A Brief Information About Mesothelioma Cancer

By: Cosmas Hino Prasetyo


What is Mesothelioma?
Most of people known that mesothelioma is an acronym of mesothelium which is thin membranes lining the chest, lungs, abdomen and sometimes the heart. Mesothelieum protects these organs with a dual layered membrane called visceral and parietal membranes which surround organs and body cavities, such as the lungs or abdomen. The visceral membrane surrounds the organ, and the parietal membrane is a sac covering the visceral membrane. There is a lubricating fluid between it that allows the organs to move. This fluid helps organs move easily between surrounding structure and reduce friction between the lung and chest wall during normal breathing.

So What Is Mesothelioma Cancer?
Mesothelioma Cancer is a form of cancer which occurs in mesothelium. This cancer cells become abnormal and replicate without control. They will invade and damage tissues and organs and spread throughout the body causing death. It metastasizes and at an advanced stage the disease reach to the other parts of the body like the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs. Mesothelioma cancer will cause fluid to accumulate between the lung lining and the chest cavity.The Cause of Mesothelioma CancerThere are a lot of cases that indicate the cause of mesothelioma cancer but most of them are caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos can be found in insulation in many buildings. Asbestos can also be found in floor tiles, roofing, dust, rocks, cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, and textiles. Asbestos consists of fibers that can enter the body through the skin, the mouth, and, subsequently, enter the lungs, or blood stream. When a person breathes in, the fibers then travel to the ends of the narrow air passages reaching the lining of the lungs and destructing the mesothelial cells (the lining of the lung cells). If swallowed, these fibers can get in to the lining of the abdominal cavity where they play a part in causing a mesothelioma cancer.

The Patients of Mesothelioma CancerPeople in the construction jobs such as in shipyards, insulation, boilermaking, milling plants, fireproofing and heating, automotive repair, and pipefitting are at the risk of contracting mesothelioma cancer. Common cases are found from workers such as Factory workers, miners, railroad laborers, gas mask makers, insulation workers and ship builders. People who have received asbestos exposure of as little as one or two months to very low doses are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. People who wash clothes of asbestos exposed people are at risk.

The Chance of Recovery
It depends on size and location of the cancer, age of the patient and their response to the treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, the five year survival rate is about 10 percent. Most patients only survive for a year after diagnosis or 4 to 24 months from the observance of the symptoms. Some physicians find it hard to detect mesothelioma cancer because its symptoms are akin to other diseases like lung cancer and pneumonia. The average age of patients is between 50 and 70 years, three-fourths of patients diagnosed are over 65.

Three Types of Mesothelioma Cancer
Primarily, mesothelioma cancer occurs in three areas, and categorized into:

1. Pleural mesothelioma (lung cancer), mesothelioma of the membrane covers the lungs and chest cavity as well as the lungs

Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer

2. Peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen organs), mesothelioma of the peritoneum. Peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that enfolds the organs in the abdominal cavity.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

3. Pericardial mesothelioma, mesothelioma of the pericardium. Pericardium is the sac enclosing the heart.Symptoms of Mesothelioma CancerThe symptoms of mesothelioma cancer occur owing to the deposition of fluid in the pleura. The patient would generally feel a pain in the chest region, accompanied by shallow breathing.

Large Pericardial Effusion

The other symptoms are include : respiratory problem, continual cough and pneumonia, weight loss due to accumulation of fluid, abdominal problems and swelling of the neck or face, fever, anemia, difficulties in bowel movements, abnormalities observed during blood clots, fibrosis, pleural effusion, calcified plaques, bronchial cancer, and difficulty sleeping.

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The 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Prostate Cancer

By: Don Saunders

Prostate problems will affect ninety percent of all men by the time the reach the age of eighty and in all too many cases the problem will be that of prostate cancer. But just what is the prostate gland and what does it mean to be diagnosed with prostate cancer? Here we look at the ten questions which are most often asked by men who encounter prostate problems.

1. What is the prostate gland and what does it do?

The prostate gland is situated between the bladder and the rectum, partly surrounding the urethra which carries urine from the bladder out of the body, and forms part of the male reproductive system, making and storing fluid which forms part of a man's semen. The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut in an adult.

2. What is prostate cancer?


Prostate cancer is a form of cancer which normally appears late in life and tends to be slow growing as a result of which many men, despite having prostate cancer, in fact die of other unrelated conditions. This said, prostate cancer is the second commonest form of cancer in the United States today and in 2006 some 235,000 men were diagnosed with the disease and approximately 27,000 men died from it.

3. Who is likely to contract prostate cancer?

Men in general are at risk of contracting prostate cancer although as it is an age related disease it tends to appear only from about middle-age onwards with the risk of contracting the disease increasing with age. Prostate cancer is more likely to appear in black men and where there is a family history of the disease.

4. What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

In the early stages of the disease there are normally few if any symptoms and it is possible to suffer from prostate cancer for many years without even knowing it. When symptoms do start to appear they are likely to include such things as difficulty in urinating, the need for frequent urination (especially at the night), a poor flow or urine which tends to stop and start, painful urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain when ejaculating and pain in the lower back, hips or upper part of the thighs.

5. Are there other conditions which can mask the presence of prostate cancer?

Many older men suffer from an enlarged prostate which places pressure on both the bladder and the urethra and interferes with the flow of urine and with sexual function, producing many of the same symptoms that are seen in prostate cancer. This condition is not however cancer but is a benign condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.

It is also quite common for the prostate gland to become infected and inflamed, again producing similar symptoms, and this also benign condition is known as prostatitis.

6. Is it possible to be screened for prostate cancer?

Yes, although current screening is not foolproof. The two most commonly used screening test will indicate the possibility of a developing problem, which may or may not be cancer, and point to the need for further more specific testing.

The tests currently in use are the digital rectal exam (DRE), in which a doctor carries out an investigation of the prostate gland by feeling it with a gloved finger inserted through the rectum to detect the presence of hard or lumpy areas, and a blood test used to detect the presence of a substance which is known as prostate specific antigen (PSA) and which is made by the prostate gland.

7. How reliable are present screening methods?


Neither of the current screening tests is foolproof and both can easily miss prostate cancers. However, the two tests used together can produce quite reasonable results and are certainly preferable to not screening for the condition at all. Research is currently underway to find a more accurate method of screening.

8. How is a diagnosis of prostate cancer made?

There is really only one way to confirm the presence of prostate cancer and this is by carrying out a prostate biopsy. This involves removing a number of small samples of tissue from various different parts of the prostate gland and examining these under a microscope in the laboratory.

9. How is prostate cancer treated?

If prostate cancer is localized (that is to say confined only to the prostate gland) there are at present three main forms of treatment available.

One option is to do nothing and to simply watch and wait. If this seems an odd course of action it should be borne in mind that many prostate cancers appear at a very advanced age and, as long as the cancer remains within the prostate gland and is slow growing, the best option for an elderly patient might well be to do nothing at all.

Where active treatment is carried out this will often be to either treat the prostate gland with radiation to kill the cancer cells or to simply remove the prostate gland surgically.

In cases where cancer has spread outside of the prostate gland there are a wide range of treatment options available depending on the degree of spread. This is however a complex area and beyond the scope of this short article.

10. What is the best treatment for localized prostate cancer?

This is a bit like asking 'how long is a piece of string' as there are a large number of factors which need to be taken into consideration, not the least of which are the patient's own circumstances and wishes.

In the majority of cases however prostate cancer is slow growing and there is usually no need to rush into a treatment plan. This gives patients time to discuss their condition with their doctor, including taking a second or even third opinion if they wish, and also to discuss matters with their partner and family before making any decision.

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What Do You Eat and Drink: Diet Cancer Links

By: Susan George


Recently there has been a great awareness to the relationship between the diet we eat and cancer. This is especially important since unlike many other risk factors for cancer this is a very much controllable risk factor. Many are interested in knowing the relationship between specific foods, or nutrients, and specific types of cancers. There has been extensive research done on this topic but till this date no study provides the last word on this topic. Any new research finding has to be evaluated in the larger context of available evidence so it is not advisable that you make any diet modifications based on single studies published.

Alcohol cancer link
Findings from various research publications have established that consumption of alcoholic beverages would increase the risk of cancer. Alcohol increases the risk of development of various cancers including cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, and breast, and probably of the colon and rectum. It should be pointed out here that moderate amount of alcohol consumption has been shown to decrease the risk of having a heart attack. So it is suggested that those who are drinking alcohol should do this in moderation. It is recommended that men limit their alcohol intake to a maximum of two drinks per day and women should limit their alcohol consumption to a maximum of one drink per day. It should be mentioned that the combination of alcohol and tobacco have a much greater impact on cancer risk compared to use of one of these agents. Women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer may be suggested to abstain from drinking any alcoholic beverages.

Antioxidants and cancer protection
Some of the products of normal metabolism could have a damaging effect on the tissues and such damages could increase the risk of developing cancer. Some nutrients called antioxidants are very essential to protect the body from harmful metabolic products that are produced in the body. These antioxidants are present in various fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and some phytochemicals. This is consistent with the observation that people, who eat more vegetables and fruits, may have a lower risk for some types of cancer. Antioxidant supplementation has not been proven to decrease cancer risk and more studies are underway in this regard. The best advice would be to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables to decrease the risk of many cancers.


Aspartame cancer link
Aspartame is used in many of the low calorie beverages as an artificial sweetener. There has been some controversy about the risk of aspartame with regard to increasing risk of cancer but the current evidence does not support any link between aspartame consumption and increased cancer risk.

Beta-carotene and cancer protection
Beta-carotene, is an antioxidant and is chemically related to vitamin A. This antioxidant is found in abundance in vegetables and fruits. For some time scientists believed that high doses of beta-carotene supplements might reduce cancer risk. Recently published studies suggest that this may not be true. In two of these studies it was shown high dose of beta-carotene actually increases the risk of cancer and the third study found neither benefit nor harm from them. Consuming vegetables and fruits that contain beta-carotene may still be helpful, but high-dose beta-carotene supplements should not be taken.

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