Asbestos Cancer

Over the course of the past century, millions of people have unknowingly been exposed to asbestos, a class of fibrous minerals known to cause a variety of cancers.
Often referred to as "asbestos cancer," mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells that line many organs and body cavities. The cancer typically attacks the thin lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart, known as the mesothelioma. Each year an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of malignant mesothlioma are diagnosed in the United States.

Types of Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common type of malignant mesothelioma, comprising approximately 75 percent of all mesothelioma cases. This type develops in the lining of the lungs, called the pleura.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma develops in the abdomen’s peritoneum, a layer that covers the abdominal cavity and surrounds abdominal organs.

Pericardial Mesothelioma develops in the pericardium, a membrane that surrounds the heart and provides protection and support to this organ.

Testicular Mesothelioma the rarest form of mesothelioma, develops in the lining surrounding the testicle, called the tunica vaginalis.

Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma a rare cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium, a membrane that lines many of the body’s organs and cavities. In the case of pleural mesothelioma, the cancer develops in the lining of the lungs, called the pleura or pleural membrane. The pleura is comprised of two layers which provide support and protection for the lungs and chest cavity. The outer layer, or the parietal layer, lines the entire chest cavity and the diaphragm. The inner layer, or visceral layer, covers the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma typically develops in one layer, but can metastasize, or spread, to the other layer.
Like all mesothelioma cancers, pleural mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure and develops when the toxic asbestos fibers become trapped in the spaces between the mesothelial cells.
Asbestos.com offers pleural mesothelioma patients and their loved ones a comprehensive packet including information about various treatment options and top doctors to help those diagnosed understand their condition and applicable treatment options available. To receive this complimentary packet call 800-615-2270.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Of the 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States annually, 10 to 20 percent of the patients are diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdomen, in the mesothelial cells that form a membranous layer called the peritoneum.
The peritoneum is a membranous layer that is made up of two 'sub-layers' called the parietal and visceral layers. The parietal layer covers the abdominal cavity, while the visceral layer surrounds abdominal organs. Together these two layers provide support and protection for abdominal organs and the abdominal cavity as a whole.
Peritoneal mesothelioma, like all types of mesothelioma, is caused by asbestos exposure. Though it can take many years for a patient to demonstrate symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma, the cancer develops when the asbestos fibers become lodged in the spaces between the mesothelial cells.
A peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis can leave patients and their loved ones confused and questioning what to do next. We offer a complimentary packet for peritoneal mesothelioma patients containing information about their specific diagnosis, treatment options and top doctors

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for approximately half of all pericardial tumors and is an extremely rare. Researchers from various mesothelioma studies report that pericardial mesothelioma accounts for approximately 1 to 6 percent of all mesotheliomas. To date, fewer than 150 cases have been presented in medical literature and approximately 200 cases have been reported worldwide. Pericardial tumors are typically diffuse (not localized) and tend to cover most of the heart.
Pericardial mesothelioma develops in the pericardium, a membrane made up of mesothelial cells that surrounds the heart and provides protection and support to this organ. The membrane is composed of two different layers: an outer layer called the parietal layer (called the heart sac or theca cordis), and an inner layer known as the visceral layer (called the epicardium). The parietal layer is part of a larger membrane that lines the entire chest cavity, while the visceral layer is the pericardial membrane that lines the heart.

Testicular Mesothelioma

Testicular mesothelioma is the rarest form of malignant mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. To date, less than one hundred cases of this type of mesothelioma have been reported.
Testicular mesothelioma develops in the membranous lining that surrounds the testicle, the tunica vaginalis, which provides protection and support for the reproductive organ

Symptoms

The Symptoms of mesothelioma typically arise 20 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos occurs. The commonality of the symptoms, which, in the case of pleural mesothelioma, often resemble less-serious conditions such as influenza, can make mesothelioma very difficult to diagnose. Symptoms include:

Shortness of breath

Chest pain

Persistent coughing

Fatigue

Night sweats or fever

Unexplained weight loss

Mesothelioma patients and their loved ones often wish to gather as much information about mesothelioma as possible after diagnosis. Asbestos.com offers a comprehensive packet containing all the information from this Web site and additional literature to help patients and their families fully understand their diagnosis. To receive this complimentary packet overnight call 800-615-2270.

Diagnosis

In most cases, a patient is not diagnosed with mesothelioma until the cancer has progressed to later stages of development because of the long latency period associated with the disease. Once a doctor suspects that a patient may have mesothelioma, one or more diagnostic tests are typically ordered. These tests include medical imaging tests such as X-rays, Ct and MRI scan and Biopsy procedures that test fluid samples and tissue for the presence of cancerous cells. Diagnostic tests also reveal the cancer’s progression and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment and Cure

Though no known cure currently exists for mesothelioma, many patients elect to undergo treatment to make living with the cancer more comfortable

Alternative Mesothelioma Treatments

Traditional cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy may be more widely used to treat mesothelioma, but alternative therapies and treatments are on the rise. To date, few cases of mesothelioma have been cured, and it is this fact that motivates the trend toward unconventional forms of therapy. It is the hope of countless mesothelioma patients and medical professionals across the globe that other therapies will one day afford a cure for this rapacious disease.
Alternative therapies such as gene therapy, immunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy are showing promising results and may one day be considered conventional forms of mesothelioma treatment.

Mesothelioma Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy aims to correct the issues caused by a defective gene by using special techniques to replace the defective copy of a gene with a copy that functions properly.
The process is performed by genetically altering a virus to carry a normal copy of the gene. The patient is 'infected' with the virus, which enters target cells and causes them to produce normal proteins. Concerning mesotheliomatreatment, this therapy uses genetic material to target cancer cells to make them susceptible to chemotherapy drugs

Mesothelioma Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is another form of alternative therapy that involves the use and manipulation of an individual's immune system to assist in the fighting of disease. When applied to mesothelioma and other forms of cancer, immunotherapy fools the immune system into registering cancer cells as foreign. This directs the immune system to destroy cancer cells, while leaving normal and healthy cells undisturbed.
Active immunotherapy treatments generally encourage the immune system to fight disease. Vaccines are considered an active type of immunotherapy. Conversely, passive immunotherapy treatments use components that are created outside the body. Non-specific immunotherapy treatments are different from active and passive in that they do not involve the use of cancer cells from the patient.

Mesothelioma Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic Therapy works off the principle that normal cells and cancer cells react differently to photosensitizing drugs. This form of therapy utilizes light energy to obliterate cancer cells with the aim of leaving healthy cells mostly unaffected.
This process works by administering drugs called photosensitizers. These drugs cause cells to become sensitive to light. Upon receiving medication, treated cells are exposed to light of a particular wavelength. This causes the treated cells to produce a specific form of oxygen that is toxic to the cell, which results in the death of nearby cancer cells

Causes

Mesothelioma is primarily caused by asbestos exposure.Though the exact way asbestos causes mesothelioma is currently being researched, medical professionals have a number of theories:

Asbestos causes irritation and inflammation of mesothelial cells, which results in irreversible scarring, cellular damage, and eventually cancer.
Asbestos fibers enter cells and disrupt the function of cellular structures that are essential for normal cell division, causing cellular changes that lead to cancer.
Asbestos causes the production of free radicals. These molecules damage DNA, and cause cells to mutate and become cancerous.
The presence of asbestos causes cells to produce oncoproteins. These molecules cause mesothelial cells to ignore normal cellular division restraints, and this can lead to the development of cancer.

Lung Cancer

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was widely used for many decades in a number of applications, most notably construction, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of consumer products. Throughout the past century, millions of Americans and people abroad were exposed to asbestos, which can lead to the development of devastating illnesses and cancers. To read more about this toxic mineral, please see the Bleow Detail of Asbestos.

What is Asbestos?

The term "asbestos" has been given to six naturally occurring mineral fibers that have been used for commercial purposes. It can be found in hundreds of countries on just about every continent. These fibers belong to two separate mineral groups, known as serpentine and amphibole.

The serpentine group, usually of a curly form, contains only one asbestiform variety, referred to as chrysotile. The amphibole group, which is straight and needle-like, contains five asbestiform varieties: anthophyllite, grunerite (amosite), riebeckite (crocidolite), tremolite, and actinolite.
The U.S. Bureau of Mines has listed more than 100 mineral fibers as "asbestos-like" fibers, but the United States government only regulates the six aforementioned forms (primarily due to effective lobbying on behalf of the asbestos and stone industries).
These very fine fibers are separable, hundreds of times thinner than human hairs, and too small to be seen with the naked eye. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines fibers of concern as at least five micrometers long and at least three times as long as their diameters. For a frame of reference, mineralogists work with fibers as much as a thousand times as long as their diameters.

Associated Risk Factors

As with exposure to many carcinogens, the risk of developing cancer is influenced by a number of factors relating to exposure. First, the amount of asbestos to which a person is exposed is an important factor. Evidence shows the likelihood of developing serious asbestos-related disease compounds as the number of asbestos fibers in the body increase