Tag Archives: treatment

Mesothelioma Diagnosis Treatment &amp Support Groups

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Posted by just better on December 15, 2008 – 12:43 pm
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Mesothelioma is an incurable and deadly form of cancer that has takes over 10,000 lives in the United States each year. Medical science has developed technology that prolongs the lives of those affected by this condition, but tragically a cure is still unavailable. Mesothelioma, like other forms of cancer, is our own body attacking us. Unhealthy cells mutate and continue to grow until they have destroyed all of the bodys healthy cells.

Any system or organ in the body can be attacked by cancer, and it usually isnt identified until its too late. Another lethal aspect of cancer is that cancerous cells tend to spread to healthy surrounding tissues, and travel through the lymphatic systems. This deadly combination of factors has made cancers like mesothelioma the single greatest threat to health around the world.

Mesothelioma is a particularly dangerous form of cancer because it takes decades between the exposures of asbestos before any cancerous symptoms are seen. Whats even more complicating is that once symptoms begin, therapeutic treatments are usually no longer effective as post-diagnosis survival rates usually range from four months to a year.

The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral used for centuries in insulation, clothing, and for fire-resistant materials. These small fibers are easily inhaled by anyone working with, or using these products. It wasnt until the 20th century that X-Rays and magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) revealed the damage caused by these microscopic fibers. Even during the beginning of the 21st century, medical science is still only starting to provide adequate treatment for mesothelioma.

Responsibility for this exposure is mostly due to the large amount of asbestos related materials, which is partly due to the negligence of the employers failing to not properly warn their employees and consumer market about the dangers of their products. For many years the asbestos industry concealed the potential dangers of their products fearing lawsuits and diminished demand would ruin their businesses. In time, this deception and negligence virtually destroyed their industry and nearly bankrupted several insurance companies responsible for protecting asbestos companies against potential lawsuits.

To learn more about mesothelioma treatment, mesothelioma medical help or finding mesothelioma support groups, please visit our website at http://www.emesotreatments.com This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay intact as hyperlinks.

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Mesothelioma Surgery

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Posted by just better on December 14, 2008 – 12:43 pm
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Mesothelioma is a rare, deadly form of cancer which can occur in a number of types. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, a group of natural fibres which are extremely dangerous if inhaled as fibres. When fibres are inhaled they become lodged in the alveoli of the lungs and over a period of time these fibres make tissue and cells abnormal and cause mesothelioma cancer. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma cancer, accounting for approximately 75% of all mesothelioma cases.

The next most common form, peritoneal mesothelioma, accounts for 20% of all mesothelioma cases and pericardial mesothelioma accounts for the remaining 5%. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs, peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdomen and pericardial mesothelioma affects the tissue surrounding the heart. All three of these types of cancer occur in extremely important areas of the human body and this is one of the reasons why it is so difficult to treat. Treatment methods such as radiation therapy can only be conducted with strict radiation dosage restrictions due to the possibility of damaging a vital organ such as the lungs or the heart.

Aggressive mesothelioma surgery is undertaken only by the strongest of mesothelioma patients because weaker patients are at risk of death within the first month after the operation. An experienced doctor will evaluate a patient before deciding that surgery is the best treatment method. He will take into account age, medical record, disabilities, allergies, sex, even weight. The operation will then take place. Mesothelioma surgery consists of cutting open a patient and removing the majority of cancerous cells from either the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart in an attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Due to the proximity of the cancer to major organs of the body, the operation can only be performed by extremely skilled surgeons. There is a chance that a patient will die during the operation.

A second type of mesothelioma surgery is called palliative procedures. This is a far less dangerous and aggressive form of surgery which does not attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Palliative procedures are designed to lessen the symptoms for a patient when it is almost certain that the patient will die inevitably from the cancer.

Mesothelioma surgery can also be coupled with radiation therapy and chemotherapy in what is known as dual therapy. Patients would undergo surgery to get rid of the majority of the cancerous mesothelioma cells and then chemotherapy and radiation therapy would be used to kill off any remaining cells. This combination of treatments has proved to be effective and has one of the highest success rates for treatments of mesothelioma cancer.

For more information on pericardial mesothelioma such as the risks, causes, symptoms and treatments go to:

http://www.pericardialmesothelioma.co.uk
http://www.pericardial-mesothelioma.co.uk
http://www.asbestos-resource.co.uk

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All Pericardial Mesothelioma Information FAQ

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Posted by just better on December 13, 2008 – 12:43 pm
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What is pericardial mesothelioma?

Pericardial mesothelioma is a serious heart condition which consists of cancerous cells building up on the lining of the heart. Similarly to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, this is a terminal illness due to the importance of the area on which it grows.

What causes pericardial mesothelioma and who are most at risk?

The primary cause of pericardial mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos dust and fibres. Therefore those at risk are those who are most likely to have inhaled these deadly fibres such as construction workers and asbestos manufacturers. Those in contact with these people also have a chance of getting pericardial mesothelioma because these people may have asbestos fibres stuck to their clothes or hair.

What are the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma?

The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma change from patient to patient. Usual symptoms include persistent coughing, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. Other symptoms patients may experience are nausea, weight loss, vomiting and loss of appetite.

What are the treatments available for pericardial mesothelioma?

There are various different treatments for pericardial mesothelioma although none of these have a high success rate. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, dual therapy and surgery are the treatment methods available. Chemotherapy includes using drugs to kill off cancerous cells and radiation therapy uses doses of radiation to kill cancer cells although this is difficult in the case of pericardial mesothelioma due to the surrounding vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Dual therapy is a treatment combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Surgery comes in two forms; aggressive surgery and palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery is a very difficult procedure and consists of removing large chunks of cancerous cells in an attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Palliative procedures just attempts to lessen the symptoms for the patient.

How much exposure to asbestos is needed for there to be a possibility of getting pericardial mesothelioma?

This depends on how strong and resistant the person is to disease and on the concentration of asbestos in the environment around him. It is possible to get pericardial mesothelioma from as little as a couple of months of exposure to asbestos although on average it would take a couple of years for enough asbestos fibres to build up to cause cancer.

What is the prognosis for pericardial mesothelioma?

This is highly dependent on how early and how aggressively the cancer is treated. If pericardial mesothelioma is treated when it has fully developed and matured then the chances of a patients survival is very small. The prognosis could be only a couple of months.

Is there any promising research into cures for pericardial mesothelioma?

Research into cures of pericardial mesothelioma and all other forms of mesothelioma is being done in numerous research labs all over the USA. Many pharmaceutical companies are also working hard to research new drugs for chemotherapy. So far, research has been mostly unsuccessful.

For more information on pericardial mesothelioma such as the risks, causes, symptoms and treatments go to:

http://www.pericardialmesothelioma.co.uk

http://www.pericardial-mesothelioma.co.uk

http://www.asbestos-resource.co.uk

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What To Expect From Your First Massage Therapy Visit

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Posted by just better on December 5, 2008 – 1:06 pm
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The first Massage Therapy experience should be a positive and empowering experience where you become more aware of your own body and begin to comprehend the significance of Muscular Health and how it impacts your life on a daily basis. Building trust and confidence in your Massage Therapist is vital to achieving the most benefit from Massage Therapy.

In Ontario, Massage Therapy is regulated under the Regulated Health Practitioners Act (RHPA) and is governed by the College Of Massage Therapists. The College of Massage Therapists exists for many reasons, not the least of which are to protect the public, increase public awareness about the benefits of Massage Therapy, serve its members, and promote the highest quality of practice of Massage Therapy. To be a member of the College of Massage Therapists, every Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) in Ontario must pass a standardized examination process in the form of a Board Exam, which tests treatment skills and general massage therapy knowledge. In order to write the Board Exam one must pass a Massage Therapy program with a minimum of 2200 hours class time and a Clinical rotation.

As a patient, you obviously need to choose a Massage Therapist that you feel comfortable with, similar to the way you would select a doctor - most likely by word-of-mouth or by location. Once you have chosen a Registered Massage Therapist, you need to call and book an appointment. When you arrive for your first scheduled visit, you will be asked to fill out a Health History Form. Your Massage Therapist will then review the form and initiate a question and answer period to evaluate the goals of your treatment. A Biomechanical Assessment is next where treatment Informed Consent is attained. Informed Consent basically consists of the massage therapist discussing the planned areas of treatment, proper method for lying on the table, proper draping technique, benefits/risks of massage treatment and answering all your questions with the goal of empowering you, the patient.

During the actual Massage Therapy treatment, the Massage Therapist will apply many kinds of soft tissue manipulations primarily through the use of manual techniques. Such treatment may involve use of the hand, thumb, fingers, palm, forearm, elbow and fist. The general approach for application of these techniques is based on the Swedish technique where a therapist will start with light pressure, then increase pressure, and end with light pressure on any given area of treatment. At no time during a Massage Therapy Treatment should one feel unwilling to express comfort levels or general feelings regarding the Massage Treatment.

After the treatment has finished, the Massage Therapist will leave the room allowing for the patient to get off the table and get dressed. A post-treatment question and answer period will begin where the Massage Therapist will prescribe a treatment plan, review the benefits/risks of the treatment and some remedial exercises for the patient to undergo to improve the area of treatment before the next appointment.

Massage Therapy should not be perceived as a luxury but as a fundamental element to achieving ones balance with mind and body.

Travis Rose has been a Registered Massage Therapist in Ottawa (Canada) since 1999. He focuses on patients with acute, subacute, and chronic muscular and joint pain affecting the back, neck, arms, hands, legs, hips/pelvis, chest, abdominals, and feet. He has experience treating patients with fibromyalgia.

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