Harmful Exposure Of Asbestos

If you think you have had any asbestos exposure, you should contact a doctor immediately. Inhaling the small, sliver-like shards of this mineral, used in insulation in older homes and businesses can be extremely hazardous to your health, especially after prolonged exposure.

If you have only had one or two short exposures to this mineral, you should be able to breath easy, however, if you work in an office or have lived in a home that has been ridden with asbestos for decades, you may have already done some serious harm to yourself. Asbestos easily becomes airborne, especially friable asbestos. When inhaled, these small shards attach themselves onto the lining of your lungs and into your lung tissue as well as in your airways. Over time, with continuous asbestos exposure, these imbedded shards can become inflamed and turn into cancerous tumors called Mesothelioma or lung cancer. Both cancers are very difficult cancer to treat.

Clean up can occur to cease any more asbestos exposure. Companies are available that specialize solely in the removal of asbestos. This is a pricey conquest and certainly not an easy task, but it will prove to be invaluable when you are no longer subjecting yourself or others to this dangerous chemical. When a company comes in to remove the asbestos, it generally requires the removal of the insulation itself, which means tearing down the drywall.

The proper protective gear is worn during this time as well as well ventilated breathing masks. Most people employed by asbestos removal companies are asked to not have facial hair to lessen the risk of any asbestos "clinging" onto the hair and risking the chance of inhalation. It is imperative that the material remains wet at all times as friable asbestos, when dry, is the worst asbestos exposure. Once the asbestos is removed, it is placed inside a protective container and taken to a landfill that accepts asbestos disposal. Many landfills do not accept this chemical, so make sure to call ahead. It is possible to take on the task of removing the asbestos yourself, but trusting a reliable company to do the work for you will ensure that it is done correctly and will lessen your risk of asbestos exposure if you do not do it right the first time. Your health is not anything to play around with and it is important not to take any risks, especially when hazardous chemicals are involved.

Mesothelioma Victims - Support & Advice

Most people that develop mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos in the past. Mesothelioma, a cancer of the mesothelium grows mainly in the lining of the lungs and abdomen and it takes decades for the symptoms of the cancer to surface. The main symptoms are chest pain and difficulty in breathing.

If you have worked with asbestos or materials containing asbestos, for example shipyard workers, insulation engineers, maintenance workers, building workers, you can develop mesothelioma. People working in other industries could also be exposed to asbestos without remembering the exposure. Also some people who were exposed to asbestos through washing and handling of clothes contaminated with asbestos and some people living close to asbestos industries may also develop mesothelioma.

Presently there is no known cure for mesothelioma, the treatments available only help to control the symptoms and improve quality of life of the victim. The type of treatment will be individualized and it depends on the stage of the cancer.

Help and Support
Every mesothelioma case will need support and help, many find it hard difficult to accept the diagnosis, others feel bitter and angry. Every mesothelioma victim must have access both to information about the disease and to emotional support, including someone to talk to when they feel like. There are several specialist organizations that provide such help.

Your Benefits and Compensations
All mesothelioma victims may be entitled to social security benefits and compensations from employers or both. These are some of the benefits you might be entitled to:
a}Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit-You can get this quickly paid so you should make your claim as soon as possible so as to be able to get your benefits.
b}War disablement pension-If you were exposed to asbestos while serving in the armed forces, you can make this claim from the Veterans Agency.
c}Constant Attendance Allowance-This allowance may be paid to you once you receive any of the benefits mentioned above.
d}You may also be entitled to a lump sum payment from the Government under the Pneumoconiosis e.t.c{Workers Compensation}Act 1979,or in Northern Ireland,the Pneumoconiosis e.t.c{Workers Compensation}{Northern Ireland}Order 1979.

Whoever you choose to consult about benefits, you should always ask about a payment under the 1979 Act or Order and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.

These and some other benefits and compensations are what you are entitled to if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma - Chemotherapy Treatment

Mesothelioma is a malignant type of cancer that is caused by being exposed to asbestos. The cancerous cells are developed in a protective lining that covers internal organs in the body called mesothelium. The most common site of mesothelioma is in the outer lining of the chest wall and lungs called the pleura. It can also occur in the lining of abdominal, peritoneum cavity, or the sac that is around the heart, pericardium.
It is found that most people that develop mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos particles at some time in their life.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive type of cancer and Doctors want to treat it as soon as possible and with aggressive treatment. One of the treatments includes Chemotherapy and its strong drugs that can destroy the cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is an option for those patients that are not able to go through a surgical procedure. The Doctor determines if the patient is a surgical candidate or not. Chemotherapy has been used since around the 1940's.
Using Chemotherapy for treatment of mesothelioma can be taken in pill form, intravenously, or if the cancer is in the pleural; it is injected directly into the lungs.

Chemotherapy treats the disease by using chemicals that kill the bad cancerous cells and also damages the good cells around the cancer area. There are a few types of chemotherapy treatments for mesothelioma besides the curative intent.
They are:

- Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
- Adjuvant chemotherapy- which means chemotherapy is used after a surgical technique and if the doctor feels there is a risk for recurrence of the cancer.
- Combined modality chemotherapy- this means chemotherapy is used in combination with radiation therapy or surgery.
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy- referrs to being done prior to surgery to reduce the size of the tumor mass.
- Palliative chemotherapy- is used as a treatment to the symptoms of mesothelioma

There are side effects that come from chemotherapy treatment. Most Doctors tell the patients about these side effects that can come from this treatment. Most of the side effects will go away when the treatment has ended. These include:

- Weakening of the immune system
- Hair loss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Decrease in number of red blood cells
- Ototoxicity
- Nephrotoxicity
- Higher risk of cardiovascular disease
- Cardiotoxicity
- Hepatoxicity

The results of treating Mesothelioma with Chemotherapy can be good to stop the growth of the cancer and help shrink it, but unfortunately there is no cure for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Curable or Not ?

If you have been exposed to asbestos, it is in your best interest to gather as much information as possible. Asbestos has had many uses throughout history, and though it is a rare find these days, it still exists in the insulation of some older buildings.

Many lung diseases occur as a result of exposure to this material, among them is mesothelioma cancer. The web is ripe with information, and here we will give you a brief introduction.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is almost always malignant, and can afflict a variety of bodily systems. Most often it affects the lungs because the easiest way for asbestos (the cancers main cause) to enter the body is through inhalation. If it affects the lungs it is also known as pleural mesothelioma.There is also peritonial mesothelioma, which affects the lining around the organs in the abdomen. And pericardial mesothelioma is found in the sac around the heart.

There are also three different types of mesothelioma. Epithelioid, which is the most common, is found in the protective lining around vital organs. Sarcomatoid, the most serious, but less common than the former, is found in tissues such as fat, muscles, bone and cartilage. There is also mixed, where both epithelioid and sarcomatoid are present at once.

Unfortunately all information concludes that it is a fatal cancer. Symptoms vary depending on which bodily systems are affected. If the cancer resides in the lungs there may be shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, and sometimes no symptoms at all. Abdominal cancers are generally accompanied by weight loss, a swollen belly, and digestive related problems. These symptoms may not appear until many years after asbestos exposure. And diagnosis is often difficult because many of the symptoms mimic other conditions.

Treatment for mesothelioma varies, and is dependant upon many factors. Common treatments, as with most cancers, include surgical removal, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. And though the prognosis is grim, modern technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. If you, or someone close to you, is experiencing the symptoms of mesothelioma, see your doctor, and do your research. Stay updated on the latest information. Hopefully we will find a cure soon.

Mesothelioma Help

According to the National Cancer Institute, mesothelioma is a malignant cancer of the pleura, the peritoneum, and the pericardium (the sacs lining the chest, abdominal cavity and the heart). Malignant mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure, and those exposed to more asbestos or for a longer duration are likely to have more intense cases of mesothelioma. People stopped using asbestos in insulation materials in the 1970s, so with the 20 to 50 year latency period between exposure and acquisition of mesothelioma, many are just now discovering that they have the cancer.

People usually come into contact with asbestos through construction jobs or the clothes of family members working on construction sights. Asbestos is an insulation material used in pipes, boilers, cements, plasters, joint compounds, fireproofing spray, firebrick, gunnite, furnaces, roofs, floors, ceiling tiles, transite siding, brakes and clutches. Thus, the construction workers most exposed to asbestos include insulation intallers, boilermakers, plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, plasterers, shipyard workers, those in the Navy, electricians, mechanics, bricklayers, millwrights, carpenters, steel workers, and maintenance workers. Sites with the largest concentration of asbestos include shipyards, power plants, refineries, paper mills, manufacturing plants, foundries, and construction sites.

Since early symptoms of mesothelioma are non-specific, many sufferers will not be diagnosed with the cancer until it is too late to treat it. These early symptoms are often mistook for pneumonia (shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain). If you feel that symptoms you are having could be related to mesothelioma, contact a doctor to diagnose you to know for sure what you have and what you should do. Diagnosis procedures can include x-rays, CT scans, MRI, PET, thoracoscopy, peritoneoscopy or a biopsy.

Fighting mesothelioma can be expensive and the disease can cause great emotional trauma to the patient and his or her family. If you have been diagnosed with asbestos related mesothelioma, a mesothelioma lawyer can help you fight those responsible for this cancer. If you have mesothelioma, the employer or organization that put you into contact with asbestos is at fault and you deserve compensation. Find a mesothelioma lawyer today.

Brachytherapy Mesothelioma Treatment

Brachytherapy is a high tech and precise radiation treatment performed by implanting radioactive “seeds” near or directly inside cancerous tumors. This procedure allows physicians to deliver a strong and direct dose of radiation to the tumors, while causing little damage to the surrounding tissues. It is most commonly used to treat prostate, breast, or cervical cancer but may also be used to treat mesothelioma. It is a relatively quick procedure that does not require an overnight stay in the hospital and typically takes an hour to complete. Afterwards, the implanted seeds remain in the body and transmit radiation for about a year.

There are two methods by which the radioactive sources may be implanted in the body. The first method is called intracavitary treatment and involves passing radioactive sources in special containers through body cavities such as the windpipe, uterus or vagina. The second method is called interstitial treatment. In interstitial treatment the radioactive sources are not placed in containers but rather injected into the tumor directly via thin needles. The seeds are small (smaller than a grain of rice) and cause little discomfort. General anesthesia is often used during these procedures. In some cases, Brachytherapy is done in combination with external beam therapy to help destroy the main mass of tumor cells.

Symptoms Of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma can only be identified with help of its symptoms which appear after 20-50 years the person has developed the disease. Symptoms of mesothelioma appear when you have been exposed to the deadly toxic asbestos decades back. By the time they appear, they have already spread to all parts of the body.

There are 3 major types of mesothelioma which attack the body with some similar symptoms. These types of mesothelioma along with their symptoms are:

Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma attacks the lining of the lungs and causes various symptoms. These symptoms include:

Cough

Difficulty sleeping

Fever

Pain at the side of the chest or the lower back

Pleural effusions (fluid in the chest cavity)

Progressive loss of appetite and weight loss

Dyspnea

Tiredness

Trouble swallowing

Muscle weakness

Sensory loss

Nausea

Pleural effusion is an accumulation of fluid between the lining of the lung and the chest cavity. It is one of most common symptoms of mesothelioma and leads to shortness of breath. As the fluid collects in the lining of the lungs and chest, the pain and shortness of breath also increase. Dyspnea is shortness of breath which can be caused by a pleural effusion and/or by the presence of a tumor in the pleura or the lining of the lungs.

A buildup of fluid in the pleural can create a feeling of fullness and pressure, causing areas of pain in the chest cavity and sometimes in the lower back area. Chest pain occurs more often on the right side of the body, as mesothelioma affects the right lung 60% of the time. Only 5% patients suffer from mesothelioma in both lungs.

In some cases, a patient may also have chronic hoarseness, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and/or the coughing up of blood (hemoptysis). These are the rare symptoms of mesothelioma and seen in less than 1% mesothelioma patients. If the patient also suffers from swelling of the face or neck areas, it means that the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The other type of mesothelioma is peritoneal which attacks the lining of the stomach or the abdominal cavity. It can cause symptoms like:

Belly Pain

Nausea

Vomiting

Weight loss

Fever

Night sweats

Frequency of urination

Bowel obstruction

Abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen also known as ascites is one of the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma. If there is a tumor in the peritoneum membrane, it can put increasing pressure on the organs in the abdomen, leading to bowel obstruction and distention.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

The third type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma which attacks the lining of the chest cavity. It is not a common type of cancer. It can cause symptoms like:

Heart palpitations

Chest pains

Shortness of breath

Persistent cough

Weight loss

Irregular heartbeat

Pericardial effusion may also occur in pericardial mesothelioma. It is the accumulation of liquid in the lining of the chest cavity which may cause difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath. The patient may also complain of irregular heartbeat which is caused due to liquid accumulation in the chest. Persistent cough along with blood may also occur. Pericardial mesothelioma can also lead to lung cancer.

Some of these symptoms can help you identify mesothelioma. Some patients show no symptoms of their mesothelioma which makes it more difficult to diagnose. The exact symptoms will often depend on the area where mesothelioma affects which will help you identify mesothelioma.