Coping strategies found useful by mesothelioma victims
Mesothelioma is such a disease that affects not only the
person diagnosed with the disease, but his or her loved
ones, too. The intention to write this article is to offer
some resource for patients and their families who are living
with this...
Early Diagnosis Is Critical For Effective Treatment of Mesothelioma
Cancer is one of the most fatal diseases nowadays. It doesn’t choose its victims. Men and women alike, old and young die of cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, specifically the Pleura (membrane that...
Mesothelioma Cancer Still Affecting People
Mesothelioma is a rare type
of cancer that forms in the linings of the chest (the pleura)
abdomen (the peritoneum) or heart (pericardium). This cancer is
caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a fibrous
incombustible mineral used for...
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is made up of six naturally occurring minerals that can be woven into fibers and are used in manufacturing and industrial applications because of its heat resistance. For example, brake pads can be made with asbestos.
If it appears in...
What Is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma the medical name for cancer of the pleura (the lining of the lung and chest cavity) or cancer of the peritoneum (the lining of the abdomen). It is usually caused by prolonged or persistent exposure to asbestos.
Symptoms of...
All Pericardial Mesothelioma Information FAQ
What is pericardial mesothelioma?
Pericardial mesothelioma is a serious heart condition which
consists of cancerous cells building up on the lining of the
heart. Similarly to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, this is
a terminal illness due to the importance of the area on which it
grows.
What causes pericardial mesothelioma and who are most at risk?
The primary cause of pericardial mesothelioma is exposure to
asbestos dust and fibres. Therefore those at risk are those who
are most likely to have inhaled these deadly fibres such as
construction workers and asbestos manufacturers. Those in
contact with these people also have a chance of getting
pericardial mesothelioma because these people may have asbestos
fibres stuck to their clothes or hair.
What are the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma?
The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma change from patient to
patient. Usual symptoms include persistent coughing, coughing up
blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. Other
symptoms patients may experience are nausea, weight loss,
vomiting and loss of appetite.
What are the treatments available for pericardial mesothelioma?
There are various different treatments for pericardial
mesothelioma although none of these have a high success rate.
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, dual therapy and surgery are
the treatment methods available. Chemotherapy includes using
drugs to kill off cancerous cells and radiation therapy uses
doses of radiation to kill cancer cells although this is
difficult in the case of pericardial mesothelioma due to the
surrounding vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Dual
therapy is a treatment combining radiation therapy with
chemotherapy.
Surgery comes in two forms; aggressive surgery and
palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery is a very difficult
procedure and consists of removing large chunks of cancerous
cells in an attempt to gain long term control over the cancer.
Palliative procedures just attempts to lessen the symptoms for
the patient.
How much exposure to asbestos is needed for there to be a
possibility of getting pericardial mesothelioma?
This depends on how strong and resistant the person is to
disease and on the concentration of asbestos in the environment
around him. It is possible to get pericardial mesothelioma from
as little as a couple of months of exposure to asbestos although
on average it would take a couple of years for enough asbestos
fibres to build up to cause cancer.
What is the prognosis for pericardial mesothelioma?
This is highly dependent on how early and how aggressively the
cancer is treated. If pericardial mesothelioma is treated when
it has fully developed and matured then the chances of a
patient's survival is very small. The prognosis could be only a
couple of months.
Is there any promising research into cures for pericardial
mesothelioma?
Research into cures of pericardial mesothelioma and all other
forms of mesothelioma is being done in numerous research labs
all over the USA. Many pharmaceutical companies are also working
hard to research new drugs for chemotherapy. So far, research
has been mostly unsuccessful.
About the author:
For more information on pericardial mesothelioma such as the
risks, causes, symptoms and treatments go to:
http://www.pericardialmesothelioma.co.uk,
http://www.pericardial-mesothelioma.co.uk and
http://www.asbestos-resource.co.uk
View our entire article collection.