Good Finally: Mesothelioma

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Mesothelioma Fact - Alarming Truth

Lately many people have been looking for mesothelioma fact and information. The startling mesothelioma fact is that Mesothelioma Cancer is a rare cancer but every year about 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States and this number has been continuously increasing for the past 20 years. Initially mesothelioma was recognized as a tumor of the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. Later on, the doctors studied the fact linking mesothelioma cancers to asbestos exposure. J.C.Wagner wrote the first on mesothelioma by, and emphasized its linkage to asbestos exposure in about 32 cases of workers in the "Asbestos Hills" in South Africa.

Thereon the fact about relationship between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure was confirmed in different research studies around the world. Mesothelioma is caused because of asbestos exposure and inhalation of asbestos particles. Asbestos was widely used in industrial and manufacturing processes and building materials. Construction materials such as cement, tiles, roofing shingles, pipes, insulating material and many more, contained asbestos materials. The shocking mesothelioma fact is that almost all American buildings constructed before 1970s contain asbestos material that could pose risk for the occupants.

Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has released a fact that, though since 1970s the protections against asbestos exposure have been in place, the mesothelioma would take 30 to 50 years to be noticed. This is because mesothelioma cancer and other asbestos diseases have a high latency rate. The asbestos particles can lie dormant in the human body for 30-50 years before manifesting as mesothelioma cancers.

Mesothelioma cancers are of two main types. In pleural mesothelioma, the cancer cells are found in the sac lining the chest and the peritoneal mesothelioma is found in the lining of the abdominal cavity. There are rare instances of mesothelioma of the lining of hearts and testicles. Mesothelioma is more prevalent in men than in women.

Awareness about mesothelioma facts is also helpful in having awareness about symptoms of mesothelioma. This information helps in early detection and timely treatment of disease. Chest pain that is caused by cancer itself or shortness of breath, abdominal pain and swelling, cough, fatigue and unexplained weight loss are some possible symptoms of mesothelioma cancers.

Internet Is A Gold Mine For Mesothelioma Lawyer

One man's misery can be another man's fortune. This seems to be the case with the mesothelioma victims on the one hand and mesothelioma lawyer on the other. An online feeding frenzy is currently taking place. The average mesothelioma case today is settled at around 1 million dollars, and that figure jumps to 6 million dollars when the lawsuit goes to the courts. With such enormous money to be made, legal firms are hungry for a slice of the action, and are shelling out big money for online visitors. The result is that search engines and other sites that can supply them with those visitors are racking up huge revenue.

It works like this. In the sponsored listings of search engines, clicks (visitors) are auctioned off to the highest bidder. When someone searches “mesothelioma”, the highest-bidding law firms appear. With the keen competition, these firms are paying as much as $100 per mesothelioma-related visitor to their web site. That’s $100 every time someone just clicks on their ad - and a lot of the clicks are from competitors. Less than one in ten visitors may actually submit an inquiry about the services of the legal firm. And only a fraction of the inquiries convert into clients. Therefore, it is costing lawyers tens of thousands of dollars in advertising to secure a single client.

There is something truly obscene about this situation. But, it is inevitable that while there is huge money to be made from litigation, lawyers and publishers will continue to hustle for their slice of the action. You can even find these vultures on YouTube making an undignified pitch for business. If only a portion of the money could be directed to cancer research. Perhaps these legal firms and others who profit from this horrendous disease should consider donating a portion of their gains to research organizations. By doing so, they may appear a little more genuine and less like vultures.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. In fact, 70% to 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by a history of exposure to asbestos. It can take decades for the symptoms to appear. Each year, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are reported. In the past 20 years, the number of reported cases has increased significantly. Although it can take up to 50 years for symptoms to manifest, mesothelioma patients experience a host of symptoms. These include shortness of breath, or a wheezing and hacking cough, which often lead to chest or abdominal pain. In the more serious cases, individuals may have bowel blockages, anaemia, a bloody cough, and jaundice. It is extremely difficult to secure accurate statistics about how many individuals suffer from mesothelioma because in the early stages, the symptoms are quite similar to various other conditions. This often leads to a misdiagnosis of the disease. In addition, when an accurate diagnosis is finally made, the disease has typically already progressed to a more advanced stage.

With the renovation craze that has occurred in the past 2 or 3 decades in countries such as Australia and the US, it is expected that the high rates of diagnosis will continue for decades to come. And as long as there is money to be made from this disease, the vultures will also be around.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma Cancer

The most common Mesothelioma symptoms are shortness of breath and pain in the chest. These symptoms occur due to a buildup of fluid in the pleura, what is known as Pleural Mesothelioma. However the symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma include weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling due to an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

There are various symptoms of Mesothelioma cancer, but sometimes they don't appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos, hence the importance of following the series of recommendations for prevention of asbestos-related diseases among asbestos workers.

Peritoneal mesothelioma may include other uncomfortable symptoms too, such as bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia and fever.

However these symptoms can appear before if malignant cancerous cells have spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, and other symptoms such as trouble swallowing, pain, and swelling of the neck or face may appear.

Mesothelioma or other less serious conditions may caused these symptoms, therefore the importance of going to a doctor if you feel any of these symptoms, because only an expert like him can make a correct diagnosis.

Mesothelioma cancer rate has increased over the past 20 years and although this disease is not as common as other cancer pathologies, the number of new diagnosed cases in the United States has risen up to 2,000 per year.

According to experts the major risk factor for developing Mesothelioma lies in working with asbestos, so if you are a asbestos worker remember following the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendations in order to reduce your risk.

Mesothelioma a Cancer Caused by Asbestos

The internal organs of the human body are encased in a protective sac called the mesothelium. Examples of mesothelilial membranes are the peritoneum (abdominal organs), pleura (lungs), and pericardium (heart).

Under specific conditions, the cells of the protective membrane divide uncontrolled and become cancerous. This disease is termed as Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer which is caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos dust.

The disease is found to occur among those who work in shipyards, asbestos mines and factories, industries that produce asbestos based products, and the heating and construction businesses. Approximately 3,000 cases occur each year in the US, and most patients are between 50-70 years old. Statistics show that males are commonly affected and among them whites more than African Americans.

First studied in the late 1700s in depth studies were only done in the 1960s. Tumors of the Mesothelioma can be benign or malignant. The malignant Mesothelioma are categorized into three types:

•    Epithelioid, accounting for 50-70% of mesotheliomas.
•    Sarcomatoid, accounting for 7-20%.
•    Mixed or bi-phasic, accounting for 20-35%.

When asbestos fibers are breathed into the lungs they travel through large air passages to reach the smaller passages and from them the pleura. In the pleura they damage: the mesothelial cells leading to cancer; lung tissue causing lung cancer; and the development of scar tissue within the lungs known as asbestosis. When asbestos fibers are swallowed they reach the abdominal cavity and cause peritoneal mesothelioma.

Research reveals that the disease only manifests 20-50 years after being exposed to asbestos dust. The symptoms are not specific to the disease but a patient may develop:

•    Breathlessness.
•    Chest pain accompanied by tightness believed to be caused by accumulation of fluid in the pleura.
•    Low back pain.
•    Swelling of face and arms.
•    Sensory loss.
•    Muscle weakness.
•    Nausea.
•    Vomiting.
•    Weight loss that is unexplained.
•    Persistent dry cough.
•    Sore throat.
•    Anemia.
•    Fever.
•    Constipation.
•    Problems with blood clotting.

Since the above are common to minor ailments, patients often ignore the symptoms. It is advisable to consult a doctor if any of the above symptoms persist or if you feel you have been knowingly or unknowingly exposed to asbestos.

A doctor will:
•    Take down a detailed medical history and try and determine the symptoms and risk factors.
•    Do a thorough physical examination and check for signs of:
o    Pleural effusion, fluid accumulated in the chest cavity.
o    Fluid in the abdominal cavity.
o    Pericardial effusion, fluid in the lining of the heart.
•    Take a chest x-ray and check for thickening of the pleura, calcifications, and lowered lung fissures.
•    Ask for a CT scan to determine clearly the location, size, and extent of the problem if any is suspected.
•    Recommend tests of tissue samples and pleural fluids.

Other risk factors are cigarette or cigar smoking, exposure to radiation, exposure to zeolite a compound that is similar to asbestos, exposure to or infections caused by SV40, a Simian virus.

Those who work in a risky environment should wear protective clothing, have the surroundings tested regularly for suspended asbestos particles, and ensure that they have regular medical tests and report to the doctor any ailments that persist.

Being aware of the disease and its problems helps.