Mesothelioma Treatment

Archive for the ‘Malignant Mesothelioma’ Category

Peritoneal mesothelioma, also known as cancer of the peritoneum, the tissue is cancer of the abdominal lining. Symptoms may include: stomach pain, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, hernia, fluid in the abdominal cavity or a mass in the abdomen.

One of the ways doctors diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma is observed within the abdominal cavity with an instrument called a peritoneoscope. In this procedure, a cut is made through the abdominal wall and the device is inserted into the abdomen. This test, called peritoneoscopy is performed, usually in the hospital.

Some patients develop an excess of fluid in the abdomen. This is called an effusion. The doctor may take a sample of fluid to diagnose if there is peritoneal mesothelioma. The fluid in the abdomen also may be drained to relieve the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma. This fluid drainage procedure called “paracentesis.”

Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers most internal organs (mesothelium). The mesothelium has two layers of specialized cells called mesothelial cells.

Doctors divide mesothelioma into different types depending on the part of the mesothelium is affected. Mesothelioma occurs more frequently in the tissue surrounding the lungs (pleura). Other common sites include the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) and the lining of the heart (pericardium).

Pleural mesothelioma
tissue coating (or coating) of the lungs called the pleura. Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in the pleura. This is known as pleural mesothelioma. Read the rest of this entry »

Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer is a disease in which cells are cancerous (malignant) in the sac lining the chest (the pleura) or lining the abdomen (the peritoneum). Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked in places where they breathed asbestos breathing. You should see a doctor if shortness of breath, pain in the chest or pain or swelling in the abdomen. If you have symptoms, your doctor may send you to do a chest or abdomen. The doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope. To do this, make an opening through the chest wall and install the thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. This test, called thoracoscopy, is usually performed in a hospital. Before the test, be given a local anesthetic (a drug that causes loss of feeling for a short period of time). You may feel some pressure, but usually no pain.

The doctor may also look inside the abdomen (peritoneoscopy) with a special device called peritoneoscope, which is inserted into an opening in the abdomen. Usually, this test is also performed in the hospital. You will receive a local anesthetic before conducting the test. If abnormal tissue is found, the doctor will have to take a small piece to be submitted for analysis under a microscope to determine the presence of cancer cells.

This process is called a biopsy. Biopsies are usually done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy. Your chances of recovery (prognosis) depends on the size of the cancer, its location, how far it has spread, how the cells look under a microscope, how the cancer responds to treatment and patient’s age. Stages of malignant mesothelioma Once malignant mesothelioma is found, more tests will be made ??to determine if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This procedure is called staging. The doctor needs to know the stage when the cancer to plan treatment.

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history before the examination. Usually medical examinations are necessary because the most common symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath could be due to other causes. These tests include an electrocardiogram (ECG), an abdominal radiograph or chest, according to their symptoms and physical examination. If these tests show any abnormalities in the lungs and pleura, need to be a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These imaging studies allow the physician to determine the size and location of any tumor in the chest or abdomen.

If you have fluid in your chest or abdomen, may be necessary to use a thin needle to remove a small sample of fluid and examine it. This procedure, called fine needle aspiration, also may be used to drain fluid and relieve the symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath. Occasionally, mesothelioma can be diagnosed only with a sample of fluid, however, usually also take a tissue sample (biopsy). The tissue sample can be obtained by a procedure called thoracoscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT) for a pleural tumor, or a procedure called laparoscopy for abdominal tumor. In both interventions, it inserts a tube-like instrument through a small cut that allows the physician to view the tumor and collect a tissue sample. You may also need to perform a procedure called bronchoscopy or mediastinoscopy for the doctor to detect tumor masses in the airway caused by other tumors, or may remove tissue samples of lymph nodes.

It also conducts blood tests for scientific research that could be associated with mesothelioma, and can aid in the diagnosis and treatment response. These are known as osteopontin and mesothelin and are available as part of clinical studies.

Once your doctor to be sure that you have malignant mesothelioma, the next step is to determine the level of tumor spread, which is classified into one of the four stages. This is done with imaging studies such as CT and MRI. In stage I, the tumor is confined to the pleural lining one side of the chest with no signs of having spread. If the disease returns after being treated successfully, is called recurrent mesothelioma.

Stage I also is called localized disease, whereas stages II, III and IV are called advanced disease.

Other risk factors

* Exposure to asbestos, a fibrous mineral used as insulation in homes and buildings, also increases the risk of lung cancer. In houses, this material is not dangerous as they are not broken or handled in the open air, which may be the case during the renovations.
* Wood stoves, if they are not waterproof, are sources of fine particles in the air of homes, particularly dust and ashes. Wood smoke contains over 7,000 toxic substances. NB In its natural form, talc may contain asbestos. However, Canadian law requires, since 1973, as consumer products containing talc (body powders, face and baby) are free of asbestos.
* Being frequently exposed to air pollution. The air pollution is responsible for 5% of all deaths from cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lungs. The particles from burning coal, oil, natural gas and the incineration of garbage are damage. The problem is especially crucial in countries poorer and densely populated, particularly in Asia, but relates to some degree, all major cities.

* Having a diet low in fruits and vegetables. Twenty studies (cohort or case-control) on eating habits show a slightly reduced risk among consumers of fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene (sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, spinach and other green vegetables dark, winter squash, etc..). In general, consumption of fruit and vegetables exert a protective effect in people exposed to smoke tobacco.

Epidemiological studies indicate that consumed in supplement form (at a dose of 20 mg or more per day), beta-carotene slightly increases the risk of lung cancer and mortality among smokers. It is not known if this negative effect persists when the beta-carotene is used in combination with other carotenoids in supplements.

Potential risk factors

* Smoking marijuana. For now, the data tend to show that marijuana does not increase the risk of lung cancer. Smoke marijuana, or cannabis, although exempting nicotine, contains several carcinogens found in tobacco smoke. Researchers believe that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) present in cannabis smoke’s effect. Marijuana smoke is often inhaled deeply and held longer in the lungs. Some data suggest that marijuana may cause oral cancer.
* Smoking the hookah (pipe eastern water pipe, hookah). The data are currently insufficient to determine the impact of this practice on the risk of lung cancer. The amount of tobacco smoke hookah is much lower than that found in cigarettes.Smoking the hookah is a tradition in North Africa and the Middle East. The smoker draws through a long pipe, smoke flavored tobacco. Although filtered water, smoke contain certain amounts of nicotine, carbon monoxide and other harmful substances.