Tragically the word mesothelioma is becoming more and more well known, the mere mention of it striking fear into all of us for we know that it is associated with death. Asbestos is the reaper, mesothelioma its hand maiden. Asbestos, the wonder product of the fifties is now recognized as an enemy of the twentieth century. A ruthless enemy which will kill more people than the war. Men, women and children will fall victim to its...more
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. This disease attacks the protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs and in almost all cases is fatal, although new treatments for cancer are always underdevelopment giving us hope we may live cancer free sometime in the future.You can avoid mesothelioma by not exposing yourself to asbestos. Typically a worker was exposed to asbestos on...more
Clinical research to treat malignant mesothelioma is very active and although no treatment has yet proved entirely successful, there exist a range of treatments available to individuals diagnosed with the disease. There are three types of standard treatments used to treat malignant mesothelioma which include: surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. SurgerySurgery for malignant mesothelioma is divided into a number of sub-classes, which are specially designed to limit the disease for individuals with particular strains of the disease.Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a severe form of surgery in which the entire lung and a portion of the lining of the chest, the diaphragm, and some or the entire sac which surrounds the heart is removed.Wide local excision is a form of surgery which targets and removes the cancer and a limited amount of the healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous region. Pleurectomy and decortication removes part of the covering of the lungs, as well as the lining of the chest and portions of the outside covering of the lungs.The surgical procedure pleurodesis is a distinct technique insofar as it employs a blend of chemicals and/or drugs to...more
Keratosis pilaris is about as common as your regular flu. It affects most people although some people would mistake it for other skin disorders. Over half of the world's population experience having this skin condition sometime in their lives especially during adolescence. It manifests itself in rough patches of skin with tiny...more
Pericardial Mesothelioma is an extremely difficult cancer to treat and presently, all treatment methods used have a poor success rate. The chances of a patient's survival depend largely on how early and how aggressively the cancer is treated. If pericardial mesothelioma is treated when it has fully matured and developed then the...more
One interesting study is called, "Generation of hydroxyl radical by crocidolite asbestos is proportional to surface" by Andrew J. Ghio, Jing Zhang and Claude A. Piantadosi Division of Allergy, Critical Care, and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Box 3177, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, U.S.A. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics - Volume 298, Issue 2, 1 November 1992, Pages 646-650. Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - Differences among fibrous silicates to effect injury in biological systems have been postulated to reflect oxidant generation by structural iron within the crystal lattice of amphiboles. Iron is also coordinated to the surface of all silicates in concentrations which depend on the density of acidic functional groups. We tested the hypothesis that oxidant generation by crocidolite is proportional to surface-complexed iron rather than variance in the lattice concentrations of this transition metal. Surface iron was quantified after its reduction to Fe2+ and chelation by citrate. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactive products and dihydroxybenzoic acid products of salicylate were employed as indices of nonspecific...more
One interesting study is called, "Insulation workers in Belfast. A further study of mortality due to asbestos exposure (1940-75)." - Br J Ind Med 1977;34:174-180 – by P C Elmes, M J Simpson. Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - A...more
We associate getting sunburns when we are taking a dive in a beach or purposely sunbathing with out the proper tanning lotion. But sunburn is all too common now even when doing your daily and every activity. The sun's ultraviolet rays...more
One interesting study is called, "Mobilization of iron from crocidolite asbestos by certain chelators results in enhanced crocidolite-dependent oxygen consumption" - Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics Volume 287, Issue 1, 15 May...more
One interesting study is called, "Specificity of asbestos-induced chromosomal aberrations in short-term cultured human mesothelial cells" - Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics Volume 41, Issue 1, August 1989, Pages 33-39 by Kenth...more
One interesting study is called, "Characterization of Platelet-derived Growth Factor and Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor Expression in Asbestos-induced Rat Mesothelioma" - Cancer Res January 15, 1992 52; 301 by Cheryl Walker,...more
One interesting study is called, "Physiological changes in asbestos pleural disease" by Lumley KP - Inhaled Part. 1975 Sep;4 Pt 2:781-8. Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - This paper reports the findings of a study of lung function at...more