Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer affecting the thin membranes that cover most of the body's organs. In the lungs and chest cavity, the pleural membrane is called as it is called in the abdomen peritoneum. The membrane surrounding the heart is called the pericardium.
Most cases of mesothelioma affects the lungs and is caused by exposure to asbestos or asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral and which was formerly used in various industrial products, including:
• thermal insulation
• Cement
• roofing (roofing cement)
• floors
• brake pad.
The people who made these products or working in certain industries, such as shipbuilding, have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma because of the fact that they may have inhaled or swallowed dust containing asbestos particles. If this dust was carried home on clothing for the family may also have been exposed to asbestos.
People exposed to asbestos for long periods or exposed to high levels of this substance are at increased risk of developing mesothelioma. But even people exposed to asbestos over a short period of time can develop this disease. Cigarette smoking and exposure to asbestos appear to further increase the risk of cancer.
Typically, the disease develops in 20 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos. People are usually aged between 50 and 70 years when it is performed and the diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer that affects a greater number of men than women, possibly due to it being more likely than men to have worked in industries that used asbestos.
Some cases of mesothelioma have been linked to other causes, including frequent exposure to radiological contrast used before 1960 to allow visualization of blood vessels in radiographs. In a small number of cases, the cause is unknown.
Treatment
Mesothelioma is difficult to treat and can easily spread to nearby organs. If the tumor has spread already, it is virtually impossible to remove it completely.
In addition to surgery, primarily mesothelioma is treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Surgery
Before surgery is considered, the overall health of the patient should be evaluated and exams for:
• confirm that the cancer has not spread to distant sites
• evaluate the functioning of the lungs and heart
• check for signs of lung injury secondary to smoking or other diseases.
These tests allow you to determine the risk of surgery, especially if you need to remove a lung (pneumonectomy).
Surgery for mesothelioma may target a long-term control of cancer (aggressive surgery) or relief of symptoms (palliative procedures).
The aggressive surgery involves removal of the pleura, the lung, the diaphragm and the pericardium. This complicated surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible, but not all medical centers perform this procedure because of its complexity. Furthermore, patients have an elevated risk of death within one month of surgery.
Surgeons perform surgery usually only aggressive in younger patients, with a good state of health and disease in the early stage. Patients are evaluated carefully to make sure they can tolerate surgery.
When mesothelioma is an advanced stage, palliative procedures can alleviate or control symptoms. For example, doctors can provide relief from pain and shortness of breath to drain fluid accumulated in the chest or abdomen and injecting agents (eg talc) in the pleural space to prevent fluid from accumulating again. If the disease is located in the abdomen, surgery usually aims to relieve the symptoms.
Radiotherapy
Physicians, in general, have great difficulty in administering radiation sufficient to destroy the tumor without adversely affecting nearby organs. Moreover, the use of lower doses of radiation may reduce the size of the tumor, but it is unclear if this helps people live longer than if untreated.
Radiation therapy after surgery showed no prolong survival but since it is unlikely that the entire surgery remove tumor, radiation therapy is often used in the hope destroy any tumor cells remaining. This treatment can also be used to provide symptom relief mesothelioma, including chest pain.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat cancer, most of these being administered intravenously. Chemotherapy can not cure mesothelioma, but some medications may be useful in some patients. The use of more than one drug in combination can improve the patient's response to treatment.
As with radiotherapy, chemotherapy can be administered after surgery in an attempt to eliminate cancer cells that could not be removed.
Clinical trials and treatments under investigation
New treatments for mesothelioma are currently being subjected to clinical trials. Clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of new treatments before they are widely used. However, the researchers did not start a clinical trial unless they believe that a treatment may have some value.
Some treatments for mesothelioma currently being studied include:
• Chemotherapy combined. Some associations of different chemotherapeutic drugs have been tried with mixed results.
• Chemotherapy intra-cavitary. The cytostatic drugs are introduced directly into the thorax or abdomen and, therefore, can be much higher doses to patients without causing serious side effects. Some studies have shown that this treatment could control the accumulation of fluid and reduce tumor size.
• Brachytherapy (intracavitary radiation therapy). In this treatment, a radioactive substance is introduced directly into the chest or abdomen.
• multimodal therapy. This type of treatment involves a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
• Therapeutic gene. A genetically engineered virus is introduced into the tumor by infecting cancer cells and makes them vulnerable to anti-cancer drugs.
• Immunotherapy. These treatments stimulate the patient's immune system to combat this cancer.
Prevention
To reduce the risk of mesothelioma, avoid contact with asbestos. Since there is no safe level of exposure, any asbestos exposure is excessive. Avoid smoking, especially if you have been exposed to asbestos.
Ask an expert to inspect your home to check for insulation containing asbestos and exposed areas where asbestos is deteriorating. This is particularly important in older homes, asbestos must be removed by professionals. Carefully evaluate the air quality to make sure it is safe to return to live in areas that previously contained asbestos.
Professionals who deal with asbestos-containing materials should use protective equipment to limit exposure and to avoid bringing asbestos dust home on clothing.