Posts Tagged ‘truth’

Quick Introduction to the Truth Behind Mesothelioma

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

I decided to create this article for all the people out there, spending all day searching the keywords “what is mesothelioma and what problems does mesothelioma cause” on Google.
Many of us still do not know what is mesothelioma cancer or disease? Well this article will tell you more or less some of the information about Mesothelioma cancer or disease.
Mesothelium covers the external surfaces of the heart and lung. It also covers the inner surface of the chest wall and the inner surface of the sac that surrounds the heart called pericardium. In the lungs the mesothelium is called pleura, in the heart it is called pericardium, and in the abdominal cavity it takes the name of peritoneum.
Its primary role is to protect these organs by producing a lubricating fluid that allows for movement. While mesothelioma can affect any of the mesothelial tissue in the body, it is most commonly seen in the pleural or peritoneal mesothelium. Sadly, many patients are not diagnosed with mesothelioma until symptoms are present, and symptoms are not usually present until the cancer is in its advanced stages.
To understand this a little better, let’s clarify that the mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. It (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in the cells of the mesothelium, which become abnormal and divide without any control and order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) occurs when the cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. Nearby tissues and organ can be affected and the cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body.
So what is Asbestos? Well, asbestos fibers cause lesions and scarring on the mesothelium, ultimately leading to the formation of tumors. The damaged cells secrete large amounts of a clear fluid that presses on the lungs and other organs, causing severe discomfort. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.There are three main types of malignant mesothelioma: epithelial, sarcomatoid and mixed. The epithelial type is the most common. Mesothelioma is a horrific disease where a particular type of cell (the mesothelium) divides without control. This division of cells can lead to mesothelioma.
Now, not everything is bad news. Benign mesothelioma may occur wherever there is mesothelium. It is localized and does not spread to nearby tissues. Cancer that occurs in the mesothelium tissue is called mesothelioma . Malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. The most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but mesothelioma may also occur in the peritoneum or the pericardium .
One of the ongoing problems, however, with this remedy is the fact that mesothelium cancer can take years before it starts to show. In some cases, this period has been over 40 years. The mesothelium makes fluid between the two layers that lubricates the movement of the organs it protects. It actually develops in the mesothelium; a thin, double-layered protective sheath that surrounds vital organs and body cavities.
The mesothelium that protects the chest and lungs is called the pleura and the mesothelium that surrounds the abdomen is called the peritoneum.

The Truth About Health Care Insurance Reform

Thursday, March 4th, 2010


In this video, Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White Houses Health Reform Office, addresses a story that makes it look like the President intends to eliminate private coverage, when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Truth Behind Metastatic Lung Cancer

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Unlike other forms of lung cancer, metastatic lung cancer is the result of a cancer from another part of the body spreading to the lungs. When a malignancy develops in the body (most often in the breasts, colon, prostate, or bladder, though almost all cancers have the ability to spread) it can sometimes spread through the blood stream. When these malignancies settle into the pulmonary tissues, such as the alveoli (the final vein-like branches of the respiratory system) and the supporting tissues of the respiratory structures, the cancer has metastasized to the lungs.

Unfortunately, treating metastatic lung cancer presents significant challenges. Since the cancer has spread from another part of the body, treatment not only involves addressing the cancer in the lungs, but also the original cancer and any other areas of the body that may have also become affected. In some cases, if the primary tumor is successfully removed and if the spread of the tumor cells to the pulmonary regions is relatively localized, then the management of the cancer by surgical techniques may do the job. However, if the metastatic lung cancer is extensive, because so many areas of the body may be under the influence of the cancer, certain treatments (such as surgery, and in many cases, radiation therapy as well) may prove ineffective. Which leaves most patients with chemotherapy as the primary treatment of choice.

Chemotherapy often uses a combination of drugs (often referred to as “anti-cancer” drugs) to kill cancer cells, though a single drug may be used as well. While the aim of these drugs is to stop cancerous cells from multiplying, they also can damage healthy cells. This is what creates the side effects that are often associated with chemotherapy, such as the loss of hair, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue. The good news, however, is that the healthy cells will generally repair themselves once the chemotherapy process is over.

Chemotherapy can provide a cure (when the cancer disappears and does not return) or help to control the cancer (to keep it from spreading and perhaps kill cancerous cells that have already spread to other areas of the body, such as is the case in metastasized lung cancer) or relieve the symptoms of the cancer (to provide the patient with a better quality of life, even in the face of a poor prognosis). How it’s used in any particular situation is dependent upon the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer, the prognosis, and the plan as set out by the patient and his or her physician.

In addition, there are complementary and alternative treatments. These can include everything from proper nutrition to pain management, from spiritual approaches to natural herbs and supplements. Of course, such alternative plans will vary much the same as traditional treatments, depending on the location and size of the tumor, the age and general health of the patient, and other factors.

Metastatic lung cancer is certainly more challenging to overcome than other forms of lung cancer because the fight against the cancerous cells is not confined to the lungs. And while a cure is unlikely in most cases, in rare instances (usually when the primary tumor has been removed and the spread of the cancer has been limited), the lung metastases can be removed surgically, with a prognosis of long-term survival.

Please note that the information provided in this article is for information purposes only. It should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of lung cancer or metastatic lung cancer. Such situations should always involve the expertise of a physician or health care provider.

The Truth About California Mesothelioma Settlements And Awards

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Understanding what a Mesothelioma diagnosis means takes much longer than the brief time your doctor spent with you as they broke the news to you that you were suffering from it. Understanding a diagnosis and what to do and how to react will take some time.
Unfortunately, it is fatal in all but a few rare cases. It can be detected in three various parts of the body, and those three areas have their own specific name for Mesothelioma. Pericardial Mesothelioma strikes the heart’s mesothlium. Peritoneal Mesothelioma strikes the abdominal protective lining, or mesothlium. The most common form of it is known as Pleural Mesothelioma and is known to attack the lung’s mesothelium. It is a drastic and aggressive cancer that is only known to be caused by the inhalation and ingestion of asbestos.
Post diagnosis of Mesothelioma creates many questions, and some of the answers to those questions can be answered through self research, but not everything you read on the internet is true, so it is recommended that a newly diagnosed victim consult with two specialists, a Mesothelioma doctor and then a Mesothelioma lawyer.
A doctor can guide you through your treatment options and help you decide what is best for you in the face of it. A lawyer can assist in helping you to understand your rights as a victim of it.
There will be many changes in your life after the diagnosis of Mesothelioma. Just like all victims of deadly diseases, victims feel the need to make intelligent choices with how they handle their physical, emotional, and financial health as their progresses.
Hiring a California mesothelioma lawyer can eventually mean the difference between being able to pay for top of the line treatment and winding up with a physician who has never seen a case of it before. While not every case can be brought to the center of a courtroom, many cases are the result of obvious and blatant disregard for human health and life that victims are able to win large sums of money to help cover the costs of expensive victims, pay for private nursing that help the families of Mesothelioma victims, and assist families from having to declare bankruptcy after the death of their loved one.
California mesothelioma settlements and awards can never truly compensate for the pain and suffering of a victim, nor can they ever even come close to compensating for the loss of a family member to Mesothelioma, but they can at least help to provide the best care possible and ease the transition that occurs between life, illness, and death. Mesothelioma is a journey, and it is a difficult and painful journey. Though the percentage is very low, there have been survivors of it.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, and thus it has not received the research attention that other forms of cancer have received. It is a cancer that is resistant to conventional forms of treatment, although conventional forms of treatment are really the only available treatment options.
Victims of Mesothelioma have reported feeling that there time was well spent after filing a lawsuit, hoping that their journey could help spare lives from it in the future. Even if the only way to effectively do so is to bankrupt the companies responsible one by one. This may or may not be an accurate statement, but who can discount the feelings of a victim? Only a victim of it can really determine how their time that they are left with will be well spent.
It is very unfortunate that the only true recourse for justice victims have is the filing of a lawsuit. Many family members or friends of Mesothelioma victims feel that the truer justice for victims would be compensation and jail time for those who decided that it was not a significant enough risk to protect their employees from asbestos exposure.
Regardless of personal feelings that Mesothelioma victims, their families and friends assert, there is not always a cut and dry case waiting for them. There have been changes to current legislation which may very well prevent the majority of lawsuits from being filed in the future. It is vital to file a lawsuit as early as possible after diagnosis. Victims need not lose hope. There are always new advancements in technology and medicine that may eventually prevail in finding a treatment aggressive enough to send a much higher percentage of California mesothelioma cases into remission.