Why Can Home Renovation Be Dangerous?

Prior to 1978 when the Federal government declared asbestos dangerous to people’s health and passed laws forbidding the building industry from using it or products made of asbestos, most homes that were built, contained at least some asbestos and some homes contained asbestos from top to bottom throughout the house.

Because it was cheap and held up well asbestos was used in roofing, ceiling tile, Insulation, around hot water pipes, in floor tiles, in patching compounds and paints and even in stovetop pads.

While products that are in good shape and show no signs of damage offer little in the way of danger, once asbestos products show signs of wear and tear then the fibers take to the air where they can breathed in by anyone in the house.

Breathing in, or swallowing asbestos fibers can lead to a number of health complications including mesothelioma, which is a rare and deadly type of cancer from which there is little hope of recovering. Asbestos fibers that are inhaled today may not seem to affect the body for 30 or 40 years meaning that if you have children in your home they could be affected by those asbestos fibers long after you are gone.

If there are any asbestos products in your home, even if they are in excellent shape now, renovations could disturb the products allowing asbestos fibers to fill your home and cause a serious health risk to anyone who lives or visits.

While these renovations may make your home more functional and more aesthetically pleasing it could be like signing a death warrant for you and your family unless the asbestos material is removed properly.

How Do I Know If I Have A Potential Asbestos Problem In My Home

The only way to know if there is a present or potential danger of asbestos fibers in your home is to have your home tested for asbestos before renovations take place and then have the problem asbestos removed by professionals and the home tested again before starting in on those renovation plans.

The only way you can have asbestos tests performed is by a laboratory that can determine if there are asbestos fibers in insulation, ceiling and floor tiles, or anything else you may want removed. Some homes may only need to have a few samples tested while other homes may need literally dozens of different samples tested depending on how large a renovation project you plan, how old your house is and what is going to be done during the renovation.

Keep in mind, that there may already be some asbestos fibers present from previous owners who may have done some of their own renovations. While many states now demand that an asbestos test be done before selling a home, that wasn’t always the case so you may have already been living with a problem that needs to be rectified as soon as possible.

How Do I Go About Having My Home Tested For Asbestos?

The best way to have your home tested for asbestos is by a certified and trained professional. Your local health department or EPA should be able to give you a list of professionals in your area that can take samples safely for asbestos testing.

Make sure you ask to see some written proof that the professional you hire to do testing has been trained to safely take samples and work with asbestos. This will at least give some indication that he will follow safety guidelines to help protect your family from exposure while getting the samples.

There will usually be three parts to the testing process or gathering of samples. The first part of the process will be the visual test. During the visual test, the professional will check your home for any signs of broken tiles, torn insulation or other products that may have asbestos used in them. If he finds anything that might alert him to danger, he will clean the area well to avoid possible exposure to either your family or himself before continuing the visual inspection.

Air sampling

The next step in the process is called an air sampling. This means that the professional will turn on a fan to stir the air to see what blows around and if it looks like there may be anything that poses an immediate danger he will again clean the area to protect everyone concerned from possible danger.

Once these two steps are completed, he will then take samples from the area or areas in which you plan to renovate and send these samples off to the lab. Having your home tested for asbestos could take some time and could be very expensive.

Estimates from various places have estimates running around $1,500.00 to $5000.00 and occasionally more. While this seems a steep price to pay, it is far less than would be incurred in medical bills should the unthinkable happen and a small price to pay to make sure your family is protected from asbestos exposure.

I Heard There Were Asbestos Testing Kits Available That Can Save You Money

There are asbestos kits available for people wanting to perform these tests themselves and they will save you money. Many are approved for Do It Yourself use by the EPA. However, keep in mind that getting samples to send to a lab will expose you to possible asbestos fibers and that these samples will be taken from tiles and insulation that may not pose a threat now but will once you have taken the samples.

If you have no training on how to seal these products or how to protect your family from exposure once these samples are taken, the risk may simply not be worth it.

Taking the risk of using a kit may be worth it however, in cases where you might not have the money for a professional test and you have reason to believe that your family may already have faced asbestos exposure due to damage to materials that may contain asbestos and the age of your house.

In cases such as this, taking a sample from already compromised material should not increase their risk of exposure anymore than they may already have. If you do decide to use an asbestos testing kit then make sure you follow all the directions carefully to limit your family’s exposure as much as possible.

What Happens After The Tests Are Completed

Once the tests are completed, you will get a report from the laboratory telling you whether your family is being exposed to asbestos now or if they will be should you decide to do your renovations. If there is a risk then you will need to have the dangerous asbestos containing material removed by a professional asbestos removal contractor.

Some firms often have a package deal for testing, assessment and correction. When having the asbestos containing material removed make sure that the contractor doing the job is trained and certified and that his insurance policy carries asbestos removal coverage.

Funding For Asbestos Clean Up May Be Available

Since Asbestos is consider such a health risk some states offer financial help with asbestos cleanup. This funding usually comes in the form of a grant and your EPA should be able to tell you if such funding is available and if so how to apply for funding. If funding is not available in your state, talk to someone at the EPA and perhaps the asbestos removal contractor and see if there are payment plans or other options that may be available.

If all else fails and the renovations are not completely necessary, for the health or safety of your family you may choose to forgo the renovations until you can afford to have the asbestos containing material removed safely. Deciding a little inconvenience, or a less attractive house is worth your family’s safety may simply be a decision you will need to make.

Just to let you know, apricot kernels taste awful.

What is Laetrile

In order to understand whether vitamin B17 will work for mesothelioma, you need to know what it is. The name varies, often the vitamin is called laetrile but in reality, it is not officially a vitamin but amygdalin, a substance that occurs naturally in peaches, almonds, apricots and other fruits and fruit seeds.

Laetrile is manmade. Both the manmade version and the naturally occurring version are sometimes promoted as cancer treatment and because of that, could potentially be used for mesothelioma.

While there is a wide variety of information that shows that laetrile doesn’t work, there are also blocks of information that claims it does. At this writing, there is no scientific study on laetrile but there are anecdotal stories on it’s natural partner, the seeds of almonds and apples, working.

Benzaldehyde and Hydrogen Cyanide

The seeds of the fruit contain amygdalin. Proponents site the fact that B17′s molecular structure contains two parts sugar in the form of glucose, one part benzaldehyde and on part hydrogen cyanide, the toxin used in gas chambers.

The hydrogen cyanide is inactive until it meets with the body’s enzyme beta-glucosidase. Every human has this throughout their body but it’s present in large quantities in cancer cells. This means that the hydrogen cyanide releases in more abundance at that area. Upon releasing the hydrogen cyanide, B17 also releases sugar and benzaldehyde, another toxic material. Hypothetically, this kills the cancer cells by introducing them to both toxins at the same time.

According to the hypothesis, healthy cells receive no damage for two reasons.

The first theory

The first is the lower amount of beta-glucosidase, the enzyme that triggers the reaction. The second reason is another enzyme called rhodanese that has the ability to break down the two substances, benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanine.

According to the logic, the healthy cells have a much larger ratio of rhodanese to beta-glucosidase than the cancer cells, thus any free cyanide or benzaldehyde turns to non-toxic substances thiocyanate and salicylate. The latter is similar in composition to aspirin.

According to the proponents, cancer cells have no rhodanese to change the composition and protect them from the benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. The reaction to the two substances by healthy and cancerous cells leaves healthy cells unharmed and cancer cells damaged or dead.

The second theory

The second theory on why laetrile works is the trophoblast theory. A hormone given off when people have a serious injury, are pregnant or have cancer is CGH. The theory is that toxins, in the form of free radicals,  damage the body’s cells, and create a condition that makes the body continue in a healing mode, creating high amount of trophoblast cells just waiting to multiply and heal.

The pancreas ceases the activities of these cells when the body no longer needs them by producing an enzyme that stops them from reproducing rapidly. As you expose your body to more and more toxins or the materials necessary for the pancreas to produce the enzyme isn’t available, these cells continue to multiply rapidly and form tumors.

According to the theory, the missing ingredient is B17 found in millet, mong beans and of course the seed of the apple or apricot. This missing ingredient is necessary for the pancreas to produce the secretion to stop the trophoblast reproduction cycle. The increased sugar consumption and carbohydrates in the diet puts a strain on the pancreas and even when the addition of B17 is in the diet, if there’s too much sugar it there’s a high strain on the pancreas rendering it ineffective.

Some studies confirm the role that diet plays in cancer. A 2004 study on 1,866 Mexico City women showed that the higher the carbohydrate consumption, the higher the risk for breast cancer, regardless of whether the women were premenopausal or postmenopausal.

Other indicators of a link between sugar and cancer came from the knowledge that cancer increased after sugar cane became popular and that diabetics with deficient pancreatic activity tend to have three times more probability of cancer than those who don’t have diabetes.

According to the trophoblast theory, eliminating foods high on the glycemic index could help prevent cancer and relieve much of the burden on the pancreas. The trophoblast theory also states that exposure to a toxin doesn’t start the cancer immediately. The repeated exposures cause the problems.  After a number of exposures and healing processes, at some point, the pancreas doesn’t function well and a tumor begins.

Laetrile stops the trophoblast healing cells. However, even proponents of the trophoblast theory state that once the tumor reaches a specific size, even Laetrile cannot deal with it. However, they believe it’s a powerful preventive and useful for controlling the migration of cancer to other parts of the body and small groups of cells. This also coincides with the theory that cancer comes from a vitamin B17 deficiency.

Does it work or not?

Proponents of the theory claim that the big pharmaceutical companies bribed the FDA to make Laetrile illegal. This is not as incredible as it sounds. Many research projects fail to give all the information or are slanted in one or another direction by the process used. For instance, the placebo used in testing new drugs on the market may actually cause an adverse reaction in the subjects taking them, thus making the “miracle drug” being tested look as though it works.

For instance, AIDS victims tend to be lactose intolerant. The placebo for one study used to test the effectiveness of an AIDS treatment used lactose for the placebo. It’s no wonder the drug showed improvement where the placebo didn’t.

However, regardless of whether the drug companies played a part in keeping Laetrile off the market in the US or not, patients can find the substance in natural form almost anywhere. Simply removing the pit of an apricot, juicing whole apples or eating mong beans can provide B17. This is far safer and far less costly than taking a trip to Mexico and receiving injections with unknown amounts of B17 mixed with other substances. It also is far safer.

Your diet

If you follow the logic of B17, then you’ll also follow the logic of adjusting your diet to exclude processed foods, sugars and other foods high on glycemic index. Including a few apple or apricot seeds in your diet cannot harm you and potentially can bring relief. While there is no magic number before toxicity occurs, most people that consume the seeds of apricots believe that between five and twenty a day at varying intervals helps. They find they have nausea and dizziness if they take too much.

Juicing whole apples and consuming the drink also is another aid. Increasing the papain and bromalene enzymes can also be of help by including papayas and pineapple in your juicing regimen.

While some Laetrile therapists also give B15, another “unofficial” vitamin, it also comes as part of the package when you consume apricot kernels.

The type of cancer with which you are diagnosed depends on the specific body cavity that it is affected. The two most common types of mesothelioma affect the heart (pleural) and the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneal).

Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer that is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos, although some other genetic factors may affect whether you contract the disease or not. Those most affected by mesothelioma include asbestos miners and factory workers, construction workers and shipyard workers.

Today, roughly 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are reported annually in the United States. Though direct contact and inhalation of asbestos has been found to be the primary cause of mesothelioma for those diagnosed, individuals can also contract the disease through second-hand exposure.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Prognosis

Individuals with mesothelioma often first report to their doctors with chest pain, which is the most common presenting sign of the disease. Chest pain results from pleural effusion, which is basically the buildup of fluid in the space that surrounds the lungs. Sometimes, the chest pain symptom is often misinterpreted and often first diagnosed as a form of pneumonia.

However, other symptoms include shortness of breath, weight loss, chronic cough, abdominal pain, bowel obstructions and lower red blood cell counts. The malignant cancer can be confirmed through a biopsy, at which time the doctor can discuss the patient’s prognosis.

The treatment for mesothelioma depends on which stage the cancer is in and the doctor will make the best choice as to what is appropriate. However, because mesothelioma is hardly ever diagnosed early on, survival rates are not good. Approximately 38% of patients survive beyond a year after the first diagnosis, 18% after the second year. There is only a 5% survival rate after five years of being diagnosed with the malignant cancer.

Treatment Options

Several different types of treatment options exist for individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma and new treatments are being developed as you read this. To increase your survival rate if you have been diagnosed, you must avail yourself of all the options your doctor gives you in addition to participating in clinical trials that show promising results.

For some patients, the doctor will perform diagnostic surgery to determine where the mesothelioma has spread. In addition, curative surgery can be performed with the goal of removing the majority of the tumors and cancerous cells. After the curative surgery, most doctors will follow-up with chemotherapy or radiation to get rid of any cells or mesothelioma tumors still present.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has been used to treat mesothelioma with the use of anti-cancer drugs just as other types of cancers are treated. New drugs are continually being studied and developed for chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma, one of which is Alimta. Alimta is the only FDA-approved chemotherapy drug to fight malignant cases of pleural mesothelioma. It is traditionally used in conjunction with cisplatin, another agent used to treat non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-Chemotherapy Drugs

Other non-chemotherapy drugs have been shown to have positive results in clinical trials for mesothelioma. A class of drugs called anti-angiogenesis drugs are still relatively new and being studied at research centers, including the University of Southern California and the Yale Cancer Medical Center.

The main goal of anti-angiogenesis drugs is to prevent the angiogenesis process, which is the process that forms new blood vessels from pre-existing ones. Preventing this process cuts off tumors’ oxygen and nutrient supplies necessary for replicating. Two such drugs being studied and used in treatment for mesothelioma patients include PXD101 and Veglin.

New Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

A new form of radiation, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy or IMRT, can be used to treat mesothelioma tumors and cancer cells. Compared with traditional radiation that poses a risk to nearby healthy cells and tissue, IMRT reduces this risk. This type of radiation therapy limits the amount of radiation that is sent to healthy tissue and is effective in treating localized mesothelioma tumors.

Immunotherapy

Mesothelioma patients may also be treated with immunotherapy procedures. This treatment basically manipulates the immune system with biological response modifiers, or BRMs. These substances, which include interferons, interleukins, cancer vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies, fight mesothelioma cells by essentially boosting the immune system.

Mesothelioma Survivors

Indeed, the immune system has been shown to be a positive link in relation to eventually curing or improving mesothelioma in patients. Studies that have looked at mesothelioma survivors have found that immunology treatments on patients–or treatments that involve some other immune system therapy or enhancement–are common among those who do survive or are cured from mesothelioma.

For example, Paul Kraus and Rhio O’Connor are two known survivors of mesothelioma. Paul Kraus was diagnosed with the malignant cancer in 1997 and, upon diagnosis, become determined to do everything he could to beat the disease. Since then, he’s added many vitamins and supplements to his diet, has become a vegetarian and used ozone therapy.

Rhio O’Connor, on the other hand, has published a book about his battle with mesothelioma. After consulting with physician upon physician, he developed a regimen that includes nearly 100 supplements per day, changed his diet and practices mind-body medicine, such as meditation and similar practices.

Since there is no known or official cure for malignant mesothelioma, you must consult with doctors, get second opinions, and research the best opportunities and clinical trials available. Getting proactive about the disease and following in the footsteps of other survivors, such as Paul Kraus and Rhio O’Connor, may help lead you to new discoveries or to find a treatment that works for you.

The prognosis for mesothelioma may be bleak, but many opportunities exist for patients to try new drugs, treatments and, hopefully, eventually obtain a cure.

Typically the cancer will spread to the lymph nodes and to other areas and will compromise the body systems, sometimes in as little as 8 months time from the time that the cancer is found. As with any other type of cancer, mesothelioma, having been linked to asbestos use or cleaning, is a more rare form, but just as deadly. Lung cancer, also like other cancers offers a much better chance of survival if the cancer is detected in the early stages.

Lung cancer survivors are more common when the cancer is found in the first stage, are somewhat less likely to occur if the cancer is stage two when it is found and treatment takes place. Likewise, your odds of being a five year lung cancer survivor diminish for each stage that the cancer has achieved without your knowledge and treatment.

Typically cancer treatment is begun as soon as lung cancer is suspected and confirmed. An oncology, or cancer treatment team, will begin to devise the best course of treatment for you and to plot a course though your disease process to give you the best chance of survival.

Many factors will affect your means of treatment and the rate of survival. These can include factors such as other health conditions, the means to accept the treatments that can sometimes be difficult to take, and your own physical condition prior to beginning treatment.

While all of those factors are important when speaking to those who are five year cancer survivors, when you ask what factor they credit with their own survival, many will tell you that it was their own strong will and the help and encouragement of friends and family.

Those lung cancer survivors who have passed their five year time span, have beat the odds at lung cancer, typically say that there is nothing which proved so helpful to them as the ability to speak with others who had survived, their own hope, and the power of positive thinking during the entire cancer treatment process.

Amazingly, this is true of the most difficult to treat cancers, which are sometimes defeated despite amazing odds to the contrary. Physicians too will speak on the power of the patient to literally will their own life and health in ways that are quite difficult to explain.

The lung cancer survivors most common answer when asked why they survived was that they simply refused to permit themselves to give up. Most of them offer some sound advice regarding this. If you do not let it enter your mind for a single moment that you can’t win the fight, then you have every chance to defeat your cancer and to become a lung cancer survivor.

It is only when one refuses to believe that it is possible, accepts every defeatist who tells them that its not possible to win against this type of a disease, that all hope is completely lost. Those who believe that they can defeat an enemy may not be able to do so, but if you do not believe that it’s possible then you stand no chance at all.

Of course those who have lung cancer and all other types of cancer and become cancer survivors do depend on a great deal more than simply positive thinking. Oncology teams and other types of treatments are offered such as lung resections, removals, alkaloid treatments and many other methods, including radiation in order to help to shrink the tumors and to eradicate the cancer cells which are already in their body.

These treatments too offer sound medical assistance to those who are cancer victims, but most of the cancer sufferers, while crediting good medicine and good medical care, say that a holistic effect is necessary in order to really envision yourself as a lung cancer survivor.

Those who are surviving from lung cancer say a few other things that make our conversation a moot point. They don’t believe that anyone is a “victim” of cancer. Cancer is one of the most prolific diseases of our time. It renders people ill and it renders them in pain, but most lung cancer survivors state that cancer does not make you a victim. You must think of yourself in every way as a cancer survivor in order to become one.:

 Give yourself every chance to be a cancer survivor. Keep track of your body and know what it should be doing. Watch for symptoms of this dreadful disease and get regular health checkups Above all else, if you should find that you are in the situation of being afflcted with cancer, start as you mean to go on. See yourself as a lung cancer survivor, not as a victim.

That designation alone, in your mind will make all the difference in the world.

One treatment for Mesothelioma that is hotly contested is lung removal. While many doctors feel that Pneumonectomy, removal of the lung or extra pleural pneumonectomy may help relieve some of the symptoms of Mesothelioma and prolong life, others feel these surgeries are far too invasive and offer little hope for the patient.

What Is Pneumonectomy and Extra Pleural Pneumonectomy?

Pneumonectomy and extra Pleural Pneumonectomy are both forms of lung removal surgery. Pneumonectomy consists of the complete removal of the affected lung while extra plural pneumonectomy consists of the removal of the diseased lung, a portion of the membrane covering the heart, part of the diaphragm and the patrietal pleura or the membrane lining the chest cavity.

Although Pneumonectomy has fewer risks and is somewhat the less invasive of the two surgeries it is often ineffective as removing just the affected lung has less chance of slowing the cancer growth than does extra Pleural Pneumonectomy. However, in order for extra Pleural Pneumonectomy to be effective it needs to be done in the earlier stages of this cancer.

The risks of extra Pleural Pneumonectomy are enormous with 5 to 10% of the patients unable to survive this surgery. Because of the risk in surviving the surgery itself and the complications that can occur after surgery many physicians who treat Mesothelioma feel that the surgery does not offer enough benefits to be considered a viable treatment.

Those physicians who disagree site the fact that when the surgery is successful that patients have increased survival rate of 3 to 4 years.

Considerations Prior to Lung Removal Surgery

The truth is though this type of surgery is hotly debated, most patients suffering from Mesothelioma may not even be viable candidates for surgery. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that oftentimes Mesothelioma has already begun to affect both lungs by the time it is diagnosed and treatment is started.

There are several other things that those treating patients with Mesothelioma have to consider before lung removal surgery can even be performed. These considerations include:

    *      Overall health of the patient. In many cases age and other illnesses as well as declining overall health makes consideration of lung removal surgery impossible. Those patients who can most benefit from this type of surgery are usually young and are generally in good health other than the cancer. The sooner Mesothelioma is diagnosed the more appealing this option may be.

    *      Whether or not there is Mastitis or spreading to distant sites of the Mesothelioma. If the Mesothelioms has already spread to sites where removing a lung offers little or no hope for prolonging life then surgery will not be considered.

    *      Evaluation of a Patients lung and heart function. If the remaining lung and the heart are not strong they will be unable to withstand the surgery or the long period of recovery. Neither will the remaining lung be in condition to do both it’s job and the job of the lung that is to be removed. Since removing a lung means addition stress on the remaining lung, it needs to be in good shape in order for the patient to survive.

    *      How the patient himself feels about surgery. Patients suffering from Mesothelioma know that there is little chance of surviving this type of cancer in the long run. While some patients may decide that prolonging their life by a few years may give medical science a chance to find a cure other patients simply don’t want to prolong their own suffering.

Since lung removal surgery for Mesothelioma patients is so risky and requires a long recovery time, the patients mind set and attitude going into the surgery will have a lot to do with the surgery’s success. If a patient does not want to undergo such invasive surgery the best the physician can do is offer alternatives to the patient.

Lung removal surgery is never an easy process. For patients suffering from Mesothelioma the surgery offers more than the standard risks and complications. For those patients who do qualify for this type of surgery and decide to have it despite the risks, continued and ongoing support by family members and friends can make a huge difference in the patients chances for survival.

It is only natural that you feel awkward and unsure of what to say that will bring any real comfort to the families of those suffering this terrible disease. However, there are things you can say that will help the family get the practical help they need to see them through the rough days, weeks and months ahead.

Remember, their main concern is going to be for their husband, wife or parent who is suffering and they just may need someone to help guide them and urge them to get the help they need. You may well be in a position to be of real service to those you love and ease their burden in some small way. Here are a few things you will need to take the time to talk to your loved one about, that can provide them with valuable help.

Urge Them to Get Support

The first thing you can do is urge the person with mesothelioma and their family members to join a support group to help them deal and talk about the disease. These groups are vital in helping to understand the progressiveness of the disease, the treatments that are available and giving the people most affected by the disease a place to go and talk with people who can share their pain and truly understand what they are going through.

Even if the person suffering from the mesothelioma itself is too weak or discouraged to go, encourage other members of the family to attend these support groups. They are going to need an outlet for their pain in the days ahead and by joining one of these groups they can get both emotional support and gain needed information to help them deal with the disease.

Talk To Them About Getting Financial Help

Mesothelioma is an expensive condition that can literally milk a family’s finances dry. It is important to talk to your loved one about getting financial help as soon as possible to help pay the medical bills and relieve at least one worry the family doesn’t need at this critical time. There are several ways a family with a loved one can get financial help either through the government or by suing the employer where the patient was exposed to the asbestos. Contacting the government or an attorney to explore your options and find out what financial help is available will help ease the burden on the family.

Most mesothelioma support groups can give you the names of agencies or attorneys that can help your loved one get the financial support they may need. In cases, where someone has lost a loved one to this dreaded disease family members may be able to get compensation for loss of income and the pain and suffering their loved one faced during their lifetime.

Encourage Them to Not Give Up

Although there is little hope for a cure right now new medicines are being tested everyday in a effort to find something that will treat and possibly cure Mesothelioma. While you don’t want to give your loved ones false hope you do want to encourage them not to give up and remind them that as tough as things are, fighting to the end just might buy time for a cure to be found.

Just Let Them Know You Will Be There For Them

Just telling the family members that you will be there for them and meaning it will help to ease some of their burden. Offer to run errands or make phone calls or sit by in the hospital room while they take a much needed break. Telling them how much you care, and giving them practical helpful advice is the best thing you can say to help them through this most difficult time.

Many patients find themselves wondering why if there is little chance of a positive outcome from such treatments should they undergo these treatments and want to know if there are alternative treatments available that may help them deal with the symptoms of this terrible cancer.

The answer is that there are treatments available that patients suffering from Mesothelioma can try and medical research is striving to come up with even more less invasive and more effective treatments all the time. While some of these treatments have the blessings of the medical establishments others do not.

Patients suffering from mesothelioma need to research these alternatives extensively and speak with their medical professional as well as family members before deciding which course of treatment might be right for them. Here are a few alternative treatments that other suffers of Mesothelioma have used with varying degrees of success.

Anti-angiogensis drugs

Anti angiogensis drugs are drugs that like chemotherapy work to shrink and treat the tumors caused by your Mesothelioma. However, unlike chemotherapy these drugs only work to treat the tumors themselves while not harming other healthy cells in the body resulting in less drastic side effects for the patient.

Cancer cells as they grow and reproduce manufacture their own blood cells to supply the tumor and to help it to grow. Anti angiogensis drugs stops the tumors from creating these new blood cells thus robbing the tumors of their source of food. By doing this it is hoped that these drugs can shrink existing tumors and stop new tumors from growing.

Anti angiogensis are still mostly in the clinical trial stage so those patients wishing to try these drugs as an alternative to chemotherapy may have to find a hospital in which these clinical studies are being done and become part of the clinical trials themselves.

Immunotherapy

Immunotheraphy is another alternative to chemotherapy that is showing some promise for Mesothelioma patients. This therapy uses the bodies own immune system which has some natural ability to fight against cancer cells to aid in the fight against this deadly form of cancer. The theory behind immunotherapy is that by strengthening and enhances the bodies immune system the body can better fight against this dreaded disease.

Some of the things this treatment is trying to do is help the immune system strengthen it’s own cancer fighting cells while making the cancer cells themselves more susceptible to destruction, blocking the process that turns normal cells to cancer cells and prevent cancer cells from spreading to other sites in the body.

Strengthening the immune system may have the added advantage of improving the patients overall health thereby making the entire body stronger and more resistant to other diseases. This will allow the patient the strength to deal better with the Mesothelioma itself.

Other Alternatives

There are many other alternatives that are considered holistic in nature that patients who are suffering from mesothelioma are turning to either in conjunction with traditional treatment or as treatments by themselves. These treatments include such things as herbal and nutritional supplements, which can aid in strengthening the immune system as well as give the patient a more positive outlook which may help to fight the disease.

Acupuncture has also been used quite successfully in the effort to relieve some of the pain caused by this cancer. Massage therapy too has proven to help relieve some of the pain and relax the patient making them feel better able to fight this cancer. Other patients have turned to aromatherapy both as a means to fight the pain of this cancer and as a mood enhancer. Some patients also use aromatherapy in it’s original healing sense to help treat disease itself.

There is still so much that is unknown about Mesothelioma and how to treat this type of cancer. The one thing that is important to remember is that you are the one suffering from this disease and the choice of how to treat it should be up to you.

Any kind of cancer is undesirable, to say the least. Cancer is difficult for the both the person who is diagnosed, and the family to overcome. Even so, some types of cancer have a better overall prognosis than others. Mesothelioma, with a low survival rate, is not one of them.

Many Deaths Avoidable

What makes this particular form of cancer even more difficult to come to terms with is that most, if not all of the cases diagnosed from about 1970 on, and many who have yet to be diagnosed could (and should) have been prevented.  I arrived at this estimated time frame by taking the year 1940, by which it was widely known, in the manufacturing world, that asbestos was dangerous, and then adding time for mesothelioma to have manifested in someone if he or she was exposed to asbestos in 1940.

Manifestation after exposure may occur in less than thirty years, but thirty seems to be about the average. Very seldom does a person develop it in less than a fifteen year period after the first exposure to asbestos, and the latency period can even exceed fifty years.

It is very clear however that by the 1920′s people were recognizing the danger that asbestos posed. In 1924 a British doctor coined the name “asbestosis” as the cause of death for a patient, and the first lawsuits filed against manufacturers of asbestos are on record as being filed in 1929.

So, I believe that it is more than fair to say that by 1940; manufacturers knew that asbestos could kill. But that did not stop them from selling it or using it in buildings and ships, and it didn’t stop millions of workers from being exposed to asbestos dust.

Even today, people in many parts of the world are being exposed to asbestos. However use of it has been banned in Europe and Australia, and the United States has placed heavy restrictions on its use. Although many feel it is not enough.

About Mesothelioma and its Symptoms

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and shields many organs in the body. Mesothelioma is a cancer that manifests in that protective lining. It is nearly always related to exposure to asbestos.

Pleura (Lung) Mesothelioma

There are four kinds of mesothelioma. The most common form is pleura mesothelioma which affects the outer lining protecting the lungs (the pleura), and the chest wall. This type accounts for about 75% of mesothelioma.

 Asbestos dust usually enters the body through inhalation, so it stands to reason that the lungs would be the organ most affected.

Two of the symptoms of pleura mesothelioma are chest pain and shortness of breath, which are often caused by fluid trapped between the wall of the chest and the lung(s). Other symptoms include coughing and/or coughing up blood, hoarseness, wheezing, anemia, and fatigue.

Further complications include tumors, the possibility of a collapsed lung(s), and the potential of the cancer to spread to other organs.

Peritoneum (Abdominal) Mesothelioma

Peritoneum mesothelioma accounts for between ten and twenty percent of mesothelioma cases. The peritoneum is the lining found in the abdominal cavity.

The cancer forms tumors in the abdomen but they may go undiscovered ,due to the absence of symptoms, until late in the progression of the disease. This may be a big reason that treatment has not been highly successful.

Once symptoms appear, they include weight loss, abdominal pain, fluid in the abdomen, and bowel problems. This type of mesothelioma is caused by coughing up, and then swallowing, asbestos fibers. This form of the disease can spread many other areas of the body as well.

Pericardial (Heart) Mesothelioma

The protective sac around the heart is called the pericardium. Pericardial Mesothelioma is the form of mesothelioma that begins in the cells of this tissue. This type of mesothelioma is thought to account for as little as one to two percent of mesothelioma cases.

The symptoms can often be relieved by removing the pericardium, although this will not usually cure the disease or prevent it from spreading.

Like Pleura mesothelioma, symptoms include breathing difficulty or abnormal breathing, and coughing. This mesothelioma, however, includes irregular heartbeat, clinically referred to as arrhythmia.

Mesothelioma of the (Scrotum) Tunica Vaginalis

While conducting my research of mesothelioma, this was the only one that kind of threw me, concerning the interpretation of the name. Now, I’m no Latin expert, but when I saw the name-for some reason-I initially assumed that this type of mesothelioma affected women. I could not have been more wrong.

It turns out that the Tunica Vaginalis is actually a fluid membrane which surrounds the testes inside the male scrotum. During fetal development before the sex organs are formed there is an outgrowth of the abdominal lining (peritoneum) that forms in both of the sexes. In males, it eventually closes around the testes once they have formed. In females, it closes on itself and eventually disappears when the ovaries descend.

This is by far the rarest of the mesothelioma types, and I was not able to uncover a lot of information about symptoms or treatment.

Treatment

Sadly, there has not been a great deal of success in treating mesothelioma. Surgery alone does not usually result in a significant remission of the cancer. A combination of surgery and chemotherapy has had limited success in prolonging the life of the patient.

One of the most encouraging studies indicated that if a patient was otherwise healthy and the mesothelioma was discovered early, tri-modality therapy, a mix involving surgery to remove tumors, radiation, and chemotherapy-could extend survival up to 14 years.

The average length of time for most studies of this kind, however, was only about 15 months, with less than 30 percent surviving a full two years.

Coping

Emotionally, coping with mesothelioma requires a great deal of support for both the patient and the family.

One of the best things you can do is allow yourself and your loved ones to express the sadness, fear, and anger that you are all undoubtedly feeling. A professional grief counselor is highly recommended for everyone affected.

There are also support groups for many types of  cancer patients, and for families of cancer patients. Take advantage of these.

Prepare a living will, and make sure that your family and your doctor know what your medical treatment decisions are ahead of time, while you are still able to speak for yourself.

And while I’m usually not a big fan of litigation, in this case, if  you believe that a company or an individual was negligent and is liable for knowingly exposing you to asbestos, without your knowledge, and/or without taking proper precautionary measures, I believe that you and your family deserve to be compensated.

A settlement can help you get better medical treatment, pay off debts and medical bills, cover your funeral costs, and help take care of the people you love after you are gone.

My family has been touched by mesothelioma. God bless every one of you affected by this tragedy.

New Mesothelioma Test – Showing Effectiveness For Pleural Mesothelioma Patients

Mesothelioma is an asbestos related cancer caused by exposure to asbestos over a long period of time. Symptoms for mesothelioma may not become apparent for decades after the initial exposure to asbestos. Thus it is usually not detected until the late stages after serious side effects begin to present themselves.

What Are Some Of The Diagnosis Of Pleural Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma in general is extremely difficult to diagnose since symptoms do not appear for a long time after initial asbestos exposure occurs. And in most cases pleural mesothelioma is often mistaken for influenza or pneumonia or other more common disease making it extremely difficult to diagnose and treat.

What Are The Symptoms Of Pleural Mesothelioma?

The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are very non-specific which makes it very difficult to diagnose at an early stage and treat appropriately. Other symptoms may not appear for decades after exposure to asbestos. Some of the symptoms include:

* Abdominal swelling
* Anemia
* Acute pain in the abdominal region and chest area
* Coughing up blood
* Difficulty swallowing
* Fatigue
* Shortness of breath
* Persistent dry cough
* Weight loss

What Is This New Test?

A new gene ratio test to help predict which pleural mesothelioma patients will benefit from multiple modes of therapy and surgical procedure was developed by researchers at the Birgham and Womens Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. This test has shown to be effective in predicting postsurgical outcome in pleural mesothelioma patient – this is indeed a very important breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma.
How Is This Test Used?

The gene ratio test is used to analyze relative expression levels of four genes involved in malignant mesothelioma. The researchers believed that there was a need to develop a molecular test that could predict surgical outcome due to the lack of current means of assessing prognosis in determining which mesothelioma patient will benefit from surgery of trimodality therapy.

How Effective Is This
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Test?

According to the researchers trimodality treatment that includes chemotherapy and radiation with surgical resection leads to longer life expectancy than nonsurgical therapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Although this treatment is effective in longer survival rate it is only beneficial to about 50 percent of malignant pleural mesothelioma patients which means the other 50 percent of patients may not benefit from this test. Overall this test is an effective new development in determining which patient will see an improved mesothelioma prognosis.

What Is The Survival Rate Of This Test?

The survival rate for patients that received trimodality therapy is currently around one to two years. However approximately 20 percent of patients survive for three to fifteen years. This significant increase in survival is definitely good news for patients who may be more genetically apt to benefits from this aggressive new treatment approach.

Due to the positive outcome of this test, researchers are pushing for this test to become a standard practice in diagnosing and planning treatment for pleural mesothelioma patients.

How Reliable Is This Test?

According to researchers their test indicates that it can be performed on specimens obtained in a minimally invasive biopsy performed before major surgical intervention. The test also indicates that it can be used as a reliable source to help inform the clinical decision of whether to perform major surgery or trimodal therapies in addition to accurately predicting postsurgical outcome.

The new developments of drugs and treatment for pleural mesothelioma such as this give hope to those suffering from mesothelioma and their loved ones. It is with great hope that these new tests will one day be 100 percent effective in treating this disease at all stages.

By: K James

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

New Mesothelioma Test

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New Mesothelioma Research – What Are My Survival Chances?

The survival rate for mesothelioma patients about twenty years ago was less than one year from the time of diagnosis, but with early detection and aggressive treatment mesothelioma patients are living longer that predicted. With new developments and ongoing research mesothelioma sufferers are gaining more hope about their treatment and longer life expectance.

Nature of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a disease caused by exposure to asbestos. In most cases symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear for decades after initial exposure to asbestos. Because it is not detected until it has reached its later stages makes it very difficult to treat. The symptoms of mesothelioma are often mistaken for other common diseases such as influenza or phenomena because the symptoms are so similar and those suffering from this disease may not even realize that they have developed mesothelioma.

Longer Survival Chances for Mesothelioma Patients

There are new tests which was developed over the years that aid in early detection of mesothelioma. Most of these tests have helped mesothelioma patients lead a more comfortable and longer life. There have been reports of a number of mesothelioma patients who have even survived past their predicted survival date. In some cases a number of patients have been cured of this disease due to early diagnosis and aggressive mesothelioma treatment. Researchers believe treatments that improve the immune system can stabilize and even cure mesothelioma.

Over the past years more and more mesothelioma survivors are beginning to speak out about this disease and sharing their stories about how they overcame it. Below are two exciting stories about mesothelioma survivors and what they are doing to fight this disease. These survivors are providing hope for mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

Paul Kraus, an Australian mesothelioma survivor was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 1997. According to Mr. Kraus he developed mesothelioma about 35 years earlier where he was exposed to asbestos working in a factory. He has been very outspoken about his disease and decided to do whatever it takes to fight this cancer. He became a vegetar
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ian and started taking vitamins and nutritional supplements to his daily diet. He also tried a treatment known as ozone therapy which was a very effective treatment. Kraust believe that a combination of all the therapy, drugs and change in diet helped to stabilize his mesothelioma. According to Kraust’s doctor he is disease free and could continue living for a long time.

Rhio O’Connor is another mesothelioma survivor who recently published a book about his ordeal with mesothelioma. He recommends alternative treatments instead of the traditional medicine, surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Mr. O’Connor stated that he has lived with mesothelioma for seven years. He decided not to undergo the traditional treatment of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Instead he decided to develop his own regimen with the help of several expert physicians. His regimen included to drastically change his diet. He also adds to his daily diet 100 nutritional supplements and daily mediation among others.

American Cancer Society Statistics on Survival Rate of Mesothelioma Patients

According to mesothelioma statistics published by the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for patients with mesothelioma is approximately 10 percent and that number has improved within the last five years, up from 9 percent reported at the end of 2002. In addition recent studies show that the one-year survival rate is now about 40 percent, a number that has also increased in the past five years – there is hope for mesothelioma patients.

By: K James

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

New Mesothelioma Research – What Are My Survival Chances?

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Mesothelioma Articles Via RSS!
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