Mesothelioma Information
Guide
All About Mesothelioma Cancer Symptoms & Causes!
According to research at the The National Cancer Institute,
malignant mesothelioma, a somewhat rare form of cancer,
is a serious disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are
found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura) or abdomen
(the peritoneum).
Most people with malignant
mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed
asbestos, thus becoming an asbestos victim!
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.
What are Common Health Effects of
Asbestos Fibres?
Asbestos dust and asbestots fibers are microscopic and float
in the air for extended time periods when asbestos is disturbed.
If microscopic asbestos fibres are inhaled, they tend to easily
get trapped in organs, especially the lungs. Asbestos fibers
have been are associated with a number of deadly cancers,
including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma,
larynx cancer (cancer of the voice box), esophagus cancer
and surprisingly colon cancer too, as well as asbestosis which
is an extremely serious lung disease.
How Effective is Mesothelioma Treatment
and its Curability?
Unfortunately, most asbestos exposure related diseases are
incurable with too few good treatment options available. The
dismal curability rate is a major reason for approval and
implementation of the new "asbestos victims compensation
fund"
Exactly How Common is Mesothelioma?
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the
past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer.
More than 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma lung cancer are
diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs
more often in men than in women and risk increases with
age, but this disease can appear in either men or women
and at any age.
How Many Asbestos Related Deaths
are Attributable to Mesothelioma?
Roughly 21,000 asbestos related deaths are estimated to occur
each year. Some time ago the US Government made a prediction
that more than 5-million Americans ultimately may die of cancer
and other diseases caused by asbestos exposure. That amazing
death toll originates from a common and widely used material.
Unfortuantely, evidence exists the Johns-Mansville Corporation,
the largest manufacturer of asbestos products, and other asbestos
manufacturers were well aware as long ago as 70-years that
asbestos fiber was a hazard to humans but failed to take steps
to limit asbestos exposure or make public its extreme danger.
What are the Causes of Mesothelioma?
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma.
A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about
70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma
has been reported in some individuals without any known
exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is the word used to identify a group of minerals
occurring naturally as groups of strong, flexible fibers
that can also be separated into threads and finely woven,
even making cloth-like material. Asbestos has been widely
used in a wide number of industries, consumer and commercial
products, including cement, car, truck and airplane brake
linings, roof shingles, commercial
floor tile and other flooring products, misc fire resistant
products, textiles, cloth, residential home and commercial
building weather insulation.
If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially
during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or
swallowed, and can result in serious long-term health problems.
In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases
the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a non-cancerous, chronic
lung ailment), and other forms of cancers, such as those
of the larynx and even kidneys.
Cigarette smoking does not seem to to increase the risk
of getting mesothelioma. However, medical research indicates
the combination of smoking combined with asbestos exposure
significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer
of the lung air passageways.
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