What is Mesothelioma?
Here we analyze the different types of mesothelioma including peritoneal (cancer of the abdominal lining), pleural (cancer of the pleural sac surrounding the heart), and pericardial (cancer of the pericardium)...

Types of Mesothelioma
Here we analyze the different types of mesothelioma including peritoneal (cancer of the abdominal lining), pleural (cancer of the pleural sac surrounding the heart), and pericardial (cancer of the pericardium)...

Treatment Options
Here we discuss the 4 main types of mesothelioma treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and clinical trials...

Asbestos Exposure
Starting as early as the 1940s, millions of Americans have worked around Asbestos and have been exposed to the deadly substance. The types of jobs where asbestos exposure is highly likely to occur include...

Diagnosis Techniques
If the doctor suspects that his patient suffers from Mesothelioma, he can perform several imaging techniques to diagnose mesothelioma. These include Computed Tomography (CT) scans, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans and X-rays.

Malignant Mesothelioma: What Happens After Treatment?
(April 30th, 2008)
Completing treatment for malignant mesothelioma may be relieving for some patients while nerve wrecking for others. This is because some cancerous cells are recurring meaning the Cancer has a chance of coming back a few months/years after treatment. It might take you a while to feel confident from your treatment and your recovery process; although the thought of the cancer returning is always is in the minds of the sufferers. In this article, we explain how to minimize that anxiety and feel good during your recovery.

Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura
(April 22nd, 2008)
Malignant mesothelioma of the Pleura is a Cancer where malignant or cancerous cells are found in the Pleura (the thin layer of tissue that is in line with the chest cavity and covers the lungs). The main cause of malignant mesothelioma of the Pleura is exposure to Asbestos particles. Most patients suffering from malignant mesothelioma have worked around asbestos and inhaled/swallowed it. Examples of these types of workers include shipyard laborers, railroad & metal workers, construction workers, etc. Other risk factors for malignant mesothelioma of the pleura include living near someone who has inhaled asbestos such as a wife who lives with her husband who has inhaled asbestos while on the construction job. Signs of developing malignant mesothelioma of the pleura include coughing up blood, shortness of breath and pain under the rib cage.

Treatment Options for Malignant Mesothelioma
(April 9th, 2008)
There are 3 different categories of treatment options for malignant mesothelioma depending on the stage of the Cancer. These range from Stage I malignant mesothelioma up to Stage IV and recurring malignant mesothelioma.

Americas Watchdog Introduces The Mesothelioma Victims Center
(April 6th, 2008)
America's Watchdog (National Advocacy Group for Consumer Protection and Corporate Fair Play) has recently opened a a Mesothelioma Victims Center as an effort to help protect victims of malignant mesothelioma and their families from unfair practices. The aim of the center is to help mesothelioma victims get a safety net and get fair assistance from the government and fair rights to trial/compensation if they deserve it. The services offered are completely free to mesothelioma victims and their families. Some of these services include:

What Are the Risk Factors for Malignant Mesothelioma? - Asbestos Exposure, Tobacco and Zeolite Minerals
(March 25th, 2008)
A risk factor for malignant mesothelioma is anything that increases the chance of developing this disease; malignant mesothelioma. Each type of cancer has a different risk factor, example exposure to strong sunlight is a risk factor for skin cancer. Smoking on the other hand is a risk factor for many types of cancer including mouth, larynx, kidney, bladder and lung cancer. People who have previously been exposed to asbestos should definitely avoid smoking because asbestos exposure and smoking significantly increase the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma. We will now take a look at these risk factors for malignant mesothelioma indepth.

PhotoDynamic Therapy - Types of Mesothelioma Treatments
(March 18th, 2008)
Photodynamic therapy uses laser light to kill malignant or cancerous cells in the abdominal/lung area. Approved by the Food & Drug Administration Act (FDA) for use on non-small cell lung cancer & esophagus cancer, photodynamic therapy is a treatment in its early stages of life and is still being experimented on. Photodynamic therapy works by the patient receiving a photosensitizing agent or photosensitizer which is a drug that exposes cancerous cells to the laser light which kills these cells. The photosensitizer has the ability to differentiate between good body cells & cancerous cells, and will not diffuse in the good cells, leaving to expose only cancerous cells.

How do Asbestos Particles Get into the Lungs & Air Passages?
(March 11th, 2008)
When humans inhale, there are more things that enter the lungs than just air. Mist, fumes and dust particles that are suspended into the air also make their way into the lungs. How far these dust particles travel down the respiratory system depends on the particles' size, shape, density and chemical properties. Deposits of such particles & asbestos fibers in the respiratory tract causes diseases such as Asbestosis, black lung disease & mesothelioma. Deposition of particles can be done in 4 different ways, interception, impaction, sedimentation & diffusion.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma - Dyspnea, Pleural Effusions, Coughing Up Blood, Bowel Obstruction
(March 3rd, 2008)
Below are the common early symptoms that show signs of mesothelioma. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or other less serious diseases. Early symptoms of mesothelioma often include pneumonia. If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor right away to make a full diagnosis. Go here to learn more about diagnosing mesothelioma.

What is Mesothelioma? Youtube Video - Interview with Dr. Robert Case, M.D
(March 1st, 2008)
This is a video interviewing Dr. Robert Case, M.D who explains what mesothelioma is, the types of mesothelioma, how mesothelioma is caused, symptoms and other useful information. He quotes, "Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease of the mesothelium which is a protective tissue surrounding the lungs, the heart, liver, abdominal organs & cavity. It is a rare disease, only happens in about 4000 cases a year. It has a unique causing agent, which is Asbestos and its fibers & dust." 

Stages of Malignant Mesothelioma - Conclusive Mesothelioma Diagnosis Tests
(February 10th, 2008)
Doctors often rely on the patient's stage of mesothelioma lung cancer to suggest and conduct treatment options. Currently, there are 3 staging systems in use for Pleural mesothelioma, with each one measuring different variables.
Note: Peritoneal & Pericardial mesothelioma is not staged. The image on the side is of lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are white blood cells found in the lymphatic system of the body and their role is to destroy bacteria and viruses that form in the body. A typical human body has 500 - 600 lymph nodes and these multiply rapidly when a human gathers infection. Lymph nodes are a few millimeters to 2 cm in size and are bean shaped. (Read More)

Diagnosing Mesothelioma & Pathological Testing
(February 6th, 2008)
If mesothelioma is diagnosed through a PET Scan, MRI scan or a CT scan, it is confirmed by a pathological examination. Lung tissues are extracted, put under the microscope and a pathologist writes a pathology report confirming definitive diagnosis. This is the culmination of a process that begins by fluid build up in the lungs (pleural effusions), swelling in the abdomen, pain in the chest or shortness of breath. The pathologist may order an xray of the chest or abdomen before a full pathology report is submitted. The following types of tests may be conducted if further examination of the lungs is needed... (Read More)

Timing of Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment Options - Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation Therapy
(February 5th, 2008)
The treatment program that your mesothelioma doctor will design for you depends on the stage of the cancer, location, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancerous cells look under the microscope and the age of the patient. Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are often told the expected survival rate is only 8 - 12 months. This is however changing rapidly. Infact, specialists that treat malignant mesothelioma at leading Cancer centers nationwide often produce better statistics. For example, 40% of patients who get treated for malignant mesothelioma by Dr. David Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women’s Center in Boston have a 5 year survival rate. This means after getting treated, the mesothelioma patient can live for up to 5 years more, which is a lot higher than the average 8 - 12 months survival rate. (Read Full Report)

Choosing Your Mesothelioma Doctor - Medical & Radiation Oncologists, Laparoscopic Surgeons
(February 4th, 2008)
Finding a good mesothelioma doctor who specializes in various treatments available (chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy) is a tough task itself. Your local hospital may offer 'standard' care options, but if your mesothelioma tumor is high and you are looking into surgical options, it is crucial to find the right doctor who specializes in that particular type of surgery. It is important to find a doctor who has the right tools, surgical knowledge and is up to date on latest industry protocols, tools & developments. To summmarize this point, you have to find a specialized mesothelioma physician who can do complex lung cancer surgeries. (Read Full Report)

New Technology Can Detect Mesothelin Molecules Associated with Mesothelioma Cancer
(January 28th, 2008)
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an acoustic sensor that can be used by Cancer sensing wristwatches to report presence of small amounts of mesothelin in the body. Mesothelin is a molecule that is associated with a large number of diseases including mesothelioma lung cancer. This study conducted at the Institute is a proof of principle, that can detect any biomarker (a collective term for molecular signals that can indicate the presence of cancer in the body). (Read Full Report)

Gardening & Good Diet Leads to Less Lung Cancer Risk
(January 7th, 2008)
Cancer scientists at the The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center say that by simply eating 4 or more servings of green salad a week, and doing their gardening once or twice a week, people (both smokers and non-smokers) will be able to substantially reduce their risks of developing lung cancer during their lifetimes. This is a matter of doing physical exercise by gardening, and having good nutrition by eating green salads and other healthy meals... (Read Full Report)

Little or No Ultraviolet (UVB) Sunlight Increases Risk of Developing Lung cancer
(January 1st, 2008)
A study of lung cancer rates in people in over 100 countries suggests that lack of sunlight increases the risk of developing lung cancer. It is estimated that lung cancer causes over 1,000,000 deaths every year all over the world. Scientists studied the link between latitude (the angular distance between an imaginary line around a heavenly body parallel to its equator and the equator itself) and exposure to ultraviolet B (UV) light and their relationship with lung cancer rates in over 111 countries... (Read Full Report)

Tarceva, New Drug May Help Fight some Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers
(December 24th, 2007)
Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago is currently hosting lung cancer clinical trials in an effort to research a new drug called Tarceva that can help in the fight against most non-small cell lung cancers that are generally considered resistant to Chemotherapy treatment. One of the most important diseases that Tarceva will help fight against is bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma, which is part of the group of non-small cell lung cancers... (Read Full Report)

Good Nutrition & Cancer Risk - Importance of Nutrition in Preventing Cancer
(December 23rd, 2007)
In 370 B.C., the father of Modern Medicine, Dr. Hippocrates quoted, "Let food be your medicine, and let medicine be your food." And he said the best types of foods that protect your body from cancer risk are fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Recent research by scientists has proven that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables through the course of one's life greatly enhances one's ability to avoid developing cancer and many other diseases... (Read Full Report)

Asbestos in Schools and School Playgrounds - A Look at Serpentine Rock
(December 20th, 2007)
Asbestos was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989 from all schools. Although many schools have the option of removing asbestos linked materials from their premises, many have chosen to manage asbestos-containing building materials in their premises. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was passed by the US Congress in 1986 that requires schools to inspect their premises for asbestos-containing building materials and prepare plans to reduce the risks and hazards created by these materials. (Read Full Report)

Scientists find Protein Linked to all Stages of Lung Cancer in Human Blood
(December 19th, 2007)
Biopharmaceutical scientists have discovered a protein in human bloodstream that is possibly linked to all stages of lung cancer which rarely shows up in the blood of people without lung cancer. Tests conducted to find this protein may indicate to doctors whether smokers or those people with high risks of lung cancer have to undergoe lung imaging. A blood test can be conducted to screen high risk individuals for lung cancer. This method is both cost effective and practical to use... (Read Full Report)

Surviving Lung Cancer - Thoracic Surgeons Roll Out New Tumor Removal Procedure
(December 10th, 2007)
Every year, 170,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer. Surgery performed to remove these lung cancer tumors require patients to stay in the hospital for weeks after weeks, and can be very expensive. However now, Thoracic Surgeons have pioneered a new procedure called thorascopic lobectomy where surgeons make three incisions or cuts into the chest and use new tools to reach into the lungs. A specialized camera helps them see the tumors that have developed around the lungs and these are removed through a bag. Thorascopic lobectomy is a lot less painful than compared with other tumor removal procedures such as pleurectomy where the surgeon opens up the patient's chest and removes tumor from the surface of the lung... (Read Full Report)