Cancer Blog

Lymphoma is a severe type of cancer which arise from white blood cells called lymphocytes. In addition to this, white blood cells help the body by fighting against bacteria and viruses. Lymphocytes includes two groups of white blood cells: B cells which change in plasma cells and produce antibodies, certain kinds of proteins that attach on infections and destroy them and on the other hand T cells which balance the immune system and fight against viruses and tumor cells. Moreover, B and T cells are travelling through the body, passing through lymph nodes and the spleen in order to find any foreign particles such as viruses and other germs. On the other hand when the B or T cells tend to enlarge too much the lymph nodes become bigger too and they may show a first sign of infection in the body.

Furthermore, when T and B cells divide the lymph nodes enlarge as well. Lymphocytes which make the lymph nodes to enlarge don’t mature normally and in some cases these cells can be associated with genetic mutation. In order to find out the real type of lymphoma by using characteristics of the tumor cells, speacilists have made a classification system, known as REAL classification.

The appereance of the malignant lymphocytes represents the aspect of the cells and tissues under a microscope. Moreover, Phenotype, a type of malignant lymphocytes refers to certain unique “markers” that can be found in the cells and that may be determined through tests. Much more,classifications tests tend to be hard procedures which may take a long period of time until the results are confirmed. It is important to say that the genetic make-up known as “genotype” too refers to the DNA of the malignant lymphoma which in some cases can develop genetic mutations. Lymphoma is usually divided in two important groups: Hodgkin’s disease, which is composed of Reed-Stenberg cells and tends to be less common that Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and much more its chances to be cured are bigger.

Taking all these into consideration, the diagnosis and classification of lymphomas may be hard procedures and even confusing for both patients and doctors due to the complexity of our body system and the way it works.

A lot of claims of cancer cure secrets put patients and carers into a lot of confusion. The danger signals of cancer are:

Tumor or Swelling. This is always a danger sign. Any swelling of the tissues anywhere in the body should always be looked on with suspicion. Even a goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland in the front of the neck, may become malignant at some time or other. If there is any doubt, one should see a good surgeon.

Loss of Weight. Any loss of weight can be serious. This should always be thoroughly investigated, particularly in older people. Sometimes the loss of weight occurs so slowly that it is hardly noticed. There may be some good reasons for this. But whatever the cause, some record of a person’s weight should always be kept, preferably in your doctor’s office.

Difficult Swallowing. Most of us have no difficulty in swallowing. In fact, we might be much better off if we had less capacity. But when a person suddenly experiences difficulty in swallowing, it is time to something about the condition. The trouble may not be due to cancer. But what ever the cause, it should be corrected.

Warts and Moles. Moles and blemishes are exceedingly common. Many people also have warts. These are hard, dry growths in the skin. They come and go without any obvious cause. Usually they are perfectly harmless. But any sudden change in the appearance of a wart or mole should be reported to your doctor at one.

Change of Color. This is another cause for concern. It could be due to slowly developing anemia, arising from something depressing the normal functions of the bone marrow. Cancel will sometimes produce these changes. So will other serious types of illness. Once should have a complete examination, as well as a blood count, urinalysis, and whatever X-rays may be indicated.

Unusual Bleeding or Discharge. Certain discharges are perfectly normal within the body. They are necessary for the health of the whole system. But any unusual discharge or bleeding should be looked upon with strong suspicion. This could arise from cancer. Such conditions should be given a most thorough investigation.

During World War II Asbestos was hailed by many as a miracle mineral. Almost anything could be built or manufactured from this mineral. The building and construction industries used it as an additive to strengthen cement and plastics. Asbestos fibers can be separated into thin threads which do not conduct electricity and are not affected by heat or chemicals.

The four main types of asbestos are: Amosite with brown fibers, Anthophyllite with gray fibers, white Christie, and blue Crocidolite. Chrysotile has curly fibers while the other three have rod like fibers. These fibers break into dust quite easily and drift in the air. They can stick on skin, clothing, and can easily be swallowed or inhaled.

Use of asbestos skyrocketed during World War II. Shipbuilding used asbestos extensively in freighters and support vessels to insulate boilers, steam pipes and hot water pipes. Asbestos became the miracle construction material as it was easily obtained, processed, and transported.

After WWII cars used asbestos in break shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos found its way into residential and industrial building materials, water supply, sewage materials, ceiling and floor tiles, and vermiculite garden materials to name a few products.

In the 1970’s the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in several products that could release asbestos fibers into the environment during use, following the discoveries of the health dangers of asbestos dust inhalation. Regulations governing the use of asbestos and concern of public opinion since 1970 have created a significant drop in the use of asbestos in the United States.

In 1989 all new uses of asbestos were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency while any old uses before that year were still permitted. The EPA suggested that schools inspect for damaged asbestos and eliminate any exposure or enclose it in protective barriers. Vermiculite, widely used in horticulture, became a concern of the EPA that recommended outdoor use, limiting the amount of dust used, and keeping vermiculite damp.

Asbestos may create serious health hazards such as coughing, lung damage, shortness of breath, and lung cancer. Most people do not become sick in the early stages of development, but usually need continued exposure, often on jobs such as mining, milling, manufacturing asbestos products, and building construction. Firemen, demolition workers, drywall removers, and any other workers in trades that involve destruction of buildings, ships, and automobiles are also exposed to the hazards and risks of asbestos.

Over a period of years continual exposure to asbestos can cause very serious health problems, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of carcinoma of the membrane that lines numerous cavities of the body, including the lungs, abdomen and heart, and has been associated with exposure to asbestos dust. In mesothelioma, the cells of the mesothelioma metastasize and damage adjacent organs and tissues.

Risk of developing mesothelioma takes a long period of time, often as long as twenty-five or thirty-five years before full blown symptoms appear. Not all workers who have been exposed will develop diseases caused by asbestos, but workers who have been exposed to it may bring fibers on their clothing, hair, shoes, and skin home to their families. To circumvent this risk, most industries require workers to bathe and change their clothing before they leave work.

Many studies have been conducted involving the risks of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. The results of one such study involving the risks of smoking and exposure to asbestos proved extremely hazardous.

The one-time friend turned killer that was once such an indispensible, yet unnoticed, part of our daily lives for so many centuries, is now a feared enemy. It is Asbestos (from the Greek for ‘inextinguishable̵ and is the reason for thousands of global compensation claims by mesothelioma lawyers against employers, manufacturers and processors of asbestos-related products. Many asbestos workers, and those unwitingly exposed to asbestos, have been given a mesothelioma diagnosis for which there is no cure, maybe just a little temporary relief, until the inevitable distressing death a few months or years after diagnosis.

Mesothelioma is a time bomb because it can be that less than a day’s exposure to asbestos dust is enough to produce mesothelioma, some 30-40 years later, when mesothelioma symptoms are first noticed. Though most mesothelioma victims are men, because mainly they worked in those industries, sometimes their wives and family too are innocent sufferers from this disease, inhaling the asbestos dust shaken from their husband’s/fathers’ clothing, or hair, at the end of the working day.

Whether the fault lies with manufacturers & employers (assuming they knew of the dangers) or the employees (did everyone diligently use respirator equipment and protective clothing, if it was supplied?), is something for the mesothelioma lawyers, insurance companies and courts to thrash out.

Meanwhile, asbestosis & mesothelioma victims are dying a painful and inexorable death, before their cases can even come to court or a settlement is reached. As there is no cure for mesothelioma or asbestosis, all that can be done is to make the sufferer’s plight as comfortable as possible, before death finally brings mercyful relief. Although various governments have introduced, albeit belatedly, anti-asbestos legislation, sufferers find that in some cases the time limit for claiming compensation is unrealistically short, given the long time (30-40 years) before mesothelioma symptoms are first noticed. Many victims are dying before they get a court verdict, or even before they get to court. Unlike its Greek derivation, Mesothelioma and asbestosis victims are not inextinguishable.

What is Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer in the fluid-filled sac between the Mesothelium lining the lungs, or abdominal cavity or heart, and the body. In a healthy person, the mesothelium secretes a fluid which lubricates these organs, allowing them to expand, contract and easily slide over neighbouring tissues. Fluid in excess of that required for lubrication is removed through the blood & lymph system. In a person with Mesothelioma, the asbestos fibres penetrate the organ, into the fluid sac, producing cancerous cells which attack other cells, thickening the fluid, causing pain, and difficulty with breathing. Peritoneal Mesothelioma and, less commonly, Pericardial Mesothelioma, are not as common as the pleural type, but just as deadly.

The Causes of Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma, the most common form of mesiothelioma, is caused, according to all known evidence, exclusively by inhalation of asbestos fibres. These fibres are very thin & sharp enough to penetrate the lining of the lung, entering the plural sac, thereby damaging the mesothelium cells. Often, cancerous growth results, as described above. Other factors also come into play, including the changes induced in macrophages by their ingestion of asbestos particles. The asbestos seems to stimulate the macrophage to produce free radicals, which then affect DNA to induce cancerous cell behaviour. The chances of a person in an asbestos-related environment developing lung cancer, are said to be about 50 times increased if that person smokes, though there is no evidence to show that smoking itself causes mesothelioma. Ironically, one brand of cigarettes in the 1950’s used asbestos in the filter tips.

There are other factors too that can play a part, such as heredity, general health and diet. Although not too much has been clincially proven about these factors, as with all diseases, the better the person’s health the better their chances of not catching a disease.

The History of Asbestos. It is probably not generally known that asbestos has been around since 4000 BC, when it was used in lamp wicks and candles. Interestingly, it was also used in the cloth wrapping of Egyptian mummies. Maybe this is the real origin of ‘The Curse of The Mummy’ stories; grave robbers, and maybe Egyptologists, could expect to get their just desserts! Clothing made from asbestos was highly prized in ancient times to wrap the bodies of Kings, so that their ashes would not mix with the earth or other contaminants during cremation, and it is said the Romans simply threw their asbestos napkins into a fire to cleanse and purify them.

Asbestos, a type of silica, is mined from three main types of metamorphic rock:- Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos) and Crocodilite (blue asbestos). Other asbestos bearing rocks such as Tremolite, Anthophyllite and Actinolite are not in such common use but could still be found in some construction work, talcum powders and vermiculite. During the Middle Ages there does not appear to be much evidence of asbestos use; they probably had other problems, like recurring plagues and crusades, to contend with.

The fact that asbestos workers developed respiratory illnesses, and died young, was known as far back as Roman times when Pliny the Elder commented that asbestos workers seemed to have many health problems, advising against buying asbestos-workings slaves as they “died young”. Obviously, there were no mesothelioma lawyers around then! The deleterious effects of asbestos, in modern industrial times, have been recorded as far back as the start of the 18th Century but little notice was paid by factory owners & Governments to the plight of asbestos workers - labour was cheap and life even cheaper; nothing should stand in the way of the sacred cows of Industrial Progress and the profits of industrialists and politicians.

That it took until the 1970s before more stricter legislation to restrict its use and safeguarded workers was drawn up, is scandalous. A charitable reason for this inertia may be that asbestos had become so widely used in almost every aspect of our everyday lives, delivering such tremendous benefits, that there was such a reluctance to finally admit that something so useful could also be so deadly. People who have expounded the virtues, and made a lot of money out of, asbestos are hardly likely to suddenly throw up their hands and admit to being wrong. The alternative, less charitable, explanation can only be that greed and profit were more important than employees’ health.

Deja vu!

About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

What is the mesothelium?

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. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

How common is mesothelioma?

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.

The early symptoms of mesothelioma are often ignored, because they may be caused by a variety of ailments. These symptoms include:

pain in the lower back or at the side of the chest

shortness of breath

difficulty swallowing

cough

fever

fatigue

abdominal pain, weight loss, and nausea and vomiting (symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma)

Causes of Mesothelioma -

The primary risk factor for developing mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. In the past, asbestos was used as a very effective type of insulation. The use of this material, however, has been declining since the link between asbestos and mesothelioma has become known. It is thought that when the fibers of asbestos are inhaled, some of them reach the ends of the small airways and penetrate into the pleural lining. There the fibers may directly harm mesothelial cells and eventually cause mesothelioma. If the fibers are swallowed, they can reach the abdominal cavity, where they can contribute to the formation of peritoneal mesothelioma. Exposure to certain types of radiation as well as to a chemical related to asbestos known as zeolite has also been related to incidences of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Treatment -

Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined. Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

WHAT EXACTLY IS UTERUS CANCER?

Endometrial cancer is the most common type of uterus cancer. It is so termed as the cancerous cells abnormally develop in the endometrium lining. It is also known as the cancer of the uterus or uterine cancer.

UNDERSTANDING CANCER

To understand cancer, we must first know that this ailment begins in the human cells. The cells are the primary unit of life. Cells combine to form tissues. Tissues come together to form organs. Cancers are malignant tumors. Tumors are masses of extra tissues. Tumors are formed when unnecessary extra cells are formed in our body. Actually new cells (the basic unit of our life) are born as per the body requirement and after the old ones die. But the malignant or cancerous cells keep on forming and constitute tumors or growths. They also spread abnormally fast. Tumors can also be non-cancerous or benign.

MALIGNANT UTERUS CANCER CAN BE LIFE-THREATENING

Uterus cancer can spread (metastasize), to the surrounding nearby blood vessels or nerves. And, from one lymph node, uterus cancer can affect other lymph nodes. Even the bones, liver, and lungs can be affected. Doctors give the newly spread tumor the same name as the mother tumor has as their characteristics remain identical.

CAUSES OF UTERUS CANCER

There is still no unanimity among the medical specialists as to the exact causes of uterus cancer or uterine cancer. Nonetheless, there is agreement among them that uterus cancer cannot spread from one person to another. In other words, uterus cancer is not contagious. Mentionably, though uterus cancer generally happens after menopause, yet it can take place as menopause starts.

TYPES OF UTERUS CANCER

There are different types of uterus cancer. You would be surprised to know that cancerous cells of the uterus at times spread to the lungs. This is not lung cancer but uterine cancer that has metastasized (spread). This ‘distant’ ailment is treated as uterus cancer. Another typical form of uterus cancer is uterine sarcoma. It develops in the myometrium (muscle). There is another uterine cancer that starts in the cervix region.

SYMPTOMS OF UTERUS CANCER

The most common symptom of uterus cancer is profuse bleeding from the vagina. Many have the misconception that such abnormal vaginal bleeding is symptom of menopause and do not pay adequate attention to it. This is wrong! Such vaginal bleeding can begin only as a watery flow having just a streak of blood. But slowly more and more blood flows along with it.

IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS

Immediately consult a gynecologist the moment you see any or some of the following symptoms: Pain in the pelvic portion; pain while urinating; pain during intercourse and/or abnormal vaginal discharge or bleeding. Of course, these signs can be due to factors other than those related to uterus cancer. Hence, seek expert’s advice without delay.

THE RISK FACTORS

The confusing fact is that many women having uterus cancer risk factors do not develop this ailment. On the other hand, there are umpteen cases of women not having the risk factors contracting uterus cancer. Nevertheless, the risk factors do help in the early diagnosing of uterus cancer. Here is an overview of the risk factors that may aggravate into uterus cancer.

Age factor: First, uterus cancer has been found to take place among women in the 50 plus age group.

Race: White-skinned women get uterus cancer more than, say the African-American women.

Endometrial hyperplasia: Second, many women after crossing 40 years suffer from endometrial hyperplasia. Though it is basically benign (not cancerous), yet it can sometimes develop into cancer. Endometrial hyperplasia happens due to the increase in cells uterus linings. The common signs of endometrial hyperplasia are bleeding in the post-menopause phase, bleeding after successive periods, and menstrual periods that are heavy. Physicians generally recommend progesterone (hormone treatment) or hysterectomy (uterus removal) to check endometrial hyperplasia from degenerating into cancer.

Colon cancer. Women suffering from colon or colorectal cancer that is inherited also may develop uterus cancer. Colon cancer affects the colon in the large intestine or/and the fag end portions of the rectum prior to the anus.

HRT: Third, women undergoing HRT (hormone replacement therapy) also have risk of contracting uterus cancer. HRT controls menopausal symptoms, prevents bone thinning (osteoporosis), and also reduces chances of stroke or heart ailments.

Prolonged use of hormone: Prolonged use of the female hormones estrogen sans progesterone can lead to uterus cancer. It is always advisable to combine the use of both primarily because progesterone acts as a potential uterus shield.

Over-exposure to estrogen: Women entering puberty early or reaching menopause late or those who have not borne any children remain exposed to estrogen for a long period. They too suffer a high risk.

Use of medicines having estrogen: One such commonly used medication is Tamoxifen. It is prescribed as a preventive measure against breast cancer. But long-time use of estrogen can lead to over-exposure to estrogen.

Obesity: The primary reason why obese women develop uterus cancer more than their thinner sisters is simple. Our body manufactures certain percentages of estrogen within the fatty tissues.

Diabetes BP: Since obesity is also linked with diabetes, the diabetic women may also have uterus cancer. Similar is the case with women having high blood pressure (BP).

DIAGNOSIS OF UTERUS CANCER

The ideal diagnosis for uterus cancer can constitute one or a combination of the following tests. They are the biopsy, Transvaginal ultrasound, Pap test, and Pelvic exam.

Biopsy: In biopsy, a tissue sample is removed from the lining of the uterus. This is a simple process and is done in the doctor’s clinic itself. However, in complex situations, the patient may have to undertake the D&C process. This D&C (dilation and curettage) operation is a day-long affair. The tissue is examined by a pathologist for the probable presence of various cancerous conditions like hyperplasia and cells. In the post-biopsy stage, the patient may experience cramps and also have bleeding from the vagina for some time.

For the patient’s knowledge: The patient needs to clarify certain positions with the doctor prior to going in for biopsy. These are about (i) the biopsy type she may have to undertake and the reason(s) why she should go for the test; (ii) The approximate time biopsy would take; (iii) Would she have to be anaesthetized; (iv) Whether biopsy be painful? (v) The risks and after effects of biopsy; (vi) And, if in the event of cancer being detected what the steps she would have to take and from whom she would get the consultations.

Transvaginal ultrasound: In this test, sound waves of high frequency is aimed at the uterus via an instrument that is inserted within the vagina. The sound echo patterns make a picture. And, the doctor can have a clear idea of the actual state by examining this picture. But, transvaginal ultrasound becomes impossible if the endometrium is too thick. Then, the patient may have to go for a biopsy.

Pap test: In Pap test, cells are collected from the upper vagina and cervix portions. Pathological examination of the cells is done to find out if there are any cancerous or abnormal cells. The problem with Pap test is that it fails to identify abnormal cells within the uterus. Hence the doctors usually collect the cells via biopsy. Nonetheless, Pap test can readily detect the cervical cancerous cells.

Pelvic exam: The Pelvic exam checks the rectum, bladder, uterus, and vagina. The presence of any lumps or alterations in their sizes and shapes are clear indications of the likely presence of abnormal tumors or cancerous cells. The doctor checks the cervix and vagina via an instrument. This implement known as speculum is first inserted into the vagina.

A portable, computerized pump small enough to fit in a fanny pack is changing the way cancer patients receive their chemotherapy. This technology allows cancer patients to receive their chemotherapy at a time when it will be most effective and least toxic.

According to pioneering chronobiologist Dr. William Hrushesky, a senior clinical investigator at the Dorn VA Medical Center in South Carolina, “this technology allows for larger doses to be delivered more frequently, with higher efficacy and lower toxicity. It’s kinder, gentler and at the same time, more aggressive and effective.”

With this pump, the timing of the infusion is administered based on several factors, including the biological uniqueness of the particular drug being given and the time when the specific type of cancer cells divide.

“This creates a better kill rate for the cancer and less toxicity to the healthy cells, because the healthy cells of the patient are generally at rest when the cancer cells are most active, or dividing,” explained Keith Block, MD, of the Block Center for Integrated Cancer Care. “The infusion of the chemotherapy drug using this pump starts slowly and ratchets up, hour by hour. It slowly increases to the middle point of the cycle, peaks, infuses most of the drug and then slowly ratchets back down, to no drug, where the cycle is completed. We have often found that patients receiving their chemotherapy this way reduce what would have been recurring side effects of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.”

Studies published in medical journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet Oncology, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and Chronobiology International, demonstrate that this ground-breaking technology decreases toxicity and improves survival. This is important because the debilitation caused by chemo can cause patients to reduce or even stop treatments that could otherwise help them win their battle with cancer. Current research shows that up to one third of chemotherapy patients abandon treatments prematurely due to the side effects.

Because this pump is portable, cancer patients no longer have to go to chemo wards and instead participate in normal daily activities such as walking, jogging, cooking, sleeping and even playing with their children, while their treatments are administered.

Leukemia is a dangerous form of cancer, and it affects thousands of people every year. It affects the white blood cells. The body loses control of the quantity and quality of blood cells, and it becomes very vulnerable because the white blood cells are supposed to protect our organism against infections. There are two main types of leukemia - acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is more dangerous because it spreads much faster, but chronic leukemia can be tricky because it has almost no symptoms.

The first organ that is affected by chronic leukemia is the bone marrow. The bone marrow is a tissue that can be found on some of the main bones in the body and that has the role of producing blood cells (red blood cells and white blood cells). White blood cells are the guardians of the body. They can be found anywhere in the blood and they attack and neutralize any type of bacteria that enters the body and that can be harmful.

When a patient has chronic leukemia, the white blood cells from his blood are deffective and they are continuously created. A normal person should have less then 10000 white blood cells white a person with leukemia can have more than 100000, but although there are so many the protection against infections is decreased because most of the cells are malfunctioning. A particularity of chronic leukemia is that patients who have it also have a lower number of red blood cells.

The causes of all types of leukemia are unknown, doctors cannot determine why some people have this illness and other don’t. Though, scientists discovered some factors that increase the risks of becoming ill of leukemia. Among these factors radiations play an important role, many that were exposed to radiations were soon diagnosed with leukemia. Also, a malfunction in the genes can cause the blood cells to transform, so it can have a genetic cause. The causes and risk factors are still being researched.

The bad thing about chronic leukemia is that it usually shows no symptoms that can give he patient an idea about his condition. It’s often discovered during routine lab tests. Some of those suffering from chronic leukemia reported having a general state of weakness and fatigue. As the disease advances blood can start to come out of the nose or of the gums for no reason, and because the organism is weakened and its defense is lowered, leukemia patients can be vruised very easy, and they are often infected with foreign microorganism.

Chronic leukemia treatment depends on each patient. After the diagnose a series of tests are made to determine which therapy the patient responds to. Chemotherapy is used in most situations. The number of people that are cured of chronic leukemia is increasing as time passes, but a there is a notable number of victims too.

New drugs and cures keep being researched by doctors and scientists and the survival rate is rising, so maybe in the near future chronic leukemia will be musc easier to treat.

Asbestos, a naturally occurring complex silicate, was extensively used in many industries, including insulation in shipbuilding, manufacture of brake lining, and automobiles. Asbestos is a common name given to a group of six fibrous minerals which have their existence in two general forms, friable and non-friable. The toxic effects induced by asbestos inhalation include desquamating alveolitis, bronchiolitis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Other more serious health ailments caused by asbestos exposure include pleural effusion, pleural plaques, pleural calcification, and Mesothelioma (a highly malignant disease).

Mesothelioma, a serious health problem associated with asbestos exposure, starts when cells found in mesothelium (a protective lining that covers most of the internal organs of the body) becomes abnormal and divides without control and order. These cancer cells may spread to damage tissues and organs. The diagnosis of Mesothelioma is difficult by pleural cytology. The characteristic radiographic feature of the disease is massive pleural effusion.

The disease is almost three times more common in males as compared to females. The maximum number of Mesothelioma cases is reported in the age group of 40-60 years. The most common symptoms observed during the onset of Mesothelioma include asthenia, breathlessness, and dull chest pain. Other less frequent symptoms include cough, fever, and loss of weight. Haemoptysis is a symptom of Mesothelioma which is rarely observed.

The therapeutic (chemotherapy or immunotherapy) means are mostly unable to help significantly in the treatment. Even radiotherapy and pleurectomy fail as effective treatment options. The average patient survival after the diagnosis of Mesothelioma is 8 to 10 months. The most preferable option can be of preventive treatment for Mesothelioma. Strict industrial safety measures, proper hygiene, and regular check up of workers exposed to asbestos must form the crucial part of serious Mesothelioma preventive treatment methods.

The cancer of the mesothelium is known as Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma damages the tissues and other organs of the body and can also affect the cells and spread throughout the body. Asbestos is the main factor for this disease. People in factories or offices who work under the asbestos roof or people who manufacture asbestos sheets or asbestos related products tend to get this disease. Around 70-80 percent cases for mesothelioma are because of asbestos. However, there are some cases where the person with mesotheliioma has no exposure to asbestos. The tiny particles or asbestos dust float in the air, and when they are inhaled, it leads to health problems. Exposure to asbestos also increases the possibility of lung cancer, and other types of cancers. Smoking as well as exposure to asbestos could lead to cancer in the air passageways.

Before the Internet era it was hard to find any information on mesothelioma. Now, with the advent of Internet, information about the causes, diagnosis, treatments etc can be gained with a click of a mouse. Around 2000 mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in the United States alone every year. In the past 20 years mesothelioma cases have shot up. Mesothilioma mainly affects men rather than women.

Some symptoms of mesothelioma are shortness of breath and chest pain. Mesothelioma is treated by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy etc.