Protect Against Mesothelioma by Avoiding Asbestos
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that attacks the body's mesothelial cells around the
organs. The mesothelium provides a protective membranous lining for the internal
organs and allows moving organs (i.e. the heart and the lungs) to glide easily
against adjacent structures. The names of the three regions of mesothelial cells that
provide protective coating are 1) pleura, the sac which surrounds the lungs; 2)
peritoneum, the lining which protects the abdominal cavity; and 3) pericardium, the
sac which surrounds the heart. Three different types of mesothelioma cancer attack
these three different regions.
Pleural mesothelioma: A type of lung cancer which attacks the pleura surrounding
the lungs, this is the most common type of mesothelioma, affecting approximately
two-thirds of all mesothelioma patients. Symptoms include horseness, fever, blood
in sputum, swollen arms and face, coughing, loss of weight, difficulty breathing,
chest pain, weak muscles, and reduced tactile sensitivity.
Peritoneal mesothelioma: A cancer of the abdomen which attacks the peritoneum
lining the abdominal cavity. This affects approximately one-third of all
mesothelioma patients. Symptoms include abdominal bloating, impaired bowl
function, fever, swollen feet, and nausea.
Pericardial mesothelioma: This form of mesothelioma which attacks the pericardium
surrounding the heart is extremely rare. Symptoms include chest pain, dyspnea,
cough, and palpitations.
Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a type of building
material used in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles. In the United States,
asbestos usage peaked during the 1950s - 1970s. During the late 1960s, concerns
over the health consequences of asbestos exposure began to arise, thereby
decreasing the amount of asbestos manufactured in next two decades. By the
1980s, a new industry of asbestos abatement began to flourish. But according to
the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as many as 733,000
schools and public buildings still contain asbestos.
Small asbestos fibers that enter the air do not evaporate and can remain suspended
in the air for a long time. These fibers, when breathed into the body, are toxic.
There are three types of asbestos exposure.
Occupational asbestos exposure: People working in factories that manufacure
asbestos are likely to have a high exposure to asbestos and are most at risk of
developing asbestosis or mesothelioma.
Paraoccupational asbestos exposure: Family members of workers exposed to
asbestos in the workplace are susceptible to exposure from asbestos dust brought
home by the worker on his clothes or skin.
Neighborhood asbestos exposure: Those who live in the vicinity of an asbestos
manufacturing plant are also at risk.
Mesothelioma is still a relatively rare form of cancer. There are an estimated 2,000 -
3,000 new cases per year in the United States. Approximately 7-13 per one million
male patients with a history of asbestos exposure contract mesothelioma. Diagnosis
usually occurs 20-40 years after initial exposure to asbestos.
Jimmy Atkinson writes for the Mesothelioma Reporter at http://www.mesotheliomareporter.org .
Related Asbestos News and Articles From adzines
Mesothelioma: What is it? Mesothelioma is a malignant cancerous disease of the cells lining the patient's body cavities such as chest, abdominal region or the area surrounding the heart. It is thought to be associated with exposure to asbestos, and this asbestos association has been documented in 70-80% of all mesothelioma cases. Asbestos cancer or mesothelioma is very difficult to assess and diagnose consistently. The time between exposure and the onset of the disease, and the rate of progression of malignant mesothelioma, make diagnosis very difficult.
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma cancer. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.
Since the late 1800's Asbestos has been mined and used commercially. The use of Asbestos dramatically increased during World War II and since the early 1940's millions of Americans have been exposed to asbestos dust working within industries where initally the risks were not known. There has been widespread exposure to Asbestos by workers within shipyards, mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople and an increase risk of deveolping mesothelioma has been the result. .
Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells don't function right, divide very fast and produce too much tissue that forms a tumor. A leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women is probably lung cancer. This is the number one cause of cancer deaths surpassing breast cancer as the leading cause of deaths in women. Cancers that begin in the lungs are divided into two major types, the non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer depending on how the cells look under a microscope.
Mesothelioma attorneys It is very important to work with specialized mesothelioma attorneys. They specialize in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits based on exposure of asbestos and other related asbestos lawsuit cases.
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Tragically the word mesothelioma is becoming more and more well known, the mere mention of it striking fear into all of us for we know that it is associated with death. Asbestos is the reaper, mesothelioma its hand maiden.
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Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura) or abdomen (the peritoneum). Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos.
Lung Cancer: The Bad and the Worse
In terms of deaths caused by various forms of cancer, lung cancer ranks second only to breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute recently reported that an estimated 172,570 new cases of lung cancer will be reported this year and that 163,510 American will die from this disease.
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