Everything You Need to Know About Mesothelioma and the Treatments That Are Available s

Everything You Need to Know About Mesothelioma and the Treatments That Are Available
By Nate Atkins

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that has a resistance to fire, chemicals, and electricity. There are 3 main types of asbestos minerals (chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite) and 6 different varieties. Asbestos was used thousands of years ago by the Greeks who realized these benefits of asbestos. The use of asbestos continued through history and became a very popular product during the industrial revolution in the 1860's.

In 1879 the first development of an asbestos mine was put into motion. Because of the unique properties of asbestos, it has been able to be used for many different products over the years. Asbestos has been used in insulation, pipe coverings, brake pads, cement, ceiling tiles, rugs, paints and a variety of other products. The first recorded death due to asbestos was in 1906, further studies indicated an increase in lung related diseases in people that were around asbestos on a regular basis. Asbestos was later banned in the early 1980's due to the fact that the fibers were causing lung diseases/cancer and death.

Asbestos fibers are very sharp and barbed; it is for this reason that when a person inhales these fibers they become lodged in the lining of the lungs, and stay there. This over time causes asbestosis which is irreversible and can lead to scarring of he lungs. Another common hazard of asbestos is Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. It develops in the thin membranes that line the lungs and abdomen. Unfortunately this type of cancer is often inoperable and fatal. On top of lung related cancers asbestos has also been found to cause cancer of the esophagus, stomach, large intestine, and rectum.

Mesothelioma can sometimes be hard to diagnose as the symptoms are a lot like other lung conditions. On top of that it usually takes between 20-30 years for symptoms to become noticeable. Symptoms often shown by individuals suffering from mesothelioma include:

• chest pain
• fluid surrounding the lungs
• shortness of breath
• fatigue
• wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
• coughing up blood

In some cases if the individual's mesothelioma cancer is severe enough or in the advanced stages it has been documented that the individual could experience a collapse of the infected lung. Mesothelioma can also attack the lining of the abdomen. Individuals with mesothelioma in the abdomen include:

• abdominal pain
• a buildup of fluid in the abdomen
• a mass in the abdomen
• problems with bowel function
• weight loss

Diagnosis of Mesothelioma is often done through a series of tests on the lungs. Diagnosis may start out with a look into your medical history to see if you are at risk for such a conditions. If it is found that you've had a lot of exposure to asbestos fibers your doctor may start out with a physical examination followed by a chest x-ray and then some lung function testing. The x-ray can be used to check for the thickening of the pleural wall, which is often associated with mesothelioma. A cat scan is also taken and if the results show an abnormal amount of fluid, samples of this fluid are taken out via a pleural tap(chest drain), the cells in the fluid are then studied and if no malignant cells are found then although mesothelioma is not completely ruled out, it usually points to another type of condition. If this study of the fluid reveals malignant cells then a biopsy will be needed in order to finish diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Treatment of mesothelioma is very hard as the malignant cells that make up this cancer are very stubborn and do not take well to the different forms of treatment out there for most cancers today. Some of the common practices for treating mesothelioma are an extraction of the chest lining and or the inner chest lining is completely removed. Radiation and Chemotherapy has also been used but the results have not been very successful.

The people at risk for this type of cancer, and related diseases are mostly people who have had to work around products that were made of asbestos. These include electricians, plumbers, carpenters, sanitation workers, roofers, etc. It is estimated that today in America there are approx 800,000 people who suffer from some kind of asbestos related disease. It is also estimated that the deaths due to Asbestosis are on the rise from 127 in 1979 to 825 in 2005. Mesothelioma deaths have gone up from 153 in 1968 to 2037 in 2005 and plan to be at 2450 between 2011 and 2015.

Today for the most part asbestos has been completely taken out of everyday life products, and has been replaced with fiberglass and other less harmful materials. It was also found that through heating of asbestos to temperatures above 2500 degrees Celsius that these fibers are transformed into silicate glass that has been shown to be harmless. Today there are lawyers that specialize in Mesothelioma and asbestosis related cases, and may be able to help get you some compensation for suffering and medical costs.

Alternative Treatments For Lung Cancer

Alternative Treatments For Lung Cancer
By Steff X

If your doctor has told you that your lung cancer can't be cured, you may be tempted to turn to complementary and alternative medicine for answers. But this doesn't mean you have to choose between conventional treatments and alternative treatments. Rather than forgoing mainstream cancer treatments, using complementary and alternative treatments along with care from your doctor may be a reasonable option.

Your doctor can help you weigh the benefits and risks of complementary and alternative treatments. The American College of Chest Physicians reviewed available complementary and alternative treatments and found some therapies may be helpful for people with lung cancer, including acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, meditation and yoga

The alternative treatments above are basically palliative treatments aimed to lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and not curing the cancer. Patients can then enjoy quality time and for longer period too.

However, some alternative treatments such as Vitamin C Intravenous Infusion and Baking Soda water have even reversed the cancer and convert cancer cells back to healthy ones. Combined with mostly vegan cancer-friendly diet, the recovery cases have doctors scratching their heads.

Basically alternative treatment works by reducing toxin in the body, strengthen the immune system, control the excessive acidity bodily environment that encourage tumor growth and infuse the blood with more oxygen that kill cancer cells. In other words, these treatments are strategically targeted yet they are generally gentle and non-invasive as opposed to conventional treatment. Even patients with weak health can undergo these treatments.

Some newer alternative cancer treatments are giving lung cancer patients new hope, but there are never any guarantees treating advanced lung cancer because there are so many things that can go wrong. The Brandt Grape Cure is always recommended as a replacement for the "cancer diet" of any other alternative cancer treatment. This diet involve eating only grapes to flood the body with the goodness of antioxidant.

Though going to an alternative treatment route is perceived to be healthier, cancer experts said they tend not to recommend the procedures. This is mainly because alternative treatments are not FDA-approved and have no clear proof of success. There aren't stats on alternative treatments because there are no sponsors and there are strict guidelines that must be followed in order to publish a statistic.

Health insurance does not cover the cost of alternative treatment, but the good news is alternative treatments need not cost a lot of money. Since this is the aspect that the patient have control over in his or her cancer battle, it is worth a try.