Peritoneal Mesothelioma - Cancer in Abdominal Lining

There is a particular type of cancer that affects the abdominal lining called peritoneal mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos and asbestos products is
the source of this cancer. Because it is known to affect the lining of the abdomen called the peritoneal, there are issues related to how well the
abdomen is able to protect the organs in the region and how well it is lubricated which enables the organs to shift around and function correctly.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is occasionally known as diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma, which means that the cancer has expanded to surrounding
organs. This type of mesothelioma is given credit for approximately ten percent of mesothelioma and is the second most common form of asbestos
related mesothelioma. The most common form is called pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is notorious for having a long latency period where it is
silently growing but, not affecting health and functioning. In fact, more often than not, symptoms go decades before they become obvious and this
unfortunately means that the disease is in an advanced stage before the symptoms start to appear. Many times this delay in diagnosis negatively
impacts the prognosis for the patient. Sometimes there is an additional interval between symptoms and diagnosis because the first symptoms are so
non-specific and so much like other diseases and ailments. More than likely a physician is going to look for less serious causes for symptoms and then
by ruling these out, the peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis in ruled in. Because mesothelioma is rare, a doctor is not likely to think about it unless
somewhere in the medical history taking process there has been mention of working in a field associated with asbestos. Thus, it is imperative to inform
a doctor about all possible events that might have led to exposure to asbestos. As with all cancers, there are a variety of symptoms that are particular
to the disease, after the general nonspecific early symptoms evolve. The most common symptoms of this cancer are: abdominal pain, frailness or
weakness; loss of weight; nausea and vomiting; loss off appetite; abdominal swelling; and bowel obstruction. There can be a variety of additional
symptoms depending on the location of the tumor. These other symptoms can include: breathing difficulties and extreme pain. There is an assortment
of treatment options with more being developed and tested each day. Thus, the rate of mortality is getting less each year. Treatment options include
surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. When the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma is final, a physician or team will recommend options for
the patient. These options will be founded on variables like: the magnitude of the disease and its' stage of advancement; the general health condition
of the patient will be taken into consideration; the patient's medical history; and age. As mentioned earlier, there are a range of treatment options and
one of them is surgery. If surgery is the treatment of choice, the goal will be to focus on removing enough of the peritoneal lining and diseased tissue
from the abdomen so the tumor can be removed. The decision to conduct surgery is based on how far advanced the cancer is, how far it has
expanded, and the size of the tumor. How much tissue is to be removed will be determined by how much spreading has occurred. If the cancer has
spread to the diaphragm, parts of that may be removed as well as the tumor. Another form of treatment is radiation therapy which is a process of
targeting the part of the body where the tumor resides and trying to annihilate the cancer cells by blasting it with high energy x-rays. Radiation therapy
is typically delivered in one of two ways: externally or insertion. When external radiation is the course of treatment, a machine is aimed at the tumor
and radiation is emitted through the body at the tumor. When internal radiation is the course of treatment, plastic tubes carry the radiation to the
affected region of the body. It is also possible that a physician may also place drugs into the body through the inserted tubes. A final type of treatment
is chemotherapy which is a process of using a drug or combination of drugs to destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs, in the form of pills, are
taken by mouth. There may be times when chemotherapy is best delivered intravenously into a muscle or a vein with a needle. With this approach,
the cancer drug will penetrate the blood stream and permeate through the body.
About the Author
Tim Dillard is a marketing executive who has worked with some of the largest law firms in America. Dillard is currently the president of Dillard Local
Branding (http://www.dlbllc.com), a Houston-based web design, Internet marketing and search engine marketing firm.
Source: http://www.articopia.com

New Jersey Considers Mesothelioma Awareness Day

A resolution by the leader of the New Jersey Senate would designate Sept. 26 of each year as Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the Garden State. The resolution was introduced by Senate Leader Tom Kean to raise awareness of this deadly form of cancer.

Mesothelioma is a rare, incurable cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart. It kills about 3,000 Americans each year and is closely linked to breathing asbestos, a material widely used as insulation and in construction through the mid 1970s.

“We don’t have a cure or standard treatment yet for mesothelioma, so we need to learn more about this disease and spur the development of effective treatments,” Kean, a Republican, said in a statement issued Thursday by his office. “Our designation of each September 26th as “Mesothelioma Awareness Day” will help ensure that the public researchers and policy makers don’t forget about those suffering from this disease.”

Approved by the Senate in June, Kean’s resolution awaits consideration by the N.J. General Assembly. A number of communities have started to recognize the date.

While most people with mesothelioma were exposed repeatedly to asbestos, exposure to asbestos for as little as a month can result in a person developing the disease decades later, the resolution says. Kean noted that many firefighters, police officers and rescue workers were exposed to asbestos-contaminated dust at the World Trade Center site after the 9-11 attacks.

“Thousands of rescue and construction workers labored for months at Ground Zero in hazardous conditions,” Kean said. “We don’t know if those who worked at the World Trade Center site will develop mesothelioma, but we do know that we want to have effective treatments ready to help anyone who falls ill.”

Sheet Metal Production Linked to Mesothelioma

In the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, a new study was published showing that sheet metal workers have an increased risk of dying from mesothelioma. The study which involved 17,345 sheet metal workers confirms that workers with 20 or more years in the industry run a significantly higher risk of dying from the asbestos-related disease.

New York injury attorney, Joe Belluck, of Belluck & Fox, LLP states,"We have represented many sheet metal workers and it is clear, both anecdotally and now through scientific data, they have an increased risk of dying from mesothelioma." Belluck also went to add that it was not surprising that sheet metal workers would be at risk since their job involves using many asbestos-containing materials.

Belluck & Fox, LLP is a New York personal injury law firm that handles many types of work-related injury cases including mesothelioma. The firm has helped numerous victims and their families through their hard times battling mesothelioma.