What
is Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?
(August 28th, 2008)
 Mesothelioma
stands for tumor of middle lining tissues. It is an unusual and
rare type of lung cancer that arises from the cells that form a
membrane that lines with the abdominal cavity of the body (also
known as peritoneal membrane or peritoneum). In the below diagram,
we show you the Peritoneum in blue font. The abdominal cavity preserves
the body's intestines while the pleural membrane (pleura) preserves
the heart and lungs of the body. With Mesothelioma, these cells
that store the pleura and the abdominal cavity will begin to grow
beyond control and almost burst, thus forming "malignant cells."
Note the meaning of "malignant" on Dictionary.com is "Cancerous
or deadly or destructive." When the cells around the heart
become malignant, this means the patient is more likely to develop
mesothelioma. By the way, malignant cells can also develop around
the linings of the heart, also known as the Pericardium. See the
images of both the Pericardium and the Pleura below to get a visual
picture of the process. Malignant cells that develop around the
Pleura or the lungs lead to shortness of breath for the patient,
because of the thickening of the lining membrane. As the lining
membrane thickens, the airways become blocked and the patient has
trouble inhaling air in and out of his body.
Types of Mesothelioma
i) Pericardial
Mesothelioma - Symptoms, Development, Diagnosis & Treatment
Options for Pericardial Mesothelioma
(July 25th, 2008)
 Pericardial
mesothelioma is a cancer that damages the linings of the heart (pericardium).
The pericardium is a membrane consisting of mesothelial cells that
surround the heart and provide protection to it. The pericardium
is made up of 2 different layers; 1) an outer layer called parietal
layer and 2) inner layer called visceral layer. The parietal layer
lines the entire chest cavity while the visceral layer lines the
heart. Pericardial mesothelioma occurs when the patient develops
cancerous tissues around the linings that surround the heart, and
thus around the Pericardium. Why is the pericardium so important
to the body? This is because it acts as a fluid filled 'sac' that
insulates and protects the heart from malignant tumors.
ii) What
is Peritoneal Mesothelioma? - Symptoms, Development, Diagnosis &
Treatment Options for Peritoneal Mesothelioma
(July 22nd, 2008)
 Peritoneal
Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer that is much rarer than Pleural
mesothelioma. About 100 - 500 cases are diagnosed in the USA each
year, which is about 25% - 30% of all mesothelioma cases. Results
of diagnosis are approximately 54.7% in male versus 45.3% in females,
with an average age of 65 - 69 (Source: SEER - Surveillance, Epidemiology,
and End Results). Symptoms for Peritoneal mesothelioma surface to
life 20 - 30 years after Asbestos exposure, as opposed to Pleural
mesothelioma where symptoms surface to life after 30 - 40 years.
Peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the abdominal lining or Peritoneum
of the lungs, and thus is also known as abdominal mesothelioma.
The peritoneum insulates organs of the abdomen and its primary purpose
is for protection.
iii) What
is Pleural Mesothelioma? Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Options
for Pleural Mesothelioma
(July 20th, 2008)
 About
2000 - 4000 Americans are diagnosed with Malignant Mesothelioma
each year, and about 66% of those cases are of Pleural Mesothelioma.
Pleural Mesothelioma occurs when Cancer hits the lining of the lungs,
also known as the 'Pleura.' The Pleura is a Sac which houses the
lungs, and consists of a thin membrane called the 'mesothelium.'
The mesothelium is a vital part of the lungs because it enables
them to expand and contract when breathing by secreting a fluid.
This fluid is located in the lungs and inside of the rib cage. If
the Pleura or the Pleural fluid becomes damaged with Cancer, it
makes it very hard for the patient to breathe, thus shortness of
breath is a common symptom of Pleural mesothelioma.
iv) Testicular
Mesothelioma - Symptoms, Development, Diagnosis & Treatment
Options for Testicular Mesothelioma
(August 1st, 2008)
 Testicular
mesothelioma is when malignant tumors invade the tunica vaginalis;
a membranous lining that surrounds, protects & insulates the
testicles. Since the testicles are the reproductive organs of the
human body, it can be very dangerous if they are damaged by cancerous
tumors. The tunica vaginalis is composed of mesothelial cells, which
are cells that line the body's serous cavities and internal organs
and provide protective, non-adhesive surfaces. Mesothelial cells
also help in transporting fluids and cells across the serous cavities.
The image on the left is of the tunica vaginalis composed of 2 layers;
parietal (outer) layer and visceral (inner) layer.
Treatment Options for Mesothelioma Lung Cancer
i) Chemotherapy
& Drugs Used + Side Effects - Treatment Options for Mesothelioma
Cancer
(August 1st, 2008)
 Chemotherapy
is the practice of using cytotoxic or anti-cancer drugs to destroy
tumorous cells in the lungs. The mission of these drugs is to stop
the growth & spread of cancerous cells by individually targeting
each cell & destroying them. Although chemotherapy cannot completely
cure mesothelioma, it does prolong the life of the patient by several
months and helps to reduce pain. This is known as palliative treatment
and can significantly improve the life of the patient. Chemotherapy
is also usually given after a surgery. Examples of drugs used in
chemotherapy treatments include Alimta (pemetrexed), doxorubicin,
Vinblastine and mitomycin C, among others.
ii) Clinical
Trials for Mesothelioma Lung Cancer - Basic Info, Trial Phases,
Eligibility & Current Clinical Trials
(August 14th, 2008)
 Clinical
trials are a means of testing new drugs & health products in
the market on patients that are most likely to benefit from them.
Clinical trials measure the effectiveness & safety of new drugs
before they are released to the general public. Cancer clinical
trials for mesothelioma are ongoing all over the country and any
patient who wishes to undergo one should talk to his/her doctor
for eligibility & benefits. It is important to understand that
clinical trials are for newly released drugs that could have both
benefits & risks. The risks are that the drugs could negatively
impact your health, while the benefits are you will receive treatment
from top notch doctors who are leaders in the field of medical research.
iii) Lung
Transplant for Mesothelioma Patients - How To, Risks Associated,
Symptoms & Prognosis
(August 3rd, 2008)
 Lung
transplants become a necessary survival option for mesothelioma
patients when a person's respiratory system has been damaged to
a level where he/she will not be able to live without a replacement
lung. For instance in a disease known as pulmonary fibrosis, the
lungs become so scarred such that their air sacs are replaced with
fibrotic tissues. These tissues accumulate in masses and lose the
lung's ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. It is of
utmost important that the lungs be able to transfer oxygen to the
rest of the body via the bloodstream and when this is interrupted,
the patient's life is threatened. Once the lungs become extremely
scarred, there is no reversal, meaning they cannot heal themselves;
thus a lung transplant will be necessary.
iv) Pain Management
for Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer Patients - Types of Pain, Pain
Control, Side Effects of Pain Medicines & How to Administer
Pain Medicines
(August 26th, 2008)
 Most
lung cancer patients fear the pain resulting from it, rather than
the cancer itself. Pain management theories were developed to help
patients control or minimize their pain while undergoing cancer
treatments. About 80% - 90% of cancer patients control their pain
through a combination of pain medicines & other exercises. In
order to successfully control pain from cancer, it is important
to understand where that pain originally derives from. Cancer pain
occurs when malignant tumors slide or press on internal organs such
as bones, nerves and the lymph nodes. The extent of pain also depends
on the location of the tumor and what organ it is pressing on. For
example, a small tumor pressing on a vital organ of the body such
as the lungs can cause lots of pain, while a large tumor elsewhere
could cause little pain. Pain also derives from cancer treatments
including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
v) Palliative
Care for Mesothelioma Lung Cancer - Pain Management, Shortness of
Breath, Fatigue, Dry Mouth, Loss of Appetite, Gastrointestinal &
Skin Problems
(August 29th, 2008)
 Palliative
care is a specialized type of caregiving where the pains and sufferings
created from the symptoms of mesothelioma are reduced. The purpose
of palliative care is to make the life of the mesothelioma sufferer
as pain free and comfortable as possible. Palliative care does not
prolong human life but rather eases it from suffering. The image
on the left summarize what palliative care is for:
vi) Thoracic
Surgery - Thorax Definition, Types of Thoracic Surgery, The Society
for Thoracic Surgeons, Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS), How
to Prepare & Risks Involved
(August 25th, 2008)
 The
term "Thoracic" derives form the word Thorax, which stands
for the breasts or chest from ancient Latin & Greek languages.
Thorax refers to the area of the body that is located between the
neck and the abdomen including organs such as the heart, the great
vessels, esophagus, lungs, trachea, pleura, mediastinum, the chest
wall and diaphragm.. Thoracic surgery is the use of medicine to
treat diseases of the chest including lung cancers, coronary artery
diseases, tumors contained in the chest cavity, heart & lung
transplants, and abnormalities of the great vessels and heart valves.
Thoracic surgeons are some of the most highly educated surgeons
because after college and medical school, they have to spend 5 years
in a general surgical residency, another 2-3 years to thoracic surgery
residency and pass a tough examination set by the American Board
of Thoracic Surgery. The patient is placed under general anesthesia
and endotracheally intubated.
vii) Radiation
Therapy (External, Internal & Systemic Radiation), How It Works,
Side Effects
(August 5th, 2008)
 Radiation
therapy or Radiotherapy is the use of ionizing radiation to kill
or control the growth of malignant or cancerous cells. Radiotherapy
is used as a palliative treatment option for patients suffering
from mesothelioma lung cancer because no definite cure is available
for this disease. The basic theory behind radiotherapy is that it
uses energy waves or particles to destroy cancer cells & tumor
masses. In other cases, radiotherapy is used to prevent future tumor
cells from growing; where no present cancer cells can be found.
There are 3 types of radiation therapy; external, internal, and
systemic and each of them is discussed below. Radiotherapy is usually
confused with radiology which is the use of radiation in medical
imaging techniques; they are two different things.
viii) X-Rays - How
It Works, Units of Radiation Exposure, X-Rays of the Lungs for Diagnosing
Mesothelioma
(August 12th, 2008)
 X-ray is
a form of electro-magnetic radiation with a wavelength of 10 to
0.01 nanometers; much like gamma rays but shorter than UV rays.
X-rays contain high energy radiation exposure because they have
an extremely short wavelength and high frequencies. Just like Computed
Tomography (CT) scans, X-Rays use ionizing radiation to create radio
waves to create visuals of different organs of the body including
the lungs. Once the x ray machine aims at the part of the body that
is to be visualized such as the lungs, it will emit a small burst
of radiation that will pass through the skin and record image of
internal organs of the body on a photographic film or a special
image recording plate. Different organs of the body will absorb
the x ray radiation in different ways. For instance dense bones
will absorb almost all of the radiation while soft tissues such
as muscles, fats & other organs will allow more of the x-rays
to pass through them. Due to this, bones appear white on x-rays
while soft tissues are presented in shades of grey and black.
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