Selasa, 26 Februari 2008

How Much Asbestos Exposure Causes Mesothelioma?

The dangers of exposure to asbestos dust are well documented with tens of thousands of people stricken ill with Mesothelioma, Asbestosis and related diseases. For many years, unsuspecting homeowners and workers worked with and lived around free, friable asbestos without with no knowledge of the dangerous and often deadly harm that breathing in even relatively small amounts of asbestos dust could do. A frequently asked question then among many that believe that they had at least some exposure to asbestos dust is just how much asbestos exposure will cause you to get sick or even worse cause cancer?

The first thing to know about asbestos exposure is that ill effects from this exposure have a long latency period. It is not unusual for someone exposed to asbestos to not develop mesothelioma for 25-40 years after exposure. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the Mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's protective organs. Asbestos fibers that are breathed in become lodged in the linings of the lungs and eventually cause the cells to mutate and become cancerous. About 70-80% of Mesothelioma cases are estimated to be caused by various degrees of asbestos exposure.

The amount of exposure that causes disease in people is up for debate. While there are many cases of factory or other workers that have had heavy exposure to free, friable exposure for many years developing disease, there are also cases where exposure has been as short as several months or just a few weeks. Intensity of exposure is most likely as relevant as length of time. If you think you were exposed to asbestos dust it is a good idea to write down as much as can be remembered as to length of time, intensity, where and how you were exposed. Frequently asbestos litigation can be pursued if you can prove you worked in an industry or work setting or lived in an environment where there was exposed friable asbestos that affected you.

One of the reasons it is so important to document as much as possible how much asbestos exposure you might have had is because the disease of Mesothelioma is notoriously hard to detect and quite often is mistaken for other cancers. It is important to detect the initial signs of asbestos disease both to receive early treatment as well as to clearly identify the cause for possible litigation later. The two primary types of Mesothelioma are Pleural (chest) and Peritoneal (abdominal). In Pleural a lung's membrane will thicken a fluid will collect. Both of these cause difficulty in the contractions of the lungs and make breathing difficult. In Peritoneal similar symptoms appear but around the abdominal region leading to fluid accumulation and pain in the area.

It is unknown how many people have died from Mesothelioma that might have been mis-diagnosed with another type of cancer. Therefore it is important to educate youself on the differences and causes of each. One place to get great information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure is www.AsbestosLA.com. There you can read lots of articles and get great links for further information.

Minggu, 24 Februari 2008

Everithing About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is normally caused by asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is cancer that occurs in the mesothelium.

Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer affecting the cells of mesothelial lining in the chest and abdomen. Mesothelioma cancer can develop in the tissues covering the lungs or the abdomen. Mesothelioma has also been found in the stomach and other abdominal organs but it is much rarer in those areas than are both pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma. Mesothelioma can also occur in the ovaries and scrotum. Mesothelioma invades the chest wall or the esophagus during the second stage.Mesothelioma also takes a long time to develop (typically 15-40 years), so patients today could have been exposed prior to the 1980s when asbestos was not highly regulated. Mesothelioma is not caused by smoking, as lung cancer so often is.

Symptoms:
Symptoms One of the most common symptoms of mesothelioma is an accumulation of fluid between the lining of the lung and the chest cavity. Symptoms include:abdominal painascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen a mass in the abdomen problems with bowel function weight loss. Symptoms such as trouble swallowing, pain, or swelling of the neck and face can be indications that the cancer has spread beyond the mesotheliom to other parts of the body. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include persistent pain in the chest and severe difficulty breathing caused by pleural effusion, or an accumulation of fluid in the pleural lining Cough, weight loss, and fever are also common symptoms. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.

Diagnosis:
The key to long-term survival from treatment of mesothelioma is early diagnosis, which enables the greatest potential for success from standard therapies. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure. Diagnosis of Mesothelioma is based on a pathological exam, more commonly referred to as a biopsy.Since this disease can be hard to diagnosis and costly to treat, it may require the consultation of an experienced attorney. When conclusive diagnosis cannot be made from fluid samples, diagnosis is often made through a surgical procedure called a throrascopy.The average age at diagnosis of mesothelioma is between 50 and 70 years old, with men being affected three to five times more often than women. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. The median survival time is 17 months, with ten percent of patients living for three years after diagnosis.

Conclusion:
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer which is fairly rare although in the last few decades the number of people who have died from it have dramatically increased. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, but the deadliest one of all. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer and only affects between 2,000 and 3,000 people in the United States per year. Mesothelioma is less common in African Americans than in white Americans. Mesothelioma is rare in people under age 55. National Cancer Institute stats show that 3000 new diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is reported each year. Mesothelioma is not always fatal and that is the hope to hold on to.