What is Malignant Mesothelima?
A disease in which CANCER cells are found in the LINING of the CHEST, ABDOMEN or HEART.
What causes Malignant Mesothelioma?
Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma. Damage to cells occurs when asbestos fibers are breathed or swallowed.
What is the life expectancy?
The average life expectancy is one year
What are the types of Malignant Mesothelima?
Pleural mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lung.
Pericardial mesothelioma develops in the lining of the heart.
Peritoneum mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen.
What are the symptoms of PLEURAL Mesothelioma?
Early symptoms are not specific to the disease, not all are always experienced and so, often ignored.
| - | Pain in the lower back, shoulder or side of the chest |
| - | Shortness of breath |
| - | Cough, Coughing up blood |
| - | Fever |
| - | Sweating, Night Sweats |
| - | Tiredness |
| - | Weight Loss |
| - | Trouble Swallowing or Hoarseness |
| - | Swelling of face and/or arms |
| - | Muscle Weakness |
| - | Sensory Loss |
| - | Pleural Effusion [fluid in the chest lining-not the lung] |
What are the symptoms of PERITONEAL Mesothelioma?
Early symptoms are not specific to the disease are not always all experienced and so, are often ignored.
| - | Mass in the Abdomen |
| - | Hernia |
| - | Vomiting |
| - | Nausea |
| - | Weight Loss |
| - | Belly Pain |
| - | Fluid in the abdominal cavity |
What to ask if you are diagnosed with Malignant Mesothelioma
What kind of mesothelioma do I have?
Has it spread? What is the stage?
What is my prognosis?
What treatment do you recommend and why?
What are the risks and side effects of the treatment?
What should I do to ready myself for the treatment?
What can I expect of recovery?
What should I expect about follow up visits?
Who should I see if it recurs?
Where should I go for treatment?
MAJOR HOSPITALS that can identify and treat the disease.
What is an EPP [Extra Pleural Pneumectomy]?
An EPP is the surgical removal of the following that are covered with the sheetlike tumors called malignant mesothelioma.
the lung
pleura - lining of the chest cavity
the pericardium - lining of the heart the diaphragm
What are the New Therapies for Mesothelioma?
MULTIMODALITY:
Use of combined surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
CHEMOTHERAPY:
New drugs and combinations are tested in clinical trials and with other types of treatments.
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS:
| - | of the cancer tissue. |
| - | of cells in the fluid surrounding the tumor to learn about the chemical makeup that distinguish Mesothelioma cells of the cancer. |
| - | of blood tests to identify the presence of Mesothelioma cells released in the bloodstream. |
IMMUNOTHERAPY:
Treatments that utilize the patients own immune system to fight Mesothelioma are being tested in clinical trials.
GENE THERAPY:
Injection of virus that infects the Mesothelioma cell and makes the cancer sensitive to a drug that would otherwise not harm the cancer.
What are the types of Malignant Mesothelioma?
| - | Pleural Mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lung. |
| - | Pericardial Mesothelioma develops in the lining of the heart. |
| - | Peritoneum Mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen. |
What medical treatments are used to detect Mesothlioma?
Medical History, Physical Exam
Imaging Tests: X-Ray*, CT scans, MRI
Bronchoscopy or Mediastinoscopy
Fluid Samples, Thorascopy or Laproscopy
Surgery to remove some or all of the tissue
* The X-Ray should be read by a "B-Reader" who reads for signs of asbestos damage.
What are the current treatments available?
| - | Surgery - the most aggressive is an EPP. |
| - | Chemotherapy - to reduce tumor size |
| - | Radiation - to reduce tumor and/or to alleviate pain |
| - | Clinical Trials |
| - | The Treatment will depend on 1) the overall physical condition, 2) the stage of the disease and 3) personal choice of the patient. |
What is an EPP [Extra Pleural Pneumectomy]?
An EPP is the surgical removal of the following that are covered with the sheet like tumors called Malignant Mesothelioma.
| - | the lung |
| - | pleura - lining of the chest cavity |
| - | the pericardium - lining of the heart |
| - | the diaphragm |
MESOTHELIOMA
"Pleural mesothelioma can be seen creeping into the frame in the early 1940's when a German pathologist linked pleural cancers and asbestos. Knowledge of the disease spread among other asbestos industry and government pathologists...As ever, industry suppression in South Africa and North America ensured that the medical knowledge remained unpublished for many years".
"In the 1970's Mesothelioma deaths began increasing, an ominous trend was appearing mesothelioma cases among people who had never worked at Roberts {ed note: asbestos plant}, but had been exposed through living close to the factory or through relatives who worked there. So-called bystander or environmental cases were also experienced..."
Magic Mineral To Killer Dust
Geoffrey Tweedale, Oxford University Press, 2001
What can I do about mesothelioma?
Support Awareness and Research.
Send or Fax a letter to your State Senator.
