?s Day. Yesterday, just as my daughter got on stage to perform, the school director gave a couple minute speech of encouragement for the other parents. For those with babes barely ?twinkling? needed to understand that, before long, they too would witness mastery up close and personal. If only they could stick with it long enough?..

Sticking with anything is hard enough. In this harried world of ours, where emails have replaced handwritten letters; ?IM? has replaced leisurely phone chats; and digital pix sent over the internet have replaced personal visits: it?s no wonder that few of us have the patience for mastery. For enduring the day-to-day until the picture is 100% complete. During this time in which we find ourselves, business?and life?moves at the speed of thought. And we can hardly wait for that thought to be finished so we can move on to the next one. (Ever catch yourself finishing someone else?s sentence?)

We?re great starters, each one of us. Because starting something only requires that we overcome the law of inertia, (and maybe a dollop of temptation, too). Getting our bottoms off the sofa and over to the art studio to paint or our legs off the footstool and over to the treadmill to run both require overcoming inertia and the temptation of relaxing with too much TV. Finishing the after-school cupcake so as to pull the violin out of the case not only requires overcoming inertia; it requires serious discipline as well. But each act is far easier than incorporating it into your everyday reality. Indeed, going from the first piece in a music book to a full-fledged concerto is a different thing entirely. (As is going from a beginning painter to one who exhibits at galleries or a soft, overweight couch-sitter to a hard-bodied athlete who enjoys both physical strength and aerobic endurance.)

When I reveled today in hearing my daughter perform a drop-dead gorgeous movement from a concerto by Handel (in a post-recital private concert just for me), I was caught off-guard by its parallel to the roughly three-year endurance battle that our son is facing now with leukemia. As my daughter is sailing through mastery, I couldn?t help but think of all the violin battles we?ve had over the years when she was barely taking those first steps of musicianship. Of hating to practice, of hating to play scales, of hating those nasty etudes. The eyeball-rolling, the door-slamming, and the stomping of the feet on each step up the hardwood staircase. And yet here we were, enjoying the fruits of all of those days of practice. It was a goose bump moment that could not be denied. It was proof-positive that mastery comes in inches, and not in miles. And it was a lesson to me that battles of health, or catastrophe, or financial hardships are not fought three years out. They?re fought inch by inch.

It was my girlfriend, Lisa, who sent me the ?inch by inch is a cinch? line. She met me with it when I needed to hear it the most. She met me with it when I was trying to mush three years of chemotherapy treatments into one day. When I was trying to calculate the math of a three-year chemo roadmap with high school graduation and the first two years of college away from home. Of three years of immune suppression with three other kids and an airplane-traveling husband during flu season. And of six months of long drives to the out-of-town clinic with New England snowstorms.

Yet I must claim ?inch by inch? these days. I claim it when Nick?s hematologist lays out the day?s plan. I claimed it on Friday when we were sent back to the hospital for the day and another overnight stay. And I even got Dr. Joe claiming it with me. Together, we agree to not worry about what next week?or next year?will bring; it?s simply too much to think about. We agree to tackle the battle inch by inch.

Whatever your personal struggle or your present-day worry: adopt an ?inch by inch is a cinch? plan of positive action. As I?ve said often: just ask yourself at the end of each day: ?Did I move forward?? And if you did?even by an inch?you can sleep soundly in the assurance that you will triumph in this journey of life. One day not far from now, inch by inch, you?ll celebrate mastery. You?ll celebrate wholeness. You?ll celebrate complete healing.

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; homeschooling for ten years provided fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is available on Amazon.com, in bookstores everywhere, or by calling 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via parenting classes and radio and TV interviews. Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com to subscribe to her free ezine and get a weekly shot of inspiration.

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest and lungs. It is a rare form of cancer that is mostly associated with exposure to asbestos. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a fast-moving cancer with a median survival time of between one and two years.

The majority of mesotheliomas are associated with asbestos exposure. Asbestos was used widely in the United States for insulation, and while awareness of its harmful effects is increasing, asbestos can still be found in older buildings. People who work in industries using asbestos in some form, such as insulation manufacturers, insulation workers, and ship builders, may be at increased risk to develop mesotheliomas. The time between exposure and development of a cancer may be decades, which is why it is usually diagnosed in older people. More men than women get this type of cancer. Close contacts of people who have been exposed to asbestos, such as family members, may also be at risk.

Some symptoms of this cancer are increasing breathlessness, pain in the chest or under the ribcage, an abdominal lump or swelling, fever and unexplained weight loss. Imaging tests like a CT scan may show a collection of fluid in the pleural cavity of the chest. Pleural tissue and fluid is also tested to detect cancerous cells and certain chemicals that can rule out a diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma.

Depending on the extent of spread of cancer, malignant pleural mesotheliomas are conventionally treated with some combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Aggressive treatment strategies are the norm, though the exact treatment depends on how far the cancer has spread. A number of experimental treatments are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.

Malignant Mesothelioma provides detailed information about malignant mesothelioma, diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma, malignant mesothelioma diagnosis, malignant mesothelioma lawyer and more. Malignant Mesothelioma is the sister site of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Lawyers.

Cost Of Mesotherapy

The total cost of Mesotherapy depends on several factors and varies widely from one clinic to the other. Costs include consultation fees and treatment fees, which in turn depend on the level of expertise of the person providing treatment, the size and number of body areas to be treated, and the total number of treatment sessions needed.

The higher the certification of the individual providing treatment, the higher the cost usually is. A board-certified plastic surgeon will be more expensive than a nurse practitioner. Clinics with higher overhead will also be more expensive. It is best to consider at least a couple of options to determine the level of expertise and price range one is comfortable with.

In general, an initial consultation for a Mesotherapy treatment may cost between $50 and $500. During this consultation, a treatment plan is chalked out depending on whether the aim is to reduce cellulite, localized fat, or both.

Once the treatment plan is decided, a patient may undergo between four and ten treatment sessions. The total number of sessions depends on the type of treatment (cellulite reduction versus localized fat reduction), and area of the body that is being treated. For each area of the body being treated, such as the thighs or buttocks, one session may cost between $200 and $600. If the body area to be treated is the neck or eye, or face region, greater skill may be required and the cost accordingly goes up.

Because there are so many variables involved in the final bill for Mesotherapy, it is best to find out what costs are involved upfront. Mesotherapy is not covered by health insurance, and treatment costs can run into the thousands of dollars. Costs per injection session may not include drug and equipment costs. Certain treatments may also require follow-up after the initial injection treatment is completed, adding to the total cost.

Mesotherapy provides detailed information about mesotherapy, cost of mesotherapy, mesotherapy before and after, mesotherapy injections and more. Mesotherapy is the sister site of Mesothelioma Doctors Info.

Clinical Mesothelioma Symptoms

Many people who have clinical symptoms of mesothelioma have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. This is because symptoms tend to present late in most cases. The majority of people have symptoms for only two or three months before a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is made. About one quarter of all patients with malignant mesothelioma have symptoms for at least six months before diagnosis.

A high index of suspicion is needed to make a timely diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. This is because many of the clinical symptoms are seen in other conditions. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, such as cough, chest pain and breathlessness, are also seen in a number of other chest conditions such as infections, emphysema and lung cancer. Similarly, symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma, such as nausea, vomiting and appetite loss, may be seen in a number of abdominal and systemic conditions. Any person who has these symptoms, accompanied by a history of exposure to asbestos, should see a doctor to be evaluated for malignant mesothelioma.

Physicians use the symptoms that patients report to determine what tests are required to confirm a suspected diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. If the patient has primarily chest-related symptoms, a chest x-ray, CT scan, MRI, and other imaging techniques may be used to locate any abnormalities that suggest malignant mesothelioma. Next, a pleural biopsy may be performed. There are some relatively new tests that can help differentiate pleural mesothelioma from lung cancer; this differentiation is sometimes difficult because the symptoms are so similar. If a patient presents with mostly abdominal symptoms, abdominal imaging techniques and biopsies may be used to confirm a diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Symptoms provides detailed information on Advanced Mesothelioma Symptoms, Clinical Mesothelioma Symptoms, Mesothelioma Diagnosis: An Introduction, Mesothelioma Stomach Symptoms and more. Mesothelioma Symptoms is affiliated with Pleural Mesothelioma Information.

Let's Talk About Hormones What Every Woman Needs To Know

I have recently observed a number of women friends and acquaintances, who have had their HRT therapy - a combination of the pharmaceutical drugs Premarin (pregnant mares urine) and Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) - discontinued by their physicians. Suddenly, women ranging from their 50's to late 70's are suffering from hot flashes, vaginal dryness, weight gain, fatigue and worse. Another group are told not to worry about HRT as long as they only use it for three to four years. This confusing position has resulted from the information published in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study on HRT published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA), July 17, 2002, Vol. 288, No. 3.

For women who think that the risk factors that have shown up in the WHI-HRT study are new, I would encourage them to locate a women's magazine that dates prior to July 2002 and have a look at the back of the Premarin and PremPro ads that were often found in those magazines. Be aware that the print is very small. The topic Dangers of Estrogen is very prominent as is the topic Side Effects. The WHI-HRT study just validates that those dangers and side effects are real and actually effect women, women who are our friends and our relatives.

In revisiting the WHI Study at www.whi.org a few interesting things came to light.

The WHI study recruited 16,608 healthy women to participate in the study of Premarin and Provera. Forty-two percent (42%) on HRT and thirty-eight percent (38%) on the placebo group left the study before the end of 5 years! Those in the HRT group left because of side effects according to the study. Others left at the two and one-half mark when a letter was sent to them encouraging them to stay in the study even though the results showed an increase in blood clots, stroke and heart disease at that point. Many believe that the results would have been much worse had these women continued in the study. An incredible forty-two percent of those healthy women chosen to participate in the WHI fell out of the study in the first couple of years because they didn't like the side effects of the drugs. If all those women had continued, or if they hadn't limited the study to healthy women, there would have been a much higher rate of all adverse events (breast cancer, heart attacks, thromboembolism blood clots).... says Dr. David Zava, PhD., breast cancer researcher.

The JAMA call it a large randomized trial. It could also be considered a well-controlled study of healthy women of our day. WHY? - because only healthy women were allowed into the study. They controlled the number of women who were over weight - the average body mass index being 28.5. They did not accept a representative number of women who had been treated for diabetes, women that had or were using hormones, women who had given birth during the higher risk years - before twenty or after thirty, women who had heart problems or a history of any heart problems. They even controlled the number of women who had relatives who had breast cancer. Remember, we are talking about women between the ages of 50 and 79 who participated in the study, not 35 to 40 year old women! How many women in that age group do you know who would qualify for this study? In fact this study represents less than twenty percent of the population. According to Dr. David Zava you can't extrapolate study results from a population of healthy women to the entire population. The results are actually much worse than they appear to be because of the selection bias.

The downplaying of the risk of using HRT is a travesty. The late John R. Lee MD and author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer suggested that it has become unethical for doctors to prescribe HRT to women. To suggest as some do to use HRT for only two or three years seems ridiculous in light of the fact that the study was only a five-year study. The study clearly shows that heart attacks, strokes and blood clots affecting women began from day one of the study and continued though out the study. That would mean that the risks would always be present for anyone who goes on short term HRT.

While it is tempting to say that this is all the healthcare system's problem or that it is the fault of the profit driven pharmaceutical companies, the solution may lay closer to home. It appears that we are being told what we are eager to hear and only being sold what we are eager to buy. A pill to solve our hot flashes, make us beautiful as we age and prevent our diseases all without effort on our part. We want shortcuts and we want them now!

The WHI-HRT study was a good thing, maybe even a great thing. What it truly told us is that a large percentage of healthy women who use drug therapies to deal with hormone challenges will get sick...breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots in their lungs just to name a few. Women who are not healthy... should not go near HRT because of the potential for life threatening drug induced disease.

The good news for women who decide to discontinue traditional (synthetic) hormone replacement therapy is that there are a number of safe, effective and natural alternatives to choose from. It is critical that women become informed and take control of their own hormone health. The decision is up to us and it may be the most important decision we will ever make!

This Article Is Copywright 2006 Jackie L. Harvey & Saliva Testing com

Jackie Harvey is a nutritional speaker who shares her interest and information on hormone health and saliva testing throughout North America in her popular Let's Talk About Hormones seminar. Visit her website http://www.Hormone-Saliva-Testing.com for a schedule of events in your area and for more information about her Best Selling 1-hour video Let's Talk About Hormones with Jackie Harvey. Click For More information on Saliva Hormone Testing and Hormone Balancing

Breast Cancer is Cureable!

Every few minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. The disease is the most common cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55, and there are more than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer expected in the U.S. alone this year (see www.nationalbreastcancer.org).

With staggering statistics such as this, no wonder that at the first sign of breast cancer?the typical symptom is usually a lump or other noticeable abnormality in the breast?many women automatically panic, assuming the worst.

But only about 8 of 10 lumps turn out to be cancerous. And even for the women who do end up diagnosed with the disease, there are still many options to consider for treatment.

If the breast cancer tumor is sensitive to hormones such as estrogen and/or progestin, hormone therapy is used. The drugs come in two different forms, pill or injection. Hormone therapy starves the cancer and hinders its growth. Tomoxifen is one such drug under this category, prescribed for women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Tomoxifen is a hormonal drug (usually the oneof choice for most pre-menopausal women). It has been shown to be less effective in some post-menopausal women versus other hormonal therapies.

Most first-time breast cancer patients generally assume they will end up using some sort of combination of surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation. But there are lesser-known treatment options available, and the drug tamoxifen is one such alternative.

Tamoxifen is a drug used to treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in women of all ages and at all stages. It?s normally taken once daily for up to five years. It?s also used as a preventative measure in women who have no history of breast cancer but who are at a higher risk for contracting the disease. These include older women and women with a family history of breast cancer.

Alternative therapies to treating breast cancer are becoming popular. They are sometimes used instead of or mixed with conventional methods. There has not been sufficient clinical research to support their safety and effectiveness. These alternatives include flaxseed and black cohosh, acupuncture, meditation and/or therapeutic touch, and other special restrictive diets.

It is vital for women to consider alternative therapies for breast cancer. You should research these options as much as possible and consult your health-care provider before trying any of the above-mentioned treatments for your breast cancer.

The Breast Cancer Information website is updated often with new and different articles and is a leading informational website on breast cancer. New articles, help, and informational posts are posted daily.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, commonly linked with prior exposure to asbestos. In this disease, cancerous cells grow in the protective lining (mesothelium) covering the internal organs of the body. This disease is commonly located in the outer lining of the chest cavity and lungs (pleura). It can also be found in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), or the sac that envelops the heart (pericardium). People who contract this disease have invariably worked on jobs that put them in close contact with asbestos.

One of the characteristics of mesothelioma is that symptoms can appear very late, sometimes 50 years following first contact with asbestos. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, the disease?s most common form, include discomfort in the chest and difficulty in breathing. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma, another form of the disease, include weight loss, abdominal swelling and pain. Blood clotting, bowel obstruction and fever are other symptoms of this type of mesothelioma. If the malignancy has spread to other body parts, then symptoms may include pain, face swelling and difficulty in swallowing food. However, it is important to remember that these symptoms are not exclusive to this disease; they can happen with other less severe conditions as well.

Over the past two decades, the rate of mesothelioma cases has gone up. Still, in the larger picture, it is a relatively rare cancer. The percentage of cases largely depends on the populations? exposure to asbestos. In the United States, it has been reported that that frequency may have hit the highest point at 15 per million in 2004. This trend is thought to continue in other parts of the world. Interestingly, mesothelioma is more common in men than women. The risk of this disease augments with age, but a person of any age or gender can be affected. About one-fifth to one-third of all mesothelioma cases are peritoneal.

Mesothelioma Asbestos provides detailed information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos, Mesothelioma Asbestos Diseases, Mesothelioma Asbestos Treatment, Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer and more. Mesothelioma Asbestos is affiliated with Mesothelioma Diagnosis Support.

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma is a serious ailment that affects the thoracic cavity. It is believed to be caused by inhaling asbestos dust. Most of the three thousand such cases reported in the United States every year are malignant. There are two important reasons for this. The disease has a long latency period of twenty to forty years. By the time the symptoms manifest, the cancer would have already set in. Secondly, the outward signs that emerge are similar to that of many common and less serious diseases, rendering diagnosis difficult. Usually the problem is identified too late.

The outward symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include breathing and swallowing difficulty, loss of weight, constant coughing, chest congestion and pain, spitting blood, and fever. Detailed investigations reveal irregular thickening of pleura and fluid collection, reduced space between the lung lobes, and mineral deposits.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma goes through four separate stages. Initially it is restricted to the pleura, the membrane in the thoracic cavity. Next the lymph nodes are affected. In the third stage there would be local spreading of the disease. Finally the cancer penetrates to other parts of the body. Often, death strikes within six to eighteen months of diagnosing the disease depending on the stage at which the problem was identified.

In the initial phase surgery may prove helpful to some extent. Other lines of treatment include Brachotherapy. Several doctors prefer a multi-modality approach aimed at prolonging survival and reducing pain. Exciting new developments like photodynamic therapy, immuno therapy and gene therapy are undergoing human clinical trials.

The sad part is that we are yet to see the full spectrum of the menace. The present strike rate of 3000 new pleural mesothelioma cases per year is only a starter. National Cancer Institute estimates that eight million people have been exposed to asbestos during the past fifty years and that 300,000 new cases of pleural mesothelioma could come up by 2030! It is essential that efforts be made on a war footing to develop new effective methods of prevention and treatment.

But pragmatically, for the present, a person diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma and/or his close relatives should look for the best palliative care and a competent lawyer to sue for damages.

Pleural Mesothelioma provides detailed information on Malignant Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Survival Rate, Mesothelioma Pleural Brachytherapy and more. Pleural Mesothelioma is affiliated with Peritoneal Mesothelioma Lawyers.

Benzene Related Diseases

Benzene Related Diseases - Leukemia

There have been documented dangers of benzene for well over a century now. Even though benzene exposure often leads to leukemia, there are also many non-cancerous diseases that have been shown when exposed to elevated levels of benzene. Some of these other diseases include:

Myelodysplastic syndromes: also called ?pre-leukemia?, this is a collection of diseases resulting in diminished blood production and can weaken the immune system. This can result in leukemia.

Non-Hodgkin?s Lymphoma: this is a disease affecting the lymphatic systems and shares many similarities with leukemia. It can eventually affect the bone marrow in addition to other organs.

Aplastic Anemia: this is a condition where the marrow in the bone stops producing enough blood cells to replace lost ones.

Even though these diseases are not leukemia, they have strikingly similar resemblances. The victims who suffer from them many times can?t tell the difference. Even with proper care and treatment, victims of these diseases face an uphill battle exposed to pain and suffering.

To learn more about leukemia please visit our website at http://www.resource4leukemia.com

This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay in-tact. Please visit our Leukemia information site at http://www.resource4leukemia.com

Breast Cancer Estrogen Dominance & The Imbalance Of Hormones

Estrogen Dominance is a term coined by the late John R. Lee, M.D., author of a number of books on the topic of women?s hormones. The theory of Estrogen Dominance describes a condition where a woman can have deficient, normal or excessive estrogen but has little or no progesterone to balance its effects in the body. Even a woman with low estrogen levels can have estrogen dominance symptoms if she doesn't have any progesterone. Basically estrogen dominance reflects hormones that have gone out of balance. Out of balance hormones can affect women from 14 to 94.

How do we become estrogen dominant? Our food chain is laced with toxic pesticides, herbicides and growth hormones ? a sea of endocrine-disrupting chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body. If we are overweight, our body?s store of excess fat can be converted into estrogen. Insulin resistance also leads to estrogen dominance. Then there is estrogen found in ERT, HRT and Birth Control Pills.

Estrogen dominance also occurs in men. As men age, estrogen gradually rises, while saliva levels of progesterone and testosterone gradually fall. We often find men of fifty having higher saliva estrogen levels than women of fifty! A sign of estrogen dominance in men is the tendency for some to develop breasts.

An imbalance of hormones in our bodies results in hormone-related health problems such as PMS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, infertility, post-partum depression, weight gain, increased blood clotting, thyroid dysfunction, even breast and uterine cancer in women and in men breast cancer, prostate problems and prostate cancer.

Estrogen Dominance can be detected by taking a saliva test. This simple test can accurately reveal hormone levels. Men can also take this simple at-home test to determine if their hormones are out of balance.

A saliva test evaluation will either move a man or woman to take action to bring balance to their own hormones or cause them to sit back and reflect on their good hormone health. Those over 50 can take an annual saliva test to keep track of their hormone levels.

Men and women who experience hormone imbalance feel unwell ? bringing balance to their hormones is often a key to their wellness. There are safe natural alternatives available to drug therapies. Women and men must become more informed about their own hormone health.

This Article Is Copywright 2006 Jackie L. Harvey & Saliva Testing com

Jackie Harvey is a nutritional speaker who shares her interest and information on hormone health and saliva testing throughout North America in her popular Let's Talk About Hormones seminar. Visit her website http://www.SalivaTesting.com for a schedule of events in your area and for more information about her Best Selling 1-hour video Let's Talk About Hormones with Jackie Harvey. Click For More information on Saliva Hormone Testing and Hormone Balancing