Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is most notably caused by exposure to asbestos. Such industries that have been known for exposing people to the toxic substance include the shipyard, automotive, mining and construction industries.
In the majority of cases, exposure occurs when someone has disturbed asbestos-containing materials and have either inhaled or ingested the microscopic fibers that make up asbestos. Once in the body, these fibers typically attach themselves to the lining of the lungs and remain there since the body has difficulty in expelling them.
In years past, the majority of treatment options for malignant mesothelioma have unfortunately been more palliative than curative. This is largely attributable to the severe latency period associated with the disease. The development of mesothelioma can take anywhere from 20 to 50 years, and patients are usually diagnosed when the disease has already reached the advanced stages.
Common treatments for mesothelioma have included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Lately though, hospitals, universities, and pharmaceutical companies have pushed for increased research on asbestos and asbestos-related diseases to enhance treatments options.
Alfacell is one company that has recently made significant strides in developing a new treatment. Their product is called Oncanase, which works in a similar way to RNA interference (RNAi). Oncanase is a therapeutic medication that is derived from the leopard frog. It has been proven to kill cancerous cells while sparing normal cells at the same time.
Another discovery concerning a potential mesothelioma cure has come from researchers at the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Their findings involve a skin cancer cream called Aldara, which was first proven to be successful in mice.
The method of treatment requires the skin cancer cream to be injected into the patient’s mesothelioma tumor. In addition to the cream, a stimulant drug called anti-CD40 is also directly injected into the tumor.
Experimental treatments and clinical trials such as these are being carried out on a regular basis around the world. Today, progress with mesothelioma treatment is being made with the help of increased funds and awareness towards the disease. Continued research on asbestos and related cancers will hopefully bring curable treatment options for mesothelioma patients in the future.
Monday, January 19, 2009
We Know: All About Mesothelioma What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancerous lung disease in which nano-sized particles of a non-degrading substance such as asbestos dust have worked their way into the lining of the lungs and formed hard nodules, reducing the capacity of the lungs to function. It is incurable, and is very likely to lead to death.
What is the history of mesothelioma?
In 1999, ten percent of the population of a small town in Montana was diagnosed with a rare, deadly, and hard-to-detect lung disease called mesothelioma. The disease was known to be caused by asbestos, and the town's economy was built around the mining of asbestos. As investigators and physicians gradually pieced together information, it became very clear that the mining company had lied to the citizens of the town for decades, slowly poisoning the air, the ground, and the water of the community. It's projected that by the time cases of mesothelioma and related lung diseases have been fully diagnosed, as many as one-third of the long-term citizens of the town will be in treatment.
How Do You Get Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma can only be contracted if you have inhaled or ingested nano-sized dust particles of a particular size, shape, and consistency, usually a particular type of asbestos. In addition, research indicates that it must trigger your immune system in a particular way. While not everyone exposed to asbestos and a few similar substances gets mesothelioma, the more extensive your exposure is, the more likely you'll develop it. While it's most common to contract mesothelioma from work directly exposing you to asbestos, like mining or construction, wives washing work clothes or children playing in contaminated areas may also get the disease.
How Is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?
For most people, the first signs of mesothelioma are a shortness of breath, a cough that won't go away, and a feeling of choking, as if your airway is being obstructed. Though mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos as much as fifteen years before the onset of symptoms, it's often diagnosed only three or four months after the first onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, the cancer has generally metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body, by this time.
While lungs in pre-mesothelioma stages have few if any symptoms, once mesothelioma has developed symptoms crop up at an alarming pace. In the beginning, asbestos particles invade the tiniest sacs of the lungs, and then work outward into the lung lining, which contains the lungs in a flexible sac. The particles irritate this lining and cause an immune system reaction that builds scar tissue up around the asbestos. Lungs with a little of this scar tissue aren't usually affected in a negative manner. However, the more extensive the scarring the less flexible your lungs become. Ultimately, the sac changes from the consistence of a thick balloon to the consistency of an orange peel -- and this means it cannot properly expand to contain your lungs. It also makes these nodules very susceptible to a particular type of cancer.
You should also be aware that mesothelioma can grow very painful as the lungs fill with fluid and infection. Persons with mesothelioma should be prepared to begin pain medications in short order. Treating the pain can actually help you fight the disease better.
What Are the Treatments?
Unfortunately, there are few treatments that are effective against mesothelioma. Primary treatment generally includes oxygen, to allow the parts of your lungs that still function properly to have a better chance of supplying adequate oxygen to your bloodstream. Antibiotics are used to treat secondary infections, and sometimes airway-dilating medicines, like those used for bronchitis or asthma, have proven useful.
This, however, only treats the symptoms. To treat the mesothelioma itself, the cancer must be removed or eliminated to the extent possible, and then lung functions must be restored. This isn't quite as bad as it sounds. Like all cancers, mesothelioma can be treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. New drugs and techniques to treat mesothelioma are cropping up every day.
Most mesothelioma is treated with a combination of the three approaches. The less metastasizing that has occurred, the more likely surgery will be your primary treatment. Before choosing a course of treatment, though, discuss all your options with your medical team. When you begin one route of treatment, you may be eliminating the options of others. But start treatment as quickly as you can. Early treatment has the best prognosis, with seventy-five percent of those having mesothelioma treated prior to metastazation living at least two more years (compared to forty percent after the cancer has spread).
Is Mesothelioma Curable?
Mesothelioma is not curable. Because the particles that have invaded your body are so very tiny, it's impossible to eradicate them all.
The best chance for a sufferer from mesothelioma is early, aggressive treatment. Pain control and a positive attitude will improve a patient's prognosis. If you have mesothelioma, your best course of action is to seek treatment immediately, and continue with all the daily activities you love as long as you can. Take prescribed and over the counter painkillers as your doctor recommends.
Other Things to Look For
Though lung mesotheliomas are the most likely, peritoneal mesothelioma sometimes appears as well. This is a mesothelioma where the particles have been ingested, and have caused damage to the peritoneal sac containing the internal organs in your abdomen. If you've been exposed to asbestos in the past and are having symptoms like abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting not ascribable to any other cause, you may have peritoneal mesothelioma. Other symptoms include herniation, abdominal fluid, and a mass in the abdomen, or constipation, diarrhea, or blood in the stool. Peritoneal mesothelioma is generally deadlier than that of the lungs. If you think you may have this condition, seek medical treatment immediately.
What is the history of mesothelioma?
In 1999, ten percent of the population of a small town in Montana was diagnosed with a rare, deadly, and hard-to-detect lung disease called mesothelioma. The disease was known to be caused by asbestos, and the town's economy was built around the mining of asbestos. As investigators and physicians gradually pieced together information, it became very clear that the mining company had lied to the citizens of the town for decades, slowly poisoning the air, the ground, and the water of the community. It's projected that by the time cases of mesothelioma and related lung diseases have been fully diagnosed, as many as one-third of the long-term citizens of the town will be in treatment.
How Do You Get Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma can only be contracted if you have inhaled or ingested nano-sized dust particles of a particular size, shape, and consistency, usually a particular type of asbestos. In addition, research indicates that it must trigger your immune system in a particular way. While not everyone exposed to asbestos and a few similar substances gets mesothelioma, the more extensive your exposure is, the more likely you'll develop it. While it's most common to contract mesothelioma from work directly exposing you to asbestos, like mining or construction, wives washing work clothes or children playing in contaminated areas may also get the disease.
How Is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?
For most people, the first signs of mesothelioma are a shortness of breath, a cough that won't go away, and a feeling of choking, as if your airway is being obstructed. Though mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos as much as fifteen years before the onset of symptoms, it's often diagnosed only three or four months after the first onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, the cancer has generally metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body, by this time.
While lungs in pre-mesothelioma stages have few if any symptoms, once mesothelioma has developed symptoms crop up at an alarming pace. In the beginning, asbestos particles invade the tiniest sacs of the lungs, and then work outward into the lung lining, which contains the lungs in a flexible sac. The particles irritate this lining and cause an immune system reaction that builds scar tissue up around the asbestos. Lungs with a little of this scar tissue aren't usually affected in a negative manner. However, the more extensive the scarring the less flexible your lungs become. Ultimately, the sac changes from the consistence of a thick balloon to the consistency of an orange peel -- and this means it cannot properly expand to contain your lungs. It also makes these nodules very susceptible to a particular type of cancer.
You should also be aware that mesothelioma can grow very painful as the lungs fill with fluid and infection. Persons with mesothelioma should be prepared to begin pain medications in short order. Treating the pain can actually help you fight the disease better.
What Are the Treatments?
Unfortunately, there are few treatments that are effective against mesothelioma. Primary treatment generally includes oxygen, to allow the parts of your lungs that still function properly to have a better chance of supplying adequate oxygen to your bloodstream. Antibiotics are used to treat secondary infections, and sometimes airway-dilating medicines, like those used for bronchitis or asthma, have proven useful.
This, however, only treats the symptoms. To treat the mesothelioma itself, the cancer must be removed or eliminated to the extent possible, and then lung functions must be restored. This isn't quite as bad as it sounds. Like all cancers, mesothelioma can be treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. New drugs and techniques to treat mesothelioma are cropping up every day.
Most mesothelioma is treated with a combination of the three approaches. The less metastasizing that has occurred, the more likely surgery will be your primary treatment. Before choosing a course of treatment, though, discuss all your options with your medical team. When you begin one route of treatment, you may be eliminating the options of others. But start treatment as quickly as you can. Early treatment has the best prognosis, with seventy-five percent of those having mesothelioma treated prior to metastazation living at least two more years (compared to forty percent after the cancer has spread).
Is Mesothelioma Curable?
Mesothelioma is not curable. Because the particles that have invaded your body are so very tiny, it's impossible to eradicate them all.
The best chance for a sufferer from mesothelioma is early, aggressive treatment. Pain control and a positive attitude will improve a patient's prognosis. If you have mesothelioma, your best course of action is to seek treatment immediately, and continue with all the daily activities you love as long as you can. Take prescribed and over the counter painkillers as your doctor recommends.
Other Things to Look For
Though lung mesotheliomas are the most likely, peritoneal mesothelioma sometimes appears as well. This is a mesothelioma where the particles have been ingested, and have caused damage to the peritoneal sac containing the internal organs in your abdomen. If you've been exposed to asbestos in the past and are having symptoms like abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting not ascribable to any other cause, you may have peritoneal mesothelioma. Other symptoms include herniation, abdominal fluid, and a mass in the abdomen, or constipation, diarrhea, or blood in the stool. Peritoneal mesothelioma is generally deadlier than that of the lungs. If you think you may have this condition, seek medical treatment immediately.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart,[1] the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma.[2] Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.[3] Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma.[2] Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.[3] Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.
Mesothelioma Law
Litigation is, unfortunately, a required element to secure speedy, just compensation.
For individuals stricken with asbestos related mesothelioma, there may be substantial compensation available if they act quickly to engage an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who is proficient in asbestos legal issues and proving asbestos exposure. Most often mesothelioma lawsuits end up with a settlement without ever going to trial or even into a court. In our experience, this is the preferred scenario for most families with a mesothelioma case.
Since the only known cause of mesothelioma in the United States is asbestos, the key to successful case is proving exposure to the product(s) responsible for the injury. That is why you need to hire an experienced asbestos related disease attorney.
This is not to say that the asbestos industry will simply give away any money. The large corporations that we routinely go up against will hire some of the best attorneys that money can buy to defend and delay against paying compensation to you. This is why retaining an experienced mesothelioma lawyer with a background in this type of case can help you and your family get the asbestos settlement or verdict you deserve.
Coady law firm attorneys have represented many hundreds of clients stricken from asbestos related mesothelioma with compassion, diligence and success. They began their works in mesothelioma case 25 years ago, and they are still hard at it today.
For individuals stricken with asbestos related mesothelioma, there may be substantial compensation available if they act quickly to engage an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who is proficient in asbestos legal issues and proving asbestos exposure. Most often mesothelioma lawsuits end up with a settlement without ever going to trial or even into a court. In our experience, this is the preferred scenario for most families with a mesothelioma case.
Since the only known cause of mesothelioma in the United States is asbestos, the key to successful case is proving exposure to the product(s) responsible for the injury. That is why you need to hire an experienced asbestos related disease attorney.
This is not to say that the asbestos industry will simply give away any money. The large corporations that we routinely go up against will hire some of the best attorneys that money can buy to defend and delay against paying compensation to you. This is why retaining an experienced mesothelioma lawyer with a background in this type of case can help you and your family get the asbestos settlement or verdict you deserve.
Coady law firm attorneys have represented many hundreds of clients stricken from asbestos related mesothelioma with compassion, diligence and success. They began their works in mesothelioma case 25 years ago, and they are still hard at it today.
Mesothelial and Mesothelioma Cell Lines
Primary cultures of mesothelial cells have been established from rats, rabbits,
mice, and humans (Table 5.1). Mesothelial cell lines provide several advantages
for experimental studies: they provide a large number of cells isolated from a
single donor, cell lines can be isolated from genetically engineered mice, and
primary cell lines limit the number of animals required for experiments.
However, cell lines have several disadvantages: variability among donors,
variability in culture conditions in different laboratories, potential
phenotypic and genetic instability, and a limited life span in vitro (reviewed
in ref. 1). Some of these disadvantages can be overcome by quality control
procedures. For example, cell lines should not be passaged indefinitely; frozen
stocks should be maintained and thawed at regular intervals to prevent
phenotypic and genetic instability (reviewed in ref. 2). As in all cell cul¬ture
models, precautions are required to prevent cross-contamination and
contamination with bacteria or viruses. DNA profiles could be use¬ful to
identify cell lines; for example Manning et al (3) established initial genetic
profiles for their panel of human malignant mesothelioma cell lines. All
cultures should be screened for Mycoplasma and other pathogens (2).
mice, and humans (Table 5.1). Mesothelial cell lines provide several advantages
for experimental studies: they provide a large number of cells isolated from a
single donor, cell lines can be isolated from genetically engineered mice, and
primary cell lines limit the number of animals required for experiments.
However, cell lines have several disadvantages: variability among donors,
variability in culture conditions in different laboratories, potential
phenotypic and genetic instability, and a limited life span in vitro (reviewed
in ref. 1). Some of these disadvantages can be overcome by quality control
procedures. For example, cell lines should not be passaged indefinitely; frozen
stocks should be maintained and thawed at regular intervals to prevent
phenotypic and genetic instability (reviewed in ref. 2). As in all cell cul¬ture
models, precautions are required to prevent cross-contamination and
contamination with bacteria or viruses. DNA profiles could be use¬ful to
identify cell lines; for example Manning et al (3) established initial genetic
profiles for their panel of human malignant mesothelioma cell lines. All
cultures should be screened for Mycoplasma and other pathogens (2).
MESOTHELIOMA RADIATION THERAPY
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, treats cancer by using penetrating beams of high energy or streams of particles called radiation. In treating mesothelioma, radiation may be used aggressively in combination with surgery, or palliatively to control symptoms.
In an aggressive combined modality approach, radiation is used to attack microscopic or residual disease remaining in the chest cavity after extrapleural pnuemonectomy. An example of this is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which uses x-rays of varying intensities in conjunction with computer generated images to deliver targeted radiation directly to cancer cells while reducing the amount of radiation to surrounding healthy tissue. More on Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).
Used palliatively, radiation can help control metastases (spread) of the tumor along tracks left by invasive procedures such as thoracoscopy, needle biopsy and chest tube drainage, or to control disease symptoms, such as pain or shortness of breath.
An exciting new development in radiation oncology is tomotherapy. A brief description of steps in the helical tomotherapy process.
In an aggressive combined modality approach, radiation is used to attack microscopic or residual disease remaining in the chest cavity after extrapleural pnuemonectomy. An example of this is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which uses x-rays of varying intensities in conjunction with computer generated images to deliver targeted radiation directly to cancer cells while reducing the amount of radiation to surrounding healthy tissue. More on Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).
Used palliatively, radiation can help control metastases (spread) of the tumor along tracks left by invasive procedures such as thoracoscopy, needle biopsy and chest tube drainage, or to control disease symptoms, such as pain or shortness of breath.
An exciting new development in radiation oncology is tomotherapy. A brief description of steps in the helical tomotherapy process.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Mesothelioma Cancer - Overview
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells that lines many organs and body cavities. The mesothelium (composed of mesothelial cells) is the membrane that lines three of the body's cavities, and depending on what cavity it lines it is given a specific name: the thoracic cavity (pleura), abdominal cavity (peritoneum), and the heart sac (pericardium).
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that can develop in the mesothelium of the thoracic cavity in the lungs.
The mesothelium that covers the internal organs is called the visceral mesothelium, while the layer that covers the body wall is called parietal mesothelium.
Mesothelium tissue also surrounds the male internal reproductive organs and covers the internal reproductive organs in women.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of this mesothelium, in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide uncontrollably and without order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the thoracic cavity (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (peritoneum).
Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States, comprising around 3 percent of all cancer diagnoses. This cancer occurs more frequently in men than in women, about four times more frequent. All forms of mesothelioma, except for benign mesothelioma, are invariably fatal. The prognosis for mesothelioma is almost always poor and most studies report a median survival of less than one year, but the prognosis really depends on how early it is diagnosed and aggressively it is treated.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that can develop in the mesothelium of the thoracic cavity in the lungs.
The mesothelium that covers the internal organs is called the visceral mesothelium, while the layer that covers the body wall is called parietal mesothelium.
Mesothelium tissue also surrounds the male internal reproductive organs and covers the internal reproductive organs in women.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of this mesothelium, in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide uncontrollably and without order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the thoracic cavity (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (peritoneum).
Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States, comprising around 3 percent of all cancer diagnoses. This cancer occurs more frequently in men than in women, about four times more frequent. All forms of mesothelioma, except for benign mesothelioma, are invariably fatal. The prognosis for mesothelioma is almost always poor and most studies report a median survival of less than one year, but the prognosis really depends on how early it is diagnosed and aggressively it is treated.
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