Woman Suffers From Mesothelioma
Source: Fox News
Mesothelioma Doctor Discusses Mesothelioma Treatments
As a Matter of Law: Mesothelioma Doctor Discusses Mesothelioma Treatments and the Goal of Prolonging the Life of Patients Until a Mesothelioma Cure is Found
The guest for this video is Albert Miller, MD, involved with Pulmonary Medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine. He is an experienced cancer of the lung lining doctor who has taught, written and specialized in occupational cancer of the lung lining disease for many years. He first describes the questions that all patients diagnosed with mesothelioma first want to know: what is mesothelioma? He then describes certain mesothelioma treatments.
In discussing mesothelioma, Doctor Miller emphasizes that researchers are working hard to find a mesothelioma cure, but none has been found. The most common mesothelioma treatment is surgery. New approaches to relieving symptoms and prolonging the life of a mesothelioma victims are the main focus -- until a cancer of the lung lining cure can be found.
Cancer of the Lung Lining: Treatment
Treatment for Cancer of the Lung Lining depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.
• Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
• Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
• Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).
To relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving symptoms.
Cancer of the Lung Lining: Diagnosis
Diagnosing Cancer of the Lung Lining is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis starts with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful. A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.
A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of Cancer of the Lung Lining. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.
If the diagnosis is Cancer of the Lung Lining, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.
Cancer of the Lung Lining is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.
What is Asbestos?
The main reason of cancer of the lining is asbestos. Asbestos has been supplied and used commercially since the early 1800s. Its use really increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American people have been out in the open to asbestos. Initially, the risks connected with asbestos contact were not well-known. On the other hand, a bigger risk of developing cancer of the lining or mesothelioma was shortly found with shipyard employees, citizens who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, people in the heating and building industries, and other trade people. At present, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets restrictions for suitable levels of asbestos exposure in the place of work. People who work with asbestos carry personal protecting gear to lower their threat of exposure.
Cancer of the Lung Lining: Staging Using Tumor, Lymph node, Metastasis (TNM) system
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage I: Mesothelioma involves right or left pleura and may also have spread to the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side. Lymph nodes are not involved.
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage II: Mesothelioma has spread from the pleura on one side to nearby lymph nodes next to the lung on the same side. It may also have spread into the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side.
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage III: Mesothelioma is now in the chest wall, muscle, ribs, heart, esophagus, or other organs in the chest on the same side with or without spread to lymph nodes on the same side as the primary tumor.
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage IV: Mesothelioma has spread into the lymph nodes in the chest on the side opposite the primary tumor, extended to the pleura or lung on the opposite side, or directly extended into organs in the abdominal cavity or neck. Any distant metastases is included in this stage.
Cancer of the Lung Lining: Staging using Butchart system
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage I: Mesothelioma is near in the right or left pleura and may also involve the diaphragm on the same side.
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage II: Mesothelioma attack the chest wall or occupy the esophagus, heart, or pleura on both sides. Lymph nodes in the chest may also be involved.
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage III: Mesothelioma has go through the diaphragm into the lining of the abdominal cavity or peritoneum. Lymph nodes beyond those in the chest may also be involved.
Cancer of the Lung Lining Stage IV: There is evidence of metastasis or spread through the bloodstream to other organs.
Cancer of the Lung Lining, Who are at risk?
Lot of people is at risk for asbestos-exposure and eventually will get high possibility of developing Cancer of the lung lining. Work place is the number one atmosphere that exposes people in asbestos. Job environments like mining, factory, ship construction, and construction sites.
Moreover, workers in this kind of environment can b ring home asbestos through their clothes. This is known as second hand asbestos exposure, and is believed to be the direct cause of Cancer of the Lung Lining in none asbestos-exposed working zone.
Hundreds of products are containing asbestos fiber, below is a list of some of the asbestos-containing products.
Adhesives
Asphalt
Cement
Chalkboards
Decorative Plaster
Duct work Flexible
Fabric
Connections
Electrical Cloth
Elevator Equipment Panels
Fire Curtains
Fireproofing Materials
High-Temperature
Insulation
Textured Paints/Coatings
Thermal Paper Products
Vinyl Floor Tile
Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Vinyl Wall Coverings
Wallboard
Cancer of the Lung Lining, Asbestos is to Blame
Cancer of the lung lining is mainly caused by asbestos. Nowadays, asbestos is widely used in industrial companies. Commercial asbestos has been developed in early 1870’s in Quebec. By 1970’s asbestos was used for bricks, pipes, concrete, fireplace e cement, heat, fire, and acid resistant gaskets, pipe insulation, ceiling insulation, fireproof drywall, flooring, roofing, lawn furniture, and drywall compound. These are just the few products that have been incorporated with asbestos.
In 1990’s asbestos was used in replacement of ceramic, carbon, metallic, and other chemicals. By this information we can conclude that almost all the people are exposed with asbestos.
The first death because of asbestos was documented on 1900’s. It was a lung problem because of asbestos. The term mesothelioma was first used in 1931, also known now as Cancer of the Lung Lining.
In Australia, asbestos was widely used in construction and other industries between 1945 and 1980. From the 1970s there was increasing concern about the dangers of asbestos and its use was phased out. Mining ceased in 1983, the use of asbestos was phased out in 1989 and banned entirely in 2004. The dangers of asbestos are now well known in Australia and there is help and support for sufferers from mesothelioma or Cancer of the lung lining.
It is approximated that hundreds of thousands of people will die because of Cancer of lung lining if this information is not disseminated.
Cancer of the Lung Lining, Cause
Almost 90% percent of people who have Cancer of the Lung Lining have experienced working on a work place where they had breathed asbestos. Asbestos exposure takes place when asbestos particles are inhaled or ingested into the body and stocked up in organ tissues like pleura or mesothelium causing inflammation and eventually causes cancer of the lung lining. Asbestos is a fibrous substance that is widely used in industries, that later found to be a harmful substance especially to the lung lining.
Asbestos is also widely used in household environment even without being conscious about it. After knowing that asbestos is the main reason for Cancer of the Lung lining the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration institute the restriction of asbestos in some places on the year 1983.
Cancer of the Lung Lining, Signs and Symptoms
There is no unique symptom for Cancer of the Lung Lining. Two early symptoms of cancer of the lung lining are complaints of shortness of breath and just like any other cancer, complaints of pain. Amazingly pain in cancer of the lung lining is non-pleuritic. Non-pleuritic means, pain is not felt during deep breathing, unlike any other disease involving pleura.
As mesothelioma or cancer of the lung lining develops, additional signs and symptom may be present. Tuberculosis-like-symptoms may be observed like night sweats, decrease of appetite, weight loss, and night sweats. As tumor become enlarged a change of voice may occur, and decrease with the functions of the diaphragm.
Cancer of the lung lining may be asymptomatic; this is the reason why this disease is commonly diagnosed during the later stage.
Cancer of the Lung Lining, Introduction
Cancer of the Lung Lining is very different to lung cancer, in cancer of the lung lining the membrane that covers the lung also known as mesothelium is being evade by cancer cells. This membrane has two layers in the middle of these layer is a fluid; this membrane is the one responsible for smooth movement of the lungs, and will reduce friction with other organs of the body. This membrane is also known as pleura.
Prognosis for Cancer of the Lung Lining also known as Mesothelioma, just like other disease, depends on how early the disease was diagnosed and the aggressiveness of the treatment. Unfortunately, Cancer of the lung lining is commonly diagnosed at a stage that cure is very hard to attain. Many are giving up within one year after diagnosis.
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