Tag Archives: mesothelioma symptoms

Meso Cancer

REVIEW: WHAT IS MESOTHELIOMA?

MESOTHELIOMA: What is it?

Mesothelioma is a rare kind of malignant cancer that arises from the cells, lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type usually creating symptoms within the chest space. Peritoneal mesothelioma is not common which affects the organs within the abdomen with symptoms that are associated with this body space including abdominal swelling, nausea, vomiting, and bowel obstruction. The rarest form of mesothelioma cancer is pericardial mesothelioma which involves the sac surrounding the guts.  Based on the shape of the mesothelioma cells, the specific type of mesothelioma can be diagnosed.  There are three kinds of mesothelioma cells:  epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic.mesothelioma-symptoms

MESOTHELIOMA: What Are The Causes?

Exposure to asbestos particles is the primary cause for mesothelioma cancer.  A person can get exposed by inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers, which usually become airborne when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed as in broken for removal.  When microscopic fibers are inhaled, they’ll become lodged within the lining of the lungs and these stuck fibers fester for 15-40 years until they become recognized as pleural mesothelioma.  When asbestos is ingested, the fibers will become lodged within the lining of the abdomen and eventually cause  peritoneal mesothelioma.

MESOTHELIOMA: What Are The Symptoms?

The symptoms for mesothelioma cancer vary depending on the type and the cancer’s location.   Because the various forms of the cancer are similarity, several symptoms are common and overlapping. Many patients with mesothelioma will experience shortness of breath and general fatigue.  Additionally, acute pain can occur within the chest for patients with pleural and pericardial mesothelioma, and within the abdominal region for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma.

MESOTHELIOMA: What Are The Treatments?

There are several kinds of treatment for patients with malignant mesothelioma, and sometimes they are used in combinations of two or a lot of of those are combined within the course of treatment.

  • Surgery: a pleurectomy is the surgical removal of part of the chest or abdomen lining and some of the tissues around it.  Sometimes when the mesothelioma cancer has consumed too much tissue, a lung may also be removed in an operation known as a pneumonectomy.
  • Radiation Therapy: using high-dose X-rays or alternative high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Two types of radiation therapy include: external radiation where a machine outside the body is used, and internal radiation using radioisotopes where putting materials that turn out radiation through skinny tubes inserted into the body space where the cancer cells are located.
  • Chemotherapy:  using chemotherapeutic agents as medication to fight the cancer.  These drugs are administered in one of two ways; 1)systemically through the bloodstream or 2)intrapleurally in the pleural cavity.  When it’s administered intrapleurally, the treatment is localized at the location of the tumor. Some of these medication are very toxic, so you must discuss their use thoroughly with your doctor.
  • Clinical Trials of new treatments, some non-chemotherapy.

To learn more about mesothelioma cure research and discuss clinical trial options with Dr. Gill.

Related Mesothelioma Articles

Meso Cancer, Meso Causes, Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Aggressive Mesothelioma Cancer: Some Characteristics

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer currently without a cure. Exposure to free-floating asbestos dust particles is the primary cause for getting this disease.  Generally, no amount of asbestos exposure is considered safe, and the disease almost always develops in persons that have had extensive, recurring exposure.   Once the exposure has taken hold with asbestos particles stuck in the lining of the lung(s), the detection of mesothelioma cancer may take 20 to 50 years.  The type of asbestos, fiber particle size as well as the duration of recurring exposure are decisive in the development of the mesothelioma cancer.  Today, asbestos is banned in most countries from all industries, particularly the construction industry, which only a few decades ago used it in many building materials.  Asbestos is still being consumed and used by lesser developed nations, and some nations like Canada still mine the ore and ship it to these user nations.

Mesothelioma is frequently mistaken as a lung cancer, which it is not, simply because it affects the thoracic cavity (pleura) most often as well as other thin membranes that cover the body’s organs.

Body organ membranes where mesothelioma can also develop include the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum);  the fibroserous sac which encloses the heart (the pericardium); and the serous membrane that covers the testis and epididymis (the tunica vaginalis).

Generally, symptoms of having mesothelioma include: a cough, husky voice, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, difficult swallowing, chest pain, abdominal swelling with pain, fatigue, anemia, loss of appetite, weight loss, fluid in the chest or abdomen, lack of sleep, and other characteristics.  Obviously, to diagnose mesothelioma is challenging and to connect the symptoms with the cancer because so many of its symptoms are easily mistaken for more common diseases that are not life threatening such as flu, pneumonia or bronchitis.

So, there are three main types of mesothelioma cancers:

  • malignant pleural mesothelioma
  • malignant pericardial mesothelioma
  • malignant peritoneal mesothelioma

And less common types of this disease include:

  • testicular mesothelioma
  • epithelial mesothelioma
  • biphasic mesothelioma
  • cystic mesothelioma
  • liver mesothelioma
  • brain mesothelioma
  • papillary mesothelioma
  • adenocarcinoma mesothelioma
  • sarcomatoid mesothelioma
  • desmoplastic mesothelioma

There are several primary options for the treatment of mesothelioma cancer:

  • mesothelioma surgery
  • mesothelioma chemotherapy
  • mesothelioma radiation

These treatments can be combined for a best-results treatment.  During surgery, the cancer cells are removed and post-surgery mesothelioma doctors usually use radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Treating mesothelioma cancer with these methods will give the patients a possible extension of five years to their lives. Additional treatments used by mesothelioma doctors are anti-angiogenesis drugs, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and intraoperative photodynamic therapy.

Special research and clinical trials are being conducted by the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America on a cure for mesothelioma with good results on the early Phase I and Phase II trials.  This work is done as a collaborative effort for a mesothelioma cancer patient by a team of general practitioners, epidemiologists, pathologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation therapists, oncologists, rehabilitation specialists and psychotherapists.

Contact a mesothelioma doctor in your area with the help of our support staff.

Find out more about mesothelioma victims.

Stories & News

New Test of the Blood Can Help Diagnose Mesothelioma Cancer Sooner


Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.  It strikes about 2,500 people in the U.S. each year.  But its rarity – and its tendency to mimic other lung-related diseases – can make mesothelioma hard to diagnose.  In recent years, some mesothelioma centers have begun evaluating the DNA composition of suspected mesothelioma cells using a test called a DNA array.

Now, a group of researchers in California reports that a different type of evaluation – one that looks for abnormal sugars (glycans) in blood serum – may offer another diagnostic option for mesothelioma.  Anti-glycan antibodies are produced by the immune system in response to certain malignancies and viral diseases.  This unique cancer diagnostic approach uses a printed glycan array (PGA) test, similar to a DNA array, to measure the binding of these anti-glycan antibodies and compare them with the glycans on the array.

In this pilot study of the PGA biomarker test, researchers evaluated samples of blood serum from 50 patients with malignant mesothelioma and from 65 patients who had been exposed to asbestos but had no mesothelioma symptoms. Researchers hope the PGA biomarker tests will help with early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of mesothelioma as well as help identify new therapeutic targets.

The study conducted by the Department of Computer Science at San Diego State University and funded by the National Cancer Institute, lays out the procedures for data preprocessing, quality control, data analysis, evaluation and visualization of the new PGA biomarker platform.  The PGA array was developed in collaboration with researchers at NYU Cancer Center and in Russia.

The current biochemical tests for diagnosing mesothelioma include immunohistocehmistry (IHC).  These IHC tests look for specific antibodies such as CEA, calretinin, cytokeratin 5/6, thrombomodulin, and N-cadherin.  The advantage of the anti-glycan tests over the IHC tests is that the former can be performed on blood serum while the latter require mesothelioma tumor cells.

 

Contact and ask Dr. Gill about this test and other questions about mesothelioma, as well as chances of being part of a clinical trial for a cure: ASK DR. GILL here

Sources:
Vuskovic, MI et al, “Processing and analysis of serum antibody binding signals from Printed Glycan Arrays for diagnostic and prognostic applications”, 2011, International Journal of Bioinformatics Research and Applications, 7(4), pp. 402-26.
“Printed Glycan Array for Lung Cancer Detection”, NYU Cancer Institute Website.
Meso Facts

Mesothelioma: Basic Facts and the Need for Medical and Legal Assistance

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you must seek immediate treatment and legal advice. Mesothelioma victims and their families may be entitled to the best medical attention and financial compensation. Seek the best doctors and medical facilities, and get a qualified mesothelioma lawyer who will advise upon the best course of action for possible lawsuit and litigation.

Who is at risk for developing Mesothelioma?

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) set limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. An increased risk for developing mesothelioma was found amount people who work in asbestos mines and mills, shipyards, workers in the heating and construction industries, automobile mechanics, and other trades people. People who knowingly work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk to exposure. In other cases, companies are negligent and don’t provide protective measures.

Symptoms and Treatment of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The symptoms of mesothelioma may take years to appear. Some common symptoms of mesothelioma are: excessive fatigue, acute pain in the abdominal region and chest area, and shortness of breath.

Standard treatment of mesothelioma include: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery or a combination of treatment and medications. These mesothelioma treatments are very expensive but with a knowledgeable mesothelioma lawyer by your side, you should not have to worry about paying your medical bills.

A Few Facts about Mesothelioma

The symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear for decades after exposure. You may have recently developed asbestos cancer from a job you left decades ago. The average survival term after diagnosis with mesothelioma is twelve to eighteen months. The courts in most states are generally reasonable; they know the urgency of mesothelioma lawsuit and often will help expedite it. In the U.S., about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed annually. What should I do after being diagnosed with mesothelioma?

Once you are diagnosed with mesothelioma and receiving the proper care and treatment by a professional medical team, you should immediately seek legal advice and counsel from a knowledgeable mesothelioma lawyer who has experience in such cases. Your mesothelioma diagnosis will require medical and legal advice, which is where a qualified mesothelioma lawyer can help you. A qualified mesothelioma lawyer will be able to tell you everything you need to know about your legal rights and the amount of compensation to expect. Mesothelioma lawyers have the expertise in settling mesothelioma cases. You deserve the best treatment both medically and legally, so seek the best medical attention and the aid of a qualified mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible.

Stories & News

How To Improve Your Mesothelioma Survival Rate: Mesothelioma Symptoms Caught Early Gets Mesothelioma Prognosis And Treatments

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

A patient with this cancer typically demonstrates mesothelioma symptoms between 15 and 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Unfortunately, the cancer can take decades to develop and symptoms do not arise until after the cancer is present. So many patients are unaware of the severity of their condition because mesothelioma symptoms often resemble those of less serious illnesses.

Mesothelioma symptoms rarely arise at an early stage, which is why the disease is commonly diagnosed at a late stage of development.  Anyone who has been exposed to asbestos should undergo chest X-rays or pulmonary function tests to check for signs of asbestos inhalation.

Defeating Mesothelioma – There Is Cause For Hope

Continue reading How To Improve Your Mesothelioma Survival Rate: Mesothelioma Symptoms Caught Early Gets Mesothelioma Prognosis And Treatments →

Stories & News

Jim Kellogg – potent political force, fundraising legend, one who cares for the worker with mesothelioma symptoms.

Jim Kellogg is a master fundraiser and continues to be the character that defines the political landscape in California among plumbers, pipe-fitters, refrigeration and fire sprinkler organizations.  Jim began many years ago as an apprentice welder working through his local labor union and rose to become the youngest business agent for the union at age 32.  He is a Contra Costa native and is renowned for his skill to sustain the style of old-school handshake politics within California’s political inner circle.  Within the labor politics of California, Jim Kellogg is a serious shaker and mover.  At age 67, Jim’s fundraising skills remain legendary.  He says he gets his popularity among politicians because he is good at raising money!

Jim Kellogg - Contra Costa Central Labor
James W. Kellogg: master fundraiser for mesothelioma treatment

Mr. Kellogg, being tall and sturdy with a folksy manner that feels comfortable and familiar, interacts with white-collar and blue-collar workers equally well.  He simply fits in well because Jim does business on the basis of friendship and loyalty.  The suspicious and confrontational style he observes among contemporary labor leaders is foreign to him.  Jim says: “People don’t do business on a handshake anymore.  Now they have attorneys in the room.”

Instead, Jim Kellogg has leveraged and used his integrity and credibility to earn people’s trust. And by these characteristics, he has been very successful at caring for and serving to the needs of members in California’s labor unions for welders, plumbers, steam and pipe-fitters, and HVAC service technicians. Furthermore, if you’d like to learn more about Advantage Heating & Cooling, you can read this article for further insight.

Jim has devoted his entire adult life to helping workers in the construction trades, doing whatever possible to provide the best working environment and conditions that the particular times would bear for the people he represents.  Mr. Kellogg also works hard to provide care for people who come down with work related illness.  Specifically, some welders, plumbers, steam and pipe-fitters and HVAC service technicians develop mesothelioma because they worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.  He is very concerned for workers who have symptoms of Asbestosis.

Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the lungs caused by the inhalation and retention of asbestos fibers.  Workers with asbestosis have a significant increase of risk to get mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs.   Jim Kellogg knows that this is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. These cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body.

About 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year, many of these patients being welders, plumbers, steam and pipe-fitters, and HVAC service technicians. Some plumbers, during thermostatic mixing valve maintenance, work with older pipes and insulation materials that may contain asbestos, a known risk factor for mesothelioma.

In direct response to this situation upon the people he cares so much about, Jim has collaborated with Jerry Neil Paul who founded the not-for-profit Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America.   The foundation was created in 2001 specifically to raise funds with the help of Jim Kellogg to pay for research that is leading to the quickest cure for mesothelioma.  Before the foundation and its research began, this cancer disease had few mesothelioma treatment options, and none provided a cure nor retarded the processes of body health destruction.

But Jim has helped provide the needed money to promote the Foundation’s research for a cure with his well developed business network within California’s construction trade labor unions and his skill to fund raise.  With Jim Kellogg’s support, two successful phases of clinical trials have been completed on Dr. Parkash Gill’s work with Veglin.  Today, the future looks more hopeful for additional improved treatment options available to those workers stricken by malignant mesothelioma cancer.

Using the volunteered expertise of Mr. Kellogg, much has been learned about how to bring mesothelioma treatments to labor union workers.  He continues to volunteer as a strong supporter of education and promotes mesothelioma help to union workers.  For example, the Foundation is very thankful that the Southern California Pipe Trades (SCPT), a part of Jim Kellogg’s business network, continues to make a significant effort to support the research helping to find a cure.  The SCPT donated $410,000.00 in December 2010 to help us prepare for the Phase III Clinical Trials of our research with Veglin that will launch sometime in 2011.  The research team is now ready to launch into the final and critical Phase III trials which will begin when the whole budget, required to cover the 2011 national research project, is obtained.

We all are thankful and applaud the great charitable work of James W. Kellogg.  The world is a better place for everyone because Jim has chosen to make it his life-time career serving and caring for laborers with great generosity, a firm hand-shake, and reliable integrity.

Meso Facts

How to prepare for your doctor visit to learn the most about Mesothelioma

It does not matter what you are seeing a doctor about, it could be your Mesothelioma or maybe something else, there are some things you can do to obtain the most information and benefit from your visit.

When you go to visit a doctor,  always have your part of the medical information ready. This would include a list of all medications you take, a history list of your medical problems, and identify the surgeries you may have had.   Always bring your copies of your health records including lab tests, x-ray films or scans if you have them; bring it all.  Sometimes, your visit to the doctor could become a meeting with many doctors, so with your help and records they can have more to know.

Tell your doctor if you know you have been exposed to Asbestos!

Before your appointment, prepare a list of questions for the doctor.  As these occur to you, write them down.  Do not be fearful of asking the Doctor these questions.  Bring a family member or close friend to the meeting with you if it will help you feel more at ease when asking questions.  Having another pair of ears to hear the Doctor’s reply to each question can also help you remember what was said.

When you are not certain about explanations, ask for more information or where you can get additional details.  Many times there are brochures provided freely with detailed simple explanations to help with understanding.  Some medical facilities also have educators that can help you.

Regarding information about Mesothelioma, lung cancer, and much more about contracting this deadly disease from asbestos exposure, you will find a wealth of answers at the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America web site.

Here are some questions to get you started in making your list.  Also, review the reference links below to find more question examples:

  • What should I do if I need help after hours when the doctor’s business office is closed?
  • After hours, who do I need to contact and how?
  • Do I have all my prescriptions before leaving the doctor’s office?
    Should I make another appointment to visit again?  What date?
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Meso Facts

The Symptoms of having Mesothelioma

Kinds of Mesothelioma Symptoms

There is a latent period between when a person comes in contact with asbestos and the onset of mesothelioma cancer.  After a latency period of 15 to 40 or more years after initial exposure to asbestos, a patient will typically demonstrates symptoms mesothelioma.  So mesothelioma can take decades to develop with the symptoms not arising until after the cancer has set in. Because mesothelioma has symptoms that resemble many less serious illnesses a lot of  patients go unaware to how sever the disease is in their body.

Continue reading The Symptoms of having Mesothelioma →