Exposure to asbestos has proven to lead to many deadly diseases, the most common of which has been mesothelioma, or mesothelioma asbestos. Asbestos exposure also has history with several non-cancerous respiratory diseases like such as asbestosis.
Asbestos has been used for protection from heat, fire, and as insulation for over two thousand years. It has been mined and used in manufacturing of goods and products since the late 1800's. Up until the 1960s the use and exposure of workers, their families, and local communities to asbestos went pretty much unchecked by any safety regulations. As exposure to asbestos increased, the cases of lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis proportionately increased, impacting the lives of thousands of unknowing workers and family members primarily in the industrialized areas of the U.S., UK and Australia.
Asbestos fibers are used in industry because of their durability, resistance to heat and tensile strength. Asbestos has been used in building insulation in our public buildings and schools for generations. In our homes, appliances, and even clothing. The very reason that makes asbestos such a useful construction component and fire retardant however is the same characteristic that becomes humanly lethal. Asbestos fibers are very fine and tiny filaments that are so small that they can bypass the filtering systems in the human lungs. The inhalation of asbestos fibers in the dust is the primary cause of mesothelioma asbestos cancer. These fibers reach to the most sensitive parts of the lungs and get embedded within the lung tissue where they can lay dormant for as long as 50 years! As these fibers increase in numbers, or those already in the body can become an irritant to the lung tissue and slowly damage the lungs, heart or stomach protective tissue. Such conditions gone diagnosed can lead to mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma or asbestosis.
Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common type of Mesothelioma asbestos cancer. It has affected thousands of laborers in shipyards during World War II. High heat piping used in ship building and heating boilers all were insulated with the installation of asbestos. Miners working asbestos mines, their families and those communities close to those mines were all exposed to the harmful dust and filaments of asbestos. Construction and building workers were exposed to asbestos as they insulated buildings, manufacturing used asbestos in heating units, toasters, clothes driers, gloves; automotive repair mechanics were exposed by the dust from vehicle brake pads and muffler repairs. As these people grew older, and their bodies became less and less resilient to the irritation of the asbestos fibers in their bodies; more and more cases of mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural mesothelioma began to appear.
Mesothelioma attacks the pleural lining in and around the lungs; it can also damage the peritoneum tissues which surrounds the stomach and the intestinal tract. The protective sac of tissue surrounding the heart; the pericardium is also in harm's way of the ravages of asbestos fibers.
Mesothelioma is generally classified and named by the location in which it is found: Pleural mesothelioma - which encompasses 75% of all cases
Peritoneal mesothelioma - 10%-20% of mesothelioma diagnosises
Pericardial mesothelioma - the rarest, with 5% cases.
Mesothelioma may also be classified by cancer type, other than location of the cancer:
Epithelioid is most common cancer and has the best survival rate.
Sarcomatoid is the most severe yet very rare.
Mixed/biphasic is basically a mixture of Epithelioid cancer and Sarcomatoid cancer
The symptoms of mesothelioma cancer vary according to location of the cancer. It may show a combination of symptoms as well. Pleura, affecting tumors, show symptoms as -wheezing, cough, and/or hoarseness, bloody sputum, anemia, fatigue, shortness of breath, pleural fusion (fluid surrounding the lung) and chest wall pain, or pain under the rib cage.
Mesothelioma of the stomach or intestines often doesn't show many symptoms until it reaches the latter stages, they include- mass in the abdomen, weight loss, abdominal pain and/or swelling, Ascites, bowel problems.
There has been exhaustive research for an effective treatment of mesothelioma, unfortunately none has yet to be found. Only treatment attempts to hamper growth of cancer cells is available and include:
1. Surgery to remove all the affected tissues in the body.
2. Radiation therapy targeted to kill the mesothelioma cells in the body.
3. Chemotherapy uses drugs, injections to kill the growth of the cancer cells.
In an attempt to deal with the alarming trend of mesothelioma cancer cases in recent years, several international organizations and government agencies have launched mesothelioma and asbestosis awareness programs, asbestos cancer resource guides, and literature to educate people about the lethal catastrophic effects of this disease. Information for cancer patients and their families to educate themselves how to take care of themselves, reduce risks and early warning signs for early diagnosis.
Adam Bradley is a book publisher of How-To and information books. While researching the affects of mesothelioma asbestos exposure and treatments, he was shocked by the tremendous amount of bad information, scams, and bogus agencies. He felt that having to spend countless hours sorting articles and web pages just to find help during a period when time is of the essence was absurd. To help the victims and families of those exposed to asbestos, he and his research team compiled this information and offer a free 15 part Info-Course at:
Asbestos Cancer Resources.com
